Nebraska Appleseed’s Legislative Update
News and Updates from the Nebraska Unicameral
April 6, 2015
This is shaping up to be one of the biggest weeks of the Legislative session for Appleseed’s priority bills.
Medicaid Redesign Act set for debate
Wednesday afternoon, the Legislature will begin debate on LB 472 – the Medicaid Redesign Act. Passing this crucial bill would close the coverage gap that currently leaves almost 70,000 Nebraskans without access to health coverage.
The bill also would generate more than $5 billion in economic activity according to a study released last week by professors at the University of Nebraska-Kearney.
Contact your State Senator today and tell them to vote “YES” on LB 472.
Key child welfare bill to be debated this week
Senators are scheduled to begin debate this week on LB 243 – a bill introduced by Senator Kate Bolz to create a pilot program designed to establish connections between youth in foster care and their family members.
This bill contains an amendment, AM 1045, which ensures young Nebraskans in foster care who are in a guardianship have access to the Bridge to Independence (B2I) program and makes other technical changes recommended by stakeholders. Appleseed supports this bill with the amendment.
Bills to help working families await Select File debate
LB 81 – A bill to reduce the cliff effect for families eligible for Nebraska’s child care assistance program.
LB 89 – A bill that slightly raises the payment rate for the Aid to Dependent Children benefit and reduce the cliff effect in that program.
Both of these bills were advanced to Select File and could come up for second-round debate this week. Appleseed supports both of these important bills that will help hard-working families get ahead.
DREAMers driver’s license bill gets wave of support
Last week a large group of senators signed on as co-sponsors to LB 623 – the bill that would allow young immigrants who grew up in Nebraska, known as “DREAMers,” to apply for driver’s licenses. The bill, introduced by Sen. Jeremy Nordquist, now has 25 co-sponsors.
The bill still has not been advanced from the Transportation Committee, but may be discussed in a committee meeting soon.
Stay up to date on Appleseed’s issues
You can keep up with all the exciting happenings at the Legislature by following Appleseed online. Like our Facebook page and follow issues and legislative hearings in real-time on Appleseed’s Twitter feed.
Plus, stop by our Appleseed Blog for opinion pieces, informative updates, and news stories, and visit our Vimeo page for videos of what we’re working on throughout 2015.
We will keep you updated on the latest bill introductions, hearings, and floor debate. And, we’ll let you know how you can take action to get involved and make your voice heard throughout the session!
