We have experienced the effects of the corona virus very close to home here in District 30 this week. Yet, the resources and responses continue to expand, which is good news for us all as individuals, and for our economy and communities. I will touch on a few of those below. But first I would like to call to your attention some important items which can be handled from home.

Wednesday was Census Day. Households across Nebraska have already received or will soon receive a letter in the mail with information about how to be counted. The Census is vitally important to our state. Federal grants make up one-third of state budgets and 95% of these rely on census-derived data to distribute funding. 

The survey is short, about eight questions per member of your household.  Responses are required by law. Persons should be counted where they live most of the year and/or on April 1, 2020, Census Day.  Representatives of the U.S. Census Bureau are able to help over the phone and offer language assistance.

If someone does not complete their form, a U.S. Census Bureau representative will have to visit the household to make sure everyone is counted.  This costs the government more money, so I encourage you to respond as soon as possible.  

By law, the Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about you, your home, or your business, even to law enforcement agencies. That’s protected under Title 13 of the U.S. Code. So you can be confident in doing your part to ensure Nebraska gets all the federal funding we should. Thankfully, for the first time ever, households can complete the census online, by phone, or by mail. Go to my2020census.gov to be counted, or 2020census.gov for more information from the United States Census Bureau. 

Another important thing you can do by mail is vote! The primary election will take place in May, but any and everyone can request a mail-in ballot. This will help every voter and every person who volunteers at the polls to stay safe during the virus pandemic. Please, contact your county election commissioner if you have not yet received an application for a mail-in ballot. https://gagecountynebraska.us/  or https://www.lancaster.ne.gov/314/Election-Commissioner

Turning to information specifically about COVID-19, the state maintains a dashboard with updated information and statistics. It can be found here:  https://nebraska.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/4213f719a45647bc873ffb58783ffef3

The distribution of economic impact payments from the congressional stimulus package will begin in the next three weeks and will be distributed automatically, with no action required for most people. However, some seniors and others who typically do not file returns will need to submit a simple tax return to receive the stimulus payment. For more information, go to the Internal Revenue website, https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus.

In line with federal recommendations, Nebraska has issued an executive order changing requirements for unemployment insurance (UI) claims filed between March 22 and May 2, with an understanding that the timeframe could be extended if needed. 

For individuals who are not eligible for unemployment insurance, we now have Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, PUA.  An example of those who can take advantage of PUA include, for example, independent contractors, sole practitioners, or those unable to work due to COVID-19. This program is 100% federally funded.

The loss of employment must be due to COVID-19, but the parameters include a number of reasons for being unable to work. Contact the Department of Labor for complete information. Please keep in mind that you must 

must apply for unemployment insurance through the Nebraska Department of Labor to obtain PUA, but your application will be denied, because you are not eligible for regular unemployment benefits. However you will then automatically be pulled into the PUA system. This is how the system works so just be aware that denial of UI benefits is not the same as PUA. Go to:  https://neworks.nebraska.gov/

The state emergency management system (NEMA) has been activated much like it was a year ago, to take care of the massive flooding across eastern Nebraska. In this instance with the corona virus, they are working closely with public health entities to monitor the supply chain and staffing of essential needs and industries. We are also fortunate to have UNMC and Nebraska Medicine located in our state, as they are on the front lines of the pandemic on a global scale. 

As you are aware, things have been changing rapidly, so be sure you are checking ahead on restrictions and recommendations.  If you have any specific questions or concerns please contact me directly at mdorn@leg.ne.gov or call my office and leave a message at 402-471-2620.  My staff and I are working through your communications as they come in and we will respond as quickly as we can. Please follow the guidelines for staying safe and well, and we will get through this together.

My thanks to Sen. Wishart’s office for this summary:

What the Federal Stimulus Bill Means for Main Street 

• $250 billion set aside for direct payments to individuals and families 

○ Individuals earning less than $75,000 will receive $1,200 

○ Couples earning less than $150,000 will receive $2,400 

○ Additional $500 per child younger than age 17 

○ Individuals without children will not receive direct payments if earning more than $99,000 

○ Couples without children will not receive direct payments if earning more than $198,000 

○ Money is expected to go out by April 6th 

• $377 billion in small business loans 

○ Emergency Grants: Grants up to $10,000 to provide emergency funds for small businesses to cover immediate operating expenses. 

