Latest news with #LB383
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Number of new laws should be noted in Washington
The Nebraska State Capitol. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner) The Nebraska Legislature last week sent 31 bills to Gov. Jim Pillen for his signature to transform them into state laws. If you're keeping score at home (Pro tip: You should be.), that's nearly six times more than the U.S. Congress has sent along to the president to become federal law as of this writing. And one of those was a simple continuing resolution, which meant Washington pols couldn't agree on how to fund the government, so they did some can-kicking down the road towards a place called Do Nothing Congressville. Federal lawmakers would do well to emulate the Unicameral's 2025 output. That said, the measures that landed on Pillen's desk — despite earning enough votes to arrive there — surely came with a variety of opinions about either their efficacy or their expedience. Some good. Some not so. A couple stinkers. Obviously, the governor could veto any of them. Suffice to say, however, that the ideas and principles contained within those 31 were something enough state senators liked. A drone's eye view of the proceedings reveal what you might expect: We're against smut, illicit drugs and thieves, and we're for interruption-free school days and lowering property taxes. Some were even legislative slam dunks, passing 49-0. Still others were big vote getters such as LB 383, which requires you to be at least 18 to establish a social media account and prohibits the use of AI to generate pornographic images of minors. We're also about to codify what many school districts already do: ban cell phones in public schools during the day, and to just say no to sales of lab-grown meat, making sure our cheeseburgers have parents other than petri dishes. Among the senators' handiwork was a dead aim at assorted crooks and ne'er do wells who use ATM and gas pump skimmers and their felonious brothers and sisters in the business of shoplifting for profit: stealing and then reselling or fencing the pilfered goods. One bill, LB 230, regulates the sale of tianeptine, known as 'gas station heroin,' sold as a dietary supplement but which can be dangerous, even deadly. A two-year budget closed a looming deficit for now, and some property tax relief may be on the way, but some other high profile subjects were left in committee or on the legislative chamber floor for lack of votes. Such is a representative form of government. Senators also found a number of devils in the details of trying to mitigate the will of Nebraska voters by tweaking the minimum wage law, which voters approved at the ballot box. Playing footsie with ways to diminish the wishes of voters never plays well in the Legislature, despite new and creative ways to dress up the idea. Even LB 89, among the session's most contentious proposals, the 'Stand With Women Act' has — thankfully —moved away from policing bathrooms and locker areas to address only the 'fairness' issue through a gender lens in high school and college athletics. That alone is one of modern society's stickiest wickets, so getting off the toilet and locker snide was a reasonable step for legislators. Nevertheless, to my knowledge, during the entire discussion and debate of LB 89, little if any evidence was provided that men were regularly using women's bathrooms in Nebraska … or anyplace else for that matter. While I've read of no particularly solid, universal solution to the transgender athletes and competitive sports conundrum, the incessant attention the Legislature has paid to this issue — not uncommon among state legislatures — can work against those in the transgender community as they feel put upon and devalued. Finding legislation that addresses these issues without such side effects would be a real legislative triumph. Thinking it can be done is a start. Finally, if we really want to stand with women, we should do so comprehensively. To their credit, lawmakers did just that when they voted 49-0 for LB 78, which gives housing support to survivors of domestic violence and sex trafficking. Protecting young women from unfairness on the playing fields or intruders in their private spaces may be one thing, but in a state where, according to the World Population Review, over a third of Nebraska women have experienced domestic abuse, including intimate partner violence, standing with women should include working to reduce that number, too. The Legislature will still add to the pile on the governor's desk. To the state's Congressional delegation and the other 430 elected to do the people's business: Take note. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nebraska social media limits, lab-grown meat ban, domestic abuse survivor help, 28 more bills pass
A trio of legislative bills passed just hours before the end of the 2024 summer special session related to property taxes are prepared to be ceremoniously signed by Gov. Jim Pillen. Aug. 20, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — Nebraska state senators sent 31 bills Wednesday to the governor for his approval, including measures requiring age verification to use social media, banning lab-grown meat, helping domestic violence survivors and outlawing the use of credit card skimmers. The bills that passed included Legislative Bill 383, from State Sen. Tanya Storer of Whitman, requiring that, starting in July 2026, anyone wishing to create a social media account in Nebraska must prove they are 18 years old or older. Younger users would need parental permission. A parent would also need to prove they are 18 years old or older. LB 383 also includes the provisions of LB 172, from State Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering, outlawing using artificial intelligence or computer generation to create pornographic images or videos depicting someone younger than 18 years old, or knowingly and intentionally receiving such content. Both measures were priorities of Gov. Jim Pillen and Attorney General Mike Hilgers, as was LB 140 from State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue. LB 