Latest news with #LegislativeBill299
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nebraska lawmakers hear concerns, local to national, at South Omaha town hall
State Sen. Margo Juarez and State Sen. Dunixi Guereca of Omaha, both new Nebraska lawmakers this year, hold a town hall in South Omaha on Saturday. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) OMAHA — A town hall in South Omaha, hosted by two freshmen Nebraska state lawmakers, drew about 50 people and questions ranging from local and state to national matters. State Sens. Margo Juarez and Dunixi Guereca of Omaha, in the first of what they said will be more joint community meetings, said that on some issues they will be a link to help constituents resolve problems with city or other officials. After a nearly two-hour session, the senators said they believed a key goal was accomplished — providing an open forum for people in their districts to express whatever concerns them. 'I realize there's frustrations with there not being more attention paid here in the community. Obviously that is why we are here today,' Juarez at one point told the group gathered in an auditorium at Omaha South High School. Among those in the audience were Roger Garcia, Douglas County Board chairman, Yanira Garcia, board member of the Regional Metro Transit Board, and Don Preister, a Bellevue City Councilman and founding member of the South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance. 'What we saw also is some real anxiety about what is going on on the federal level,' said Guereca, referring to questions raised about actions of the Trump administration. One audience member cited the president's resistance to judicial orders and how that filters to his community and Latinos. Others commented on the demise of Juarez's previous priority bill, Legislative Bill 299, which partly sought to allow immigrants — those with legal permission to work in the U.S. but who lack permanent residency — access to unemployment insurance benefits their employers pay into. Juarez explained to the group that the bill was crushed under the weight of a Trump administration threat that the state could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid. On state-related issues, perhaps the loudest reaction followed comments about the Legislature's actions seeking to weaken voter-passed protections for paid sick leave. In November, nearly 75% of Nebraska voters approved a ballot measure requiring businesses with over 20 employees to pay sick leave to eligible workers based on hours worked. A bill making its way through the Legislature seeks additional carveouts that would not require paid sick leave for workers ages 14 and 15, seasonal ag workers or workers in businesses with 10 or fewer employees. An audience member questioned why state lawmakers believe they need to make the law 'better.' 'I think if we voted for it, it's already better. Do they just think we can't be trusted with voting?' she said. Guereca and Juarez said they oppose changing the voter-approved law. 'We will continue to fight it,' Guereca said, saying that negotiations on the bill continue in the Legislature that wraps up its session in early June. A few audience members asked about the status of a Guereca bill that would allow local researchers quicker access to health data collected by the Nebraska Department of Human Services. Guereca said that DHHS cites a 'legal technicality' that effectively keeps local researchers waiting for the data a couple of years, when it is released by federal health officials. He is seeking to get Legislative Bill 446 on a path for passage yet this year, to allow certain qualified researchers quicker access to 'de-identified data.' 'If we're looking for alarming trends, waiting two years isn't going to cut it,' he said. The senators were somewhat divided on a movement that could raise the pay for lawmakers. Guereca said he was opposed: 'I knew what I was getting into,' he said. For Juarez, she said she is still contemplating, as she believes the $12,000 annual salary is a deterrent to running for the office, particularly for young people, and has created a legislative body that is not 'a good representation of the state.' 'I was able to run, not because I'm wealthy, but because I am retired so I have other monthly income coming in,' she said. Among other topics that surfaced were federal actions targeting immigrants. A South Omaha resident questioned the Omaha Police Department's impound lot operations. A 24th Street merchant aired frustrations with the homeless population frightening customers. 'We don't have in South Omaha a consistent ongoing voice of unity, of unified outrage, to confront government when it does things, not just nationally but locally,' said South Omaha activist Ben Salazar. Juarez and Guereca talked about other bills they have championed, the lawmaking process and invited participants to weigh in on how often they want town halls. One woman suggested at least once a month — 'because of the speed at which things are happening (nationally) that impact what you're doing.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to benefit Nebraska immigrant ‘Dreamers' squashed after Trump order
A Nebraska bill that would have benefited immigrant DACA recipients won't move forward, sponsors said. Shown here, supporters of the DACA program rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court. (Robin Bravender/ States Newsroom) LINCOLN — A proposed Nebraska law that had bipartisan support and would have benefited immigrant 'Dreamers' has been crushed under the weight of a Trump administration threat that the state could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid if it is enacted. Legislative Bill 299, in part, sought to align Nebraska with what advocates said already had been the practice of most, if not all, other states: allowing immigrants who have legal permission to work in the U.S. but lack permanent residency access to the unemployment insurance benefits their employers pay into. Before the bill's sponsors backed off Thursday, LB 299 had cleared a few key hurdles, including a March 6 vote by the Legislature's Business and Labor Committee that poised the measure for debate by the state's full lawmaking body. But a Feb. 19 executive order from President Donald Trump titled 'Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders' has since come into play. State Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner withdrew her name Thursday from the bill. Co-sponsor State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha said she saw no alternative but to drop the effort this year. Proponents said they were maddened by the latest twist for the proposed law that had gained support from a range of business and civic groups. A leader of the religious coalition Omaha Together One Community told the Nebraska Examiner on Friday that its members are 'outraged.' 