Latest news with #Women'sFundofOmaha
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Paid sick leave and better health care would help Nebraska women
The Nebraska State Capitol on Jan. 18, 2022, in Lincoln. (Rebecca S. Gratz for Nebraska Examiner) For 35 years, the Women's Fund of Omaha has worked on issues foundational to achieving gender equity. We advocate for public policies that ensure all women and girls can reach their full potential. Our expertise in policy advocacy includes helping to pass legislation that supports survivors of sexual violence, provides pathways to economic security and creates solutions to problems set up by systems that were never meant for us. Unfortunately, very few bills prioritized and championed by legislators this session support women, especially ones like Legislative Bill 89 that claim in name but fail to make any real positive impact in our lives. This so-called 'Stand With Women Act' would, if it becomes law, let politicians decide who is 'male' and 'female' and ban a very small number transgender people from certain bathrooms and sports teams. While some members of the Legislature spend a lot of time saying they 'stand with women' and want to 'protect women,' they fail to pass policies that provide us with paid leave when we are sick or caring for our young children and aging parents. They refuse to center our right to bodily autonomy and continue to restrict access to reproductive health care, inserting themselves into our most personal decisions and stripping us of our privacy. They attempt to overturn our vote to raise the minimum wage, which impacts our ability to pay rent or put food on our tables. They use the weight of the government to tell us what it means to be a woman, while we've been living our lives all these years experiencing the ramifications of their votes. Nebraska lawmakers could be doing so much more to support women in our state and create meaningful change in our lives. But they will fail again if they use the limited days left of this session attempting to pass legislation like LB 89 while claiming to support us. The bill will not protect us. It will not improve our lives in any measurable way. We know who perpetuates gender-based violence in our communities, and we can clearly see who and what systems are impeding our progress. For too long, lawmakers have attempted to distract and divide our energy. The Nebraska Legislature has pretended to care about us while taking away our rights or failing to pass the policies we need to support ourselves and our families, including those we voted for directly on the ballot. To the women of Nebraska and our allies, it's time to remember just what and who we are fighting for: equal pay for equal work, the ability to safely raise our families, the right to decide when and if to become a parent, the privacy to make our own medical decisions, fair workplaces and communities free from violence. To Nebraska lawmakers: We are at a critical point in our state's history, and in our work to protect and advance gender equity. Are you ready to pass meaningful legislation that supports all women? We are beyond ready. Jo Giles is executive director of the Women's Fund of Omaha. She has worked as a policy and training director for the Coalition for a Strong Nebraska and for years in media relations. She serves on multiple boards.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nebraska lawmakers hear testimony on measure to preempt government-imposed rent control
LINCOLN (Nebraska Examiner) — Real estate representatives told state lawmakers Wednesday what they feel is coming: attempts by cities in Nebraska to control rent on private property, the Nebraska Examiner reports. 'It's not made up that this is a boogeyman,' said Dennis Tierney of the Metro Omaha Property Owners Association. 'We're trying to be proactive.' But opponents of Nebraska Legislative Bill 266 — which seeks to prohibit cities and counties from enacting local laws that impose rent controls on private housing — called the proposal a solution in search of a problem. 'There are currently no political subdivisions in Nebraska seeking to enact rent control policies,' said Erin Feichtinger of the Women's Fund of Omaha. 'We are a long way from rent control, and there is no effort to drive out private landlords from the market.' Feichtinger said affordable housing advocates, including herself, recognize the value of private landlords and the options they bring to the market. Nebraska disaster responders say ending FEMA would move tasks and costs to states, local governments She and Tierney were among Nebraskans who testified at a public hearing before the Legislature's Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. LB 266, introduced by State Sen. Rob Dover of Norfolk, drew four proponents and one opponent. Online, 37 people registered support and 22 were opposed, said State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, the committee chair. Lynn Fisher of the Statewide Property Owners Association told the committee that his group asked Dover to introduce the bill, because members believe rent control ordinances are on the way to Nebraska, similar to states like California and New York. Dover, who has real estate businesses, told the legislative committee that 37 other states have passed laws preempting government-enforced limits on rents that property owners can charge for private housing. He said his proposal would not apply to affordable housing units subsidized by government programs or public incentives. Dover said that mandated rent control for private housing, however, would 'distort the