LAWMAKERS ADVANCE BILL FORCING DRUGMAKERS TO DISCOUNT CERTAIN MEDICATIONS

LINCOLN- Nebraska lawmakers advanced a bill Wednesday forcing drugmakers to continue selling certain outpatient medications at a discount to hospitals and clinics that serve low-income patients. The bill (LB168) from Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering would prohibit pharmaceutical companies from restricting or interfering in the sale of drugs included in the 340B program. Under 340B, which was enacted by Congress in 1992, pharmaceutical manufacturers are required to sell certain drugs to critical access hospitals and other qualified health centers at a discounted price.

Hardin said the 340B program allows manufacturers to participate in Medicaid and Medicare, while the savings generated for health care facilities allow them to invest in their services and communities. "The savings can literally keep the doors open for some struggling rural hospitals," Hardin said Wednesday, which was Day 38 of the 90-day legislative session. According to the Nebraska Hospital Association, 54% of critical-access hospitals in the state are operating at a loss. The 340B program offers those hospitals in two dozen legislative districts across the state a lifeline, Hardin told the Legislature.

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PETE RICKETTS SAYS TRUMP LIKELY TO SEEK COMPENSATION FOR FARMERS HARMED BY TARIFFS

LINCOLN- U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts expects President Donald Trump will seek to compensate Nebraska’s farmers if they suffer economic damages due to a brewing trade war over Trump’s tariffs. Trump addressed his trade policy and farmers in his speech before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, asking farmers to “bear with me again” as he seeks to use tariffs to reset trade relations with nations around the world.

The Nebraska Farm Bureau in 2019 had estimated the tariff dispute had cost Nebraska producers $1 billion. It’s unclear whether aid payments covered all such losses in the end. While Trump has already slapped tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada and says he will roll out more tariffs on countries that have tariffs on U.S. products, Ricketts emphasized it’s not clear which tariffs will ultimately stick and what their impacts will be.

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ENTREPRENEURS, INTERNS, HOUSING ADVOCATES OPPOSE CUTS TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

LINCOLN- Nebraska entrepreneurs, interns, and affordable housing advocates were among those who converged at the Capitol Wednesday to oppose several of Gov. Jim Pillen’s recommended budget cuts. Fifteen Nebraskans, in all, objected to various reductions proposed in the Nebraska Department of Economic Development agency budget over the next two years.

Garnering the most protest during the hearing before the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee was a $5 million annual slash from the Business Innovation Act program and a shift of any remaining balance from the internNE fund. Currently about $11 million is in the intern fund, which started at $20 million two years ago and still has some obligations outstanding.

Defending program trims was DED Director K.C. Belitz, who said the agency worked with Pillen’s office to find savings that would help balance the state’s biennial budget and provide support for other priorities, including property tax relief. In some cases, Belitz said, the agency would return to pre-COVID spending levels, and in a few instances, programs with less than desired payoff were discontinued.

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LAWMAKER PUSHES TO OVERHAUL ELECTIONS, EARLY VOTING OVER INTEGRITY CONCERNS

LINCOLN- State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue says he wants to eliminate online voter registration, restrict absentee voting, provide more security for ballot boxes, and require hand-counting of election results, citing election integrity concerns. State and local election officials testified against Holdcroft’s Legislative Bill 541 during its public hearing Wednesday before the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, questioning the need for changes to election law and raising concerns about possibly violating federal law and the potential costs to taxpayers.

Other bill opponents said the changes would introduce unnecessary burdens to voters and make it harder for Nebraskans to participate in elections. Holdcroft said while he has confidence in the integrity of Nebraska elections, the bill is “simply to give peace of mind to the electorate and our state regarding the security of our elections.”

Supporters of the bill claim it would prevent voter fraud and “cheating” in state elections, pointing to the 2020 election, when President Donald Trump falsely claimed victory but lost to former President Joe Biden. The Nebraska proposal is being discussed as Republicans across the country ramped up unproven claims of non-citizen voting and fraud.

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LAWMAKERS, ADVOCATES MULL MEDICAL CANNABIS REGS TO PREVENT 'WILD WEST' IN STATE

LINCOLN- The decade-long fight to secure a safe, regulated medical cannabis system in Nebraska could hinge on whether state lawmakers adopt legislation this spring to help implement the ballot measures. Senators and advocates for medical cannabis urged the Legislature’s General Affairs Committee to take action this year, before the laws take full effect by Oct. 1. The Monday push came one day after the urging of Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers and U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., to delay any legislative action in an op-ed published Sunday.

