This week is the last week of hearings at the Legislature! Once hearings are over, the calendar will shift next week to all day debate. The Speaker informed senators that they should expect floor debate to extend into the evening for the duration of the session.
LB574 (Sen. Kathleen Kauth), which bans gender affirming care for youth, is on the floor today and debate on the bill will likely extend through Thursday. We strongly oppose this bill since everyone should be able to access the health care they need, in their own communities, when they need it. Gender affirming care is safe, medically-backed, life-saving health care.
Contact your senator to OPPOSE LB574 and let them know that medical decisions should be made by the people who know what they’re doing: Nebraskans and their medical professionals, NOT politicians. (Find your senator.)
Last week’s highlights
Priority bills from senators and committees were finalized last week. In addition to those pieces of legislation, the Speaker is also allowed to designate 25 bills as priorities. You can view all priority bills here.
We spent some time last week in front of the Health & Human Services Committee in favor of two bills that would support Nebraskans and their families: LB88 (Sen. Megan Hunt), which helps Nebraskans support themselves by eliminating the ban on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for former drug felons; and LB85 (Sen. Jen Day), which saves Nebraska families time and resources by providing for express lane eligibility under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
We also testified in front of the Business & Labor Committee in support of LB618 (Sen. Mike McDonnell), which has been a priority for Appleseed over the past few years. This legislation would fix Nebraska’s unemployment insurance gap to ensure DACA, TPS, and other work-authorized Nebraskans can access the unemployment insurance support they earned and their employers already paid for.
This week’s hearings
Our team is at the Capitol for another week of hearings as we continue to fight for all Nebraskans!
TOMORROW’S HEARINGS – Though the deadline for comments to become a part of the official hearing record has passed for these bills, you can still submit an online comment to committees.
Tomorrow, we’ll be testifying in front of the Judiciary Committee in SUPPORT of the following bills:
- LB581 (Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh) – SUPPORT – creates pilot programs for doula services at a youth rehabilitation and treatment center and the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women. (Submit an online comment).
- LB391 (Sen. Jen Day) – SUPPORT – provides criminal and civil liability immunity for pregnancy outcomes. (Submit an online comment).
- LR20CA (Sen. Danielle Conrad) – SUPPORT – a constitutional amendment to protect the right of individual privacy. (Submit an online comment).
We’ll also submit a comment to the Revenue Committee in support of LB747 (Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh), which would provide an income tax credit for renters. (Submit an online comment).
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.
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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