Every year on February 2nd, we celebrate Groundhog Day. This is an old tradition brought to us by our German settlers. Back in Germany, they turned to a badger to learn how much longer they had to wait for planting season, but once they moved to the United States, they couldn’t find the badgers they were so familiar with. However, they could find the groundhog, which they decided was similar enough to a badger that its meteorology could be trusted. Thus, Groundhog Day was born. As a state settled mostly by Germans, Nebraska has a special connection to this tradition—especially in our District 1 community of Unadilla.

Unadilla became the Groundhog Capital of Nebraska in 1988 with their beloved Unadilla Bill, a stuffed groundhog. Each year, Unadilla celebrates Groundhog Day with many festivities ending with a parade on Main Street and the crowning of Groundhog King and Queen. Though Unadilla Bill has retired after 33 years of service, he can still be visited at the Nitty Gritty Gas & Thrift Convenience Store in Unadilla. The community is now served by his successor Unadilla Billie.

This year, both Punxsutawney Phil and Unadilla Billie have predicted an early spring. Besides enjoying the warm weather, I’ve been working hard in our state legislature to ensure the residents of District 1 are represented and their needs are met. I will review a few bills that have been advancing various stages of debate.

Tuesday, LB 140 advanced to the final round of debate and awaits a final approval vote and the Governor’s signature. This bill would allow the Department of Motor Vehicles to design a license plate celebrating Czech Heritage. This would be designed in consultation with the Czech Honorary Counsel of Nebraska. Due to my Czech heritage, I am particularly excited about this legislation!

LB 541 advanced from General File to Select File. In short, this bill would make public power district elections partisan. Electricity is the lifeline for businesses, schools, homes, farms, and more, powered by public power. Therefore, public power boards are one of the most critical governing bodies in the state. With such great importance, voters must be given a clear understanding of who they are voting for. I support this bill.

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.

The snow has finally stopped in District 1 and has begun to melt. Green grass is even poking out in some places! Through all of it, the Nebraska Legislature keeps moving forward. The first half of our days are used for floor debates with the second half of our days dedicated to committee hearings. But it’s not all just talk and argument, this past week we have passed about a half dozen bills along to the next round. Herein, I will highlight a few of the bills that I believe will benefit Nebraskans.

LB 308, a bill heard in the Banking, Commerce, and Insurance Committee, advanced from General File to Select File. This bill adopts the Genetic Information Privacy Act. The act safeguards the privacy, confidentiality, security, and integrity of consumer genetic data. Direct-to-consumer genetic testing is a common practice, especially with companies such as Ancestry, 23andMe, and other genetic testing companies, gaining popularity. LB308 requires express consent for the sharing, storage, and usage of consumer genetic data by direct-to-consumer genetic testing services. This bill is critical as it ensures that the consumer is in control of their genetic data at all times.

LB 664, a bill heard in the Health and Human Services Committee, also advanced from General File to Select File. This bill allows the Attorney General to investigate and prosecute cases of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of Medicaid recipients who do not reside in an institutional setting. This bill also allows the Attorney General to access the records of any resident living in a Medicaid-funded facility when investigating and prosecuting the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of that resident, regardless of whether that resident is a Medicaid recipient. Medicaid Fraud Control Units were authorized by Congress in the mid-1970s to investigate and prosecute the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of residents in Medicaid-funded facilities. This congressional mandate extends to all residents. However, contrary to federal authority, Nebraska’s statutes prohibit the Nebraska Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse Unit from reviewing or obtaining information concerning non-Medicaid residents in healthcare facilities without the patient’s consent or court order. This bill makes Nebraska’s statutes consistent with Congress.

LB 600, a bill heard in the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, also advanced from General File to Select File. This bill expands the Economic Opportunity Program to include infrastructure improvements for smaller communities across Nebraska. This program is used to finance transportation improvements to attract business and business expansions by connecting them to the transportation network. This bill is critical to attracting private business and driving economic growth.

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.

Beginning on January 8th and continuing through to even now, southeast Nebraska has been hit with heavy snow leaving many Nebraskans stranded at home. District 1 has received about 15 inches of snow as well as low temperatures getting down to -20°! We have also seen high winds with a chill of as low as -50°.