market' and be a disincentive for developers who see it cutting into their return on investment. He said such restrictions would be harmful for economic growth. Responding to a question by State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, Dover said he did not know of any Nebraska communities pondering a rent control ordinance but that he saw the bill as being proactive. Prosecutors seek dismissal of campaign finance case against ex-Nebraska congressman Fortenberry 'I'm not in favor of telling localities what they can and can't do, especially when there is no evidence anybody is actually considering doing this,' Cavanaugh said after the hearing. Fisher said members of his organization are concerned that Omaha's Housing Affordability Action Plan contemplates rent control. Omaha housing manager Greg Paskach said in an interview, however, that the plan does not recommend rent control. Instead, the plan says that given controversy and uncertainty over how effective rent control policies are, other 'more known strategies for securing affordable housing' would be more appropriate for Omaha. Feichtinger said that if rental control ever became a discussion point, it should be left to local communities and not a 'one-size-fits-all approach' imposed by the Legislature. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'Taking away a tool that may possibly one day exist in the future to address a community's unique needs is unnecessary,' she said. The Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee took no action on whether to advance the bill for consideration by the full Legislature. Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Cate Folsom for questions: info@ Follow Nebraska Examiner on Facebook and X. This story was republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers hear testimony on measure to preempt government-imposed rent control
A Nebraska legislative committee heard testimony Wednesday on a proposed state law that would prohibit local governments in Nebraska from imposing rent controls on private property. Photo shows apartments as they were being constructed in Omaha's midtown area. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — Real estate representatives told state lawmakers Wednesday what they feel is coming: attempts by cities in Nebraska to control rent on private property. 'It's not made up that this is a boogeyman,' said Dennis Tierney of the Metro Omaha Property Owners Association. 'We're trying to be proactive.' But opponents of Nebraska Legislative Bill 266 — which seeks to prohibit cities and counties from enacting local laws that impose rent controls on private housing — called the proposal a solution in search of a problem. 'There are currently no political subdivisions in Nebraska seeking to enact rent control policies,' said Erin Feichtinger of the Women's Fund of Omaha. 'We are a long way from rent control, and there is no effort to drive out private landlords from the market.' Feichtinger said affordable housing advocates, including herself, recognize the value of private landlords and the options they bring to the market. She and Tierney were among Nebraskans who testified at a public hearing before the Legislature's Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. LB 266, introduced by State Sen. Rob Dover of Norfolk, drew four proponents and one opponent. Online, 37 people registered support and 22 were opposed, said State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, the committee chair. Lynn Fisher of the Statewide Property Owners Association told the committee that his group asked Dover to introduce the bill, because members believe rent control ordinances are on the way to Nebraska, similar to states like California and New York. Dover, who has real estate businesses, told the legislative committee that 37 other states have passed laws preempting government-enforced limits on rents that property owners can charge for private housing. He said his proposal would not apply to affordable housing units subsidized by government programs or public incentives. Dover said that mandated rent control for private housing, however, would 'distort the market' and be a disincentive for developers who see it cutting into their return on investment. He said such restrictions would be harmful for economic growth. Responding to a question by State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, Dover said he did not know of any Nebraska communities pondering a rent control ordinance but that he saw the bill as being proactive. 'I'm not in favor of telling localities what they can and can't do, especially when there is no evidence anybody is actually considering doing this,' Cavanaugh said after the hearing. Fisher said members of his organization are concerned that Omaha's Housing Affordability Action Plan contemplates rent control. Omaha housing manager Greg Paskach said, however, that is not the case. Instead, the plan says that given controversy and uncertainty over how effective rent control policies are, other 'more known strategies for securing affordable housing' would be more appropriate for Omaha. Feichtinger said that if rental control ever became a discussion point, it should be left to local communities and not a 'one-size-fits-all approach' imposed by the Legislature. 'Taking away a tool that may possibly one day exist in the future to address a community's unique needs is unnecessary,' she said. The Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee took no action on whether to advance the bill for consideration by the full Legislature. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
