Last week I attended a town hall meeting hosted by the State Senators representing Lincoln and Lancaster County about the current budget shortfall and the upcoming special session of the State Legislature to address the gap. I was genuinely touched by the number of Nebraskans speaking out on behalf of low income families. Person after […]
The Floor Is Yours Read More »
The impending budget shortfall in the state will force Nebraskans to make some very tough and clear decisions about our priorities. Senator Nordquist and members of the Appropriations Committee have created a new way for you to express your priorities to them as they work on these difficult budget cuts. They want to hear from
Make Your Voice Heard on the Budget Read More »
Brain drain, a high proportion of low-wage jobs, and the current economic downturn all negatively impact the well-being of Nebraska’s families, communities, and economy. At the same time, our workforce is one of the most dedicated in the nation and, in spite of recent increases, our unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the
How Can Nebraska Come Out Ahead In The Economic Recovery? Read More »
I just returned from an inspiring march on Washington, D.C., where thousands of families gathered on Tuesday to call for action to fix our broken immigration system. At the event, Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) – who earlier this year hosted a Families United interfaith tour to help educate members of Congress about the effect of
Thousands of Families Call for Immigration Reform Read More »
Last week we released a major study of meatpacking workers’ perspectives of health and safety conditions in the industry, surveying 455 workers in one of the country’s biggest meat-producing states: “The Speed Kills You”: The Voice of Nebraska’s Meatpacking Workers. Nebraska produces one of every four steaks and hamburgers in the country. Official statistics already
In the past few months you might have heard about Legislative Bill 403 (LB 403), which went into effect on October 1, 2009. LB 403 was passed by the Nebraska Unicameral in March, 2009. LB 403 has two distinct parts. First, LB 403 requires state agencies and political subdivisions to verify the lawful presence of
Immigrants and Public Benefits in Nebraska: An Update on Implementation of LB 403 Read More »
Yesterday was an exciting day for Appleseed’s Health Care Access Program. We participated in a briefing on Capitol Hill about health care reform and rural communities. The event brought the voices of rural people to Congress and brought attention to rural health care issues which have often been absent from the national debate or used
Speaking Truth to Power Read More »
It has been about a year since Nebraska’s original safe haven law went into effect and 36 children, most of them teenagers, were dropped off at local hospitals before the Legislature went into special session to restrict the law to infants up to 30 days old. This spring, lawmakers took a first step in addressing
Safe Haven Revisited Read More »
September is Hunger Awareness Month. As a part of this nationwide effort to draw attention to the issue of hunger in America, Nebraska Appleseed is releasing a report tomorrow entitled “Ending Childhood Hunger in Nebraska: Strategies for Improving and Maximizing Child Nutrition Programs.†The report shares the unsettling finding that one in seven children in
Ending Childhood Hunger in Nebraska Read More »
Health care reform took one step further this past week when Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) unveiled his proposal for health care reform. Now every committee of jurisdiction has come out with a health care reform bill which is a huge achievement. The Senate Finance Committee bill will play a critical role in
Fix the Baucus Bill Read More »