LINCOLN — Days of negotiations between state lawmakers, the governor and others failed to yield any consensus on how to slow Nebraska’s fastest-in-the-nation prison growth.

In the initial debate last week over Legislative Bill 920, senators were sharply divided over provisions of the bill that would reduce some criminal penalties. State Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln, who like Ricketts strongly opposed those provisions, introduced an amendment to strip them out of the bill.

In response, Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers had brokered talks in the past week in an effort to break the logjam.

But despite some initial promise, the talks ended Monday without any agreement.

Lathrop, the sponsor of LB 920, said the amendment Geist was offering would strip away the parts of the bill that would make any meaningful impact on the trajectory of the state’s prison population.

Geist said her amendment was focused on 15 provisions that came out of last year’s criminal justice study that received consensus support from the group. She said she was particularly looking to preserve elements of LB 920 that would enhance treatment and programming for inmates, helping them avoid reoffending and returning to prison.

The bill went on to fail thanks to a 26-18 vote Wednesday afternoon.

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