RULES COMMITTEE AVOIDS ADVANCING CONTROVERSIAL RULES CHANGES TO FULL NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN — A legislative committee considering 22 proposed rules changes to how Nebraska lawmakers debate and conduct themselves declined to take a vote Tuesday on advancing key conservative-led measures.

The Legislature’s Rules Committee instead advanced two relatively minor changes proposed by two committee members: State Sens. Ben Hansen of Blair and Teresa Ibach of Sumner, the chair and vice chair of the Legislature’s Executive Board that oversees daily operations of the legislative branch.

Hansen’s proposal, Rule Change 6, would allow all gubernatorial appointments other than for agency or department heads to be considered more quickly, in a single report by committee. That would allow the dozens of appointments that committees consider each year to go as one report, unless five or more senators request an individual nomination to be debated separately.

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PILLEN BUDGET PROPOSAL WOULD BURY ALL 'GOOD LIFE' DISTRICTS, BUT LAWMAKER HOLDS OUT HOPE FOR A FIX

LINCOLN- All of Nebraska’s “good life” districts appear to be in a precarious spot as Gov. Jim Pillen’s proposed budget seeks to deny $5 million a year set aside for the new state incentive that had been committed for multiple years to boost the buildout of those destination sites. Pillen’s recently revealed biennial budget package targets “Good Life Transformational Projects” as one of about 50 programs and incentives the Legislature and governor approved over the past five years but that Pillen now proposes cutting. It’s part of his strategy to address a projected two-year $432 million state budget shortfall.

Specific to the good life districts, the governor wants to reject roughly $5 million annually in incentives budgeted through 2029, for a revenue savings of about $20 million in four years. The plan notes that the benefit was to stretch longer, for up to 30 years — derived from a now-controversial cut in the state sales tax rate within the district boundaries.

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NEBRASKA NOTCHED SECOND-WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD IN 2024, BASED ON AVERAGE TEMPERATURES

OMAHA- Federal climate scientists’ announcement that Earth’s average temperature in 2024 was the warmest on record may have left Nebraskans wondering where the Cornhusker State fell on the temperature scale, but their questions are now answered. Nebraska last year recorded its second-warmest year in 130 years of records, while Iowa marked its third warmest year during the same period, said Eric Hunt, an agricultural meteorology and climate resilience specialist with the University of Nebraska extension service.

Nebraska’s statewide average temperature was 52.7 degrees Fahrenheit in 2024, second only to the average of 54 degrees measured in 2012. Hunt said no individual months were the warmest on record in the state in 2024. Only January and July had temperatures below 20th-century averages. Several months were in the top five warmest: February was second warmest and both September and December came in fourth warmest.

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NEBRASKA STATE EMPLOYEES UNION REACHES TENTATIVE AGREEMENT

LINCOLN — The largest union representing Nebraska state employees announced last week that its members would vote soon on a tentative agreement with Gov. Jim Pillen’s negotiators. The Nebraska Association of Public Employees, known to many in the state as NAPE/AFSCME, is set to meet and vote on the proposed contract for 2025-2027 starting Jan. 13.

The union has said it won’t release the language of the contract until after its members weigh in. But it highlighted some potential changes.In a Jan. 8 post to its more than 8,000 members, union leaders, including executive director Justin Hubly, wrote that they had secured raises of 6.5% to 19% over the next two years.

They also touted paid maternity leave, higher pay for people who speak multiple languages, better pay for some overnight shifts and more flexibility to donate sick leave to other workers. The union also highlighted having pushed up the minimum wage of state contractors to $15 an hour, which would help state employees better compete with contracted labor.

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NEBRASKA HAS NUCLEAR REASONS TO PAY ATTENTION TO TRUMP'S TALK OF BUYING GREENLAND

OMAHA- Even before returning to office, President-elect Donald Trump has the nation’s eyes turned north, with his recent talk of buying Greenland. The vast snow-covered island off Canada’s northeast coastline has long held the attention of at least some Americans: the military strategists at the Offutt-based U.S. Strategic Command, whose job is to protect the United States and its allies from nuclear Armageddon.