Nebraska voters overwhelmingly approved legalizing medical cannabis in November to the tune of more than 71%, passing in all of the state’s 49 legislative districts. A second measure, to set up a regulatory scheme through a new Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission, structured similarly to and including the three members of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, passed with 67% support statewide, winning majority support in 46 of 49 legislative districts. “The bottom line is the people have spoken: They want safe, legal access to medical cannabis,” said State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, who is sponsoring a related bill.

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PILLEN ORDER EXPANDS BAN ON CHINA-BASED SOFTWARE ON STATE NETWORKS

LINCOLN- Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Wednesday banned the use or download of applications, software, and platforms created or owned by the Chinese Communist Party or its affiliates on state networks and devices. The executive order blasts China, a foreign adversary, as a critical security risk because of human rights violations and military threats to seize Taiwan. The order states China “poses a comprehensive threat to national sovereignty — intellectually, militarily and economically — through its aggressive actions, data exploitation and attempts to undermine global security and stability.”

Pillen said the order is about protecting Nebraska and continuing to identify and eliminate threats from the Chinese Communist Party. “They don’t mean well, and we must ensure that America’s adversaries can’t hack our state’s data or critical digital infrastructure,” Pillen said in a statement. “This is important, ongoing work and commonsense governance.” The latest order doesn’t target any specific applications, software, or platforms but states the technology could compromise the state’s information infrastructure security or lead to the “harvesting” of data from users, including confidential, private, or other sensitive data.

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PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE COMPENSATION COMMISSION ADVANCES FROM COMMITTEE

LINCOLN- Compensation for Nebraska’s 49 state senators could be removed from the state constitution, possibly making it easier to change the annual $12,000 salary. The Nebraska Legislature’s Executive Board, the top-ranking committee overseeing daily legislative operations, voted unanimously Wednesday to advance Legislative Resolution 25CA, which would create a “nonpartisan, independent legislative compensation commission.” Future lawmakers would need to set specific parameters for the commission, such as the number of members, a method for appointing commissioners, or which branch of government controls the commission.

The proposed constitutional amendment would remove the requirement that voters approve any pay increase for legislators at the ballot box and put that power in the hands of the newly created commission. Voters last approved a pay increase narrowly in the 1988 primary election, raising state senators’ monthly salary from $300 a month (or $4,800 annually) to $1,000 a month (or $12,000 annually). Voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposed pay increase in 2012. The latest proposal, from State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, who chairs the Executive Board, would go to voters in November 2026 if passed by the Legislature.

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PILLEN'S CELLPHONE BAN IN SCHOOLS ADVANCES

LINCOLN- One of Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s priorities advanced to the second round of debate with a vote on Monday, as a statewide cell phone ban in schools inched closer to becoming law. The bill would ban student use of personal electronic devices, such as cellphones, on school grounds or while attending a “school instructional function,” like field trips, but it would leave school districts wide latitude in approving student cellphone use, including some exceptions.

Senators advanced Legislative Bill 140 Monday with bipartisan support, 44-0, with five lawmakers not voting or excused. The proposed law moved out of the Education Committee 7-0, with one member absent. Pillen said during its public hearing last month that the bill focuses on student mental health and that he should have pushed the legislation earlier in his term as governor.

Several other states have pushed for similar legislation on students’ cell phones with similar bipartisan support, but some experts warn that these types of restrictions could be outdated or challenging for classroom teachers and schools to enforce. State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha echoed similar concerns.

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COLUMBUS OFFICIAL TALKS HOUSING CRISIS TO CAPITOL HILL PANEL LED BY U.S. REP. MIKE FLOOD

LINCOLN- Nebraska U.S. Rep. Mike Flood held his first hearing Tuesday as chair of a Housing & Insurance Subcommittee, and introduced as one of the group’s testifiers a local face: Columbus city administrator Tara Vasicek. Flood, a Norfolk Republican, earlier this year was tapped to lead the subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee, pledging to try to find solutions to America’s housing crisis and provide more access to reliable insurance products.

In opening the Capitol Hill hearing, Flood described himself as a “straight shooter” who doesn’t “hide the ball” and who would try to be fair to all, regardless of political affiliation. He discussed a subject that he said touches the lives of every person, both on the coasts and in Midwest rural communities: the cost of housing. In the hearing titled: Building Our Future: Increasing Housing Supply in America, Vasicek said she wanted to provide a local perspective.

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HEARING ON MANDATORY E-VERIFY FOR BUSINESSES DRAWS MIXED RESPONSES

LINCOLN- Testifiers on Monday were about split for and against a measure that would require some 6,350 Nebraska employers to use an online verifying system to weed out undocumented workers — or face suspension of their business license. Legislative Bill 532, introduced by State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, would require businesses with at least 25 workers to tap the E-Verify system or a government equivalent that checks an applicant’s eligibility to work.

