<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/13/first-time-homebuyer-savings-account-new-sales-taxes-proposed-by-nebraska-senators/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A state lawmaker seeking a universal homestead exemption for Nebraska homeowners is also proposing tax incentives for new first-time homebuyer savings accounts.

State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59387" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 151</a>&nbsp;to create the “First-Time Homebuyers Savings Account Act.” It would allow taxpayers to annually offset a certain portion of federal adjusted gross income into the savings account —&nbsp;$4,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint tax return, or $2,000 for others with the new account.&nbsp;

The maximum values would increase with inflation starting in 2027. Tax-deductible contributions could continue for up to 10 calendar years, or the date of the account holder’s first withdrawal of funds not related to qualified home purchases.

Cavanaugh said the goal is “to make the dream of home ownership a little bit more realistic for more Nebraskans.”

<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59327" target="_blank">LB 152</a>, also from Cavanaugh, reintroduces a proposal from the Legislature’s summer special session on property taxes. It would offer tax relief targeting owner-occupied properties — a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/ne-lawmaker-calls-proposed-homestead-exemption-universal-relief-for-husker-homeowners/">homestead exemption for the first&nbsp;</a><a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/ne-lawmaker-calls-proposed-homestead-exemption-universal-relief-for-husker-homeowners/">$100,000&nbsp;</a>of a home’s value —&nbsp;rather than giving relief to “big out-of-state property owners,” such as Ted Turner or Bill Gates.

Cavanaugh estimated it could provide about $2,000 in targeted relief for average homeowners in Douglas County at less cost than similar relief efforts for all owners, including corporations or those living out of state.

Lawmakers also have begun to introduce measures to expand the state sales taxes to more goods or services that currently aren’t taxed, partly to fund new tax relief programs.

Among those are&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59353" target="_blank">LB 169</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59157" target="_blank">LB 170</a>, from State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth. State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams is cosponsoring both measures.

LB 169 would extend the tax to two dozen “luxury” items, such as lobbying or dating services, and that Brandt coined as “low-hanging fruit.” The taxes would begin Oct. 1.&nbsp;

The items are similar to those identified by former Omaha State Sens. Lou Ann Linehan and Justin Wayne at the end of the summer special session.&nbsp;

A majority of lawmakers in summer 2024&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/09/02/a-timeline-of-the-nebraska-legislatures-summer-property-tax-debate-april-18-to-aug-21/">refused to eliminate some sales tax exemptions</a>, even as the list of possible targets dwindled from&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/07/14/gov-pillens-property-tax-plan-would-add-new-taxes-on-120-goods-and-services-draft-indicates/">more than 120</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/property-tax-debate-to-pick-up-friday-as-nebraska-lawmakers-continue-to-seek-broader-relief/">12</a>&nbsp;by the end of the summer.

Brandt’s list, estimated to bring in $25-30 million annually, includes:

As drafted, the bill would also add sales taxes to household pet veterinary services and to memberships to or purchases by accredited zoos or aquariums. Brandt said that isn’t his intent and that he would amend his bill with help from the Revenue Committee.

In 2024, lawmakers defined massages as part of health care, and Brandt said he and about four or five lawmakers who helped craft the list could find another exemption to remove.

Asked what’s different now from last summer, Brandt said: 17 new senators.

“It’s always good to get a breath of fresh air in the chamber, and I think it’s good that they’ll come in with an open mind, take a fresh look at this, and the fact that we’re starting out $432 million in the hole,” Brandt said, referring to a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/07/speaker-arch-nebraska-budget-without-a-doubt-biggest-issue-of-2025-session/">projected state budget shortfall</a>&nbsp;by summer 2027.

Brandt’s LB 170 would add sales taxes to soft drinks and candy, defined as:

Brandt also introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58969" target="_blank">LB 171</a>, which would pause the state’s multi-year plan to reduce top income and corporate tax rates. Instead of going down to 3.99% by the start of 2027, the top tax rates would freeze at 4.99% for taxable years after Jan. 1, 2026.

“They are forecasting better times ahead, and I certainly hope they’re correct, but on the off chance that that doesn’t happen and they needed to do something, it would be sitting there,” Brandt said of his bill.

Those proposals were among&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/calendar/legislation.php?day=2025-01-13" target="_blank">67 bills or constitutional amendments</a>&nbsp;introduced Monday, as introductions continue through Jan. 22.

Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/13/first-time-homebuyer-savings-account-new-sales-taxes-proposed-by-nebraska-senators/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A state lawmaker seeking a universal homestead exemption for Nebraska homeowners is also proposing tax incentives for new first-time homebuyer savings accounts.State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59387" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 151</a>&nbsp;to create the “First-Time Homebuyers Savings Account Act.” It would allow taxpayers to annually offset a certain portion of federal adjusted gross income into the savings account —&nbsp;$4,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint tax return, or $2,000 for others with the new account.&nbsp;The maximum values would increase with inflation starting in 2027. Tax-deductible contributions could continue for up to 10 calendar years, or the date of the account holder’s first withdrawal of funds not related to qualified home purchases.Cavanaugh said the goal is “to make the dream of home ownership a little bit more realistic for more Nebraskans.”<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59327" target="_blank">LB 152</a>, also from Cavanaugh, reintroduces a proposal from the Legislature’s summer special session on property taxes. It would offer tax relief targeting owner-occupied properties — a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/ne-lawmaker-calls-proposed-homestead-exemption-universal-relief-for-husker-homeowners/">homestead exemption for the first&nbsp;</a><a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/ne-lawmaker-calls-proposed-homestead-exemption-universal-relief-for-husker-homeowners/">$100,000&nbsp;</a>of a home’s value —&nbsp;rather than giving relief to “big out-of-state property owners,” such as Ted Turner or Bill Gates.Cavanaugh estimated it could provide about $2,000 in targeted relief for average homeowners in Douglas County at less cost than similar relief efforts for all owners, including corporations or those living out of state.<h2>Proposed sales tax expansion</h2>Lawmakers also have begun to introduce measures to expand the state sales taxes to more goods or services that currently aren’t taxed, partly to fund new tax relief programs.Among those are&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59353" target="_blank">LB 169</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59157" target="_blank">LB 170</a>, from State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth. State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams is cosponsoring both measures.LB 169 would extend the tax to two dozen “luxury” items, such as lobbying or dating services, and that Brandt coined as “low-hanging fruit.” The taxes would begin Oct. 1.&nbsp;The items are similar to those identified by former Omaha State Sens. Lou Ann Linehan and Justin Wayne at the end of the summer special session.&nbsp;A majority of lawmakers in summer 2024&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/09/02/a-timeline-of-the-nebraska-legislatures-summer-property-tax-debate-april-18-to-aug-21/">refused to eliminate some sales tax exemptions</a>, even as the list of possible targets dwindled from&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/07/14/gov-pillens-property-tax-plan-would-add-new-taxes-on-120-goods-and-services-draft-indicates/">more than 120</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/property-tax-debate-to-pick-up-friday-as-nebraska-lawmakers-continue-to-seek-broader-relief/">12</a>&nbsp;by the end of the summer.Brandt’s list, estimated to bring in $25-30 million annually, includes:<ul>
 <li>Pet grooming services.</li><li>Tattoos and body modification services.</li><li>Nail care services.</li><li>Hair care and removal services (but not hair cuts).</li><li>Skin care services.</li><li>Dry cleaning services.</li><li>Local passenger transportation by chartered road vehicles, such as limousines and similar “luxury” vehicles.</li><li>Sightseeing services by ground vehicles.</li><li>Travel agency services.</li><li>Weight loss services.</li><li>Telefloral delivery services.</li><li>Dating services.</li><li>Golf, dance and tennis lessons.</li><li>Swimming pool cleaning and maintenance services.</li><li>Interior design and decorating services.</li><li>Lobbying services.</li><li>Marketing and telemarketing services.</li><li>Chartered flights.</li><li>Massage services.</li><li>Pinball machines.</li><li>Film rentals.</li><li>Certain purchases by museums, including fine art.</li><li>Historic automobile museum sales, leases, rentals, storage or use.</li><li>Admissions to nationally accredited nonprofit zoos or aquariums.</li>
 </ul>As drafted, the bill would also add sales taxes to household pet veterinary services and to memberships to or purchases by accredited zoos or aquariums. Brandt said that isn’t his intent and that he would amend his bill with help from the Revenue Committee.In 2024, lawmakers defined massages as part of health care, and Brandt said he and about four or five lawmakers who helped craft the list could find another exemption to remove.<h2>‘A breath of fresh air’</h2>Asked what’s different now from last summer, Brandt said: 17 new senators.“It’s always good to get a breath of fresh air in the chamber, and I think it’s good that they’ll come in with an open mind, take a fresh look at this, and the fact that we’re starting out $432 million in the hole,” Brandt said, referring to a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/07/speaker-arch-nebraska-budget-without-a-doubt-biggest-issue-of-2025-session/">projected state budget shortfall</a>&nbsp;by summer 2027.Brandt’s LB 170 would add sales taxes to soft drinks and candy, defined as:<ul>
