This week I would like to share an OpEd with you about what the Nebraska Legislature accomplished for schools in the 2023 session. Much of what you have heard has to do with LB753–Opportunity Scholarships Act. So much more took place and this OpEd (from the February 4th Omaha World Herald) gives you more information regarding what the Nebraska Legislature did for public schools in Nebraska.

Opportunity Scholarships Act provides choice, gives options to families

By ROB CLEMENTS, LOU ANN LINEHAN, DAVE MURMAN, TOM BREWER, BEN HANSEN, JULIE SLAMA, JOHN LOWE, STEVE ERDMAN, JONI ALBRECHT, CHRISTY ARMENDARIZ, BRAD VON GILLERN

     We are writing in response to an opinion printed in last Sunday’s Omaha World-Herald by seven former state senators. Their opinion echoes that of OpenSky and Stand for Schools, two groups who are active lobbyists in the Legislature and largely funded by progressive Nebraskans through their tax-exempt foundations.
     It is hard to overstate what was accomplished during the last legislative session. Of course, none of it would have happened if not for the leadership of both former Gov. Pete Ricketts and Gov. Jim Pillen. Further, as anyone who has served in the Legislature knows, every accomplishment is dependent on give and take. So, what did the 108th Legislature do last year regarding education funding?
     First, Legislative Bill 818 created the $1 billion Education Future Fund. The $1 billion Education Future Fund will ensure the Legislature will no longer adjust the school aid formula down when revenues are below estimate, which occurred six times between 2009 and 2019. LB 583 created $1,500 in foundation aid for every student pre K-12 public schools, and increased special education reimbursement from 42% to 80% for public schools. LB 583 appropriated $338 million in new state public school funding over and above the $1 billion already allocated to public schools, a 37% increase.
     LB 385 created a $5 million teacher retainment program, and LB 516 appropriated $870,000 in state funds to administer the Safe2HeipNE report line. Both LB 385 and LB 516 are available to all schools, public and private.
     Finally, LB 753 did create a tax credit to fund scholarships for disadvantaged children to access schools, including approved and accredited private schools, that best meet the needs of the students and their families.
     Several states have similar programs and the U.S. Supreme Court has found these programs constitutional.
     A tax credit to promote good policy is not new. Nebraska already has dozens of tax credits in law. They include tax credits for property taxes paid, school readiness, employment and investment, historic tax credit, financial institution tax credit and many others that represent hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits.
     Along with the passage of Opportunity Scholarships Act (LB 753), the Legislature passed a new $25 million childcare tax credit last session. No one is claiming that the $25 million tax credit for early childcare will hurt the general fund.
      Just in the first ten days of this session, nine state senators have introduced thirteen new tax credits to be considered this year.
     While it is true that many tax credits benefit the filer, that is not true with Opportunity Scholarships tax credit. The beneficiaries of these tax credits are children who, in order to succeed, need additional education options their parents cannot afford.
     Nebraskans believe in school choice. We have 244 different school districts, seven of which are located in Douglas County. Many Nebraskans purchase homes in the school district of their choice. Another 24,000 students in Nebraska access school choice through public school option enrollment, which the state funds at over $100 million per year (equivalent to the total sum of the Opportunity Scholarships fund). Ten percent of students in Nebraska attend a private school because, either through scholarship programs and family financial means, they can afford to do so. The only families who cannot access school choice are those without the means to do so. The Opportunity Scholarships Act balances choice for all Nebraskans, and increases hope and educational success for families who previously had no options.
      Rob Clements, Lou Ann Linehan, Dave Murman, Tom Brewer, Ben Hansen, Julie Slama, John Lowe, Steve Erdman, Joni Albrecht, Christy Armendariz and Brad von Gillern currently serve in the Nebraska Legislature. (Clements, R., Linehan, L., Murman, D., Brewer, Tom, Hansen, B., Slama, J., Lowe, J., Erdman, S., Albrecht, J., Armendariz, C., von Gillern, B. 4 February, 2024. “Opportunity Scholarships Act provides choice, gives options to families”. Omaha World Herald. https://shorturl.at/mtNV0)

Floor debate is moving right along. Once bills get to Select File, I will share more information on those bills with you in coming weeks. On Wednesday, February 7th, my bill, LB605 (Art Therapy bill), was heard on the floor in first round debate and passed on to Select File (2nd round). This is exciting as I have been working on this bill for the past 6 years with many others. This gets it one step closer to being passed into law.