The Nebraska Labor Department says about 6,350 of the state’s businesses currently fit that bill. Some already use E-Verify: public contractors and employers that receive tax incentives from the state are mandated; some others use it voluntarily. Kauth, during a public hearing for her bill before the Legislature’s Business and Labor Committee on Monday, said E-Verify should help guarantee Nebraska businesses “peace of mind and a level playing field.”

“Yes, our jobs need to be filled, but we’ve got to make sure the people we have here — who are citizens not just of this state but of this country — are able to do those jobs first and foremost,” Kauth said.

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LAWMAKERS ASKED TO RESTORE FUNDING FOR CHIEF STANDING BEAR MUSEUM, LAKE PROJECTS

LINCOLN- State lawmakers were told Monday that restoring funding for a Standing Bear museum and improvements at two large lakes would enhance tourism and economic development and honor “an extraordinary Nebraskan.” Author Joe Starita, whose book about Chief Standing Bear, “I Am a Man,” led to the filming of a Hollywood movie and issuance of a U.S. Postal Service stamp, was among several people urging legislators to restore $14 million in state funding for a museum and cultural center honoring Standing Bear. The funding was cut as part of an effort to close the state’s multi-million dollar budget deficit.

Others testified to restore funds to build an expanded marina on Lewis & Clark Lake in northeast Nebraska and to reverse a cut in funds to improve roads and infrastructure on western Nebraska’s popular Lake McConaughy. Advocates for adding 350 new slips and a visitors center at the Wiegand Marina on Lewis & Clark Lake said the $40 million project has already sparked the construction of new private campgrounds and is key to attracting visitors and new residents. Testifiers said South Dakota — on the north side of the lake — is getting the bulk of tourism dollars spent by the 2 million visitors each year to the reservoir on the Missouri River.

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U.S. REP. DON BACON, ON '60 MINUTES,' SAYS TRUMP WRONG TO APPEASE PUTIN

OMAHA- Nebraska Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon stepped onto a national stage Sunday to express concerns about President Donald Trump’s recent statements about Ukraine. On the CBS news program “60 Minutes,” Bacon, a retired Air Force brigadier general, said it appeared that the president was trying to “appease” Russian leader Vladimir Putin by saying that Ukraine “started” the war in that Eastern European nation and that any peace deal should include no security guarantee from the West.

“I hope it’s not as bad as it sounds,” Bacon told “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley. “America is the leader of the free world, we’re the indispensable power. No one can stand up to Russia and China if we’re not a part of that.” While Bacon said it appears as if Trump is trying to curry favor with Putin with his comments, the congressman added, “I don’t know his motives. Some people think he’s doing this for negotiating and maybe to help get a better deal.”

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SANDHILLS GLOBAL PLANS EXPANSION ON ITS NORTHWEST LINCOLN CAMPUS

LINCOLN- Sandhills Global is planning to expand its campus in northwest Lincoln with 12 new buildings, ultimately adding up to 360,000 square feet for office and commercial space. The City Council on Monday approved an amendment to an existing special permit that includes a preliminary site layout for the expansion, as well as drainage plans, and a waiver to the height requirements so the business can add buildings up to 60 feet tall.

The waiver allows for buildings to be 15 feet beyond the existing 45-foot limit for office space and 5 feet beyond the 55-foot limit for manufacturing and storage space. City planners said the waiver won’t significantly impact surrounding areas because the Sandhills campus is bordered by a business district to the west and northwest and a residential district to the north, which is separated by West Fletcher Avenue and already allows 55-foot apartment buildings.

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LABOR GROUPS RING ALARMS OVER PROPOSED CHANGES TO MINIMUM WAGE, PAID SICK LEAVE LAWS

LINCOLN- Labor activists stood in the Capitol Rotunda during Thursday morning’s agenda and criticized a pair of legislative bills seeking to weaken voter-approved minimum wage and paid sick leave laws, which keep marching on in the Nebraska statehouse. Worker advocates and union leaders spoke out against the proposed changes as attempts to undermine the will of Nebraska voters, who over the past three years have approved increasing wages and paid leave for all workers via ballot measure.

Nebraska voters approved a ballot measure last November to establish a minimum level of paid sick leave for all workers. The initiative mandates that Nebraska businesses provide employees up to seven days of paid sick leave for businesses with at least 20 employees and five days a year for those with fewer than 20 employees. In 2022, Nebraska voters passed a ballot measure to increase the state minimum wage to $15 per hour starting next year. The measure’s design raised the minimum wage by increments to reach that point.

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SENATORS WILL CONSIDER ADVANCING BILL TO MAKE NEBRASKA WINNER-TAKE-ALL ON MONDAY

LINCOLN- Nebraska state lawmakers will consider advancing a proposal to change how the state awards its Electoral College votes in presidential races to the floor of the Legislature on Monday morning. Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City, who introduced the bill (LB3) this year, said the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee will hold an executive session early next week to determine the measure's next steps.