○ Forgivable Loans: Small Business Administration can provide loans up to $10 million per business – any portion of the loan used to maintain payroll, keep workers employed, or pay rent, mortgage, and existing debt could be forgiven if workers stay employed through the end of June. 

○ Relief for existing loans: Relief will cover six months of payments for small businesses already using SBA loans. 

○ Business Tax Credit: All businesses are eligible for a fully refundable tax credit that are distressed or closed to help keep their workers on the payroll. 

■ Tax credit will cover 50 percent of payroll on the first $10,000 of compensation, including health benefits, for each employee. 

■ Employers with 100 or fewer full-time employees can use deduction even if business is not closed. 

• $260 billion in unemployment insurance benefits 

○ Provides for additional $600 per week for four months from the federal government on top of whatever base amount the worker receives from the state. 

○ Adds 13 weeks of additional unemployment insurance; people nearing the maximum number of weeks allocated by their state would get an extension. 

○ Self-employed, freelancers, and contractors can apply for temporary Pandemic Unemployment Insurance through the end of 2020. 

• Temporary Student Loan Relief 

○ All loan and interest payments are deferred through Sept. 30 without penalty to the borrower for all federally owned student loans. 

This week the Legislature moved very quickly to pass an emergency funding measure of around $86 million. This will allow the state to respond to the unprecedented demands of the COVID-19 virus on a number of levels. The two main targets of funding are health and the economy. 

I encourage everyone to keep taking all the recommended precautions! If you have any medical questions, please go to the Department of Health website:  dhhs.ne.gov. The Nebraska COVID-19 Information Line is (402) 552-6645. It is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST – every day. State agencies are sharing information using the #NECOVID19 Hashtag. DHHS has produced COVID-19 Public Service Announcements which are available in English and En Español.

While many normal activities have been disrupted, we still need to look ahead.  The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot or early ballot for the May primary election is just a few weeks away, I would strongly encourage everyone to apply to vote by mail. In Gage County, you may have received an application form in the mail. In Lancaster County, you must get the form from the election commission. Here’s the link: https://www.lancaster.ne.gov/331/EarlyAbsentee-Ballot

Unfortunately, there are always those who look to take advantage of others in a crisis situation. State Attorney General Doug Peterson urges caution, and wants consumers to be aware that fraudulent scams often occur during such times. You can contact that office online (email: ago.consumer@nebraska.gov) or file complaints through the state website:  https://protectthegoodlife.nebraska.gov

Another service that might be needed is legal advice. Nebraska Free Legal Answers is a website where individuals can ask civil legal questions which are answered by Nebraskan attorneys for free. This is a resource designed for low-income Nebraskans, but it is also appropriate for people who are facing hardships due to COVID-19 and cannot afford an attorney   https://ne.freelegalanswers.org/

Several state divisions are working on ways to ease the hit to our economy. The Small Business Administration has details on emergency loans. Eligibility for Economic Injury Disaster Loans is based on the financial impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The interest rate is 3.75 percent for small businesses. The interest rate for private non-profit organizations is 2.75 percent. 

The SBA offers loans with long-term repayments in order to keep payments affordable, up to a maximum of 30 years and are available to entities without the financial ability to offset the adverse impact without hardship.

 Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. 

Small business site: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance

Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance.

Individuals who are deaf or hard‑of‑hearing may call (800) 877-8339. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX  76155. The deadline to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan is Dec. 21, 2020.

The Department of Economic Development is working to inform and assist businesses during Nebraska’s ongoing response to COVID-19. Information for businesses is available on the DED website. DED is committed to serving Nebraskans facing financial challenges during this time, and understands that local economic leaders will play an important role in creating regional solutions for businesses and their workforce. The department’s Field Services Team is working with business leaders in these regions to address ongoing COVID challenges. https://opportunity.nebraska.gov/nded-covid19/   

The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) is working with the National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) to assist the interagency crisis action task force. NAIFA’s consumer site provides individuals and businesses with information to avoid scams, tips on who to contact regarding health claims/questions, as well as how to find licensed, knowledgeable, ethical professionals to assist with financial security planning. https://security.naifa.org/covid-19

There is no question this is a stressful time, but help is available.  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Disaster Distress Talk with a counselor, a doctor, or a clergy member anytime of the day or week. Help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Interpreters are available as well. 