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.

I hope this past week found you enjoying the nice change in the weather. It has been nice to see the sun and watch the piles of snow melt away. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day occurs every February 14th. Across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. (“History of Valentine’s Day”. History.com. 19 January, 2024. https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2) I hope you are able to share February 14th with family and loved ones.

Most of this week has been spent debating LB31–Require train crews of at least two individuals. This bill prohibits any train or light engine used in connection with the movement of freight from being operated unless it has a crew consisting of at least two individuals. Two-person crews can play a major role in helping to prevent potential accidents or derailments, as well as allowing potential problems to be addressed while an individual remains in the cab. This bill has been filed for the past 10 years. Nothing has changed since 2015. The largest Class I railroads operating in Nebraska (BNSF & Union Pacific) have collective bargaining agreements with their unions requiring them to operate with two people in the cab on their tracks. The crew size issue will be federally preempted by a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulation within the next few months. Nebraska is a state that is so appreciative of our railroads. We appreciate the companies and how they conduct business in our state. Any time there is a natural disaster–floods, blizzards, etc.–they are on the scene to keep goods moving across our country. We appreciate every railroad employer and employee.  I voted against this bill as I don’t think state government should interfere in negotiations between employer and employee.

Last week long hearings began in the two committees I serve on, Education and Revenue. We heard 13 bills in Education and 21 bills in Revenue. I want to focus on some of the bills that were eard in both committees last week.

Education Committee

• LB985 would adjust a portion of the Nebraska Recruitment and Retention Act. This bill requires that teachers endorsed to become certified in SPED, STEM, or Dual Credit must also contract to teach in their field of endorsement in order to receive the high-need retention grant.
• LB878 would limit when school bond elections may be held. This bill would prohibit schools and educational service units from conducting special elections for a bond issue, a property tax levy or exceeding a property tax levy limitation. Instead, such questions could appear on ballots only during statewide general elections in even-numbered years. (“Limits on school, ESU bond elections considered”. Unicameral Update. 31 January, 2024. http://update.legislature.ne.gov/?p=35178)
• LB1027 revises Section 79-1601 which covers requirements for exempt schools, which include private, denominational, parochial, group, and home schools. This section has not been significantly updated in almost 25 years. This bill would allow one parent or guardian to apply with the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) for their child to attend an exempt school. This aligns the requirements of exempt schools with those of public schools. It eliminates the annual renewal requirement for exempt schools in order to eliminate the significant delays, confusion, and burdensome workload placed upon parents and NDE. LB1027 will also make changes in order to harmonize the statute with current NDE practice by removing language regarding subject matter testing for employees of exempt schools, which had never been applied by NDE. Removes allowance for NDE visitation and inspection of exempt schools which has never been implemented. Remove allowance for NDE achievement testing of exempt school students, which has never been used.

Revenue Committee

I introduced LB1310 and LB1354 in the Revenue Committee on February 1st.

• LB1310 would eliminate the sales and use tax exemptions for the Nebraska Lottery and Games of Skill and add a sales tax rate of 20% on the sale of lottery tickets pursuant to the State Lottery Act and transactions involving a cash device as defined in section 77-3001 that are subject to sales tax.
• LB1354 will adopt the Advertising Services Tax Act. This bill will create a tax on the gross income or revenue from advertising services. This tax will be imposed on a person that is subject to the internal revenue code or a group of persons subject to the internal revenue code that are part of the same unitary group that are doing business in Nebraska and whose combined gross advertising income exceeds $1 billion dollars. Advertising revenue does NOT include web hosting services. News media entities, as defined within the act, are excluded from the program.

A few other bills heard in committee January 31-February 2 were:

• LB1241 introduces a levy limit based on the percentage increase in a political subdivision’s total taxable property valuation. An increase in property valuations must be offset by a reduction in the levy.
• LB1316 amends Neb. Rev. Stat. 77-3405 to remove a provision that allows school boards to override levy limits imposed with a seventy percent vote of the school board.
• LB1414 would adopt the Property Tax Growth Limitation Act that would place a cap on local political subdivisions other than school districts. This legislation requires a political subdivision’s property tax request authority to be an amount equal to the political subdivision’s property tax request from the prior year. Any amount approved by the voters and any amount needed to pay the principal and interest on approved bonds, and real growth would be excluded from this cap. Political subdivisions may bank up to 5% of unused budget authority if they do not choose to increase its property tax request.