'The fact that the federal government would swoop in and block a bill that clearly represented the will of Nebraskans is a blatant insult to our state and should not be tolerated,' said Kathleen Grant. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen's spokesperson, Laura Strimple, said Friday that the governor was pleased with the recent turn of events. 'Governor Pillen strongly opposes giving taxpayer benefits to illegal aliens and is pleased the Legislature will not act on this bill further this session,' she said. LB 299 sponsors said the bill primarily would have impacted so-called 'Dreamers,' who grew up in the U.S. after being brought here illegally as minors by their parents and who obtained legal permission, under the Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, to work and live in the country. DACA recipients don't have permanent residency, and the program has been challenged in court. LB 299, they said, also was designed to benefit asylum-seekers who have been granted work authorization while their requests are reviewed and others with Temporary Protected Status, which is granted when returning to a person's home country is unsafe due to natural disaster, extraordinary conditions or war. While advocates have mostly focused on opening the door to unemployment benefits, the bill called for 'eligible aliens' who are employed in Nebraska to have access to the same public employment benefits offered to any other similarly situated employee, with a few exceptions. Access included participation in certain public retirement and deferred compensation programs. There's no way I can fight a threat like that. – State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha The 6-0 legislative committee vote that pushed the bill to the debate stage came after state and federal labor officials had resolved what Ibach described last week as a 'technical' problem with the bill. The concern was raised during a Feb. 10 public hearing. Nebraska Labor Commissioner Katie Thurber told lawmakers that LB 299, as then drafted, could cost the state more than $400 million in federal tax credits. She said the original language was too broad, created a new state definition for 'eligible alien' and would allow benefits even if the immigrant lost legal authorization to work in the U.S. Ibach and Juarez believed that the path had been smoothed — until, they said, a federal labor official reached out to the state Labor Department and Pillen's office this week, bringing up the Feb. 19 executive order. Juarez said she was caught off guard and was told that millions of dollars were at risk. 'There's no way I can fight a threat like that.' Thurber, in a statement to the Examiner on Friday, said that while an amendment addressed an initial concern, 'the situation has become complicated with recently proposed federal actions.' She said, for example, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on March 10 issued a proposed rule removing DACA recipients from the definition of 'lawfully present' for the purposes of eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. 'This coupled with the executive order from President Trump … makes it clear that extending benefits to illegal immigrants, including DACA recipients, is in direct conflict with federal policy.' Thurber said the bill 'poses significant risk that Nebraska's unemployment insurance system could face consequences if it goes against federal directives' aimed at illegal immigration. The Trump order, citing a 1996 federal law, said the law 'generally prohibits illegal aliens from obtaining most taxpayer-funded benefits.' The directive gave federal agencies and the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, 30 days to identify federally-funded programs that 'permit illegal aliens to obtain any cash or non-cash public benefit.' Ibach said she retreated from LB 299 after Pillen's staff alerted her to the executive order and potential fallout. 'We were disappointed but thankful the Governor's Office called our attention to the reality of how LB 299 was going to be framed going forward,' she said. Nick Grandgenett, an attorney with Nebraska Appleseed, views the executive order as applicable to federal public benefits and said the proposed legislation pertained to state employment benefits. 'It really is outside the scope of that executive order,' he said. But adding the Trump order to an already complex marriage of immigration and employment systems muddies the waters, he said. 'I don't think there is truly a problem with the bill,' Grandgenett said. 'The confusion is kind of winning the day.' State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha said the situation signals trouble for Nebraska. She characterized LB 299 as an important bill with bipartisan support and challenged Nebraska Republican officials at all levels of government to stand up. 'When we have people in leadership not standing up for vulnerable populations like those covered in this bill, then we are going to be in a really bad place,' she said. Representatives of organizations such as the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nebraska Catholic Conference, and the Nebraska Alliance for Thriving Communities spoke in support of the bill during the public hearing. The alliance is a coalition that includes labor unions, hospitals, banks, cattlemen and pork producers. Ibach sees the effort as dead for now, unless labor officials can find a path forward. She said she'd continue to work on immigration and DACA reform. Juarez said she had made LB 299 her priority bill because she felt strongly that the targeted immigrant populations working with U.S. authorization deserved access to benefits — and that Nebraska businesses needed their talent. She said she is left 'extremely frustrated,' but won't give up and hopes for a revival during a different legislative session. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nebraska lawmakers hear support for opening unemployment insurance to immigrant ‘Dreamers'