Hotline: 1-800-985-5990 Messaging: text TalkWithUs to 66746.                                                          More information: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline

Boys Town National Hotline

The Boys Town National Hotline is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is staffed by specially trained Boys Town counselors. This is a great resource for parents/caregivers and families.

Hotline: 1-800-448-3000. Email for speech- and hearing-impaired: hotline@boystown.org.      More information:https://www.boystown.org/hotline/Pages/default.aspx

The Nebraska Family Helpline

A great resource for families concerned about a youth experiencing mental or behavioral health issues. Assistance is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.                       Helpline: 1-888-866-8660 More information:http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Nebraska-Family-Helpline.aspx

Nearly every state agency has information on their website. You can find links to these agencies by going to Nebraska.gov. For some specific tips, keep reading. 

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy’s Wastewater Division would like to remind people that sanitizing wipes, baby wipes and even “flushable” wipes are not flushable — regardless of what the product states. Flushed wipes cause sewer system blockages, resulting in overflows from manholes and basement backups. This can lead to expensive repairs and damage to your municipal systems or homes. Please throw sanitizing wipes in the trash.

Department of Labor            

Unemployment Insurance Information                          https://dol.nebraska.gov/PressRelease/Details/141

Unemployment claims should be filed online at NEworks.nebraska.gov or on the free NEworks mobile app. For more information visit:  Short-Time Compensation FAQ https://dol.nebraska.gov/stc 

Department of Motor Vehicles        

https://dmv.nebraska.gov/

The DMV has generated a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) documents to assist customers with how the Governor’s recent executive order may impact them. 

Veterans’Affairs

A virtual visitor system to keep veterans’ home members and their families connected while the facilities are limiting entry has been launched by the Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affairs (NDVA). Access to the four state veterans’ homes is currently limited to NDVA teammates and medical professionals only, as a precaution against COVID-19 exposure.

The Lancaster County Veteran’s Service Center is closed to the public. The office is open but no longer accepting walk-ins for claims assistance and other in-person services. Veterans with claims specific or other questions may request information via email at rringlein@lancaster.ne.gov or by telephone at 402-441-7361. Veterans can continue to get information about benefits by visiting.                                   https://www.lancaster.ne.gov/484/Veterans-Service-Center

Game and Parks

http://outdoornebraska.gov/healthinfo/

Nebraska Game and Parks’ public buildings are temporarily closed to public walk-in traffic until further notice. 

All events and activities are cancelled through May 31 or until further notice.

State parks and recreation areas grounds remain open for day-use, fishing and recreation.  

Park permits, fishing permits, and hunting permits should be purchased in advance online at http://outdoornebraska.gov/.

In a proactive state and national effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the health of its customers and staff, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is closing viewing blinds to public access. The commission aims to protect its staff and customers by removing opportunities for crowds to gather at facilities and events and by maintaining clean areas that are available to the public.

Enjoying the crane migration is available by using several driving routes from North Platte to Hershey. Buffalo Bill Ranch State Recreation Area has a scenic drive-through where cranes can be seen flying across the North Platte River and feeding in the adjacent meadows. Early mornings and late evenings, you can watch the cranes fly over the North Platte River at Cody Park in North Platte. The North Platte/Lincoln County Visitors Bureau has a self-guided Sandhill crane driving route brochure, which is available from their office located at 101 Halligan Dr. or online at https://visitnorthplatte.com/outdoor-recreation/

Red Cross

Blood drives are NOT covered by orders restricting travel or public gatherings of more than 10 people and are considered an “essential activity,” as outlined by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

Eligible and healthy donors are strongly urged to make an appointment at redcrossblood.org to provide lifesaving blood products to patients.

County and city offices have a wide variety of adjustments to their programming right now. Remember to call ahead, or check websites. 

A map of courthouse open/closures is available here:                            https://nacone.org/pdfs/COVID-19/COVID%20-%2019%20Map.pdf

The Beatrice Area Chamber has a dedicated page of information at http://www.beatricechamber.com/covid-19-resources

Main Street Beatrice also has information available on their site at https://www.mainstreetbeatrice.org/

Once again I want to remind you that my office is open 24/7 thanks to technology. Leave a message or send an email at any time, and we will respond as we are able.  mdorn@leg.ne.gov  402-471-2620  Stay safe and well!