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.

This past week committee public hearings began on those bills introduced this session. There were 597 bills introduced this session and, when added to those introduced last session, brought us up to a total of 1,417 bills for the biennium. Due to a shorter session, there are more bills heard in a committee hearing than during a 90-day session. I serve on the Education and Revenue Committees. The Education Committee meets on Mondays and Tuesdays while the Revenue Committee meets on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. The Education Committee has 82 bills to hear and 14 Gubernatorial appointments to approve in 7 hearing days. The Revenue Committee has 87 bills and 3 Gubernatorial appointments to approve in 18 hearing days. As you can see there is much work to be done in a short amount of time.

On Thursday, January 25th, we heard the State of the Judiciary address from Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Heavican. He talked about the excellent judicial branch judges and support staff, problem-solving courts, probation, language interpreter services, the Office of Public Guardian, and their much needed technology upgrades. There are 100 vacancies statewide out of over 1,600 employees, but they now exceed pre-pandemic staffing levels. The turnover rate has dropped to just over 5% and the vacancy rate branch-wide is less than 8%. These are significant improvements as he noted the Legislature’s recent partnership to help address workforce shortages by funding salary increases for judicial branch staff. He talked about how Nebraska Probation and Problem-Solving Courts are the taxpayers’ friend as it saves the taxpayer money. The average cost of incarceration in Nebraska is $41,000 per person per year while the average cost of probation is $3,500 per person per year and the annual average cost of participants involved in a problem-solving court is approximately $4,400. He then talked about the Office of Public Guardian. The Legislature created the Office of Public Guardian and placed it in the Judicial Branch in 2015 because of the lack of guardians in Nebraska to serve vulnerable, incapacitated adults. These are mostly elderly, mentally ill and medically fragile individuals who lack cognitive capacity and are susceptible to financial exploitation and neglect. The Office of Public Guardian was created to serve as guardian of last resort for individuals when no one else is available. The demand for assistant public guardians far exceeds the current capacity to respond The Office of Public Guardian has had a waiting list since 2018. He finished his address by noting the need for self-contained IT infrastructure for the judicial branch to assist people who are hard of hearing and to address potential security threats. He mentioned the cyberattack that compromised sensitive personal information in the Kansas court system. “Kansas serves as a warning for the rest of us,” Heavican said. “If the Kansas Supreme Court fell victim to a sophisticated foreign cyberattack, without needed upgrades, we must consider ourselves equally vulnerable.” (Portions of this taken from: “Chief justice highlights judicial branch progress, challenges”. Unicameral Update. January 25, 2024. http://update.legislature.ne.gov/?p=35087)

Governor Jim Pillen was in South Sioux City on Tuesday, January 23rd to host a town hall. He did share that he is focused on kids, taxes, agriculture and values in 2024. The main topic he covered was addressing property taxes. He has heard complaints from people about not being able to afford to stay in their homes because of the state’s high property tax rate. Governor Pillen is pushing a plan to reduce property taxes in Nebraska by 40 percent. I continue to work on the Governor’s Property Tax plan to help meet this goal. Many bills were introduced to help address this issue. We will look at all of them and come up with the best way to help all Nebraskans. (Portions of this taken from: McNett, Jared. “Pillen: ‘We have to fix property tax’”. Sioux City Journal. 25, January, 2024. https://shorturl.at/jsxV8)

The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) and GROW Nebraska Announce Statewide Availability of the Nebraska Small Business Assistance Act Program, Invite Pre-Applications for Program Benefits. The DED, in collaboration with GROW Nebraska Foundation, is pleased to announce the statewide availability of the Nebraska Small Business Assistance Act (NSBAA) Program. The purpose of this program is to support individuals looking to start a small business or seeking to expand a small business they opened within the past 5 years. Under the program, a small business is defined as a business with no more than five full-time equivalent employees based on hours worked (not including the business owner). The NSBAA Program provides two benefits to qualified individuals:

1. Funding to access professional services: These include services such as strategic planning, accounting and budgeting, tax return preparation, payroll processes, website development, or assistance setting up an LLC.
2. Grants for both new businesses and existing businesses: Grant funding can be used for eligible business purposes including, but not limited to: startup costs working capital, franchise fees, equipment, inventory, or purchase/renovation of a place of business

                a. Applicants for a new business grant could receive up to a $25,000 grant.
                b. Applicants for an existing business grant could receive up to a $12,500 grant.

