Latest news with #NebraskaLegislature
Epoch Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Nebraska Passes Bill Targeting Chinese Covert Influence Operations
The Nebraska Legislature has passed LB644, a sweeping new law aimed at exposing and curbing covert influence operations conducted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Nebraska Republicans sought to weaken voter-backed paid sick leave. A Democrat helped them do it.
Republicans in the Nebraska Legislature managed to pass a bill that significantly weakens a voter-backed measure requiring employers to offer paid sick leave. And they did it with the help of a Democrat. Backers of the bill overcame a filibuster on Wednesday with the exact number of votes needed — 33 — thanks to the support of a Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln. Raybould, whose family owns several grocery store chains in the state, was also the main sponsor of another bill that sought to restrict a voter-backed minimum wage law. That bill suffered an unexpected defeat earlier this session when a freshman lawmaker failed to show up for a vote on it. Raybould's attempt to attach it to the paid sick leave measure on Wednesday also failed. By a nearly 3-to-1 margin, Nebraska voters in November approved a ballot measure that requires all Nebraska employers to provide at least some paid sick leave to their employees. The ballot language, which had been set to take effect Oct. 1, required businesses to provide workers with one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to seven days at businesses with more than 20 employees. Employees at smaller businesses could accrue up to five days' worth of paid sick leave a year. The leave could be used for the employees themselves or to tend to a family member. But the bill passed Wednesday and expected to be signed into law by Gov. Jim Pillen carves out exceptions. It allows businesses to withhold paid sick leave from 14- and 15-year-olds, as well as from temporary and seasonal agricultural workers. Businesses with 10 or fewer employees would not need to provide paid sick leave at all. More concerning, opponents say, is a provision that strips from the new law the ability of workers to sue employers who retaliate against them for using paid sick leave. The removal of that enforcement language would 'essentially gut' the paid leave measure, said Sen. John Cavanaugh, who opposed the bill. Cavanaugh reiterated that paid sick leave received nearly 75% approval — more support than most lawmakers got at the polls. 'The voters wanted this more than they wanted you here,' he said, addressing fellow lawmakers. 'This is about respect for the will of the voters.' Nebraska joins other states leading efforts to counter voter-approved policies on everything from paid sick leave to abortion. Some states are seeking to limit the voter initiative process itself, leading to pushback from voters. Supporters of the Nebraska paid sick leave rollback say they're seeking to protect both workers and businesses. Raybould has said throughout debate this session that teens under 16 will find themselves unable to get an after-school or summer job without changes to both minimum wage and paid sick leave measures. She says no one will hire teens with limited experience and federal child labor restrictions at $15 per hour — the minimum wage set to take effect Jan. 1. 'We have to find that balance between business and labor,' Raybould said during debate Wednesday. 'We have to be competitive, and we have to be flexible.' Others went further, with Republican Sen. Mike Jacobson saying that government telling businesses what wages and benefits they must offer employees 'threatens democracy.' If employees don't like the terms of their employment, he said, it's incumbent on them to find a different job. Sen. Robert Hallstrom is another Republican who supported restrictions on both the minimum wage and paid sick leave. He said the Legislature has the right to make changes to voter-backed measures, asking if young or seasonal workers who would be affected by those changes would 'rather have a $10-an-hour job or no job?' The Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans coalition, which was behind the effort to get paid sick leave on the Nebraska ballot last year, said the bill passed Wednesday would remove paid sick leave protections for 140,000 workers in the state. 'Despite thousands of Nebraskans demanding that our Legislature honor the clear will of voters, 33 senators ignored those calls yet again today," the coalition said in a statement. "It will prevent thousands of Nebraskans from being able to access the good life.'
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Nebraska Republicans sought to weaken voter-backed paid sick leave. A Democrat helped them do it.
