LB 906 is a bill introduced by Senator Ben Hansen. It was presented to the Governor today for his signature. It passed on a vote of thirty-seven yes, five no, five present not voting and two senators excused. LB  906  requires  the  Department  of  Health  and  Human  Services  (DHHS)  to  develop  a  vaccine  exemption  form  for Nebraska citizens who are employees of a private company. The new law allows employees  to  claim  an  exemption  based  on  his  or  her  strong  moral,  ethical,  or  philosophical  beliefs  or convictions.  If the employer requires employees to be vaccinated, the employer must also allow for an employee to receive an exemption to vaccination.  The employer  may  also  require  the  employee  to  be  periodically  tested  and  wear  or  use  personal  protective  equipment,  at  the employers expense. 

This is the Nebraska answer to what is a much larger national debate about the President’s wrong-headed vaccine mandates. This federal one-size-fits-all approach has taken a sledgehammer to the liberty of Nebraskans to make an intensely personal decision according to their own convictions. I am very glad Senator Hansen got this bill passed. A lot of Nebraskans can now breathe a little easier knowing their individual liberty has been defended. And for those who need one, an exemption to mandatory vaccination is now possible in Nebraska.

In 2021, LB 40 was passed to create the Rural Projects Act. The idea was to make sure rural Nebraska was not left behind during the appropriations process. Last month, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) began accepting applications for grant funding under this act. The act was very popular. Numerous applications were received. The act very quickly ran out of money.  

LB 788 is my appropriations bill to provide $50 million to re-fund the Rural Projects Act. Among a number of other projects, a new rail access park can be built in the North Platte area. I’ve been working with Senator Stinner and the Appropriations Committee, and I am confident the necessary funding will find its way into the mid-biennium budget. The budget debate will begin very soon. We are now passed the halfway point in our short, sixty-day session.