LINCOLN- Legislative Resolution 5, introduced by Sen. Carol Blood, would have Nebraska ratify the Child Labor Amendment of 1924, allowing Congress to regulate or prohibit the labor of persons younger than 18 in the state. If passed, Nebraska would be the 29th state to ratify the almost-one-hundred-year-old federal amendment. "We are only ratifying what is already in law in support of Nebraska children and making a statement that we missed an opportunity to do better," said Blood.

Blood went on to state that the amendment would not change any existing Nebraska law, since the state already has in place legislation like the Fair Labor Standards Act, which regulated labor at the state level. However, according to Blood, "Passing this LR does give Nebraska a unique opportunity to chart a better path forward for the rest of the country."

Last month, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that, after an investigation into Packers Sanitation Services Inc., it was found that children as young as 13 were working in dangerous conditions at a plant in Nebraska. This included overnight shifts cleaning what was called the "kill floor," with equipment such as head splitters and back or brisket saws found in proximity to the children.

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