The Legislature continues to work late into the evening most nights to finish debating priority bills, as we are now in the final days of session, and many important bills and topics continue to be debated on the floor. At the time of this publication, we are in the 81st day of the session, and have five legislative days remaining before adjourning sine die on May 27^th.

LB474, introduced by Senator Wishart, was debated on General File. This bill would set up the framework to legalize certain forms of cannabis for medical purposes. LB474 was debated for eight hours before it failed to receive the 33 votes needed to invoke cloture and end the filibuster. The bill will not be brought back up this session.

LB236 is a bill introduced by Senator Brewer which would have originally permitted counties in Nebraska to authorize the concealed carry of firearms without a permit. This original language was removed after the Nebraska Attorney General released an opinion stating it was likely unconstitutional. LB236 was amended and now includes language from my bill, LB85, which requires the Nebraska State Patrol to send a renewal notice to the holder of a concealed handgun permit (CHP) four months prior to the permit’s expiration. LB236 also provides a grace period of 30 days after the expiration of a CHP. The intent of this is to help prevent individuals from unknowingly violating the law. LB236 passed the first round of debate and advanced to Select File.

LB313, introduced by Senator Sanders, is a bill I have co-sponsored that creates an exemption for property owners to file late applications for a homestead exemption. This exemption is for those whose spouses have passed away in that year, and is intended to help those individuals that are grieving the loss of a spouse while they are still adapting to changes in their life with family finances. LB313 was advanced to Final Reading.

During May, graduation ceremonies take place all across the country, and families come together to celebrate the accomplishments of graduating seniors. I want to express my congratulations to these graduates who have worked hard and achieved their goal, whether that be graduating from high school, community college, or a university. The students that graduated this year have adapted to numerous challenges and changes in their education and school activities as a result of COVID-19. They should be commended for their perseverance.

May 9^th to May 15^th was National Police Week. Each year during this week, we thank the brave men and women who work in law enforcement for their service and sacrifice keeping us all safe in our communities, and we honor those that have fallen in the line of duty. I stand in strong support of law enforcement in Nebraska and across the country.

I appreciate hearing from constituents on issues affecting District 23 and encourage you to contact my office on legislation at 402-471-2719 or bbostelman@leg.ne.gov