Emergency rental assistance funding prioritized

We’ve reached the halfway point for the 2022 session! We have two more weeks of committee hearings and then beginning March 7, the Legislature will begin all-day floor debate. The focus for the rest of session will primarily be on senators\’ priority bills, which can be found here.

We’re excited to see several of Appleseed’s legislative priorities make the list, including LB 1073 introduced by Senator Justin Wayne, which will require Nebraska to accept federal funding for emergency rental assistance. Thanks to Senator Matt Hansen for prioritizing this important issue.

With this priority list finalized, we’re ready to continue our advocacy for Nebraska youth, families, and communities. Stay tuned for updates on how you can show your support for Appleseed’s priorities as they hit the floor for debate.

This week’s hearings

Today, we’re testifying in support of LB 710, introduced by Senator John McCollister, which eliminates the asset test for households in Nebraska utilizing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). We’re also submitting a comment in support of LB 1267, introduced by Senator Tony Vargas, which would appropriate $2.5 million dollars towards addressing and reducing public health racial inequities in Nebraska.

Last week’s highlights

Everyone deserves to eat. Banning people from basic needs assistance, like SNAP, adds to the challenges of reentry. We’re glad to see LB 121 prioritized by Senator Megan Hunt last week which eliminates the lifetime ban on SNAP for Nebraskans reentering our communities. This bill is on general file and will be debated on the floor some time over the next few weeks. Stay tuned for updates on how you can share your support with senators!

Nebraska must ensure everyone is paid enough to take care of themselves and their loved ones. That’s why we testified in support of two important bills, LB 1028 and LB 935, which strengthen wage protections for tipped workers and allow counties to set a higher minimum wage for their workforce.

Stay up to date on Appleseed’s issues

You can keep up with all the happenings at the Legislature by following Appleseed online. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Don’t miss out on our live updates on legislative hearings on Twitter. 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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