“This is great news! This just shows that years of advocacy can actually pay off. This moves the needle in a positive direction for not just me but for our state as it works to reduce recidivism. This means less of a struggle, less anxiety, less pressure overall for myself and for others who have been banned from SNAP because of past convictions. Thanks to the senators that voted to end the SNAP ban.” – Derrick Martinez
LB319 Passed!
Today, Senators voted to pass ✅ LB319, Senator Rountree’s bill to by and large End the SNAP Ban, on Final Reading!
See how your senator voted on final reading here.
Congratulations to the thousands of people in Nebraska who are directly impacted by the ban, whether by being denied SNAP benefits directly, or are part of a household that receives fewer benefits because of the ban!
The final hurdle for the policy is the governor’s desk where he can sign it into law or veto within 5 days (not including Sunday). We urge Gov. Pillen to stand up for families and allow this bill to become law!
LB192 Update
✅ LB192, which was also up for Final Reading, was pulled back by Senator Andersen, who filed an unfriendly amendment to the underlying bill. That amendment was unfortunately added to LB192, and now we must wait again for LB192 to come back up on Final Reading. While the Andersen amendment potentially creates barriers for the state to run an effective SNAP program, we still think that preserving access to food benefits for 10,000 families is still well worth pushing this bill forward.
Thank you for your continued advocacy and congratulations again!
