Good news on the vaccination front, beginning last week, all residents of Fillmore, Gage, Jefferson, Saline, and Thayer counties who are 18 and older will be eligible to schedule an appointment for their Covid-19 vaccination with Public Health Solutions at 402-826-3880. This includes anyone 18 and over with or without high-risk medical conditions. I extend my thanks to Public Health Solutions for all their work and their successful rollout of the vaccination drive. Getting your vaccine is not a reason to let you guard down as Covid-19 cases are trending upward so I encourage you to abide by CDC’s updated recommendations to avoid being infected. 

The Legislative Session passed the halfway point last week and we are now debating bills mornings and afternoons, mostly priority bills. I am happy to report that five of my bills are in General File and I anticipate some of them being heard on the Floor this session, including: 

• LB 324 – This bill makes it easier for the consumer to purchase individual packages of quality farm-raised meat directly from the producer or processor. It  allows the producer and consumer more flexibility when deciding where their meat is processed and creates the Independent Processor Assistance Program. LB 324 is an Agriculture Committee priority bill and was heard on the Floor on March 16th, and after a fruitful discussion it advanced to Select File on a 46-0 vote.

• LB 306 – The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides federal financial assistance to those in need to offset the costs of heating and cooling. The bill would increase the annual income limit from 130% of the federal poverty level to 150%. LB 306 is my personal priority bill because people need covid-19 economic relief and this is one way to do it, and it’s needed now more than ever after the extreme cold temperatures that Nebraskans experienced last month.

• LB 396 – This bill would expand the scale and reach of Nebraska-produced food by providing networking resources for Nebraska schools, local vegetable and fruit growers, and meat and dairy producers to increase the quantity of quality local food purchased by and served in our schools through the creation of a statewide farm to school program. I am honored that Speaker Mike Hilgers chose this as one of his Speaker Priority bills, a status designated to only 25 out of a hundred applicants.

If you have questions about these bills or others, feel free to contact my legislative staff at (402) 471-2711, or send me an email at tbrandt@leg.ne.gov. You can stay up to speed by subscribing to the Unicameral Update, free of charge, by sending an email to uio@leg.ne.gov or calling 402-471-2788.