Last week, freshman Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., a Trump ally, introduced a bill he is calling “Make Greenland Great Again” that would authorize the president to negotiate for its acquisition. The bill quickly gained 10 co-sponsors. Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, isn’t one of them. He agrees Greenland is strategically important, but he’s wary of making threats to allies. He compared it to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric before seizing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS ADOPT RESOLUTION HONORING FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Legislature adopted a ceremonial resolution Wednesday honoring former President Jimmy Carter for his devotion to public service and humanitarian work. Legislative Resolution 1 was introduced by State Sen. John Arch of La Vista, the speaker of the Legislature, on the first day of the legislative session, one week ago. All but one of Arch’s colleagues in the 49-member body joined the effort to recognize and thank Carter.

The resolution acknowledges Carter’s life around his presidency, such as his 1946 graduation with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy, his honorable discharge from the Navy with the rank of lieutenant, and the establishment of the nonprofit Carter Center, which seeks to improve lives in more than 80 countries. Arch’s resolution also highlights Carter’s 2002 Nobel Peace Prize win “in recognition of his efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights and to promote economic and social development.”

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LINCOLN JUDGE ALLOWS NEBRASKA AG'S LAWSUIT AGAINST TIKTOK TO GO FORWARD

LINCOLN- A Lancaster County judge is allowing the Nebraska Attorney General's civil case against social media giant TikTok to go forward alleging the company has made misrepresentations under state consumer protection laws.

"We have filed this lawsuit to hold TikTok accountable for deceiving Nebraska parents and children and for the harm TikTok's deception has caused," Attorney General Mike Hilgers said Monday. Hilgers said he is grateful to the court for allowing the case to proceed "so that our office can continue to fight for Nebraskans and protect them from exploitative companies that would do them harm."

At a hearing in October, an attorney for the social media giant asked the judge to dismiss the case, calling the allegations the state leveled within it a matter of opinion and "puffery."

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BILL WOULD ALLOW NONCITIZENS IN NEBRASKA TO LEGALLY WORK AS POLICE

LINCOLN- A Nebraska lawmaker is seeking to make noncitizens who are lawfully present in the United States and able to work eligible to serve as police officers or county sheriff’s deputies. The bill (LB301) from Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner would help boost recruitment for law enforcement agencies, particularly in rural parts, as well as in cities and counties struggling to hire officers.

Under Ibach's proposal, “eligible aliens” — those who do not have U.S. citizenship but are in the country legally and able to work — could apply to become certified law enforcement officers. Those individuals, like other aspiring law enforcement personnel, would still need to go through Nebraska's training program and meet physical fitness standards, she added.

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS AIM TO DEFINE MALE, FEMALE FOR SPORTS, BATHROOMS AND MORE

LINCOLN — Nebraska lawmakers will seek to define “male” and “female” in state law, broadening a past effort focused on sex-based restrictions for K-12 school bathrooms and sports teams to colleges and all areas of state government.Legislative Bill 89, the Stand With Women Act from State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha and 20 other lawmakers, builds upon LB 575 from 2023: the Sports and Spaces Act. Now Kauth is trying to codify a “Women’s Bill of Rights” that Gov. Jim Pillen enacted by executive order in August 2023.

“We have to be able to say that a woman is a woman and a man is a man, and there should be some places where each sex has privacy,” Kauth said at a morning news conference Friday with two University of Nebraska athletes and all but one of her legislative cosponsors.

Abbi Swatsworth, executive director of the statewide LGBTQ nonprofit OutNebraska, described the bill as an “escalation” of Kauth’s past efforts.“Nobody’s ‘equality before the law’ should ever be put in jeopardy, and that is exactly what this bill does by touching everything that government controls,” Swatsworth said, quoting the state motto.

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PILLEN, SOME NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS SEEK TO BANISH LAB-GROWN MEAT FROM SHELVES

LINCOLN- Calling it a move to protect Nebraska’s ag industry, Gov. Jim Pillen on Tuesday announced his backing of three new legislative proposals — including one banning lab-grown meat from being produced in or sold in stores of the Cornhusker State. “It’s important we get on the offense so that Nebraska farmers and ranchers are not undermined,” the governor, flanked by two state lawmakers, said during a Capitol news conference.

Pillen, Nebraska’s first active farmer elected as governor in more than a century, called agriculture the lifeblood of the state’s economy. He said that while most people want the government “out of our hair,” he believes the state should protect consumers and defend agriculture. Of the proposed ban on protein food “grown in a petri dish,” Pillen said: “If somebody wants to eat that stuff, they’re welcome to it — they’re just not gonna find it in Nebraska grocery stores.” Legislative Bill 246 was introduced, at the request of the governor, by State Sen. Barry DeKay of Niobrara. Seven state senators are listed as co-sponsors.