In the past week, the Nebraska State Patrol has had a whopping total of 93 crash responses and 1828 motorist assists. Though some roads had to be closed due to drifting and high winds, the Nebraska Department of Roads has had crews working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week clearing and salting roads.

Schools in Auburn, Johnson, Tecumseh, and Nebraska City, including Peru State College, had to close their doors for almost the entire week, just after school started. However, our essential workers in law enforcement and medicine bravely and determinedly kept our hospitals open and our communities safe!

This weather has me, and all Nebraskans, grateful for our first responders, road crews, tow truck operators, and all the good samaritans who have been rescuing stranded motorists, clearing the roads, and even shoveling our sidewalks! This is what being Nebraskan is all about!

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 685094604; telephone: 402-471-2733; email: jslama@leg.ne.gov.

This legislative session is in full swing, and we are nearly through the bill introduction period! This week, I would like to address a critical issue that touches the heart of our state’s security and prosperity – the land ownership by foreign adversaries and future initiatives to address this concern.

The surge in foreign-owned land in Nebraska, now exceeding 791,000 acres, is important and cannot be ignored. This figure represents a large portion of our state’s farm and ranch property, but also raises concerns about the use and control of our agricultural lands, thereby threatening food security. While part of this increase can be partly attributed to land leased for wind energy by companies with some foreign ownership, the underlying concern still remains – the influence of foreign entities, especially those from adversarial nations like China, Iran, and Russia, on our treasured agricultural land and resources.

The growing concern about the foreign land ownership is not merely about the amount of land, but more so about the identities and intentions of the owners. In response, watch out for new bills this session (such as Senator Hardin’s LB 1120) targeted at preserving Nebraska’s agricultural land for potential threats, particularly from entities of nations that may not share our democratic principles, or respect our sovereignty.

I am dedicated to safeguarding the integrity of our agricultural lands in a manner consistent with the welfare of Nebraska and the United States. It is of utmost urgency that we fortify our defenses against foreign influence, preserve the sanctity of our agricultural strength, and maintain the security of Nebraska and the entire nation. With this said, I will be sure to keep you informed on upcoming hot-button issues and the bills impacting Nebraskans.

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.

January 3rd marked the first day of the 2024 legislative session. I am more eager than ever to be in Lincoln fighting for District 1. Although there have been a few new faces, including Senators, staff, and committee leadership changes, I will continue to serve as the Chairman of the Banking, Commerce, and Insurance Committee. I will also continue serving on the Executive Board and the Natural Resources Committee.

The first item of debate on the agenda will be on proposed rule changes. The rules debate establishes the procedures and protocols for the future of the legislative session. We have had 34 rule changes introduced by various Senators. To be clear, I will NOT support a Rules Package that does not contain a public vote on committee chairs. Votes in the Nebraska Legislature shouldn’t happen in secret. This one is a no-brainer for me.

LB 575, introduced by Senator Kathleen Kauth, of which I am a proud co-sponsor, establishes the Sports and Spaces Act. The Sports and Spaces Act provides protections for single-sex spaces, such as girl’s bathrooms and changing rooms. This bill also seeks to prohibit the participation of biological males in K-12 athletics designated for biological females and would prohibit biological females from competing in interscholastic K-12 athletics designated for males, with the exception that biological females may compete in interscholastic athletics with biological males where no other opportunity to compete with biological females exists. This bill protects both the fairness and opportunity in girls’ sports and the privacy and dignity of all students.

As more issues continue to arise, remember this: Nebraska’s unique Unicameral Legislature relies heavily on the citizens of the State of Nebraska. Ensuring that members of the public have the opportunity to have their voices heard is vital to the legislative process. I will inform you of upcoming hot-button issues and bills that will impact Southeast Nebraska.

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.

As we embrace the spirit of Thanksgiving, it is a great time to celebrate and honor the
extraordinary members of Southeast Nebraska who have made substantial contributions to our community. Not only are the stories of commitment and service motivational, but they also serve as a testament to the strength of Nebraska.

Leslie McIntosh, an outstanding teacher at Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca Middle School, has earned the Milken Educator Award. Her innovative teaching approaches and successful projects, such as the “Summer Blast” program, demonstrate her dedication to improving student learning and community participation. I am thankful for teachers like Leslie, whose passion and creative teaching significantly improve students’ lives and build our community, exemplifying the true spirit of educational excellence.

