Today is Day 54 of the Nebraska Legislature’s 2024 session! Senators will continue all-day debate until we hit Day 60 on Thursday, April 18. Debate typically takes place from 9am-12pm and 1:30pm-5pm, including evening debate which will continue through the end of this week.
Last Week: Priority Bills Passed!
We were thrilled to see several Appleseed priority bills pass last week, including:
✅ LB1215 (Hansen), a package of health and human services-related bills, was passed on final reading and has been signed into law by the governor. Two of Appleseed’s priority bills, LB1106 and LB1107 (Day), were added as amendments to LB1215 before it was passed. LB1106 and LB1107 combined improve access to lactation consulting services and breast pumps for Nebraskans with Medicaid so that newborns and their families have the resources they need.
✅ LB906 (Riepe) was also passed on final reading and has been approved by the governor. This bill responds to a recent federal investigation that discovered more than 30 children were employed to clean Nebraska meatpacking facilities in 2022. Large-scale meatpacking continues to be one of Nebraska’s most dangerous industries; this bill takes a step in the right direction by increasing penalties for child labor violations. As our state continues to address labor violations in the meatpacking industry, we are glad to see the state hold corporate actors accountable for these violations (rather than individual people like parents).
✅ LB857 (Dungan) passed on final reading and was also signed into law by the governor. This bill seeks to improve Medicaid prenatal care services for at-risk pregnant people, which will help improve outcomes for babies and moms.
This Week’s Debate
✅ LB233 (J. Cavanaugh) is on today’s agenda for its first round of debate. This bill would eliminate child support income as a factor in determining eligibility for Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) benefits. ADC is a direct cash assistance program funded by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant. Currently, when a Nebraska parent applies for ADC, they are required to turn over their rights to child support payments to the State of Nebraska. LB233 would ensure that child support income is used to support children and families, not the state.
TAKE ACTION: Call or email your state senator and tell them to SUPPORT LB233!
❌ LB388 (Linehan), a harmful sales tax package, was debated on Tuesday and advanced to select file. Appleseed continues to oppose any increase to the sales tax. Sales taxes are the most regressive form of taxation, often hitting low-income individuals and families the hardest. It is also the most unpredictable form of taxation and it should not be the funding stream we rely on to fund our most important government functions.
TAKE ACTION: Call or email your state senator and tell them to OPPOSE LB388!
Follow along: You can live stream all legislative happenings through Nebraska Public Media.
Thank you for your ongoing advocacy!