From the office of Senator Myron Dorn, District 30

COVID-19 has forced our nation, our state and local communities to take  unprecedented measures; closures, restrictions and quarantines are becoming more common each day. I have received a few emails encouraging the state to do more in the way of helping employees who are on limited income and will be impacted by these measures. I wanted to post some information for those who may be facing financial hardship during this unprecedented shutdown.  It is not an exhaustive list but I hope it may offer some guidance.

If you are facing financial hardship, I would encourage you to contact any entity with which you have financial concerns.  If it is regarding your mortgage, energy provider, loans, etc. contact your lender and see what options they have available.  I have received information from Black Hills Energy and NPPD that they offer various assistance options such as payment arrangements and budget billing.  

The Nebraska Department of Labor is waiving the required work search requirement and the one week wait period for unemployment benefits for those who are unable to report to work due to closure or illness. The employer fee charge for the short-term benefits is also waived. More information can be accessed on the Department of Labor’s website at: www.dol.nebraska.gov 

Medicaid

Those in the Medicaid program who use one of the three managed health care MCO’s: regarding COVID-19 testing, UnitedHealthCare, Nebraska Total Care, and WellCare have all agreed to waive cost-sharing or co-payment for both the COVID-19 test and the provider visit in which the COVID-19 test is administered for their insured populations here in NebraskaCare. These providers will waive early refill restrictions for most medications for the duration of the emergency, with the only exception being narcotics and specialty drugs.   

Education

Schools across the state are transitioning from classes in the school house to e-learning. This presents challenges to many families. Every school should be providing their students and parents with information.  In addition to the particulars of each school district, here is information from the Nebraska Department of Education: www.education.ne.gov 

“Local school districts have been preparing for potential closures for weeks and many have already implemented closures to address recent presumed positive or confirmed cases of COVID-19. The NDE advises districts to continue student learning using available resources. The NDE Office of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment has compiled virtual educational resources that are available on the e-Learning Days web page, and will continue to add resources as they become available.

Nutrition

The NDE knows food insecurity for students who rely on school meals is a major concern when extended school closures become necessary. The NDE was granted approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for alternate meal service flexibility in the case of extended closures. This allows schools to serve students meals through USDA-approved meal service options, at approved sites within the community. All schools with a student population of more than 50 percent free and reduced priced lunch have the opportunity to provide meals through the Summer Food Service Program whether or not they have participated in the program. Those schools will first need to complete an application and questionnaire. Once approved, schools will be able to provide these meals to any student, regardless of their enrollment. Schools with a student population of less than 50 percent free and reduced priced lunch can provide meals to low-income students in their school on a limited basis through an application. For more information or to apply, visit the Nutrition Services page at: https://www.education.ne.gov/ns/.”

Health Information 

If you have any questions about COVID-19, please visit the University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine at: https://www.nebraskamed.com/COVID

Again, this is only a partial list of places a person may go to seek information or assistance.  If you would like to have more information regarding the health aspects of COVID-19, I would recommend the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services website: www.dhhs.ne.gov 

Please continue to follow the recommended guidelines as we all work together to contain the virus and return to our normal schedules as quickly as possible. 

The Beatrice Library presented Sharon Katas with their volunteer of the year award on Nebraska Library Association’s Advocacy Day.

Bennet Elementary student Annabelle Bogle (and mom Amber) made their annual visit to the Nebraska Legislature.

NSEA dinner in Lincoln, gave me a chance to talk with Rich Wergin about education issues.

The session is now half done. Committee hearings are finished and we are returning to full day debate on the legislative floor. While it seems like that would help move things along, there are about 35 priority bills still sitting in committee, waiting to be voted out to the floor. Other major issues that are waiting for debate before the legislature e the budget, property tax, business tax incentives, the UNMC NeXT program and prison overcrowding. Some days we can get a lot accomplished and other days we get sidetracked in our discussion and move very few bills forward. So at this point in the session, there is only a small chance of discussing a bill if it has not been made a priority.