Given strong interest in the program, priority will be given to individuals with developed business concepts that 1) clearly identify targeted customer markets and 2) forecast revenues for three years, providing detailed projections of sales in year one. Additional information on the Nebraska Small Business Assistance Act Program is available on DED’s website: https://opportunity.nebraska.gov/programs/business/sbaa/. (Ellingson, Kate. “DED and GROW Nebraska Announce Statewide Availability of the Nebraska Small Business Assistance Act Program, Invite Pre-Applications for Program Benefits”. Department of Economic Development News Release. 25 January, 2024. https://shorturl.at/gFGMU)

On Friday, January 26th, I attended the Nebraska Right to Life Gala in Lincoln. At this event, I was awarded the Julie Schmit-Albin Leadership Award for my work on pro-life legislation over the past 7 years in the Nebraska Legislature. I am honored to receive this award. Julie worked tirelessly with me on my first pro-life bill and was right by my side every step of the way. When I arrived at the Nebraska Legislature in 2017, I thought I was coming to deal with property taxes. Little did I know that I had been called to work on pro-life issues. I have been pro-life my entire life and I feel honored to carry the title of Pro-Life Senator. I may be done serving as a State Senator, but I will never stop fighting for the unborn.

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.

I hope you are staying safe and warm as we are in the midst of a very cold and snowy January. Again, I would like to thank the Emergency Managers, first responders, law enforcement, and road workers for all their hard work during this cold and snowy few weeks.

On Thursday, January 18th, Governor Pillen gave his State of the State Address to the Legislative body. He talked about the winter weather we have had and how Nebraskans stepped up to help other Nebraskans as has been done before. State troopers, sheriff’s deputies, police officers, other first responders, and snow fighters from across the state moved swiftly to rescue those trapped by the storms, clear roads, and dig out our communities and agriculture. He then reminded us of the many good things that took place during his first year as Governor. He reminded us that our kids are our future and we never ever give up on our kids. With that in mind, we took major steps to make sure the state meets its school funding promises to every kid in every district by investing $1 billion into the Education Future Fund to support K-12 education. This included a critical step forward in foundation aid of $1500 per student and overdue increases in special education funding. We passed the Opportunity Scholarships Act which will ensure that needy students from every corner of our state have a chance at a good education at a school that will be the best fit for them. We took a big first step toward addressing mental health challenges with the unanimous creation of certified community behavioral health clinics. We agreed that state government was spending too much and taxing its people too much. We passed a historic fiscal conservative budget with only 2% growth. We agreed that taxing our seniors’ social security is not the Nebraska way and ended it. We finally made our income tax codes competitive with our neighbors by reducing income tax rates to 3.99% by 2027. We supported value-added agriculture by increasing consumer ethanol access. We created and strengthened the Nebraska Broadband Office, which will leverage once-in-a-generation resources to ensure rural Nebraska businesses and farms can connect to a global economy. We defended the unborn by restricting abortions beyond 12 weeks. We will continue to embrace life here in Nebraska with the launch of a yearlong “Culture of Life and Love Initiative”. It will provide resources to expecting moms, especially those in crisis and who need support more than ever. We Nebraskans are a people grounded in values: faith, family, freedom, life, and love. We are a place of rich opportunity and one of the safest places to live in the world to raise a family. We have the gift of belief. Among our greatest strengths is that we believe we can compete with anyone, anywhere in the world and we can. (Strimple, Laura and Schafer, Jacy. “Governor Pillen 2024 State of State Address”. 18 January, 2024. https://shorturl.at/aqFN3)

News from Governor Pillen’s Office
Governor Pillen issued Executive Order 24-2 to produce and preserve electricity in the face of energy demands resulting from the recent snow storm and subzero temperatures. Power providers are permitted to take steps necessary to meet ongoing demands. At the same time, entities with an ability to generate electricity are asked to take actions that will ensure preservation of the electrical grid. The Governor’s order is effective immediately and will remain in effect through February 16, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. (Strimple, Laura and Schafer, Jacy. “Gov. Pillen Temporarily Waves Regulations on Nebraska’s Power Providers’ Ability to Produce Electricity”. Governor Pillen Press Release. 16 January, 2024. https://shorturl.at/boAQ8)

