We have reached the end of all-day committee hearings for the session. There are only a few more hearings left this week before the legislature moves to the floor debate phase. We want to thank all of you who took the time to contribute to the hearing process by testifying or submitting testimony online to ensure that we are building a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive Nebraska.
Floor debate will take place in the mornings this week, except for Friday. Priority bills from senators and committees are due by March 11th, and you can view those that have been filed so far here. We are continuing to work hard to try to get a number of bills that would support Nebraska families and communities marked by senators or committees as priorities. All-day floor debate begins the week of March 15th, focusing primarily on senators’ priority bills for the session.
Appleseed priorities we’d like to see move forward
As we get closer to the priority deadline and all-day floor debate phase of this session, here are a few bills that we hope to see on the agenda this session. We will continue to highlight more Appleseed priorities each week as floor debate moves forward.
- LB357: Introduced by Senator Megan Hunt, this legislation creates the Nebraska Youth in Care Bill of Rights to provide information to young people in foster care about their rights. It will strengthen their knowledge and power to advocate for themselves and seek support when their rights are not being met.
- LB 485: Introduced by Senator Wendy DeBoer, this legislation would expand initial eligibility for the child care subsidy program to Nebraska families whose income is at or under 185% of the federal poverty level, and allow families to continue to receive the subsidy if their income stays below 200% of the federal poverty level. Overall, this bill strengthens this critical program for Nebraska’s working families so that they can afford necessary child care.
- LB108: Introduced by Senator John McCollister, addresses the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) “cliff effect” that many Nebraskans face when they have to choose between accepting a raise at work or having their SNAP benefits cut. This cliff effect in SNAP makes it harder for our neighbors to access food needed to feed their families and LB108 would go a long way to alleviate food insecurity in our state.
- LB45: Introduced by Senator Matt Hansen, repeals a provision in law that requires a tenant to show extraordinary cause to obtain a continuance of an eviction hearing. This bill would help to ensure more tenants have the opportunity to appear in their defense against eviction.
Stay up to date on Appleseed’s issues
You can keep up with all the happenings at the Legislature by following Appleseed online. Like our Facebook page and follow legislative hearings in real-time on Appleseed’s Twitter feed. Stop by our blog for opinion pieces, informative updates, and news stories.
We’ll let you know how you can take action to get involved and make your voice heard throughout the session!
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