I am pleased that my own priority bill has already moved to the second stage of debate. I chose LB 1014 as my priority bill even though it was introduced by Sen. Lindstrom.  The purpose of LB 1014 is to amend the Multiemployer Welfare Arrangement (“MEWA”) Act to allow self-employed individuals who are members of associations to participate in a multiemployer welfare arrangement in Nebraska. The practical result of this change allows farmers to obtain health insurance through entities such as their local cooperative at a lower cost than has been available to them in the market place.

A little history on this issue and LB 1014:  Land O’ Lakes is a large farmer-owned cooperative and they offered farmers another avenue for health insurance.  It was a group plan and so would be cheaper than what a farmer could find on the open market as an individual.  Land O’ Lakes had a little over 1,000 people in the program.  Late last fall, there was a federal ruling which said Nebraska was missing specific statutory language to allow this type of program. While the plan was able to remain in effect until the end of 2019, the Nebraska Department of Insurance has no independent state statutory authority to approve a MEWA for self-employed individuals so the cooperative farmer health plan could not be offered to Nebraska farmers in 2020. Hence the need for LB 1014.  Senators Kolterman, Williams, La Grone and Lindstrom worked on language to address concerns raised at the bill’s public hearing and the bill advanced to Select File with 42 yes votes and 6 present and not voting.

One of the issues that was debated at length on the floor this past week was land banks.  This allows government to revitalize properties that private investors do not want to tackle, because there is no financial gain for them. So land banks take these properties, fix them up and get them back on the tax rolls. Representatives from Hickman have talked to me about how this may help them clean up some of the more neglected homes in this city in our district.

There was also considerable discussion about “Pay for Play”.  Senator Hunt introduced this bill to allow students to use their image to make money.  The college or university would not be paying these players but players could capitalize on their ‘fame’.  They would have to disclose to the school who they are working with, and it would be counted as income. Sen. Hunt believes that the federal government will step in and pass something so there would be uniformity in the law. If a national law is passed, then Nebraska law would be void.  If passed, Hunt’s bill would not take effect until January of 2023.

Thank you for your calls and emails –keep them coming! You can reach me at mdorn@leg.ne.gov or call my office at 402-471-2620.

Representatives from the city of Hickman met with Sen. Dorn at the Nebraska League of Municipalities conference on February 25th.  Mayor Doug Hansen, Sen. Dorn, City Administrator Silas Clarke, Council Chairman Phil Goering, and Assistant City Administrator Kelly Oelke.

After the Civil War, the Grand Army of the Republic was formed as the first-ever fraternal organization for veterans. In 1881 the Grand Army of the Republic created the Sons of Union Veterans to carry on the memory and traditions of the G.A.R. after the last G.A.R. members were gone. Today, the Sons of Union Veterans are recognized by Congress as a Veteran’s organization, charged with keeping alive the memory of those who served our country during the Civil War, 1861 to 1865. In addition to their Presentation of Colors today in the legislative chamber, the Sons of Union Veterans have an honor guard posted at the Lincoln Statue at the west entrance.

Nebraska FFA members Megan Fehr (left) and State Secretary Savannah Gerlach (right) visited the Capitol on Monday, February 10th.

Even the skies above the Capital got into the spirit of Valentine’s Day!

One third of the session is behind us. Public hearings continue in our committees and we are deciding which bills should be advanced to the floor for debate. As individual senators, we are in the process of evaluating which bills should be designated as a priority. I have a couple of issues in mind and will be making that selection in the next few days.

During morning debate on the floor of the Legislature this week, we spent several hours discussing a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow future legislatures to increase the number of state senators up to 55. A bit of history: Nebraska went from a two-house system like Congress and the other 49 states have, to a Unicameral one-house system in 1937. At that time there were 43 state senators who each represented about 27,000 constituents. Today there are 49 state senators, and with our current population, each one represents close to 40,000 people. The discussion included the geographical size of districts, the number of rural and urban senators, technology that allows for easier communication, and the cost of adding more senators and staff. After three hours of debate, no vote was taken. Because it is a proposed amendment to the constitution, it requires 30 votes to pass and be placed on the November ballot.

