Planting season is in full swing and calving season is happening in our area. Please keep an eye out for farming equipment moving on the roads and stay safe.

Mother’s Day is coming up this Sunday. The official U. S. Mother’s Day was established in the 1900s following the efforts of Philadelphia school teacher, Anna Jarvis. After her mother’s death in 1905, she created Mother’s Day as a way to honor mothers’ devotion to their children. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially declared Mother’s Day as a national holiday that is held on the second Sunday in May. (“Origin of Mother’s Day in the USA”. InfoUSA. May 5, 2023. https://www.info-america-usa.com/mothers-day-in-the-usa/) Here’s wishing a Happy Mother’s Day to the mothers in my district.

Bill Updates

• LB705–Change provisions for the distribution of lottery funds used for education, transfer powers and duties, create new acts and funds, and change education provisions–This bill was amended with AM1468 which replaced the bill with a modified version of the original proposal as well as the provisions of 17 other bills heard by the Education Committee this session. Senator Dave Murman said the proposals included in the committee amendment are intended to address four key issues: teacher recruitment and retention, school safety, special education funding, and increased parental and student involvement. Senators adopted further amendments containing the provision of five additional bills. Bills included in this 22 bill package are LB385 and LB603 sponsored by Senator Lou Ann Linehan; LB724 and LB774 sponsored by Senator Tony Vargas; LB762 and LB153 sponsored by Senator Wendy DeBoer; LB516, LB520, and LB356 sponsored by Senator Lynne Walz; LB414 sponsored by Senator Danielle Conrad; LB647 and LB648 sponsored by Senator Mike McDonnell; LB708 sponsored by Senator John Arch; LB632 sponsored by Senator Terrell McKinney; LB787 sponsored by Senator Justin Wayne; LB805 sponsored by Senator R. Brad von Gillern; LB585 sponsored by Senator Jana Hughes; LB222 sponsored by Senator John Fredrickson; and LB372, LB698, and LB703 sponsored by Senator Murman. After eight hours of debate on general file, Senator Murman filed a motion to invoke cloture to end debate. The motion succeeded on a vote of 39-0. Lawmakers then advanced LB705 to select file on a vote of 40-0. (Some information taken from “Education lottery allocation bill expanded, advanced”. Unicameral Update. May 4, 2023. http://update.legislature.ne.gov/?p=34269)

Some of the budget bills we addressed the last week of April to begin the process on the budget include:

• LB815–Appropriate funds for salaries of members of the Legislature introduced by Senator John Arch at the request of the Governor. This bill provides for the appropriations each year of the biennium for the salaries and benefits of the 49 State Senators and is required by the State constitution. This bill includes an emergency clause and becomes operative on July 1, 2023. This bill was advanced to Final Reading on a vote of 39-0-1.
•  LB816–Appropriate funds for salaries of constitutional officers was introduced by Senator John Arch at the request of the Governor. This bill provides for the funding of the salaries and benefits of certain State Officers as required by the State Constitution and current laws of the State of Nebraska. This bill includes judges as well as elected Constitutional Officers, the Parole Board and the Tax commissioner. This bill contains an emergency clause and becomes operative on July 1, 2023. This bill was advanced to Final Reading on a vote of 41-0-1.
•  LB799–Change judges’ salaries, judgeships in county courts and the Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Court, and provisions relating to the Supreme Court and the College of Law was introduced by Senator Wendy DeBoer. This bill would provide for an increase in salaries for Nebraska judges as part of the standard biennial budgeting process. As proposed, the bill would implement an 8% per year salary increase. This bill was advanced to Final Reading on a vote of 42-0-4.

          May is See to Learn Month in Nebraska. Through the See to Learn program, any 3-year-old in Nebraska can receive a free vision assessment from participating doctors of optometry. The assessment goes well beyond a typical vision screening and includes a case history, vision assessment, testing of eye alignment, and an eye health examination.
          Vision problems in very young children can interfere with developmental milestones. Vision assessments and exams are essential in preparing children for school since 80% of what the brain processes comes through the visual system. One in five children entering school has a vision deficiency or disorder that can impact school performance, social interactions, and self-esteem. And many of these vision problems are unknown to parents or pediatricians.
          See to Learn is offered through the Nebraska Foundation for Children’s Vision in collaboration with the Nebraska Optometric Association. More than 130 doctors of optometry in over 40 communities across the state accept patients throughout the year through the See to Learn program. You can learn more at https://seetolearn.com/or find your closest participating optometrist: https://seetolearn.com/find-a-doctor/.
          Participating doctors have provided more than 20,000 free exams to 3-year-olds across the state over the past 25 years.

As always, I invite you to let me know your thoughts, ideas, concerns, or suggestions by contacting me by calling (402) 471-2716 or emailing me at jalbrecht@leg.ne.gov. me at jalbrecht@leg.ne.gov.