On Saturday, November 11th, we will celebrate those veterans who have served our country. Veterans Day is a United States legal holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars. In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostility, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I, then known as “the Great War”. Commemorated in many countries as Armistice Day the following year, November 11th became a federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became known as Veterans Day. I would like to thank all veterans who have served our country. I appreciate all you have done to keep this country free. (History.com editors. “Veterans Day 2023”. (2023, October 31). History.com. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/history-of-veterans-day)

This week I would like to begin sharing with you one of the Urban Affairs Committee’s priority bill, LB531, which cleans up language in the Economic Recovery Act (LB1024 (2022)) by removing certain requirements relating to coordinated plans and directing direct investment to the fund after July 1, 2023.

• LB531 makes a number of clean-up changes to the Economic Recovery Act passed by the Legislature in 2022, which provide funding for pandemic recovery projects in North and South Omaha and other communities that were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This bill authorizes a grant of up to $20 million for federally qualified health centers in a metropolitan class city (400,000 or more population) and an additional $30 million to develop a business park within two miles of a major airport in a metropolitan class city. This bill creates the North and South Omaha Grant Recovery Program and provides funds for the Economic Recovery and Incentive Division to provide relief to entities negatively affected by the pandemic. Priority will be given to small business development, job creation, and economic growth opportunities. LB531 also requires the state Game and Parks Commission to construct, develop, and manage a museum and visitor center honoring Chief Standing Bear.
• LB33 clarifies when a mayor in a city of the first class (5,000-100,000 population) or in a city of the second class (800-5,000 population) can vote on any matter that requires either a majority of the city council or a majority vote of all the elected members of the city council if 1) the mayor’s vote is required to break a tie due to the city council being equally divided or 2) a majority of the city council or a majority of all elected members cannot be reached due to absence, vacancy, or abstention of one or more city council members.
• LB98 allows the governing body of a city that opts to allow the expedited review of redevelopment plans to establish a limit on the number of redevelopment plans they can approve annually.
• LB532 makes a number of changes to the state’s Community Development Law, including: requiring an “extremely blighted” designation to last for at least 25 years; extending the deadline from 24 months to 60 months for housing studies in all but metropolitan class cities; and placing limits on the creation of new redevelopment plans in areas already designated as blighted.
• LB170 harmonizes the definition of a blighted area under the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority Act and the state’s Community Development Law.
• LB342 updates the state’s home inspector registration renewal requirement from every even-numbered year to every two years and provides a 45-day window prior to the expiration to complete the renewal process.
• LB329 aligns state law with the federal American Innovation and Manufacturing (AMI) Act by permitting the use of refrigerants and equipment designated as acceptable in the federal legislation.
  (Portions of this taken from “Session Review: Urban Affairs”. Unicameral Update. July 21, 2023. http://update.legislature.ne.gov/?p=34595)

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