Teachers praise bill for 6 weeks paid family, medical leave for all Nebraska educators
Tim Royers, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, center, talks about 2025 priorities for the teacher's union. Jan. 28, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
LINCOLN — Sydney Jensen had scarcely taken a single day off of teaching in eight years before having her first child in 2020, often coming in sick to teach Nebraska students.
She had saved eight weeks of paid leave, but as she faced postpartum depression, she felt returning would be devastating for her mental health, and the eight weeks weren't enough.
'In truth, I felt like I would not survive it,' Jensen said Monday.
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act allowed Jensen to extend her leave to a maximum of 12 allowable weeks for significant life events, but the final four weeks came without pay, leading to financial strain, worsening her postpartum depression and creating hardships for her growing family.
'I thought I had done everything right,' Jensen said. 'But it still wasn't enough.'Jensen, a ninth grade English teacher, in Lincoln was one of many supporters to speak in favor of Legislative Bill 440 on Monday, seeking to establish an additional 0.35% payroll fee on Nebraska teachers, matched by local school districts, to cover long-term substitute costs for the first 6 weeks of teachers' leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.
For a teacher making $60,000, that's a monthly fee of about $17.50, according to the Nebraska State Education Association, advocating on behalf of more than 26,000 public school teachers.
Federal law protects workers for up to 12 work weeks of unpaid leave in a year, such as for birth and bonding, adoption or foster care placement and serious personal or family health conditions. Teachers' salaries and benefits are already budgeted for each year, so LB 440 would protect 6 weeks of that federal leave before other accrued paid leave would need to be used.
'For less than $20 a month, we're gonna give teachers the peace of mind that if they need to take this leave, they won't have to worry about the financial hardship that accompanies it,' NSEA President Tim Royers told the Education Committee.
No one testified against the bill.
State Sen. Ashlei Spivey of Omaha, LB 440's sponsor, said she suffered severe postpartum depression but was lucky to have an employer who covered paid leave for three months. But she and many teachers said that isn't the same for frontline teachers who are helping to shape the next generation of students.
An amendment Spivey offered to the committee would clarify that school districts would still need to pay teachers their full salary and benefits during the covered 6-week leave. Payroll contributions would also be used to cover the operating and administrative costs of the program.
Thirteen states and Washington, D.C., have mandatory paid family medical leave laws, Spivey said. She modeled her bill off of similar teacher payroll contributions toward state insurance and retirement funds.
Spivey noted that the union for most state employees also has negotiated 6 weeks of paid maternity leave, which takes effect July 1.
She said her bill would promote long-term savings by reducing turnover costs through a sustainable, teacher-led funding model, with no state appropriations needed for the program.
'I would always argue that teachers are some of our most important industry and frontline workers,' Spivey said. 'They need competitive benefits, they need this … in order to be able to stay in the workforce [and] keep educating our future leaders and workforce.'
Any surplus in the new leave fund exceeding 20% of projected annual needs would be transferred to a separate fund to focus on teacher retention and professional development.
State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, a former central Nebraska school board member and committee chair, asked Spivey if the bill was still needed after voters approved a minimum level of annual paid sick leave for all employees: at least 40 hours of paid leave, or 56 hours for larger businesses.
State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward, a substitute teacher and committee vice chair, said she appreciated the program being separate from state dollars. She asked what would happen if contributions weren't enough to cover the required substitute costs in a given year.
Hughes noted LB 440 would increase costs on districts, which Spivey described as an investment that would supplement, not replace, local 'sick banks' to pool leave time.
Spivey said the bill was drafted with past leave requests in mind to create the 0.35% payroll but said she would confirm what would happen in the scenario Hughes had described.
Royers, as he did in January, said the legislation is the result of a fall survey of nearly 10,000 Nebraska teachers. The issue encompassed all types of leave, he said, not just maternity or paternity.
'We have a crisis of faith right now for teachers in Nebraska,' Royers said of the survey. 'Just 8% of our educators feel that this body takes them into account when it crafts education policy.'
Nora Lenz, a Lincoln teacher with more than 30 years experience, said her parents were placed in a nursing home in the summer of 2019, and Lenz was with her mother Friday through Sunday so she wouldn't be alone, 150 miles away from Lincoln.
In January 2020, Lenz's father fell ill, and Lenz said it was clear he was losing his will to live, and his condition got even more fragile in the face of the 'looming threat' of COVID-19.
Early retirement wasn't an option for Lenz, and she couldn't afford to go without a salary, needing to support her children in high school and college.
Her father was hospitalized, and Lenz's heart ached to be by his side and by her mother's side.
'To this day, I regret not being there with them sooner, before he was hospitalized,' Lenz said.
Lenz said she held her father's hand when he took his last breath and was with him in the final days of his life, but told the committee she believes that had she been with him sooner, he might have lived just a little longer. Lenz's mother died 17 days later.
