Full implementation of Medicaid expansion in Governor’s budget proposal will benefit Nebraska Nebraska Appleseed Executive Director Rebecca Gould issued the following statement in response to Governor Ricketts’ State of the State address delivered Tuesday morning. “We are pleased the Governor’s budget upholds the will and priorities of the people of Nebraska by fully implementing Initiative 427, which expanded health care… Read more →
News and Events from Nebraska Appleseed – June 2017 In this June edition of “Appleseed in Action”: Protect quality health coverage 2017 Nebraska Legislative Recap President’s budget harmful to Nebraska families Court victory for Nebraska foster youth June events at Urban Abbey Job Opening – Staff Attorney Tell our Senators to protect quality health coverage The numbers were as… Read more →
***For Immediate Release*** May 23, 2017 Contact, Jeff Sheldon Nebraska Appleseed Communications Director Office: (402) 438-8853 Mobile: (402) 840-7289 Email: jsheldon@neappleseed.org President’s budget proposal a harsh attack on Nebraska families Drastic cuts will harm low-income families, children, seniors, Nebraskans with disabilities LINCOLN — Today, Nebraska Appleseed Executive Director Rebecca Gould issued the following statement on the President’s… Read more →
It’s the week of budget debate. State Senators will begin debate on the Appropriations Committee’s recommended budget on Tuesday, and we’re urging the protection of important programs that help kids and hard-working families. No vote after debate on dangerous tax bill Friday morning, the Legislature spent three hours debating LB 461 but adjourned without taking a vote. This bill would… Read more →
Nebraska Appleseed Executive Director Becky Gould issued the following statement in response to the Governor’s State of the State Address today. “This morning, Governor Heineman laid out his priorities for the next year in his State of the State Address. We agree that the State of Nebraska is strong and a great place to live. Because of this, we are… Read more →
On Wednesday, the 1st session of the 103rd Nebraska Legislature will be convened at the state Capitol. In the session, our lawmakers will hear debate and vote on bills that address a number of vital issues in our state. Nebraska Appleseed is excited for the chance to work with our leaders to fight for equal justice and opportunity for all… Read more →
Nebraska and all the states will face devastating cuts to their federal funding beginning January 1, 2013, if no action is taken by Congress to address the automatic cuts required by the Budget Control Act. The Budget Control Act required a committee to come to a deal regarding budget cuts to make for deficit reduction. Unfortunately, the committee did not… Read more →
“The salvation of the state is watchfulness in the citizen.” These words are engraved over the entrance to Nebraska’s state capitol. They have added meaning here in Nebraska, the only state in the nation with a Unicameral Legislature. Today, a new report from the OpenSky Policy Institute, “Looking for Clarity: An Overview of Nebraska Budget and Tax Policy” was released.… Read more →
LB 1090 will help children access the food they need in the summertime to learn and grow. Providing access to healthy, nutritious foods is important for children’s health. The Summer Food Service Program provides federally funded meals to sites at nonprofit organizations, schools, and other locations to reach hungry children in the summer when free and reduced price meals are… Read more →
On Monday, Nebraska Appleseed’s Executive Director testified at the Appropriations Committee in response to the Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services’ appropriation request. Appleseed believes that DHHS’s budget must invest in and protect low-income children and families’ needs. [DDET Appleseed Testimony] Senator Lavon Heidemann Chair, Appropriations Committee State Capitol, Room 1004 Lincoln, NE 68509 Re: Agency 25, Department of… Read more →
The holidays are a time of year when our thoughts turn to people who are struggling in our communities. It’s a time of year when we are not only thinking of the needs of our friends and neighbors, but also of the reasons behind their difficulties, and hoping for a year ahead with new possibilities and opportunities for family success.… Read more →
My time working as a summer law clerk at Nebraska Appleseed flew by. I was excited to work for an organization motivated by the values of justice and opportunity. By the end of the summer, I had a deeper understanding of both the challenges advocates face when addressing systematic inequality, as well as the creative strategies organizations like Appleseed use… Read more →
We all know that a lower income means more struggles for families. Families with greater economic resources are not only able to better provide important inputs into their children’s development such as nutritious meals, safe neighborhoods, and higher-quality educations, but higher incomes have also been shown to improve parent’s psychological well-being and parental interactions with children. However, public perceptions remain… Read more →
Nebraska Appleseed joined organizations from across the state Tuesday to urge the President and Nebraska’s federal representatives in Washington to develop a budget that reflects Nebraska values. In a Statement of Principles, Nebraska organizations called on the President and Congress to address the federal deficit while also protecting vulnerable Americans and economic security. It is important that we are speaking… Read more →
Important discussions have been happening this summer as members of Congress debate how to balance the federal budget and address the national deficit. Many of the deficit reduction proposals would severely affect Nebraska’s most vulnerable populations and have a negative impact on our state’s economy. Several proposals being considered would reduce the deficit by implementing deep spending cuts in public… Read more →
In good times and in bad, families and communities remain priorities for Nebraska. The economic downturn has had an impact on state budgets and on family budgets, and our state leaders are facing difficult choices in the 2011 legislative session. In spite of this challenge, several bills that are positive for families are gaining momentum. These bills help our government… Read more →
Yesterday, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced, on the first day of the legislative session which is largely overshadowed by the projected budget deficit, that they “found” $19 million to inject into the state’s faltering child welfare reform effort. Nebraska Appleseed has said from the beginning that the reform is underfunded and that an investment of… Read more →
Best practices for addressing state budget shortfalls have been identified by a group of ten nonprofit organizations today in a report entitled “Smart Choices in Hard Times: Best Practices for State Budgets.” “When budgets are tight, families are counting on smart budget choices that protect what matters most. We have to look at the budget as a whole so that… Read more →
Nebraska’s budget should reflect Nebraska’s priorities. This seems like a simple statement, but really, it says quite a lot. It says that Nebraska values of family and community should drive our budget choices, it says that our shared resources should be directed at strengthening our families and workers, and it says that we should invest in opportunities that allow people… Read more →
I’ve been fortunate this week to participate in meetings with Jay Connor, Executive Director of the Collaboratory for Community Support. This organization is dedicated to helping communities break down silos and work together towards positive outcomes. He uses a quotation from movie director Frances Ford Coppola to discuss the need for collaboration in community initiatives. When asked what the difference… Read more →
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 person stood up to speak… Read more →
