By Senator Tom Brewer
Valentines Day was the deadline for Senators to designate their personal priority bill. A senator can introduce as many bills as they wish during the first ten days of the session. Our rules say the Speaker must put priority bills on the agenda. This assumes the Senator has managed to convince the chairman of the committee to hold an executive session and advance their bill to the floor for debate by the full legislature. Bills that do not advance are held by the committee and cannot be put on the agenda.
Looking through the priority bills my fellow senators have prioritized I have found several that I like. To begin with my personal priority bill is LB 1394. We have a growing problem with recruiting and retention in our Nebraska National Guard. My bill exempts National Guard pay from Nebraska income taxes to help incentivize recruiting and retention.
LB 441 is a bill from Senator Albrecht that updates Nebraska’s obscenity laws to keep depraved books out of Nebraska’s schools. Senator Ballard prioritized LB 1300. This bill helps secure and protect critical civilian infrastructure and important supply chains if the USA is ever attacked. Senator Brandt prioritized LB 61. This bill is focused on improving broad-band service for rural Nebraska. LB 1067 is Senator Clements priority bill that eliminates inheritance taxes. We are one of the last State’s that tax inheritance. This bill will lower property taxes and I strongly support it.
LB 1301 is a bill prioritized by Senator Dekay. It would outlaw foreign ownership of land within ten miles of a military installation. LB 1169 is Senator Erdman’s priority bill that would put History Nebraska (aka, the NE Historical Society) under the supervision of the Governor. This once great organization has shown it requires more focused supervision so they can deliver the kind of service Nebraskans deserve. Senator Halloran’s priority bill is Legislative Resolution 31 that makes Nebraska’s application to the federal congress for an article five convention of states permeant, removing the five-year sunset from the measure.
LB 575 is Senator Kauth’s priority bill. It would require students in Nebraska’s schools to use the bathroom/locker room based on the gender they were assigned at birth. I suspect this bill will be vigorously filibustered and there will be a very spirited debate, perhaps one of the biggest of the session. I sincerely hope when this bill comes up that there is no resumption of the shameful conduct that we witnessed last year.
We are just about to the half-way point of this short (60 day) session. In about two weeks committee hearings will be over and we will begin full-day debate in the Legislature. I encourage Nebraskans to tune in and take note of what is being done in their name. Because of our limited short session, there will be a lot of activity crammed into a short amount of time. Watching senators debate their priority bills is the best way citizens have to understand what is really important to their Senator. Now is the best time to see that.
Please contact my office with any comments, questions, or concerns. Email me at tbrewer@leg.ne.gov, mail a letter to Sen. Tom Brewer, Room #1423, P.O. Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509, or call us at (402) 471-2628.