The Nebraska Alliance for Thriving Communities, a coalition of labor unions, hospitals, banks, cattlemen and pork producers gather in September at the Capitol to proclaim that certain immigration policies and laws should be updated, partly to help address Nebraska's workforce shortage. The alliance supported Legislative Bill 299, which was the topic of a public hearing Monday. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — Nebraska lawmakers are considering a legislative proposal that would put the state in sync with nearly all states, if not all, in allowing access to unemployment insurance benefits to immigrants who have permission to work in the U.S. but who lack permanent residency. The state's current prohibition on the benefits applies to certain authorized immigrant workers despite the fact their employers pay unemployment insurance taxes on their behalf. So-called 'Dreamers,' who grew up in the U.S. after being brought here illegally as minors by their parents, are a primary population excluded from such benefits. Nebraska Dreamers, those legally in the country as recipients of the Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, were among the 10 people in the majority that testified Monday in support of Legislative Bill 299 at the Nebraska Capitol. LB 299, the topic of a public hearing before the Legislature's Business and Labor Committee, has bipartisan sponsorship. It was introduced by State Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner, a Republican, and co-sponsored by State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, a Democrat. We're talking about Nebraska's workforce shortage, and these individuals have been essential to filling in that workforce shortage and are in compliance with the federal laws. – State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln Zayra Navarrete, who has had DACA status since 2013 and works as a financial advisor in Hastings, told the committee she contributes to a pension, life insurance and unemployment benefits. She said she lives in fear that if unforeseen circumstances led to a job loss, she would not have the same lifeline as co-workers. 'I am constantly preparing alternatives for an emergency crisis,' Navarrete said, figuring out backup strategies that include taking out loans or selling personal assets. She said the question of unemployment benefits for workers in her situation came to the forefront during COVID- 19 — when some workers who were laid-off were not provided the same help to get by during the crescendo of the pandemic. Said Navarrete: 'Why is a state that is benefiting over $14 million in state and local taxes from DACA recipients not allowing us to access those funds?' The National Immigration Law Center did not have a current comprehensive inventory of states with policies akin to LB 299. But Tanya Broder, senior counsel, said that most, if not all states, offer unemployment insurance benefits to immigrants in similar situations. Nick Grandgenett, an attorney with Nebraska Appleseed, said the proposed legislation would benefit DACA recipients as well as asylum-seekers who have been granted work authorization while their requests are reviewed and others with Temporary Protected Status that is granted when returning to a person's home country is unsafe due to natural disaster, extraordinary conditions or war. The only person to testify in opposition to LB 299 on Monday was interim Labor Commissioner Katie Thurber, who noted that the measure essentially creates a new state definition for 'eligible alien.' She said that more than $400 million in federal funds is at stake. For Nebraska to receive federal funds to help administer its unemployment program, the state must meet certain federal conformity requirements, Thurber said. She said Nebraska has been given an advanced warning by the U.S. Department of Labor that, as drafted, LB 299 likely creates a conformity issue. She said her understanding is that the language is too broad, allowing benefits even if the immigrant lost legal authorization to work in the U.S. Maintaining conformity under LB 299, she said, 'becomes particularly concerning' given the uncertain future of DACA, depending on the results of an ongoing court battle. Thurber's objections prompted a firm challenge from committee member State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln. 'You know, Nebraska does have a conformity issue — a nonconformity issue,' Raybould said. 'We were the very last state in the entire United States to allow our DACA qualified people to have a driver's license. … We were the last state in the entire union to recognize the degrees they have achieved through their hard work at our own universities.' Raybould said it is her understanding that Nebraska is the only state that does not allow DACA and certain other authorized immigrant workers access to unemployment benefits that their employers contribute to. Thurber said she was not saying there aren't 'ways around' the nonconformity issue, and noted that the Labor Department worked with State Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha on similar 2021 legislation that was never enacted. She said, however, that as currently drafted, LB 299 could cost Nebraska employers more than $400 million in federal tax credits unless conformity questions are resolved. Backing the proposed legislation Monday were groups such as the Nebraska Alliance for Thriving Communities and business organizations including the statewide Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Omaha and Lincoln Chambers of Commerce. 'We're talking about Nebraska's workforce shortage, and these individuals have been essential to filling in that workforce shortage and are in compliance with the federal laws,' said Raybould. 'I find it really hard to believe that we in the state of Nebraska can not get it right like all the other 49 states have done to make sure we are in conformity … What are we doing wrong?' Thurber, at the end of the back-and-forth, said she has offered assistance to Ibach to address the conformity issue. State Sen. Kathleen Kauth, chair of the Business and Labor Committee, said 46 people wrote in support of the proposed legislation and eight were opposed. The committee took no action on whether to advance the bill to debate by the full Legislature. 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