I did not introduce a bill asking for state help in paying the “Beatrice 6” judgment this session. In last year’s session I had LB 474 which was similar to a bill brought by Sen. Baker before me, allowing for the claim to be paid by the state, through the state claims process. It was not advanced by the committee and based on my communications with the chairman, it will not be, which effectively kills the bill. I continue to have conversations with the Gage County Board and with senators here at the Capitol about funding the judgement. Some senators have indicated support, some senators have commented that they will not support any help from the state in paying the judgement. The state has seen an increase in revenue the past year. There are many requests for those funds and bills introduced for that purpose; the biggest ones being property tax relief (LB 974), economic incentives (LB 720), school funding and other needs. While we all want to see immediate assistance and relief of this issue for Gage County, it is a process that requires educating fellow senators while building relationships and trust.

LB 1033 was heard in the Revenue Committee this week, a measure which would assess state sales tax on the sale or lease of aircraft and use those funds to maintain Nebraska’s airports. The bill would create a capital improvement fund to be administered by the state Department of Transportation. The estimated revenue would be $1.3 million in the first year with small increases in future years. The fund would help smaller airports to access matching federal grant funds without having to borrow or bond to make improvements to their local airfields. That bill is still in committee.

LB 1152 was another bill in committee this week, it would streamline the process for hemp growers in Nebraska as far as licenses and consistency with the federal guidelines. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture supports the bill, and hopes to make the program self-supporting. February 3^rd was the start date to sign up online for the program.

LB 857 was introduced to require periodical review of any new state rules and regulations, to make sure they are achieving what they were intended to do. A report would have to be filed 10 years after the effective date, beginning in 2021. The idea behind the bill is that with changes in staff or the composition of the Legislature, a law can drift from its original intent. There were two organizations in support of the issue and one against. This bill is also still in committee.

Remember that you can look up the status of any bill on the website, www.nebraskalegislature.gov. The website has contact information for all senators and committees as well as the legislative calendar. You can email or call me at any time at mdorn@leg.ne.gov  402-471-2620

This week the Legislature has continued with morning debate on the floor and afternoon committee hearings. We will stay with this schedule until committee hearings are completed at the end of February.  Morning debate has focused on bills that carried over from last year’s session as we wait for Committees to act on new bills. There are important matters that have waited over the interim months for a chance to be discussed by the Unicameral, even though we know the bigger issues lie ahead of us.

With that thought in mind, LB 974 is still sitting in the Revenue Committee while additional information is being gathered and possible amendments are being drawn up. Conversation is taking place between senators, and between senators and stake holders such as land and home owners and school administrators. One primary concern is the effect that LB 974 will have, especially out three to four years. That time frame is the hardest to get a good set of numbers on, because you have to use assumptions about future revenue, the economy and so on.  We are dealing with a wide variety of topics right now, but property tax relief is still the main theme.

I introduced LB 761 dealing with funding for the Simulation In Motion (SIMS NE) project used to train rural EMTs and hospital personnel, primarily in rural areas.  The bill was heard by the Transportation Committee this week and we had excellent representation from UNMC staff who run the program, and first responders from the western to eastern borders of the state. Ten people testified in support of the bill, with many more in the audience to register their official support. There were also 25 letters submitted as part of the official record as proponents of the bill.  There were four opponents, and while they acknowledge the value and importance of the program, did not want to see another fifty cents per year fee on a motor vehicle registration.

The fifty cents per year for SIMS would generate $1.2 million. It would sustain the program and staff, maintain the four semi-trailers which house the high tech mannequins and equipment that simulate real life emergency trauma, and keep the program free of charge to rural communities’ EMTs, first responders and critical access hospital staff.  The SIMS NE trucks allow rural volunteers to stay home for training; otherwise they leave their communities with no EMT service while they are traveling to educational sites. In areas of our state far from large hospitals or city paramedic services, the volunteer EMTs and first responders are often the difference between life and death.

Another safety issue I have my eye on is LB 789 which seeks to crack down on drivers who do not obey school bus stop arms. It only takes a few minutes to wait while children board a bus, and only a few seconds for a terrible tragedy to occur by not stopping.   LB 870 is also of interest in view of last year’s flooding. This bill would allow cities to borrow money to recover from disaster; right now only counties are able to do this.

I am also watching a package of bills which includes LB 147, LB 920 and LB 998.  LB998 would provide training to school personnel on recognizing signs of potential problems, de-escalation techniques and training for appropriate restraint of students who might harm themselves or others. LB 920 would use $1.9 million from state lottery funds to reimburse schools at least $2000 for this training. These bills were brought forward in response to last year’s LB 147 which focuses on these situations in our schools.