Two bills were introduced this past week aimed at pushing back against foreign adversarial influence in Nebraska. Senator Barry DeKay (District 40) introduced legislation to modernize laws related to foreign-owned agriculture land (LB1301). This bill will continue the state’s prohibition on foreign persons or foreign-owned companies from owning agricultural land. It tightens existing exemptions on industrial use and ownership by foreign adversaries in areas near critical military installations. This bill directs the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) to review land purchases and sets forth a process for divestment of entities determined to be violating the law. Senator Bostar (District 29) introduced legislation requiring the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to audit all critical procurements of the state to determine what affect a conflict in the Pacific would have on state supply chains (LB1300). This proposed measure also restricts public entities from contracting with companies owned by foreign adversaries with specific regard to communication technologies. “I am proud to work with a bipartisan group of senators on both of these priorities to help protect Nebraskans against our foreign adversaries,” added Governor Pillen. (Strimple, Laura and Schafer, Jacy. “Governor Pillen & Senators Push Back Against Foreign Adversaries”. Governor Pillen Press Release. 16 January, 2024. https://shorturl.at/qvBCD)

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.

Winter has once again reared its head with two winter storms back to back in the same week. A huge thank you goes out to the road crews that go out to clear county roads and highways so those who need to travel can get where they need to safely. Another thank you goes out to the Emergency Managers in District 17 that keep us informed and stay on top of changing weather patterns to keep the public abreast of the changes. I would like to thank the police officers and first responders for all their work to help those in need and for their work during cold and snowy weather. Your work does not go unnoticed. I want to remind you that if it is recommended that you stay home and off the roads, you should heed the warnings so you and others can go home safely to your families. Just a few reminders as winter continues in the coming months:

• The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) recommends checking 511, the state’s travel information system, before traveling. Details include road conditions and traffic cameras, in addition to weather radar and more.
• Have an emergency preparedness kit for each vehicle.
• The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) reminds motorists to maintain speed in accordance with road conditions, allowing for extra stopping distance between vehicles and adding extra driving time. Give snowplows plenty of room, especially when they are actively clearing snow or spreading salt and sand. Motorists in need of assistance can call the NSP Highway Helpline at *55 or 800-525-5555. That number is answered 24 hours a day.

Rules
On Monday, January 8th, the Rules Committee held their public hearing on the proposed rules. The Committee then voted out 17 potential rule changes to be debated on the floor. Due to weather delays, we didn’t begin debating the rules until Thursday, January 11th. During the six hours of debate, we did adopt two less controversial changes in hopes of restricting tactics that many senators portrayed as stifling meaningful debate. Of the two rules passed, one would prohibit a second vote on the same day on a priority motion to kill a bill or recommit it to committee if such a motion had already come to a vote. Another change would allow cloture votes–to cut off debate–on legislative motions, instead of just bills. Rules debate will take place again on Tuesday, January 16th. Speaker Arch has set a deadline of January 19th to complete deliberations over rules changes. Time is limited this session as we only have 60 short days to consider dozens of bills. As of Friday, January 12th, there have been 379 bills introduced and bill introduction will finish on Wednesday, January 17th. (Hammel, P. (11 January, 2024). “Debate over legislative rules moves slowly on mostly noncontroversial changes”. Nebraska Examiner. https://shorturl.at/eopBJ.)

News from Governor Pillen’s office
Governor Pillen has declared January as ‘Human Trafficking Awareness Month’. The governor was joined by Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly, Attorney General Mike Hilgers, and State Patrol Superintendent Colonel John Bolduc for the proclamation signing. The event highlighted Nebraska’s efforts in the last year to combat human trafficking in Nebraska including the adoption of a new human trafficking hotline. “Together through all these efforts, we can uncover and stop human trafficking in our state and protect the dignity of human life. I would ask everyone to join me, Attorney General Hilgers, and Colonel Bolduc in this fight by becoming more informed, staying vigilant, and telling law enforcement when you see signs of human trafficking,” said Governor Pillen. Following the proclamation signing, Attorney General Hilgers highlighted the following from the newly published report by the Nebraska Human Trafficking Task Force (NHTTF):

• 2,700 people trained across a spectrum of agencies and organizations to recognize human trafficking and its impacts
• In 2022 alone, 13 defendants were convicted of sex trafficking charges\
• In 2022, the Nebraska Legislature passed LB1246, which includes a confidentiality provision for victims as well as a requirement for those convicted to register as sex offenders
  The new hotline number has been very effective in producing tips about human trafficking, an average of 12 calls per month since it went into effect.

