LINCOLN - Nebraska lawmakers launched a session Wednesday, January 5th that some predict could be transformative for the state, but others suspect it could devolve into a forum for grandstanding and political theater.

During the next 60 legislative days, state senators will weigh proposals to allocate more than $1 billion in federal COVID-19 relief money, along with deciding what to do with flush state coffers.

They will consider legislation regarding criminal justice reform, tax relief, and education funding. Hot-button issues like abortion, vaccine mandates, and whether to call for a convention of states to amend the U.S. Constitution will also be discussed.

With the latest COVID-19 variant cases on the rise, 12 term-limited senators facing the end of their legislative careers, eight running for other political offices, and as many as a dozen others seeking reelection, John Stinner said, "That will add a little bit of intrigue. It should be really interesting, and it might even be entertaining."

Stinner is one of the aforementioned senators who will leave the Legislature at the end of the year.

While there have been talks of extending term limits, legislators are currently limited to two consecutive four-year terms but can return after sitting out at least one term.

Heading into this session, each of Nebraska's 49 lawmakers averages just over five years of experience. The loss of those 12 senators' wealth of institutional knowledge causes concern for some.

“I think it points out the problem with term limits,” said Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg, who is term-limited. “There’s a significant amount of leadership among those 12.”

Others see the impending loss of these senators as an opportunity to step up. Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont said lawmakers need to take advantage of the departing senators' willingness to work across party lines to achieve common goals.

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