At the Capitol: Several Important Hearings This Week

Hearings have kept all of us busy these last few weeks! The Legislature will continue with morning floor debate, followed by committee hearings every afternoon, through the last full week of March. All-day floor debate will begin on March 31.

Appleseed has identified our 2025 legislative priorities that would advance justice and opportunity for all Nebraskans during this session. You can find the full list of bills here.

Last week, we weighed in on two important bills:

✅ LB17, introduced by Senator John Cavanaugh, protects Nebraska renters by prohibiting landlords from charging predatory fees, ensuring reasonable late fees, and refunding screening fees for prospective tenants who are not offered a rental.

✅ LB710, introduced by Senator Eliot Bostar, helps Nebraska families meet their basic needs by increasing Nebraska’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), from 10% to 20% of the federal EITC.

Yesterday, we testified in front of the Business and Labor Committee in opposition to ❌ LB258 (Senator Jane Raybould), which would harm workers by severely weakening Nebraska’s minimum wage law by carving out a subminimum wage for workers under the age of 18 AND restricting the cost of living increases that Nebraskans voted for in 2022. This bill undermines changes that were overwhelmingly approved by Nebraska voters, and it will all but ensure that Nebraska wages once again fall behind cost of living increases. Senators received 296 comments in opposition to LB258 – thank you for making your voice heard!

There are more hearings this week that you can attend in person, stream online, or submit a comment:

✅ LB14 (Senator Machaela Cavanaugh) – Adopt the Hunger-Free Schools Act

• Tuesday, February 25 in the afternoon in Room 1525 in front of the Education Committee
• This bill offers free school meals for all students in Nebraska, making sure kids get the food they need to learn and thrive.
• TAKE ACTION: Appleseed SUPPORTS this bill – though the deadline for your comment to be an official part of the public hearing record has passed, you can still submit a comment in support of this bill.

❌ LB379 (Senator Bob Anderson) – Change the maximum time limit for receipt of cash assistance under the Welfare Reform Act

• Thursday, February 27 in the afternoon in Room 1510 in front of the Health and Human Services Committee 
• This bill would keep Nebraska kids in poverty by restricting the time limit for Nebraska’s Aid to Dependent Children program from 60 months to 24 months. This reduction would result in Nebraska’s most vulnerable children receiving even fewer benefits and resources.
• TAKE ACTION: Appleseed OPPOSES this bill – submit a comment here by Thursday, February 27 at 8:00 AM CT

❌ LB656 (Senator Bob Anderson) – Change work requirements under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

• Thursday, February 27 in the afternoon in Room 1510 in front of the Health and Human Services Committee
• This bill would cut Nebraskans off from food benefits and increase hunger by taking away several of Nebraska’s options to provide SNAP food benefits to Nebraskans who need it, and by imposing harsh work requirements as a condition for receiving SNAP.
• TAKE ACTION: Appleseed OPPOSES this bill – submit a comment here by Thursday, February 27 at 8:00 AM CT

You can keep up with all the happenings at the Legislature by following Appleseed online:

• Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
• Don’t miss out on our live updates on legislative hearings on BlueSky and X.
• 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!
• Want to support our work? Become a monthly sustaining supporter and help provide critical flexibility to tackle emerging issues all year long.

Thank you for helping us build a Nebraska where everyone can thrive!