Republicans in the Nebraska Legislature managed to pass a bill that significantly weakens a voter-backed measure requiring employers to offer paid sick leave. And they did it with the help of a Democrat. Backers of the bill overcame a filibuster on Wednesday with the exact number of votes needed — 33 — thanks to the support of a Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln. Raybould, whose family owns several grocery store chains in the state, was also the main sponsor of another bill that sought to restrict a voter-backed minimum wage law. That bill suffered an unexpected defeat earlier this session when a freshman lawmaker failed to show up for a vote on it. Raybould's attempt to attach it to the paid sick leave measure on Wednesday also failed. By a nearly 3-to-1 margin, Nebraska voters in November approved a ballot measure that requires all Nebraska employers to provide at least some paid sick leave to their employees. The ballot language, which had been set to take effect Oct. 1, required businesses to provide workers with one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to seven days at businesses with more than 20 employees. Employees at smaller businesses could accrue up to five days' worth of paid sick leave a year. The leave could be used for the employees themselves or to tend to a family member. But the bill passed Wednesday and expected to be signed into law by Gov. Jim Pillen carves out exceptions. It allows businesses to withhold paid sick leave from 14- and 15-year-olds, as well as from temporary and seasonal agricultural workers. Businesses with 10 or fewer employees would not need to provide paid sick leave at all. More concerning, opponents say, is a provision that strips from the new law the ability of workers to sue employers who retaliate against them for using paid sick leave. The removal of that enforcement language would 'essentially gut' the paid leave measure, said Sen. John Cavanaugh, who opposed the bill. Cavanaugh reiterated that paid sick leave received nearly 75% approval — more support than most lawmakers got at the polls. 'The voters wanted this more than they wanted you here,' he said, addressing fellow lawmakers. 'This is about respect for the will of the voters.' Nebraska joins other states leading efforts to counter voter-approved policies on everything from paid sick leave to abortion. Some states are seeking to limit the voter initiative process itself, leading to pushback from voters. Supporters of the Nebraska paid sick leave rollback say they're seeking to protect both workers and businesses. Raybould has said throughout debate this session that teens under 16 will find themselves unable to get an after-school or summer job without changes to both minimum wage and paid sick leave measures. She says no one will hire teens with limited experience and federal child labor restrictions at $15 per hour — the minimum wage set to take effect Jan. 1. 'We have to find that balance between business and labor,' Raybould said during debate Wednesday. 'We have to be competitive, and we have to be flexible.' Others went further, with Republican Sen. Mike Jacobson saying that government telling businesses what wages and benefits they must offer employees 'threatens democracy.' If employees don't like the terms of their employment, he said, it's incumbent on them to find a different job. Sen. Robert Hallstrom is another Republican who supported restrictions on both the minimum wage and paid sick leave. He said the Legislature has the right to make changes to voter-backed measures, asking if young or seasonal workers who would be affected by those changes would 'rather have a $10-an-hour job or no job?' The Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans coalition, which was behind the effort to get paid sick leave on the Nebraska ballot last year, said the bill passed Wednesday would remove paid sick leave protections for 140,000 workers in the state. 'Despite thousands of Nebraskans demanding that our Legislature honor the clear will of voters, 33 senators ignored those calls yet again today,' the coalition said in a statement. 'It will prevent thousands of Nebraskans from being able to access the good life.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nebraska advances bill codifying legislative oversight role dealing with executive branch agencies
Speaker John Arch of La Vista listens to State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln. Aug. 2, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — The Nebraska Legislature inched Wednesday toward clarifying the legislative branch's legal authority to provide oversight of how the executive branch spends the people's money, including how it handles children and adults under state supervision. Lawmakers advanced Legislative Bill 298 by voice vote. The measure, sought by Speaker John Arch, would create a new Division of Legislative Oversight and a new Legislative Oversight Committee. LB 298 would place the Ombudsman's Office, also known as the Office of Public Counsel, in the new division. 'We need information in this Legislature to legislate and appropriate,' Arch said, adding that senators require more information to do its job well than relying on news reports. State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln emphasized the need to dig deeper independently of reporters and the state auditor. He had wanted to add new employees who monitor spending by all levels of government as a job, an amendment that failed 7-22. 