As I mentioned, there are important issues to consider, encompassing a very wide range of subjects. I will continue to keep budget issues and tax concerns at the top of the list. Whatever matters of concern you have, I hope you will contact me.  mdorn@leg.ne.gov  402-471-2620.

Eleven days of the session are in the books, which means bill introduction is over, and public hearings have begun.  There were 482 new bills introduced for a total of 1221 for this session, which spans 2019-2020. A large number of bills address taxation and spending; some offer new ideas to increase revenue or distribute funds, and some have been written as back up to pending legislation.

During bill introduction, I read through the one-liners (a brief one sentence explanation of a bill or constitutional amendment). As varied as the ideas are, my reactions to some are just as varied – from a nod of my head and thinking that sounds like a good idea, to why do we as a state need this bill?  Then I put it into perspective.  There is usually a constituent or a group of people who have asked for a bill to fix a problem, or it springs from an idea a senator has. A senator decides if the issue needs a bill or can be handled some other way.  It may be as simple as giving that constituent or group a chance to present their issue; or the other extreme where a situation is dire and needs legislative attention.  Almost every bill has someone behind the scenes believing the issue is important.

The legislative process allows for all of those ideas to be presented to the committee at a public hearing, a process very unique to Nebraska, whereby the committee members have the opportunity to hear proponents, opponents and neutral testimony.  If the majority of committee members agree the bill has merit, it will be advanced to our first stage of floor debate.  A committee can also hold a bill for further discussion by committee members or hold it for other reasons.  The committee can also indefinitely postpone a bill, which kills the bill for that session.

With that said, here are some of the bills being heard by committees this past week:

The main property tax bill, as introduced by the Revenue Committee, is LB 974. The bill had a hearing on Wednesday with good representation from the school districts, agriculture and property owners from across the state. The basic framework reduces reliance on property taxes for school funding, and has a projected cost to the state of $520 million over three years, which will go directly to property tax relief.  A cap would be placed on school budget growth, tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).   As with any bill, there will be an opportunity to offer amendments and continued work on the details. The Revenue Committee will have to keep working to build consensus to get this moved through the legislative process, but it is a start.

Senator Jim Scheer, the Speaker of the Legislature, has introduced a constitutional amendment to increase the number of senators from 50 to 55.  Currently the legislature has 49 senators but we could add one more with the existing constitutional language. Senator Scheer’s LR 279CA would ask the voters to consider increasing the number to 55 senators.  Every senator’s district is based on population.  Scheer said the change would decrease the number of constituents in each legislative district and hopefully keep the some of the rural districts that cover hundreds of miles, from growing even larger.

One of the bills I introduced had a quick and efficient public hearing this week. LB 763 would add townships to the list of entities that can access their funds on a regular basis from the county treasurer without cumbersome paper work. The bill simply corrects the oversight of including townships when the county fund disbursement legislation was enacted many years ago.

The Health and Human Services Committee held a briefing Wednesday morning on the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers (YRTC). They detailed what has happened the last six months with the Geneva, Kearney, and now Lincoln facilities.  The Committee listed 14 recommendations for improvements and guidelines with the state’s YRTC institutions. Out of this report and those recommendations, the Committee introduced six new bills to help with the problems.  We will have opportunities to have public hearings and discussion on this important issue.

The Appropriations Committee also began meeting this week.  At this time we are reviewing state agency budget reports and will work through those before holding hearings on new bills. As you can imagine, there are a large number of requests for funding with the last year of revenue coming in above projections.

Last week the Governor gave the executive branch report to the Legislature in his State of the State address. The Governor outlined key issues of property tax relief, LB720 which is a business tax incentive package, funding for last year’s flooding concerns, and an income tax credit for military retirement benefits.

This week we heard from the judicial branch of government. Chief Justice Mike Heavican reported on activities of the Supreme Court to be accessible to everyone in the state while building confidence in the system. New initiatives put in place across Nebraska by the court system include ways to reach all races, genders, income levels and languages.

As you can see from this report, which covers just a few days, many important topics come to my attention. Let me assure you, your concerns are just as important and I encourage you to contact me at mdorn@leg.ne.gov or call 402–471-2620.