14-03-2025
Nebraska juvenile crime bills spark lengthy, sometimes testy public hearings
Opponents of LB 556 spoke at a news conference in January to protest the Gov. Jim Pillen-backed bill introduced by State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston. At the podium is Nature Villegas, who shared testimony of being detained as a youth. (Courtesy of Chad Green, ChadCRG Images)
LINCOLN — Nebraska lawmakers heard more than seven hours of public testimony Thursday on a trio of bills related to minors and crime — including a controversial proposal that, in part, would allow alleged offenders as young as 11 to be detained.
Those addressing the Legislature's Judiciary Committee were wide-ranging: law enforcement, elected officials, nonprofits, educators, moms of victims, Nebraskans imprisoned as youths and more.
The lengthiest and most emotional discussion came in response to Legislative Bill 556, which State Sen. Merv Riepe has named his priority this session. The Ralston lawmaker said he introduced the measure at the request of Gov. Jim Pillen, with support from Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine and Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson.
Under LB 556, the age at which a Nebraska youth could be detained for an alleged crime would be lowered, from 13 to 11, and the age at which a minor could be charged as an adult for the 'most serious' felonies would drop from 14 to 12.
Riepe said he did not see the bill as punitive, but rather as another option for law enforcement, particularly in Douglas County, where officials told him they are seeing more violent crimes committed by kids at younger ages. He acknowledged the stir caused by age-related changes.
'But your child, your grandchild, is not like the child at issue,' he said. 'We're talking about a very serious set of young offenders who have engaged in serious or repeated criminal activity, offenders who are currently required to be released even if there is a clear evidence they will continue to commit crimes.'
Riepe said he viewed the bill as an early intervention effort that would not only protect the public, but also the alleged juvenile offender.
State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha, a committee member who has been a vocal opponent, challenged Riepe and other proponents on various points. He asked Riepe if he had spent time in communities that likely would be disproportionately affected.
'I can't say I've been up to your community, so I'd have to plead that I haven't done a very good job of that,' Riepe said.
Hanson — speaking among the LB 556 proponents who were outnumbered by opponents — told the committee that overall juvenile crime may be down, but that he was focused on the 'escalation' of high-risk juvenile repeat offenders in Douglas County.
Hanson told the committee that two juveniles in 2017 committed five or more unique felonies and that the number increased to 36 in 2023 but dropped to 28 in 2024.
He described the bill as another tool in the toolbox for dealing with high-risk repeat offenders.
Said McKinney: 'We're not talking about screws or building material, we're talking about kids and real-life situations and humans on both sides, whether it's the kid doing the offense of the victims.'
Many opponents said the state should put more effort into rehabilitation programs for juveniles, pointing to research that a youth's brain is still developing.
Olivia Cribbs, 23, told the committee she was tried as an adult and incarcerated for seven years for crimes committed at age 15. Choking up at times, she recalled suicidal thoughts and other 'psychological damage' and urged more support to encourage change for the youngest of the state's offenders.
'Children are still learning and developing emotionally and mentally, and they deserve equal opportunities for guidance and support rather than harsh punishments,' she said.
Kimara Snipes, who testified as an Omaha community leader and someone who has been impacted by gun violence, said 'the real crisis is mental health.'
She said she experienced arrest at a young age and recounted how her son's father was murdered, shot eight times by a young person.
'I know the devastation this brings,' Snipes said. 'If we truly care about public safety, we must invest in prevention, mental health resources and community solutions — not more incarceration.'
Douglas County Commissioner Chris Rodgers said he expected county taxpayers to incur added expense if the bill were passed.
'We don't have a chronic crisis,' Rodgers said. 'We are not Chicago. We're not Philadelphia.'
Bill Reay, president and CEO of Omni Inventive Care, expressed concern about a lack of detail on where and with whom pre-teens might be detained. He said there are better community-based alternatives.
'This bill doesn't talk about what detention would look like for an 11-year-old or a 12-year-old,' he said.
State Sen. Tanya Storer of Whitman, a member of the committee, expressed frustration at the 'hyperbole' she's heard surrounding LB 556.
'We're talking about a small percentage here,' she said of those potentially affected. 'It is very frustrating for me when I see the hyperbole that all of a sudden we're locking up an 11-year-old willy-nilly, that's not true. That's not what this bill says.'
She said that by the time a youth reaches a point of involvement in such 'horrific' applicable crimes, they're 'screaming for help.' She said she did not see the bill as punitive.
Said Storer: 'This is as much for the help of that young individual.'
Questions by a few committee members, including State Sens. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha and Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln, both lawyers, indicated an interest in limiting the detention period to perhaps 24 hours for assessment of the youth.
Bosn compared it to a 'time out' of sorts, where a judge, law enforcement and family members could discuss what might be the most successful path.
The other juvenile crime bills discussed Thursday:
LB 407, introduced by State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, would lower to 13 the age at which a youth could face adult penalties for felony charges. However, cases involving kids accused of major crimes, as young as 13 and up to 15, first would have to be handled in juvenile court, which Cavanaugh said is focused more on rehabilitation.
Cavanaugh has framed his bill as a 'compromise' of sorts for those wanting adult consequences for younger kids involved in serious crimes and those who favor a more rehabilitative approach.
LB 584, introduced by State Sen. Ashlei Spivey of Omaha, would ease penalties for certain felony crimes committed by people under age 18.
The Judiciary Committee did not take immediate action on any of the three bills.
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