In the world of sports, we bid farewell to Rick Janssen, an NSAA referee who retired after a distinguished 47-year career. Rick’s last game represented the end of a journey distinguished by fairness, sportsmanship, and genuine passion for the game. His long-standing commitment to refereeing has left a long-lasting imprint on the Nebraska sports community. A special thank you to Rick Janssen for his decades of dedication in sports officiating, which has left a legacy of fairness and enthusiasm that will be remembered for years to come.

I also want to recognize K9 Officer Mack’s retirement and the work of his handler, Sgt.
Christopher Richardson, from the Nebraska City Police Department. Mack is leaving around five years of valuable service and is well-known for his remarkable talents in drug detection and tracking. Sgt. Richardson’s and Mack’s relationship is a touching example of loyalty and teamwork. I am thankful for K9 Officer Mack and Sgt. Christopher Richardson for their unwavering dedication to keeping our community safe, and I wish Mack a happy and restful retirement.

As the holiday season approaches, so does the legislative session. In the coming weeks, I will begin a series highlighting the legislative process. This will shed light on how laws are crafted and passed, and the critical roles we play in shaping the future laws of our state. In the meantime, we wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season!

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.

I am thrilled to share an op-ed with you that addresses some of the most pressing concerns regarding School Choice, a cause I wholeheartedly support. The Midland Voices article by Senators Lou Ann Linehan and Brad Von Gillern examines the misinformation spread by the Nebraska State Education Association in an attempt to repeal the Opportunity Scholarships Act. I encourage you to read the article, as it highlights the significant efforts made by Governor Jim Pillen and the Nebraska Legislature to increase education funding and provide additional support for both schools and teachers. The Opportunity Scholarships Act is a crucial step toward empowering parents to choose the best education setting for their children.

“Midland Voices: Misleading petition drive ignores record Nebraska public school funding” by Lou Ann Linehan and Brad Von Gillern

The Nebraska State Education Association, the state teacher’s union, is misleading Nebraskans while gathering signatures to repeal a new law giving parents the right to choose the best education setting for their child. The teacher’s union claim that the Opportunity Scholarships Act will take money away from Nebraska’s K-12 public schools is simply not true, yet it is their leading argument for repeal of the law.

The facts tell a much different story.

Gov. Jim Pillen and the Nebraska Legislature increased funding for K-12 public schools by hundreds of millions of dollars this past legislative session and set aside $1 billion dollars to establish the Education Future Fund from which dollars will be directed to education priorities. An additional $250 million will be transferred annually to the fund to pay for the state’s increased commitment to public school funding.

One of the newly funded education priorities addresses what had become a glaring disparity in state funding distributed among Nebraska’s school districts. For several years most districts, including many rural districts as well as Omaha Westside, have received little to no funding from the state’s school equalization formula. Gov. Pillen recognized the lack of fairness for those school districts, students and local property taxpayers and secured a monumental change in education funding resulting in no less than $1,500 per student being directed to every public school. (School districts receive as much as $10,500 per student in the case of option enrollment students or more than $6,000 per student in state funding for “highly equalized” school districts.)

In addition, using dollars from the new Education Future Fund, the state will reimburse school districts for 80% of their special education costs, which doubles the state’s share of those costs.
This is on top of the state’s existing annual commitment to funding K-12 public education, which totaled more than $1.5 billion in state general fund tax dollars in fiscal year 2021-2022.
The Legislature also addressed the need to recruit and retain teachers by creating and funding a new state grant program. Teachers will now receive a grant of $2,500 after completing each of their second, fourth and sixth years of teaching for a total of $7,500. But that’s still not all. Any teacher who returns to school to earn a certificate with dual credit, special education, or STEM — critical teacher shortage areas in Nebraska — will receive a $5,000 grant. These two grant programs are in addition to a student loan forgiveness program passed in 2022 by the Legislature providing up to $25,000 per new teacher.

In addition to these historic increases in state funding for public schools and dollars directed specifically to teachers, this year the Legislature also passed billions of dollars in income and property tax relief. Included in the tax relief packages were two tax credits specifically addressing the needs of Nebraska parents. One tax credit helps parents with children ages six and under pay for childcare,and the other is the Opportunity Scholarships Act that supports the parents of school age children. Both of these programs are initially capped at $25 million, but will grow if needed.