'We do not have adequate oversight over all of the levels of government, over all of the governmental bodies, over all of the political subdivisions in the State of Nebraska,' Bostar said. Senators spent much of the debate arguing about how specific the bill should be about response times for requested records from the agencies under the governor's control. Some also discussed the origins of the debate, whether senators need to pass a new law in response to a non-binding legal opinion in 2023 from Attorney General Mike Hilgers. State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln has argued the Legislature should have sued the executive branch and let the courts decide the limits of legislative oversight. Conrad has argued that Arch and the Legislature should not accept an executive branch interpretation of the limits of legislative power that lacks the power of law. It is, she said, an opinion. Evolving fix for Nebraska legislative oversight faces continued resistance 'I strongly disagree with how legislative leadership reacted to the attorney general's political opinion, which undermined our undeniable ability to conduct legislative oversight,' she said. On Wednesday, Conrad argued that if the Legislature was going to proceed on codifying its oversight role, it should specify a timeline for record requests and responses. She said her overarching goal was making sure that the state agencies that the Legislature funds understand that lawmakers are watching how they work, that 'the agencies are on notice.' Arch responded that he agreed with her that a time may come when the Legislature has to set a number of days but that the experience under a memorandum of understanding has been good. He said the inspectors general for corrections and child welfare tell him that the offices are getting information in a timely manner, often four to seven days, so deadlines aren't needed yet. But State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, who has long fought with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services for timely information, said agencies should not have the option. Cavanaugh and Conrad pointed to an Ombudsman's Office report that argued the administration has been less accessible and slower in responding to the child welfare questions. 'I appreciate Speaker Arch's comments … that it hasn't been a problem recently, but that's part of the reason that we put things in statute,' Cavanaugh said. Under the bill, the Legislature's watchdogs would retain the subpoena power to demand documentation and answers. Using that power would require a majority vote of the Executive Board. Lawmakers seemed to agree that their oversight would need to pause during criminal investigations and that lawmakers might not be able to access every bit of executive information. Arch has said the Legislature and executive branch sought a balance to make sure state senators get the information they need and that the executive branch can carry out its work. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
NBC News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
North Dakota governor vetoes the housing budget — by mistake
When North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong took up an agency budget bill approved by the legislature, he vetoed a couple of line items. At least, that was his intention Monday. Instead, he accidentally vetoed $35 million for the state's housing budget. Now the state is figuring out how to deal with the unusual problem of a mistaken veto. 'I have no recollection of anything like this happening in the 37 years I've been here,' John Bjornson, legislative council director, said Thursday. 'So, yeah, I'd say it's a little extraordinary.' Armstrong wasn't the only governor to possibly flub a line-item veto this week. Late Wednesday, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announced that he would be striking about $47 million in funding and cash transfers over the next two years from budget bills passed last week by the Nebraska Legislature. Those cuts included about $12 million over two years for the Nebraska Supreme Court. But on Thursday afternoon, the Speaker of the Legislature John Arch announced the body would be sending a letter to Pillen, a fellow Republican, informing him he had missed a 5-day deadline, which came at midnight Wednesday, to properly file the line-item vetoes and that the line items are now law. Pillen's office responded that it handled the veto properly and would consult with the state attorney general about next steps. In North Dakota, the governor's staff called his veto of the housing budget in Senate Bill 2014 a markup error. Armstrong's staff met with the legislative council Thursday morning to discuss options. 'This was an honest mistake, and we will fix it,' a statement from the governor's office read. Armstrong, a Republican who served three terms in Congress, was elected governor in 2024. The legislative session that adjourned earlier in the month was his first as governor. In a message accompanying the veto, Armstrong wrote he had intended to veto a $150,000 grant to fund a Native American homelessness liaison position. The budget veto would take effect July 1. What happens next is largely up to the governor, Bjornson said, but it is likely that the legislature will need to reconvene in Bismarck for a special session. The governor's office said it will call a special session if needed but hopes to 'avoid the expense.' If the legislature overrides the veto, that would include funding for the grant Armstrong had wanted to strike. If the legislature wants to only fund the $35 million housing budget, lawmakers may need to pass a new bill, which could take as long as three days, Bjornson said. The Legislature has six days available to use of its 80-day session limit, and a special session could open the opportunity to override other vetoes by the governor. The governor vetoed all or parts of four bills this session.