Sheila Janssen said that she had a stroke in her brainstem on June 6, 2022, at 43 years old, and was in the hospital for nine days. She spent about five weeks in the hospital but, without enough sick leave, returned to school on the first day, on Aug. 10, 2022.
'I probably had no business being there,' Janssen said. 'But I was because I couldn't do it financially.'
Jake Bogus of Lincoln, an eighth grade U.S. history teacher, said some families are facing scenarios 'almost like a Margaret Atwood novel,' trying to time pregnancies to use as little paid time off as possible or asking for donated time to care for their newborn children.
Other testifiers said they were stuck with a choice: family or financial stability as they or loved ones faced cancer, hip replacements, foster care obligations or loved ones in hospice care. Many current and retired teachers said they felt guilty over the choice they made.
Now at 32 weeks pregnant with her second child, Jensen has about 30 days of leave saved up from the past few years. However, she noted that one in seven new mothers will face postpartum depression, and her experience increases her future risk.
Jensen said LB 440 would help address a system that is forcing 'impossible choices' and disproportionately impacting younger teachers and women, contributing to burnout and turnover.
'Teachers shouldn't have to choose between their families or financial stability,' Jensen said. 'LB 440 aligns Nebraska's education system with modern workforce needs and demonstrates that we value the well being of those who shape our children's futures.'
The committee took no immediate action on LB 440.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
North missed £140bn of transport investment over last government, research finds
The North of England would have received an extra £140 billion in transport investment under the previous government if funding levels had been the same as in London, research has claimed. Independent analysis by think tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) looked at Treasury figures between 2009/10 and 2022/23, during which time the Conservatives were in power. It reached the figure, which it said was enough to build seven Elizabeth Lines, by considering the amount of spending per person across the different English regions over that period. While England as a whole saw £592 spent per person each year, London received double that amount with £1,183 spent per person, the IPPR said. The entire North region saw £486 spent per person, with the North East and North West seeing £430 and £540 spent per person respectively. This amounted to £140 billion of missed investment for the North, more than the entire £83 billion estimate of capital spending on transport in the region since 1999/2000, according to the analysis. The region with the lowest amount of investment over the period was the East Midlands with just £355 spent per person. Among the most divisive transport investment projects for the previous government was the HS2 rail project, which was axed north of Birmingham in October 2023. Then-prime minister Rishi Sunak pledged to 'reinvest every single penny, £36 billion, in hundreds of new transport projects in the North and the Midlands', including improvements to road, rail and bus schemes. Earlier this week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a £15.6 billion package for mayoral authorities to use on public transport projects across the North and Midlands ahead of the spending review. It is expected to include funding to extend the metros in Tyne and Wear, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, along with a renewed tram network in South Yorkshire and a new mass transit system in West Yorkshire. Marcus Johns, senior research fellow at IPPR North, said: 'Today's figures are concrete proof that promises made to the North over the last decade were hollow. It was a decade of deceit. 'We are 124 years on from the end of Queen Victoria's reign, yet the North is still running on infrastructure built during her rein – while our transport chasm widens. 'This isn't London bashing – Londoners absolutely deserve investment. But £1,182 per person for London and £486 for northerners? The numbers don't lie – this isn't right. 'This Government have begun to restore fairness with their big bet on transport cash for city leaders. 'They should continue on this journey to close this investment gap in the upcoming spending review and decades ahead.' Former Treasury minister Lord Jim O'Neill said: 'Good governance requires the guts to take a long-term approach, not just quick fixes. So the Chancellor is right in her focus on the UK's long-standing supply-side weaknesses – namely our woeful productivity and weak private and public investment. 'Backing major infrastructure is the right call, and this spending review is the right time for the Chancellor to place a big bet on northern growth and begin to close this investment chasm. 'But it's going to take more than commitments alone – she'll need to set out a transparent framework for delivery.'