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NEBRASKA KIDS COULD BE DETAINED FOR SERIOUS CRIMES YOUNGER, AT AGE 11, CHARGED AS ADULTS AT 12

LINCOLN- The age at which a Nebraska child could be detained for an alleged crime would be lowered, from 13 to 11, under a new bill expected to be in front of state lawmakers this year at the urging of Gov. Jim Pillen. State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston said he plans to introduce the measure, which also would drop the age, from 14 to 12, at which a minor can be charged as an adult for the “most serious” felonies.

The legislation was briefly outlined in Pillen’s proposed budget distributed Wednesday to lawmakers. Riepe said he plans soon to formally introduce the legislation, which is being refined. The proposed legislation calls for a court hearing and a judge’s review to determine juvenile placement unless waived by both parties.

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FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER SAVINGS ACCOUNTS, NEW SALES TAX PROPOSED BY NEBRASKA SENATORS

LINCOLN — A state lawmaker seeking a universal homestead exemption for Nebraska homeowners is also proposing tax incentives for new first-time homebuyer savings accounts.

State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha introduced Legislative Bill 151 to create the “First-Time Homebuyers Savings Account Act.” It would allow taxpayers to annually offset a certain portion of federal adjusted gross income into the savings account — $4,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint tax return, or $2,000 for others with the new account.

The maximum values would increase with inflation starting in 2027. Tax-deductible contributions could continue for up to 10 calendar years, or the date of the account holder’s first withdrawal of funds not related to qualified home purchases. Cavanaugh said the goal is “to make the dream of home ownership a little bit more realistic for more Nebraskans.”

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LAWMAKER REVIVES PROPOSAL TO HOLD NEBRASKA SCHOOLS LIABLE FOR SOME CHILD SEXUAL ASSAULTS

LINCOLN — A state lawmaker is seeking to uphold her promise to a Lincoln family to fight for and revive a 2024 vetoed proposal for families to sue public schools in some cases of child sexual assault.

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln introduced Legislative Bill 156 on Monday as a revived version of LB 25 of 2024, which Gov. Jim Pillen vetoed after lawmakers had already adjourned the 2024 legislative session, preventing any attempt at a possible veto override. The new bill is narrower, applying only to sexual assaults of children in school settings.

Conrad said the legislation comes in response to a string of Nebraska Supreme Court decisions that closed the courthouse doors for families to allege negligence against political subdivisions in cases more broadly including abuse of children in foster care and deaths of state prisoners.

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NEW NEBRASKA BILLS FOCUS ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION, HEALTH DIRECTOR AUTHORITY

LINCOLN- Nebraska’s K-12 schools would be required to teach students from elementary to high schools about human development under a new bill proposed Tuesday in the Legislature. Legislative Bill 213, from State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue, was one of 66 proposals introduced on the fifth legislative day. Holdcroft’s bill would require the State Board of Education, by March 1, 2026, to adopt measurable content standards for human embryology as part of the state’s science education standards. Teachings would need to begin by August 2026.

The curriculum must cover the stages of human embryonic development and include high-definition videos showing the development of the brain, heart, sex organs, and other vital organs. The State Board of Education has not adopted health education standards, and Holdcroft, when asked, said his bill is not about sex education, which embroiled the board more than three years ago, partly leading to significant changes in board membership and public attention.

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LAWSUIT AGAINST NEBRASKA MEDICAL CANNABIS EXTENDED TO REGULATORY BOARD, STATE AGENCIES

LINCOLN — The targets of a legal effort arguing that Nebraska’s voter-initiated legalization of medical cannabis is federally unconstitutional have been expanded to include a new regulatory commission, the state treasurer and two state agencies.

Attorneys for John Kuehn, a former state senator, a former member of the State Board of Health and a longtime marijuana opponent, amended his December lawsuit on Friday to include broader swaths of state government overseeing implementation of the new medical cannabis laws.The lawsuit first targeted Gov. Jim Pillen and Secretary of State Bob Evnen for allowing the measures to go into law, as well as the three ballot sponsors of the effort.

The amended complaint now adds:

• The three commissioners of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, who, by virtue of the voter initiatives, will compose a new Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission.

• State Treasurer Tom Briese and Tax Commissioner Jim Kamm of the Nebraska Department of Revenue, who will oversee the new collection of sales taxes on medical cannabis.

