I will be spending more time in Lincoln this week in order to take part in public hearings. The first public hearing will be held on October 15, as the Executive Board will hear testimony on LR198. The purpose of the hearing is to consider whether the Legislature should create a new standing committee to focus on technology. It also proposes to combine the Natural Resources and Agriculture Committees into one committee. I have some reservations about this proposal and look forward to taking part in the hearing.

My primary concern begins with the proposed combination of the Natural Resources and Agriculture Committees. Each standing committee is allowed to designate two bills as Priority bills. Priority bills have a better chance of being heard on the floor because they get scheduling priority over other non-prioritized bills. Although these committees don’t usually receive a significant number of bills, they have jurisdiction over two significant portions of Nebraska’s economy and areas that have a particular impact on rural Nebraska. I worry about losing two priority bills awarded to the committees today. The Legislature has attempted to combine these two committees in the past, but has never done so. We will see if it happens this time.

I’m also unsure if we need a separate committee to handle technology-related bills. As I look at past bills introduced in the Legislature, they generally are not bills that deal with technology alone. And I’m not sure there is enough technology legislation to justify a separate committee. It may be more prudent to clarify where these bills should be referred within our existing committee structure.

In the past, the Referencing Committee (the committee assigning bills to committees of jurisdiction) has defaulted to the Judiciary Committee any bill that included a legal penalty. This has resulted in the Judiciary Committee receiving many bills where the subject matter could be assigned to a different committee that deals with the primary subject matter, but for the fact that the bill included a legal penalty.

I look forward to the testimony. I remain open to the concept, but do wonder if the proposal in LR198 is the right solution.

On Friday, I will lead a roundtable dealing with the high cost of property insurance premiums as outlined by LR199 and LR200. I introduced both resolutions to look at ways to reduce the cost of our current high casualty insurance costs. As I have said in the past, homeowners are fighting a two-front battle of high property taxes and equally high casualty insurance costs. When combined with relatively high mortgage rates, the cost to own a home is putting home ownership out of reach for many. A strong economy relies on making home ownership accessible for workers to raise their families and retire in. I look forward to hearing from insurance stakeholders about the challenges facing the industry and ways the Legislature may be able to help make property insurance more affordable for Nebraskans.

There are also two other committees holding hearings this week. Thursday morning, the Urban Affairs Committee will hold hearings at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, looking at a wide variety of issues, including municipal land banks, poverty elimination, nutritious food access, and housing access for the formerly incarcerated. In the afternoon, the Health and Human Services Committee will hold hearings in Lincoln regarding health-related social needs, strengthening our medical workforce, the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and more. I look forward to discussing the results of these interim studies with my colleagues and seeing what legislation might be proposed as a result.

The interim is an important time for Senators, as we brainstorm our bills and priorities for the coming session. It is also an opportunity to deep-dive into issues with stakeholders and learn more about complex issues in our various committees.

It is also a great time for constituents to reach out about issues important to them; please continue to contact me at 402-471-2729 or by emailing me at mjacobson@leg.ne.gov. It is a pleasure serving as your State Senator and serving the interests of District 42.

Attention Nebraska College and Trade School Students!

Page applications and letters of recommendation for the 2023 Legislative Session are now being accepted in the Clerk’s Office!

What is a Legislative Page exactly? Pages respond to Senators’ request lights on the legislative floor. They run errands, deliver messages, photocopy materials, get food and drink for the Senators, assist the presiding officer, set up and staff committee hearings and perform other duties as assigned.

The 2023 Legislative Session is scheduled to run from January 4, 2023-Mid June 2023.  You must be able to work 20 hours a week.  This is a paid position and you MAY be able to receive credit hours through your school.

The deadline for submission is Friday October 7, 2022.

Further details and online application can be found here: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/unicampages/

Please contact the Office of the Clerk of the Legislature with questions or if you need more information at (402) 471-2271 or email unicampages@leg.ne.gov