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dozens protest outside Detroit ICE field office against Los Angeles immigration raids
Demonstrators gathered outside the ICE field office in Detroit to protest against ICE raids in Los Angeles. Jun 8, 2025 | Photo by Erick Diaz Veliz Dozens of people carrying immigrant support signs gathered outside the ICE field office in Detroit on Sunday afternoon to protest against ICE raids in Los Angeles, which sparked violent demonstrations. A raid by ICE agents this weekend at a Home Depot in Los Angeles sparked clashes between ICE agents, local police, and protesters, resulting in injuries and property damage across the city. The federal government deployed 2,000 of the California National Guard ear;ier Sunday to take control of the streets, as protests continue to erupt throughout Los Angeles. 'We're here because protests are happening in L.A against ICE. We stand with them. We wanted to hold an emergency protest here to show our support,' said Kasandra Rodrigues, 25, a member of the Detroit Community Action Committee. The protesters gathered on the sidewalks at the intersection, waving and holding up their signs with slogans in Spanish and English toward passing cars. While some drivers honked in support, the protesters chanted against ICE and Trump. At least four Detroit police vehicles monitored the area. Rodrigues emphasized his support for the Hispanic community living in Detroit, emphasizing that the protest was held in support of them. 'I think the Latino community in Southwest is very scared. However, they have a lot of strength and drive for this struggle. So, we're here supporting them,' Rodrigues said. Around 3 p.m., the protest dispersed without incident. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Consultation to consider extending ban on destructive bottom trawling fishing
Destructive bottom trawling fishing, which involves dragging large nets along the seafloor, could be banned across more vulnerable areas of English seas under new Government proposals. Marine and fisheries stakeholders are being asked to take part in a consultation on the prohibition of destructive bottom-towed fishing gear that could affect approximately 30,000 km2 across 41 marine protected areas (MPAs). Environment Secretary Steve Reed says 'urgent action' is needed to protect seabeds and nature before irreversible damage is caused. The UK is under pressure to step up marine protections as the third UN Ocean Conference begins in France on Monday. Governments, business leaders, scientists and campaigners are gathering for the environmental summit in Nice where the spotlight will be on the commitments individual governments make to reduce the impact on their territorial waters, such as banning the damaging fishing practice of bottom trawling in MPAs. The consultation, led by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and Defra, runs for 12 weeks from Monday to September 1. The proposed measures would add to the approximately 18,000 km2 of English seabed already protected from bottom-towed fishing gear. MPAs are areas of the ocean established to protect habitats and species essential for healthy marine ecosystems, allowing vulnerable, rare and important marine life to recover from damaging human activities. Bottom trawling and other forms of destructive fishing are permitted in UK waters but conservationists have long been campaigning for a full ban across all marine protected areas. There are 181 MPAs, including three highly protected marine areas (HPMAs), covering 93,000km² or 40% of English waters. The measures aim to protect marine habitats ranging from subtidal sandbanks to gravels to muds, and support important marine species such as lobster, clams, soft corals and langoustines. A ban on bottom trawling in these areas could help conserve valuable and rare marine life, and allow seabeds to recover from damage caused by destructive fishing practices. It could lead to healthier marine ecosystems across English waters, support greater biodiversity and help preserve vulnerable underwater life. New management measures for fishing in 42 MPAs in English waters – a ban on bottom-towed fishing in 41, and the prohibition of fishing using traps in a specified area – are among the proposals. Mr Reed said: 'Bottom trawling is damaging our precious marine wildlife and habitats. 'Without urgent action, our oceans will be irreversibly destroyed – depriving us, and generations to come, of the sea life on which we all enjoy. 'The Government is taking decisive action to ban destructive bottom trawling where appropriate.' Ariana Densham, head of oceans at Greenpeace UK, said the consultation is 'ultimately a long-overdue completion of a process started by the previous government' and added that bottom-trawling in the protected sea areas is 'like bulldozing national parks'. She said: 'The Government should now strengthen the ban to cover all parts of our marine protected areas, and other types of destructive industrial fishing like supertrawlers and fly-shooters. 'Only this will ensure our marine ecosystems are protected in reality – not only on paper. 'The goal to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030 is global, and while the UK must do its part at home it also has a critical role to play in protecting the high seas far from our shores.' Tom Brook, ocean conservation specialist at WWF, said 'done right, these protections can be a win for people, nature and the climate' and 'this is exactly the kind of leadership we need if the UK is to deliver on its promise to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030'. Joan Edwards, The Wildlife Trusts policy and public affairs director, hoped the consultation would see the measures introduced 'rapidly to enable recovery of these sites, a win-win for both nature and the climate.' Oceana UK executive director Hugo Tagholm described the proposals as 'a golden opportunity to safeguard these vital marine sanctuaries from the most damaging fishing practices.' He added: 'If these whole-site bans are fully implemented, this could provide an invaluable and urgently needed lifeline for England's seas, which are so crucial for wildlife and climate resilience.' The consultation comes after Ocean With David Attenborough, released in cinemas to mark the renowned naturalist and TV presenter's 99th birthday last month, showed new footage of a bottom trawling net blasting through silt on the seafloor and scooping up species indiscriminately. The world will also be watching at the summit in Nice to see which countries ratify the UN High Seas Treaty – a pact to establish protected areas across international waters. The ocean treaty, which was agreed by 193 countries two years ago, will not come into force until ratification by 60 countries but just over half of that number have done so. The UK Government is among those that have been criticised by environmentalists for not yet ratifying the treaty or at the very least announcing a timetable to introduce the legislation required. Asked last week whether there has been any progress, nature minister Mary Creagh told the PA news agency: 'We need a legislative slot in Parliament's timetable. 'Any international treaty has to be done by the Foreign Office. We have had discussions with Foreign Office ministers. 'I am confident the treaty will be ratified but it will be ratified in due course.'