Nebraska workers and Nebraska Appleseed have cause to celebrate as the legislature has passed a bill, LB 961, that works for working people in our state.
LB 961, introduced by Senator Council, will make it easier for job training programs in rural and high poverty areas to access economic development funds through the Job Training Cash Fund. LB 961 makes the Job Training Cash Fund more relevant and accessible by improving the way in which partnerships can access funding for pre-employment services (like job coaching) to help workers start out on the right path towards stable, family supporting jobs. The bill also strengthens reporting and oversight for using state dollars. Nebraska Appleseed views this legislation as smart economic development policy.
Fundamentally, LB 961 is a bill that is a “job well done†by the Nebraska legislature.
As the economic downturn continues on a slow path toward recovery, and as our state continues to face a tight budget, we are very supportive of such legislation that improves chances for workers and helps us to get more out of our state investments. Building job opportunities is an essential component to helping families and the state come out ahead in recovery.
To learn more about innovative ways to get the most out of state economic development and public works investments, access the newest report by our national partner the Working Poor Families Project, “Building Opportunity†here: http://www.workingpoorfamilies.org/pdfs/Building_Opportunity.pdf