2020 Legislative Session Wrap-Up, Part 3 of 3

This week’s column will end the three-part series covering the resumption of the 108th Nebraska Legislature Second Session by highlighting a few more bills that will have a positive impact on Southeast Nebraska.

LB 153 was a strong step towards making Nebraska a more veteran-friendly state. Thanks to the passage of LB 153, beginning January 1, 2022, individuals may exclude half of their military retirement benefit pay from state income tax. LB 153 passed on a vote of 46-0. There is still far more to be done to make Nebraska a veteran-friendly state, and I look forward to supporting additional legislation that benefits all veterans.

LB 814 was one of the most important pro-life bills to pass in the last decade. LB 814 bans the barbaric practice of dismembering a living baby while still in the womb. Dismemberment abortion is the procedure of a person purposely dismembers and extracts a living fetus from the uterus using clamps, forceps, or similar instruments. Nebraska is a pro-life state and it is an honor to defend preborn life in the Legislature. 

LB 226 was signed into law and will allow self-employed child care providers to apply for a state income tax credit. Childcare options can be limited in rural areas and LB 226 will allow self-employed child care providers to be added to the 2016 School Readiness Tax Credit Act under the definition of eligible staff members. This credit will open the door to more child care options in our state.

The Nebraska Legislature also passed several bills to help our first responders. LB 963, introduced by Senator Brewer, will provide first responders with opportunities to receive resilience training to help prevent or mitigate the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. These mental health interventions will save lives. LB 1002 clarifies and streamlines language in our EMS statutes, including adding community care paramedic and critical care paramedic as EMS providers and allows the restocking of prescription drugs by a hospital for an emergency medical service if EMS transports a patient to the hospital and the drugs were used for the patient prior to or during transportation. 

These last three weeks have provided a brief summary of a productive biennium in the Nebraska Legislature. Any bill introduced in this biennium can be looked up on the Legislature’s official website: www.nebraskalegislature.gov.

As always, I welcome your input on issues important to you. Follow along on my Facebook and Twitter pages, both entitled “Senator Julie Slama” for more updates, or contact me directly at Senator Julie Slama, District 1 State Capitol, PO Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509-4604; telephone 402-471-2733; email: jslama@leg.ne.gov .