 <li>Soft drinks — Nonalcoholic beverages that contain natural or artificial sweeteners. The bill would not tax beverages with milk or milk products; soy, rice or similar milk substitutes; or that contain greater than 50% of vegetable or fruit juice by volume.</li><li>Candy — Preparation of sugar, honey or other natural or artificial sweeteners combined with chocolate, fruits, nuts or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of bars, drops or pieces. Such foods that are prepared with flour or that need refrigeration would not be taxed.</li>
 </ul>Brandt also introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58969" target="_blank">LB 171</a>, which would pause the state’s multi-year plan to reduce top income and corporate tax rates. Instead of going down to 3.99% by the start of 2027, the top tax rates would freeze at 4.99% for taxable years after Jan. 1, 2026.“They are forecasting better times ahead, and I certainly hope they’re correct, but on the off chance that that doesn’t happen and they needed to do something, it would be sitting there,” Brandt said of his bill.<h2>Other new proposals</h2>Those proposals were among&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/calendar/legislation.php?day=2025-01-13" target="_blank">67 bills or constitutional amendments</a>&nbsp;introduced Monday, as introductions continue through Jan. 22.Other items introduced Monday include:<ul>
 <li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59361" target="_blank">LB 131</a>, by State Sen. Tony Sorrentino of Omaha, would open up state educational savings plans for college to include private elementary and secondary schools.</li><li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58971" target="_blank">LB 137</a>, by State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln, would prohibit homeowners associations from restricting the installation of solar panels or pollinator gardens.</li><li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58954" target="_blank">LB 141</a>, by State Sen. Victor Rountree of Bellevue, would require credible reports of child abuse or neglect of a member of a military family to be reported to the appropriate military authorities and any appropriate military family advocacy program established to address child abuse and neglect in military families.</li><li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58865" target="_blank">LB 143</a>, also by Rountree, would require local K-12 schools to accept children of military families for preliminary enrollment, regardless of whether the child has an individualized family service plan, individualized education plan, requires special accommodations or services under Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or receives special education.</li><li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59054" target="_blank">LB 147</a>, by State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, would allow school districts to suspend students in pre-kindergarten through second grade.&nbsp;The prohibition started in 2023 led by State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha. He had argued that it was hard for young students to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/18/omaha-senator-pushes-parole-board-changes-marijuana-decriminalization/">bounce back after being suspended</a>&nbsp;and that suspensions&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/omaha-teachers-question-suspension-law/60336070" target="_blank">disproportionately impacted students of color</a>.</li><li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58835" target="_blank">LB 155</a>, by State Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering, would allow people to use deadly force to defend their vehicles from carjacking, unless they were the initial aggressor.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59138" target="_blank">LB 165</a>, from State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, would allow municipalities or counties to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/legislature-passes-nebraska-needle-exchange-program/">authorize syringe services programs</a>&nbsp;to distribute hypodermic, sterile syringes to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. The bill addresses one of the concerns Gov. Jim Pillen raised when he&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Untitled.pdf">vetoed</a>&nbsp;Hunt’s measure in 2024: whether minors could access the programs. One lawmaker who sustained Pillen’s veto, after voting for the bill, co-sponsored Hunt’s measure: State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue. Hunt fell&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_votes.php?KeyID=10299" target="_blank">three votes short</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/12/lawmakers-fail-to-override-veto-of-nebraska-safe-syringe-programs/">overriding</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/pillen-vetoes-nebraska-safe-syringes-program-legislation-as-expected/">veto</a>.</li><li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59182" target="_blank">LB 189</a>, by State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, would create baseline standards for paid family and medical leave, beginning Jan. 1, 2028.</li><li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59588" target="_blank">LB 190</a>, also by Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, would require the Legislature’s Performance Audit Committee to create a rotating schedule so that all state agencies are audited every five years, rather than on a case-by-case basis.</li><li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58805" target="_blank">Legislative Resolutions 10CA</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58806" target="_blank">11CA</a>, also by Hardin, would impose consumption or excise taxes on all new goods and services, except groceries (10CA), and eliminate all taxes other than retail consumption and excise taxes (11CA). The effort is the “EPIC Option,” to eliminate property, income and corporate taxes.</li>
 </ul>