Of all the new tax relief measures and education funding programs, the teachers unions are only working to repeal the Opportunity Scholarships tax credit with their petition effort. They refuse to accept that all parents should have a right to choose the education that best meets their child’s needs regardless of their income. With more than $1 million already invested in their repeal petition effort, most of which is from the national teacher’s union, they are determined to keep students in schools that aren’t the best fit for their success.

The teachers union is misleading Nebraskans about state funding for public schools while working to steal opportunity and hope from parents and students with their attempt to repeal the Opportunity Scholarships Act. The new law will give families of students from middle and lower-income families, students who have been bullied, those with exceptional needs, in foster care, from military families and students denied option enrollment in a public school the ability to receive a scholarship to attend the school of their choice.

Nebraskans should reject the petition campaign being waged by the teachers union. Decline to sign their petition and keep kids first.”

Thank you for taking the time to read this information and op-ed. I remain committed to supporting initiatives that empower parents and ensure every child receives the education they deserve. 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.

I’ve heard from many of you about the extreme property valuation increases you have recently
received. First off, let me assure you that these increases WERE NOT mandated by the Nebraska State
Legislature. Yearly property valuations of real estate are made by your local County Assessors, not by
the Nebraska Legislature.

Second, as an owner of real estate in Nebraska, you have the right to protest the new valuation of your
property. However, you do have a short period of time to do so. As of now, valuation protests must be
filed on or before Friday, June 30, 2023. Here is a helpful link from the Nebraska Department of Revenue
on how to file a valuation protest in your county:

https://revenue.nebraska.gov/sites/revenue.nebraska.gov/files/doc/news-
release/pad/2023/NewsRelease_RealProp_Protest_Deadline_June_30.pdf

We here at the Nebraska Legislature have worked hard in the past few years to give Nebraskans the
property tax relief they have demanded.

• In 2020, the Nebraska Legislature created the Nebraska Property Tax Incentive Act which provides for a refundable income tax credit beginning in tax year 2020. This credit is available to those that pay school district real property taxes in Nebraska. The credit is determined by multiplying the amount of school district taxes, defined by the Act as property taxes levied on real property in Nebraska by a school district or multiple district school system, excluding property taxes levied for bonded indebtedness or any levy override approved by voters, by a credit percentage. This credit percentage was 6% for 2020. For tax year 2022, the credit percentage equals 30% of property taxes paid to schools and community colleges.

• In 2022, the Nebraska Legislature passed a bill that expanded the Nebraska Property Tax Incentive Act to include taxes paid towards community colleges.

• In 2023 the Nebraska Legislature passed a bill that restricts the amount school districts can increase the property tax rate and narrowed the scope of what community colleges can levee property taxes for. Schools and community colleges are two of the biggest users of property taxes so these changes will provide property tax relief.

• In 2023, the Nebraska Legislature passed a bill that will increase the minimum amount of relief granted under the Property Tax Credit Act from the current $275 million to $475 million by tax year 2028.

With the above relief, an average Nebraska farm, owing $29,000 in property taxes, is eligible for over
$8,000 in total tax credits – a 28% reduction. A standard $250,000 home, owing $5,000 in property
taxes, is eligible for over $1,000 in total tax credits – a 20% reduction. And while these saving were
brought to you as the result of the Nebraska Legislature’s hard-working efforts outlined above, none of
this property tax relief means anything if the property valuation increases occurring at the county level
are not brought under control. A $1,000 tax credit means nothing if you’re property taxes goes up by
$2,000 or more.