The hotline number is 1-833-PLS-LOOK or 1-833-757-5665. It is manned 24 hours a day by a highly trained dispatcher. To learn more, go to https://ago.nebraska.gov/nebraska-human-trafficking-task-force. (Strimple, Laura and Gage, John. “Governor Pillen Declares January ‘Human Trafficking Awareness Month’. Governor Pillen Press Release. 10 January, 2023. https://shorturl.at/mntuP)

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.

Happy New Year from Lincoln, NE. As I begin my final session as your representative, I am looking forward to the upcoming legislative session. I am humbled and grateful to have the opportunity to represent you for the past 7 years at the Nebraska Legislature.  It has been an amazing privilege for me to represent District 17 in Northeast Nebraska. I so appreciate those of you who have supported me and made this an awesome experience and having the opportunity to make Nebraska a better place to call home.

As I reflect on being in public service for the past 20 years–8 years on City Council, 4 years on County Board, and 8 years as a State Senator– I look fondly over serving the public who voted me into these various offices. Whether I represent the public or I am home on the farm, I will always care about life from conception to natural death, have a passion for children and families, and respect for businesses in rural and urban communities. When I came to the State Legislature 7 years ago, I came prepared to work on property taxes and less regulations. Little did I know I would become the pro-life Senator and work on pro-life legislation throughout my 8 years as a State Senator. 

Over the past three months, I have been a member of Governor Pillen’s Property Tax Working Group. This group has met regularly to discuss different ideas on how to address the high property taxes in Nebraska. We looked at a lot of options, including eliminating some current sales tax exemptions. Governor Pillen has proposed to raise the state sales tax rate by 2 cents, from 5.5 cents to 7.5 cents. Revenue from the 36% hike in sales taxes would be used to help lower local property taxes. Under the proposal, groceries would continue to be tax-exempt in the state, but the cost of other goods, such as automobiles, clothes and supplies such as diapers, would see a jump. The 2-cent increase is just the starting point and it could be amended lower. (Hammel, P (3 January, 2024). “Gov. Pillen loads up pitch to raise state sales tax by 2 cents, to shift taxes away from property”. Nebraska Examiner. https://shorturl.at/ejmnI.) Governor Pillen’s property tax reform proposal is not necessarily the finished product. Changes will be coming. We will meet again on January 11th. Property Tax relief is coming, but I am not sure what formula will get us there. Stay tuned as there is more to come before property tax reform is complete.

The first 10 days of the Legislative Session are spent introducing new potential legislation. In the first three days, 216 new bills were introduced ranging from bills regarding housing, child care, farming, K9 care, prescriptions, poverty, petitions, and postpartum coverage. More bills will be introduced until Day 10 on Wednesday, January 17th. We will begin rules debate on Wednesday, January 10th. I will be sharing more of our activities in coming weeks.

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.

There are only a few days left in 2023 before looking forward to a brand new year in 2024. I hope you enjoy celebrating with family or friends. I always enjoy new beginnings and look forward to the year ahead. From our office to you and your family–Happy New Year!

Civilizations around the world have been celebrating the start of each new year for at least four millenia. Today, most New Year’s festivities begin on December 31 (New Year’s Eve), the last day of the Gregorian calendar, and continue into the early hours of January (New Year’s Day). Common traditions include attending parties, eating special New Year’s foods, making resolutions for the new year, and watching fireworks displays. (History.com editors. “New Year’s”. History.com. 28 November, 2023. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/new-years)

Upcoming 2024 Session preview
Last week I shared with you some of the bills I have introduced and they have the ability to be voted out of committee and onto the floor for full and fair debate. This week I would like to share the rest of the bills to be considered.

• LB440–Change provisions relating to certain school taxes and special funds–This bill clarifies that the special tax (building fund) under §79-10,120, could not be used to build a new school building, add additional footage to an existing school building, or purchase sites upon which new buildings will be located. School districts looking to use the building fund to build new buildings, add additional square footage to an existing school building, or purchase land for the site of a new building, must receive approval through a vote of its citizens at a general or special election under §79-1098.
• LB441–Change provisions relating to obscenity–This bill repeals the exemption for those in educational institutions providing obscenity to minors in grades K-12.
• LB635–Provide requirements regarding access to digital and online resources provided for students by school districts, schools, and the Nebraska Library Commission–This bill would ensure that vendors and providers of digital and online resources (databases) to school children in K-12 grades filter and block materials illegally obscene and harmful to minors and verify to the schools or Nebraska Library Commission that they have done so and to cause the Nebraska Library Commission and the Nebraska Department of Education to submit an annual report.

