Katie Pitts - Nebraska Appleseed

At the Capitol: Several Appleseed Priority Bills Introduced

Legislative Updates / By Katie Pitts / 01/10/2023

Last week, the Nebraska Legislature officially kicked off the 2023 session, welcoming several new faces to the Unicameral. Senator John Arch was elected Speaker of the Legislature, committee chair elections were held, and committee assignments were reported. Bill introductions also began last week, and will continue through Wednesday, January 18. Hearings will start the week […]

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2023 Nebraska Legislative Session Begins Today!

Legislative Updates / By Katie Pitts / 01/04/2023

Welcome to 2023! The Nebraska Legislature officially kicked off this year’s session today, welcoming several new faces to the Unicameral. On today’s agenda is committee leadership elections, followed by new bill introduction starting tomorrow through Day 10. Hearings on newly introduced legislation will begin in a few short weeks. There are a few important updates

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2022 Legislative session wrap up

Child Welfare, Economic Justice, Health Care, Immigrants & Communities / By Katie Pitts / 04/27/2022

Last Wednesday the Legislature adjourned sine die, meaning the body has concluded its work for the session. This year’s session introduced many new and unique challenges and opportunities. On top of normal business, senators also had to address how to allocate $1 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) coronavirus relief funds. The number of

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Historic child welfare bill passes

Child Welfare, Economic Justice, Health Care / By Katie Pitts / 04/20/2022

This Wednesday is the last official day of the 2022 session! Unless there are veto override votes, all of this session’s legislative business is complete. Wednesday’s agenda will mostly consist of closing remarks from senators, the Speaker, and the Governor. Last week was an extremely busy time at the legislature, with successful passage of two

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SNAP reentry bill fails to advance, but we will keep fighting

Child Welfare, Economic Justice, Health Care / By Katie Pitts / 04/12/2022

We are nearing the end of the 2022 session, with three legislative days set for this week. The last day, Day 60, is scheduled for Wednesday April 20th. There are still a number of priority bills slated for final votes in the coming days, including a few of Appleseed’s priorities, so there is still work

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Emergency rental aid bill failed, but the fight is not over

Child Welfare, Economic Justice / By Katie Pitts / 04/07/2022

On Tuesday, the Nebraska Legislature failed to override the Governor’s veto of LB 1073. First and foremost, we want to thank you for calling, emailing, and sharing your story with your senator. You showed up for your family, friends, and neighbors, and it did not go unnoticed. Because of this support, the Treasury Department is

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Floor debate begins: emergency rental assistance up on the agenda

Child Welfare, Economic Justice, Health Care, Immigrants & Communities / By Katie Pitts / 03/08/2022

Committee hearings for the 2022 session are complete. The Legislature began all-day floor debate this week and will continue until they adjourn in April, with late-night sessions starting next week. Learn more about the floor debate process in my short explainer here. This week’s agenda You can find today’s agenda here, which includes LB1173,

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Last week of hearings for the 2022 session

Child Welfare, Economic Justice, Health Care, Immigrants & Communities / By Katie Pitts / 03/01/2022

We are in the last week of committee hearings for the 2022 session! Starting next week, the Legislature will begin all-day floor debate until they adjourn in April, with late night sessions starting in mid-March. Priority bills will be at the center of debate through the end of session – you can find that list

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Emergency rental assistance funding prioritized

Child Welfare, Economic Justice, Health Care, Immigrants & Communities, Voting & Elections / By Katie Pitts / 02/23/2022

We’ve reached the halfway point for the 2022 session! We have two more weeks of committee hearings and then beginning March 7, the Legislature will begin all-day floor debate. The focus for the rest of session will primarily be on senators’ priority bills, which can be found here. We’re excited to see several of Appleseed’s

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Voice your support for access to food for all Nebraskans

Child Welfare, Economic Justice, Health Care, Immigrants & Communities, Race Equity, Voting & Elections / By Katie Pitts / 02/15/2022

Senators and committees continue to designate their legislative priorities, which are due by February 22nd. We’re excited to see several Appleseed priorities make it on the list, including LB 121 (Senator Megan Hunt), which aims to eliminate Nebraska’s counterproductive ban on SNAP benefits for people with certain drug felony convictions after they reenter their communities.

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