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

If you are looking for a rosy review of this year’s 2023 Legislative Session, this week’s column
isn’t it. Our Legislature’s 2023 Session ended on June 1. We were able to achieve some
monumental bills- billions in tax relief, better support for our rural public schools, protecting
innocent life, passing Constitutional Carry, and even a long-awaited repeal of Nebraska’s helmet
mandate for motorcycles. These victories happened despite certain members’ legislative
leadership, not because of it.
The thing that I hold most sacred in representing District 1 is being the only voice in our
Legislature for 40,000 people in Southeast Nebraska. There will always be battles over key
issues- abortion, Second Amendment, taxes, etc.- but District 1-specific issues are left to me.
Those battles include funding the Peru levee repair, securing more reliable electricity for Falls
City, and fighting for a better future for Southeast Nebraska with affordable housing, improved
water quality, and access to childcare for our working families. A senator who loses sight of local
battles leaves an entire chunk of Nebraska unrepresented in the Legislature.
We lost the ability to have those local battles this year. A weeks-long filibuster cut floor debate
time to nearly zero. The chance to debate local issues was doled out to those who shut up to go
with the flow and others who stood directly in the way of the magical 33-vote threshold to break
a filibuster. As for those who simply showed up to work each day and stood up for what they
believed was right? Most of their priority bills did not even come up for first-round debate.
Normally, I think complaints about the “sanctity of the institution” in our Unicameral are based
on nothing but a wistful desire to return to the good ol’ boys club, where everyone could go
along to get along. However, there is an important foundation of our institution: we have 49
senators, each doing their best to serve their district and our state. That foundation was
demolished in 2023.
Leadership stopped seeing senators as representatives, but as expendable lines on a vote card to
break a filibuster. Several senators (including yours truly) were dragged from the hospital at
different times to hit the appropriate button for a vote. Senators were taken for granted and
treated as if they would be better replaced by robots who could hit a red or green button on
command.
We have 18 freshmen senators in the 2023-24 class. These freshmen are the next leaders of our
Legislature. After the 2024 election cycle, at least 30 of 49 senators will have two years or less of
experience. Our Legislature failed these freshmen in 2023. Freshmen were sidelined- kept away
from leadership roles, told to fall in line even on issues they were not comfortable pursuing, and
left in the dark on day-to-day negotiations. Most of their priority bills never saw the light of day,
and they almost never got the chance to talk about issues specific to their own districts. These
first sessions for new senators are the only way they can get their feet wet in the system. We lost
those opportunities this year.
Make no mistake- the 2023 Legislative Session was historic. I’ll spend the next few months
covering each of those wins in honest detail. However, any senator throwing their shoulder out of
place, patting themselves on the back for the 2023 Legislative Session successes, might want to

take a good, long look in the mirror. These victories ring hollow if we are selling out the future
of our Legislature. Leadership must commit to serving the entire state of Nebraska next year, not
just those who fall in line at the snap of their fingers. I’ll do everything I can to fight this toxic
culture, and you have my word that I will never, ever waiver in my duty to serve you and your
family in our Legislature.

The Nebraska Legislature is nearing the end of the 108th Legislature, 1st Regular Session. With a ceasefire in the ongoing filibuster, the Legislature is able to both move forward by passing legislation and procedural duties, such as Legislative confirmations! I would like to highlight some of the bills passed either by the Legislature or signed by the Governor last week.

Senator Briese’s LB 243 passed the final round of debate by the Legislature. Over the next six years, LB 243 will reduce property taxes by more than $3 billion. LB 243 increases the Property Tax Credit Fund’s financing from $275 million to $700 million and requires the fund to increase in proportion to the rise in the state’s assessed value of real estate. Many other provisions included in LB 243, such as those found in LB 242, the Property Tax Incentive Credit, would eliminate a limit on the amount of income tax credits available for paying property taxes. The credits, which are claimed on yearly income tax forms, had a 5% annual growth cap last year. Nebraskans will receive more much-needed property tax relief.

Senator Linehan’s 753 also passed the final round of debate by the Legislature. The “Opportunity Scholarships Act” will be established under this legislation, enabling taxpayers to be eligible for a tax credit equal to the amount of their contributions to organizations that offer scholarships. The organization that awards scholarships would fund students’ educations so they may enroll in a nonprofit, private elementary or secondary school. 48 other states have some form of school choice, and Nebraska will be #49.

Last but certainly not least, Senator Sanders’ LB 583 passed the final round of debate by the Legislature. This legislation would allocate $1,500 per-student foundational aid within the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act (TEEOSA) formula, which is the current school finance formula for Nebraska public schools. This expands funding for special education by “filling the gap” between existing federal and state support and 80% of a district’s anticipated cost for special education.

Senator Kauth’s LB 574 was signed into law by the Governor. This legislation prohibits gender-altering surgeries for individuals kids the age of 19. LB 574 also included provisions that will further protect children, specifically babies, through a ban on abortions in Nebraska at 12 weeks. I am proud to have supported this legislation all year.

We have continued to work hard to deliver results for the people of Nebraska! 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.