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.

Thank you for visiting my website. It is an honor to represent the people of the 17th legislative district in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature.

You’ll find my contact information on the right side of this page, as well as a list of the bills I’ve introduced this session and the committees on which I serve. Please feel free to contact me and my staff about proposed legislation or any other issues you would like to address.

Sincerely,
Sen. Joni Albrecht

Christmas is quickly approaching and I hope your home is decorated, your gift shopping done, Christmas cards written, and your goodie baking finished. I would like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.
Christmas is celebrated on December 25 and is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends, and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25–Christmas Day–has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870. (History.com editors. “History of Christmas”. History.com. 21 December, 2022. https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas)

Upcoming 2024 Session preview
The 2024 session begins on Wednesday, January 3rd. Last year 820 bills were introduced and many of those were carried over to this session as they were still in committee or were ready for floor debate. I introduced 13 bills last session and all of them have had their public hearings. I would like to go over the bills that were carried over. Knowing that this session is my final session, I have carried several of these bills in previous sessions. My hope is that many would be apart of this next session’s agenda or committee priority bills. I would like to see them come to the floor for full and fair debate.

• LB606–Adopt the Nebraska Pregnancy Help Act and provide tax credits–The purpose of this bill is to provide greater support to pregnant and parenting women in need. Pregnancy Help Organizations serve under-supported pregnant women by providing services to them at no cost that include pregnancy testing, pregnancy and prenatal care education, counseling, food, clothing, housing, transportation, parenting and life skills classes, child care, licensed medical care, referrals to additional community services and material help, personal relationships, and strong local support networks, all of which are crucial for their physical, emotional and familial well-being. This bill encourages increased private contributions to pregnancy help organizations in Nebraska through the creation of a tax credit.
• LB442–State intent to transfer funds to the Livestock Growth Act Cash Fund–This proposed legislation would allocate $2 million dollars from the general fund to the Livestock Growth Act Cash Fund administered by the Department of Agriculture to provide funding to counties who participate in the Livestock Friendly County Program. The Director of Agriculture shall use such funding to administer the grant program as set forth in §54-2803.
• LB605–Change provision of the Mental Health Practice Act to include protections and requirements for certified art therapists–This bill will amend sections of the Uniform Credentialing Act and Mental Health Practice Act to provide for licensing of qualified art therapists as Licensed Mental Health Practitioners and Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioners with a credential as a Certified Art Therapist. The bill provides for the certification to be administered by the Mental Health Practice Board.
• LB637–Require members of the public to be allowed to speak at each meeting subject to the Open Meetings Act–This bill will require, under Nebraska Revised Statute, Sec. 84-1412, that members of the public be afforded opportunity to speak at any public meeting subject to the Open Meetings Act.
• LB636–Prohibit political subdivisions from restricting certain energy services–The purpose of this bill is to allow Nebraskans to continue to choose the fuel of their choice. Cities and counties would be prohibited from enacting or implementing any ordinance, resolution, rule, regulation, or policy that prohibits or has the effect of prohibiting, the connection or reconnection of any natural gas utility; a natural gas transmission company; or a retail marketer or dispenser of propane, electric, natural gas, propane, or other energy utility service.

News from Governor Pillen’s office
On December 10, 2023 the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations put out a global roadmap on how agrifood systems transformation through accelerated climate actions will help achieve food security and nutrition, today and tomorrow. Following their report, Representative Mike Flood submitted a House Resolution disapproving of recommendations by the United Nations to reduce meat consumption in the United States. In part it says “Whereas meat is a nutrient-rich source of protein that is enjoyed by many people in the United States and efficiently delivers calories and vitamins, greatly contributing to the world’s food security; Whereas the United States is the largest producer of beef; Whereas according to the Foreign Agriculture Service, in 2022, the United States exported 1,000,000 metric tons of beef valued $11.71 billion”. There is more in his resolution and you can read more at https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/dxie2vqo1wc41sq7p8dd4/FLOOD_Meat-Resolution.pdf?rlkey=ylnjpjbv5htf411ps9n37jbwk&dl=.
Governor Pillen then put out a statement on December 11th stating “I appreciate Congressman Flood’s leadership on this very important issue. The United Nations’ radical attack on agriculture undermines the livelihoods of Nebraska farmers and ranchers, as well as those in other states where agriculture is an economic driver. Anti-agriculture activism damages the world’s food system and hurts the hungry. In Nebraska, our farmers and ranchers raise their products using sustainable methods, designed to protect the land and resources on which they rely. I urge the House of Representatives to pass Congressman Flood’s resolution, recognizing Nebraska’s collective role in feeding the world and saving the planet.” (Strimple, Laura and Schafer, Jacy. “Governor Pillen Statement in Response to the United Nations Food Strategy”. Governor Pillen Press Release. 11 December, 2023. https://governor.nebraska.gov/press/governor-pillen-statement-response-united-nations-food-strategy)

