The Nebraska Legislature adjourned Sine Die yesterday after the second-longest Special Session in Nebraska history.
The Good News
Thanks to your efforts, and those of a bipartisan group of Senators, the Governor’s proposed tax increases on Nebraska families (LB 1) failed to pass. Instead, the Legislature passed the “bare minimum” in LB 34 which ensures that Nebraskans who pay property taxes get the property tax credits they are already entitled to.
The drastic budget cuts to public assistance, behavioral health aid and foster care review included in LB 2 were removed by the Appropriations Committee, which means we protected access to critical programs and support for Nebraskans. Thank you for using your voice to ensure that bad policy ideas did not exacerbate economic disparities for Nebraskans.
The Bad News
This Special Session gave us a sobering look at what’s coming next session. We will continue to oppose the Governor’s plan to make extreme cuts to agenciesthat help Nebraskans. For instance, the Legislature still passed a $40 million reduction in the Department of Health and Human Services’ budget which will make our work to advance economic security more difficult in the future.
As the Second House, elected officials work for us. They need to be reminded of how proposed legislation impacts you and your families. We’ll continue to keep you updated on ways to engage in public policy because together, we can advance gender equity and economic security for all Nebraskans.