LINCOLN- U.S. Rep. Mike Flood and State Sen. Eliot Bostar hope to lure out-of-state law enforcement officers to Nebraska by promoting a new state education benefit aimed at their kids. On Tuesday, Flood, surrounded by local police chiefs, sheriffs, and the colonel of the Nebraska State Patrol, touted Bostar's LB727, which expanded a tuition waiver for law enforcement officers to include paid firefighters and dependents.

"Our message today, while very important today in Nebraska, is really a message to the rest of America," said Flood, "Nebraska embraces and supports our law enforcement community." Last fall, 80 students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 31 at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, 5 at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and six at the University of Nebraska Medical Center collected the benefit.

State and local law enforcement leaders said the new benefit has made it easier to retain experienced officers, deputies, and troopers. Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner said his staffing is down about 10%. "We have about 15 people in our new class, which will help," he said, "But we could always use more."

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