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.

Hanukkah or Chanukah begins December 7 and ends on December 15, 2023. This eight day Jewish celebration commemorates the rededication during the second century B. C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where according to legend Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt. Hanukkah, which means “dedication” in Hebrew, begins on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar and usually falls in November or December. Often called the Festival of Lights, the holiday is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah, traditional foods, games, and gifts. (History.com authors. “Hanukkah”. History.com. 27 November, 2023. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/hanukkah) I would like to wish those who celebrate this holiday a Happy Hanukkah.

As part of a statewide study of nitrate pollution in Nebraska aquifers, the state is asking owners of private drinking water wells to conduct a free test of their water. Widespread public participation in the free sampling program is key to ensuring that the nitrate study accurately encompasses private drinking water wells in the state, according to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE). The free sample kits and lab analyses are offered to all Nebraskans with a private drinking water well. The free nitrate sample kits are available until January 31st by accessing the website https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Lab-Price-List.aspx or by calling NDEE at (402) 471-2186. The kits come with sampling instructions and prepaid return postage.
If a private well’s results are above 10 parts per million of nitrate, owners may be eligible for up to $4,000 in rebates to obtain a reverse osmosis treatment system. Applications for the rebates must be submitted by June 30, 2024. Learn more about the Reverse Osmosis (RO) Rebate Program on NDEE’s website http://dee.ne.gov/Publica.nsf/pages/22-051. The NDEE accepts and reviews RO rebate applications on a month-to-month basis. (Hammel, Paul. “State asks owners of private wells to test their water, to help with statewide study of nitrate in aquifers”. Nebraska Examiner. 4 December, 2023. https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-asks-owners-of-private-wells-to-test-their-water-to-help-with-statewide-study-of-nitrate-in-aquifers/ Accessed 6 December, 2023)

I am excited to announce that the state-approved scholarship granting organization, Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska (OSN), is now available to families at www.nebraska opportunity.org. This 501(c)(3) nonprofit helps implement the Opportunity Scholarships Act (LB753). They do this by empowering parents to choose the best educational setting for their child(ren) through awarding nonpublic school tuition scholarships and providing access to school options. OSN serves students and families statewide.
In January, OSN will begin accepting contributions which will be used for scholarship funds to be awarded for the 2024-2025 school year. Taxpayers can apply for tax credit contributions in January 2024. If you would like to apply for a tax credit contribution, contact OSN at info@nebraskaopportunity.org or visit https://www.nebraskaopportunity.org/giving to hold your place in line. OSN will get in touch when it’s time to apply.
As a parent, you will need to connect with your nonpublic school of choice about enrollment and ask if they are partnering with OSN. You, the school, and OSN will work together to finalize the application process. Go to https://www.nebraskaopportunity.org/ and fill out the survey. This will ensure OSN can contact you when it’s time to begin the process.
A qualified school is any nonpublic, privately operated elementary or secondary school in Nebraska that fulfills the applicable accreditation or approval requirements established by the State Board of Education. Visit https://www.nebraskaopportunity.org/partner-schools to fill out a partner form.
For more information on this program, go to https://www.nebraskaopportunity.org/.

Hats off to Kevin Domogalla and the Nebraska Department of Transportation District 3 crew for their work on Highway 9. It is a road I take frequently as I travel to Lincoln and I am so pleased that the bridges are completed. While under construction, I thought safety was of utmost importance. The lights were always working and the signage was easy to read. Thank you so much for the work that has been done on the highways and bridges in District 17. It is much appreciated.

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.