LINCOLN- A legislative proposal that would provide $1,500 per student in foundation aid and help cover 80% of special education costs moved one step closer to passage on Tuesday after several hours of debate. If passed, the bill would represent Nebraska's largest state investment in K-12 education since state aid to education was created in 1990.

The Legislature, which spent much of this year's session fighting over controversial bills and staring down a drawn-out filibuster, advanced LB583 with immense bipartisan support, passing the package on a 43-0 vote. The spending for LB583 would come from a $1 billion Education Future Fund that is now part of the separate budget bills.

"Every child, whatever district they're from, east or west, north or south, deserves state help," said Sen. Rita Sanders, the sponsor of the bill, "Time and time again, it was that special needs funding piece that kept coming up, and I think we're in a good position to work with our federal delegation on their piece of this."

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