Legislative round-up: Week of Jan. 26

Nebraska News ServiceLINCOLN--In its third week of the 2025 session, the Nebraska Legislature began its first full week of hearings, with committees meeting to discuss various issues, including the death penalty, winner-take-all voting and daylight savings time.

While many bills have yet to make it to the floor, some have made it out of committee for the first round of votes.  

The Nebraska Legislature voted 27-0 Thursday, Jan. 30, to advance LB182, sponsored by Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, to select file, the Legislature’s second debating and voting stage. The bill expands provisions for a state income tax credit to insurance companies and financial institutions for contributing to child care programs. The bill would also make nonprofits eligible for affordable housing tax credits, which he said would make the credit easier to use for investors, according to the Legislative Update.

Additionally, Niobrara Sen. Barry DeKay’s bill LB 43, which would update provisions to prevent “foreign adversaries” from installing electronics near sensitive military installations in Nebraska. According to the Legislative Update, electric suppliers must already notify the Nebraska Power Review Board when constructing within a 10-mile radius of a military installation. The bill would expand these requirements to apply to any changes, updates or reconstructions in maintenance. Lawmakers voted 39-0 to advance the bill to select file.

The Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee heard testimony regarding LB 3, introduced by Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City on behalf of Gov. Jim Pillen, which would change Nebraska’s electoral college system to a winner-take-all system, awarding all five electoral votes to the winner of Nebraska’s popular vote in a presidential election. Currently, Nebraska is one of two states to split its votes for the electoral college, where each congressional district casts one vote for its winner, with two votes going to the state’s overall winner. During the hearing, which also included a proposal to place a question to reinstate this system on the 2026 general ballot, more than 75 people testified, the majority in opposition to one or both measures, according to the Legislative Update.

The committee also heard testimony on two bills intended to end daylight savings time in Nebraska. LB 302, introduced by Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, and LB 34, introduced by Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, would both end the practice, with Murman’s bill adopting the practice of permanent standard time and Hunt’s bill adopting permanent daylight saving time. Both senators said changing clocks negatively impacts health, sleep, workplace safety and productivity, according to the Legislative Update.

The Education Committee heard testimony on a variety of bills, including LB 378, introduced by Sen. Bob Andersen of Omaha, which would require all postsecondary institutions to provide quarterly reports regarding any funding of $50 or more from foreign sources, defined in the bill as any foreign government or an individual who is not a citizen of the U.S. In the hearing, Andersen said U.S postsecondary institutions received millions of dollars from the Chinese government, which allow them to manipulate the higher education system, according to the Legislative Update.

The Education Committee also heard testimony on LB 282, introduced by Sen. Jason Prokop of Lincoln, which would provide up to $300 per school year to reimburse teachers for supplies purchased for their classrooms. The committee additionally met for LB 335, introduced by Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, which would broaden the criteria for children to receive benefits from the Line of Duty Dependent Education Benefit, which is for children of law enforcement officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty, to allow their stepchildren to qualify.

The Judiciary Committee heard testimony on two contrasting measures pertaining to the death penalty: LR 15C, introduced by Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha, which would prohibit the death penalty in the Nebraska Constitution if approved by voters in 2026. The committee also listened to voters regarding LB 432, introduced by Lippincott, which would allow the death penalty to be carried out using nitrogen hypoxia. No one testified against McKinney’s bill, which he said would end a practice that is less constructive and expensive than life imprisonment without parole.

The committee also heard testimony on LB 316, introduced by Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, which would prohibit the sale of hemp-derived cannabinoids, commonly known as delta-8, containing more than 0.3% of any strain of THC. Kauth said these products, which she said can cause adverse health effects, are unregulated and unsafe, according to the Legislative Update.

Additionally, the committee heard testimony on LB 165, introduced by Hunt, which would allow any county or municipality’s governing body to operate a syringe services program, which she said in the bill’s statement of intent to improve public health by reducing the spread of infectious diseases, reduce overdose incidences and encourage users to enter treatment.

The Business and Labor Committee heard testimony regarding LB144, introduced by Sen. Victor Rountree of Bellevue, that would broaden the hiring preferences given to veterans seeking employment with the state of Nebraska. Currently, veterans are granted a preference based on prior active duty service, which is extended to spouses of 100% disabled veterans, according to the Legislative Update. The bill would expand this preference to the spouses of active duty service members and of those killed in the line of duty.

“Ensuring that military families are financially secure helps our service members carry out their duties confidently without any additional stressors back home,” he said during the hearing.

The committee also heard testimony on LB 100, introduced by Sen. Ashlei Spivey of Omaha, which would create an office within the Department of Economic Development dedicated to entrepreneurship and start ups. The committee also had a hearing on LB 308, introduced by Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner, a bill that would require Nebraska’s Department of Labor to create a public database with basic information on each health care staffing agency, including the amount charged for each category of staff members and amount paid to staff members.

The Transportation and Telecommunications Committee heard testimony regarding LB 337, introduced by Sen. Dave Wordekemper of Fremont, which would allow all-terrain vehicles and utility-type vehicles to be registered and driven on county roads. They also heard testimony on LB 23, introduced by Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, to appropriate $250,000 to establish a grant program for nonprofit organizations that operate bike-sharing programs.

The Health and Human Services Committee heard testimony on LB 310, introduced by Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, which would allow parents or guardians to refuse newborn screenings for certain diseases or conditions for their infant. The committee also heard testimony on LB 87, introduced by Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams, to provide $100,000 annually to the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired to develop a support services provider program. According to the bill’s statement of intent, this program would be intended to help a blind or deaf person towards independent living through the help of a human guide, assistance with daily living activities like transportation and whatever services the commission deems necessary.

The Natural Resources Committee heard testimony relating to LB163, introduced by Spivey, which would create the Office of Climate Action within Nebraska’s Department of Environment and Energy to develop climate action initiatives, report on progress and funding for climate action, and create a statewide action plan by July 2026.

Each day of the week, most of the Legislature’s 14 standing committees met in the afternoon to hear public testimony supporting, opposing or speaking in a neutral manner regarding bills before the committees.

Committees heard testimony on 79 bills this week and will continue full days of hearings until each proposed bill can be heard.

After a hearing, committees may vote to send a potentially amended bill to the floor, indefinitely postpone the bill or take no action with it, according to the Nebraska Legislature.

The Legislature will reconvene Monday, Feb. 3 for its second full week of hearings.