• CEO Steve Corsi of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, whose department handles oversight of medical practitioners.

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TWO GROUPS LOBBYING NEBRASKA SENATORS SHARE A NAME, BUT NOT THE SAME IDEALS

LINCOLN- The transcript that will eventually be published of Thursday's public hearing of the Nebraska Legislature's Rules Committee will be nothing if not confusing — and not just because the esoteric committee deals with the complex rules that govern the lawmaking process. Representatives from two opposing groups both known as Nebraskans Against Government Overreach testified at the hearing on proposals from Sen. Loren Lippincott to change the vote threshold to end the filibuster.

Right-wing activist Allie Bush, formerly Allie French, initially formed Nebraskans Against Government Overreach in the wake of the pandemic and became a frequent testifier at the Capitol but never formally organized the group as a nonprofit or lobbying group. Last year, left-wing advocate Karin Waggoner paid $200 to register as a lobbyist in Nebraska under the same name — but with a much different political agenda.

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THE 'GOAT': LAWMAKERS UNVEIL PLAN TO UPDATE NEBRASKA REGULATIONS, CUT RED TAPE

LINCOLN- Nebraska lawmakers unveiled a multi-step plan Thursday to cut red tape, periodically review or update state rules and regulations, and, ultimately, save taxpayers money. The legislative package coined as “GOAT” — Government Oversight, Accountability, and Transparency — is similar to the advisory Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) that President-elect Donald Trump has proposed to advise members of Congress on how to shrink the federal government and find efficiencies. Several other states have set up similar advisory boards.

State Sens. Bob Andersen of Omaha, Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, Dan McKeon of Amherst, Dan Quick of Grand Island, Merv Riepe of Ralston and Tanya Storer of Whitman are leading the efforts with the Platte Institute, a nonprofit think tank, and Americans for Prosperity-Nebraska. Among a half-dozen proposals is Legislative Bill 29, from Conrad, to require executive agencies to review the necessity of existing regulations every three years.

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NU PRESIDENT JEFFREY GOLD SAYS JIM PILLEN'S BUDGET WOULD HARM GROWTH, NEBRASKA'S ECONOMY

LINCOLN- University of Nebraska President Jeffrey Gold on Wednesday spoke out against some $25 million in annual budget cuts Gov. Jim Pillen has proposed for the university system, saying they would harm the institution that serves as a key economic driver for the state. In his two-year budget plan, Pillen proposed cutting $14 million, or 2%, from the state’s current annual $717 million appropriation to the university system.

In addition, Pillen, who once served on the NU Board of Regents, proposed taking away $11 million in annual state tobacco settlement dollars that fund biomedical research at the university. That makes the governor’s budget equate to a 3.5% general fund cut, Gold said — and at a time when the university and nation are facing 3% annual inflation.

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'NOT WHAT WAS INTENDED': $2M IN TAX DOLLARS VANISHES AS MASSIVE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT STALLS IN GRETNA

GRETNA- State lawmakers hoped to inspire transformational development in areas like Nebraska Crossing with a 2023 law that resulted in a sales tax cut there and in other designated “good life” districts. Now two years later, that project in Gretna appears in limbo and the state is out more than $2 million in sales tax dollars as lawmakers face a projected budget shortfall.

That money went uncollected thanks to the evolving state law and a stalemate between developer Rod Yates and the City of Gretna. Yates, who owns Nebraska Crossing and backed the 2023 law, received one of the first good life designations in the state. Now, he hopes to spur a law change that would let him bypass Gretna and work with the state instead.

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GOV. PILLEN, LAWMAKERS AIM AT YOUTH SOCIAL MEDIA AND CELL PHONE USE

LINCOLN — Nebraskans under age 18 would need parental permission before opening a social media account under new legislation to be considered this year by state lawmakers.

The measure, to be introduced by State Sen. Tanya Storer of Whitman, was among four proposals promoted Monday by Gov. Jim Pillen and Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers at a news conference announcing legislation aimed at “protecting our kids” from online abuse and “addictive” phone apps and online services.

“Just as a parent must consent for a child to get their ears pierced, (consent) should also be required for access to platforms that collect personal data and expose children to potential harm,” Storer said during the event at the Governor’s Office that drew nine state senators. “Social media poses inherent risk, and parents deserve the tools to make informed decisions about their children’s online safety,” said the newly elected lawmaker.

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