If advanced from the committee, passed by the Legislature, and signed into law by Gov. Jim Pillen, LB3 would end the 34-year-old system of awarding electoral votes to the winner of the presidential election in each of Nebraska's three congressional districts. Nebraska's other two votes go to the statewide winner.

Moving the Cornhusker State back to a "winner-take-all" system would mean the winner of the popular vote in Nebraska would take home all five of its Electoral College votes.

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DECREASE IN FEDERAL SHARE OF MEDICAID COSTS INCREASES STATE BUDGET SHORTFALL

LINCOLN- The federal government is again planning to decrease the percentage of state Medicaid costs it will cover for Nebraska, leaving state lawmakers on the hook for an additional $90.3 million this budgeting cycle. State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, chair of the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, announced the revision Thursday, one day after legislative staff found the overlooked Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) revisions from January.

That oversight will eat into the progress of a recently amended two-year economic forecast, which decreased an initial $432 million shortfall at the start of the session to $267 million. That’s because of an additional $65 million in projected tax revenue over the next two fiscal years. Lawmakers also have the option of accessing an additional $100 million in revenue from this fiscal year that went automatically to the cash reserve. The change Clements discussed this week determines federal matching funds to offset state Medicaid costs, meaning the recent decrease in federal funds leaves the state needing to pay for more.

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STATE CUTTING DOWN DISABILITIES WAITING LIST BUT PARENTS STILL HAVE CONCERNS

LINCOLN- Nearly a year after Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announced plans to eliminate the state’s waiting list for individuals seeking intellectual and developmental disability services, state officials say they have whittled the list by nearly two-thirds. The state, Pillen said last March, was taking a new approach to “reimagine how services are offered to individuals with IDD in Nebraska and save taxpayer dollars.”

As of mid-February, the number of individuals on the list stood at about 940, down from just more than 2,700 at the time the governor made his announcement, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Recently, Tony Green, NDHHS developmental disabilities director, said the agency now expects to eliminate the list by July, three months ahead of schedule.

But while families, providers, and advocates say the state is making progress, the transition has raised ongoing concerns that some might lose services or not be able to access them when they need them, particularly as the state seeks to adopt a new tool for assessing needs.

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS PROPOSE EXTENDING TERM LIMITS

LINCOLN- Two state senators proposed constitutional amendments to extend lawmakers' term limits to three consecutive terms, rather than the current two. If the Legislature passes either measure, it would be up to voters to approve it in 2026, If approved, it would take effect in 2028.

The sponsoring lawmakers, Sens. Megan Hunt of Omaha and Robert Dover of Norfolk, differ ideologically on most policy issues. Dover is a conservative Republican; Hunt is a progressive independent. Hunt said that most lawmakers are on the same page about the current limits.

During a joint public hearing before the Executive Board Thursday, Dover and Hunt argued the current limit restricts institutional expertise, gives undue power to outside bureaucrats and lobbyists, lessens voters' ability to reelect strong senators, and doesn't give enough time for lawmakers to fully grasp complex issues that impact the state.

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STATE SEN. BOB ANDERSEN PUSHES TO LIMIT WHO CAN RECEIVE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE

LINCOLN — State Sen. Bob Andersen of Papillion introduced Legislative Bill 656, which would adjust who is eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, a state and federal government program that provides monthly funds to help people buy groceries at stores. The bill’s significant change would no longer let the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services accept or renew federal waivers, making exceptions to work requirements for SNAP, such as living in areas with high unemployment rates or studying in school or training programs.

Andersen said he aims to send a “clear message” that Nebraska wants to turn Nebraska’s “welfare system into a workforce system and help more Nebraskans regain their independence.” Andersen also filed LB 379, which would change the maximum length of time someone can receive cash assistance under the public assistance program.

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SUDDEN INFLUX OF KRATOM, AN HERBAL STIMULANT OR SEDATIVE, PROMPTS LAWMAKERS TO ACT

LINCOLN- Nebraska lawmakers advanced a bill that would regulate kratom, an herbal substance that can produce sedative or stimulating effects. LB230 passed its first floor vote unanimously Thursday. It would set the legal age to purchase or use kratom at 21, ban advertising that may appeal to children and set labeling requirements, including a warning that the product may be "habit-forming." Kratom comes in various forms, including liquid, powder and tablet, and is available at retailers like convenience stores and vape shops.

The bill would also ban synthetic kratom, which often does not come from the kratom plant native to Southeast Asia and contains higher concentrations of the chemical 7-hydroxymitragynine. The chemical affects dopamine, kappa opioid receptors, norepinephrine and serotonin according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA has not approved any uses of kratom.

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