140 would require all of Nebraska's 245 school districts to prohibit student use of cellphones and other personal electronic communication devices during most parts of the school day beginning this fall. School districts would retain wide latitude in implementing such a policy. Most already have one. LB 383 passed 46-3. LB 140 passed 48-1. Lawmakers also approved LB 246, from State Sen. Barry DeKay of Niobrara at Pillen's request, to ban the sale of lab-grown meat. Some lawmakers, including conservative State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, as well as the Nebraska Farm Bureau, preferred to label rather than ban the products, which aren't currently available in Nebraska markets. LB 246 passed 38-11 and would take effect three months after lawmakers adjourn. The last day is scheduled for June 9. Lawmakers also advanced housing supports for survivors of domestic violence and sex trafficking through LB 78, from State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln. It would increase the documentary stamp tax by 7 cents per $1,000 worth of property, which is on the transfer of real estate, a portion of which the state uses for affordable housing or homeless shelter assistance. All new revenue would be directed to the new housing assistance. It passed 49-0 and would take effect three months after adjournment. Senators also passed LB 559, from State Sen. Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln, chair of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee, to outlaw unauthorized skimming devices and 'kingpins' who use them, such as on ATMs, point-of-sale systems or fuel pumps. It passed 43-6. The bill included LB 464, also from Bosn, a former prosecutor, to outlaw 'organized retail crime,' a step up from strings of shoplifting depending on the value of merchandise stolen. Other bills that passed on Wednesday include: LB 32, from State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, to allow candidates to use a post office box instead of a street address on political advertisements. A street address would still need to be on file with state officials. Passed 47-2. LB 36, from State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, to establish the 'Safe Battery Collection and Recycling Act' to collect and safely dispose of certain batteries, increase fees on Nebraska Game and Parks Commission park entry permits and expand allowable water recreation projects. Passed 43-6. LB 80, from State Sen. Bob Hallstrom of Syracuse, would consolidate laws related to protection orders, extend ordered protection orders and renewals to two years instead of one, require child abuse involving a military family to be reported to the service member's military installation and require landlords to change locks or remove a perpetrator of domestic violence from a rental agreement soon after abuse is documented and a protective or restraining order has been granted. Passed 46-3. LB 133, from State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue, to expand the definition of 'law enforcement officer' to include animal control officers to enforce state or local animal control laws if authorized by a city, village or county. Passed 42-7. LB 166, from State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward, to require county treasurers to conceal the addresses of law enforcement, members of the Nebraska National Guard or judges if such a person applies to have their address withheld, which is currently the law for county assessors. Addresses for judges would also be concealed when they are up for retention elections. Passed 48-1. LB 230, also from Hallstrom, to restrict and regulate the sale of kratom to those 21 years of age or older, classify tianeptine ('gas station heroin') as a Schedule II controlled substance and prohibit the sale of nitrous oxide (laughing gas). Passed 49-0. LB 257, from State Sen. Dan Quick of Grand Island, creates a pathway for marriage and family therapists from other states to be licensed in Nebraska and increases the minimum liability coverage needed for child care licensing. Passed 46-3. LB 287, from State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha, to give additional authority to cities of the metropolitan class (Omaha) to crack down on bed bug infestations and regulate housing authorities within metropolitan cities for pest control, regular inspections, property registrations, penalties or requiring updates to the city council. Passed 34-15. LB 332, from State Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering, to create assistant funeral directors, permit pharmacists to dispense emergency refills in certain circumstances and require Medicaid coverage for psychology services provided by qualifying advanced-level practitioners supervised by a licensed psychologist. Passed 49-0. LB 364, also from Quick, would allow the Legislature's Executive Board, when the Legislature is not in session, to approve an 'indication of intent' from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to move land into the state park system. Passed 46-3. LB 526, from State Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte, to allow a public power supplier to pass on costs to or require additional terms and conditions of cryptocurrency mining operations, including if the operation necessitates infrastructure upgrades. Passed 49-0. LB 561, also from Brandt, would create a special permit for overweight vehicles carrying raw milk up to 107,500 pounds. The Nebraska Department of Transportation would need to create a list of bridges that would and would not support the weight. Passed 49-0. LB 660, from State Sen. Bob Andersen of north-central Sarpy County, would require state agencies to regularly review regulations and repeal unnecessary rules, mandate an updated inventory of federal funds the state relies on along with contingency plans in the event of reductions in federal support and permit legal challenges against rules or regulations in local district courts rather than only in Lancaster County. Passed 49-0. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
