LINCOLN — The company-fed push to cement drivers for ridesharing and food delivery apps as independent contractors in Nebraska survived a second round of labor-centered resistance. Battle lines had been drawn during the previous debate in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, with nearly all Democrats siding with drivers and nearly all Republicans siding with companies that include Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash. The core argument remained whether people who pick people up or bring food should be prohibited from receiving the rights of being employed, including the ability to join a union.

Freshman State Sen. Bob Hallstrom of Syracuse has said he introduced Legislative Bill 229 at the request of the companies, which are fighting other states’ efforts to treat drivers as employees. He and other defenders of the proposal have argued the bill clarifies that the status quo is the way those businesses are meant to be run, with drivers working when they want. It advanced 33-16, with a single Republican departure, Dave Wordekemper of Fremont, a paramedic with the local fire department.

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