First-time Homebuyer Savings Accounts, New Sales Taxes Proposed by Nebraska Senators

Confirmation hearings for&nbsp;Donald Trump’s&nbsp;cabinet picks began Tuesday. Senators on the Armed Service Committee questioned defense secretary, nominee Pete Hegseth.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/event/senate-committee/defense-secretary-nominee-pete-hegseth-testifies-at-confirmation-hearing/429823">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay of the hearing

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736865351790.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Confirmation hearings for&nbsp;Donald Trump’s&nbsp;cabinet picks began Tuesday. Senators on the Armed Service Committee questioned defense secretary, nominee Pete Hegseth.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/event/senate-committee/defense-secretary-nominee-pete-hegseth-testifies-at-confirmation-hearing/429823">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay of the hearing<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Discouraging the use of the words “mom and dad” at our military academies is nuts and so are racial quotas for officers. Our military needs to get out of the DEI business and focus on lethality. Period. <a href="https://t.co/DgZGuNlZ7h">pic.twitter.com/DgZGuNlZ7h</a>&mdash; Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1879264783456965079?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;I appreciate your service to our nation. It&#39;s something that I know you are very proud of and it is something that we have in common and that we share.&quot; WATCH: Complete exchange between <a href="https://twitter.com/SenJoniErnst?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenJoniErnst</a> and Defense Secretary Nominee Pete Hegseth. <a href="https://t.co/ichJIGfdwZ">pic.twitter.com/ichJIGfdwZ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1879252453016678571?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;Anonymous smears.&quot; Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth responds to several questions from <a href="https://twitter.com/SenMarkKelly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenMarkKelly</a> regarding statements about Hegseth&#39;s past personal behavior. <a href="https://t.co/yLKgMITr8M">pic.twitter.com/yLKgMITr8M</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1879239114807034006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenMullin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenMullin</a>: &quot;How many senators have shown up drunk to vote at night?...And how many senators do you know have gotten divorced for cheating on their wives...it&#39;s for show....it is so ridiculous you guys hold yourselves to a higher standard.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/6OICfbzsjo">pic.twitter.com/6OICfbzsjo</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1879225972488032392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) criticizes Pete Hegseth for having never managed an organization of more than 100 people.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorWicker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorWicker</a>: &quot;Mr. Hegseth, it seems to me that you&#39;ve supervised far more people than the average United States Senator supervises.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/X9zi3xTZjv">pic.twitter.com/X9zi3xTZjv</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1879223729986682970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenWarren?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenWarren</a>: &quot;You&#39;re quite sure that every general who serves should not go directly into the defense industry for 10 years. You&#39;re not willing to make that same pledge? Pete Hegseth: &quot;I&#39;m not a general, Senator.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/X2IcnoRAzR">pic.twitter.com/X2IcnoRAzR</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1879218809090813965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenTimKaine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenTimKaine</a> to Pete Hegseth: &quot;You had fathered a child two months before by a woman that was not your wife...Can you so casually cheat on a second wife and cheat on the mother of a child that had been born two months before and you tell us you&#39;re completely cleared?&quot; <a href="https://t.co/JxLAo1ctvt">pic.twitter.com/JxLAo1ctvt</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1879215000268521736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/maziehirono?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@maziehirono</a>: Would you carry out an order from President Trump to seize Greenland...by force or would you comply with an order to take over the Panama Canal? Pete Hegseth: I will emphasize that President Trump received 77 million votes to be the lawful Commander-in-chief. <a href="https://t.co/SWKkhgDQoH">pic.twitter.com/SWKkhgDQoH</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1879209803446194178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;You will have to change how you see women to do this job well and I don&#39;t know if you are capable of that.&quot; Full exchange between <a href="https://twitter.com/SenGillibrand?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenGillibrand</a> and Pete Hegseth on women and LGBTQ serving in the military. <a href="https://t.co/UkSMppbJDF">pic.twitter.com/UkSMppbJDF</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1879202428546941075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenGillibrand?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenGillibrand</a> to Pete Hegseth: &quot;What&#39;s wrong with a mom, by the way? Once you have babies you therefore are no longer able to be lethal? You&#39;re basically saying women after they have children can&#39;t ever serve in the military in a combat role. It&#39;s a silly thing to say.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/81oehgr1Pr">pic.twitter.com/81oehgr1Pr</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1879199920688635943?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Exchange between <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorShaheen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorShaheen</a> and Defense Secretary Nominee Pete Hegseth on women in the military. <a href="https://t.co/hgYYL4S00i">pic.twitter.com/hgYYL4S00i</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1879199544103043384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Trump's Nominee for Defense Secretary Grilled on Qualifications

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/13/lawmaker-revives-proposal-to-hold-nebraska-schools-liable-for-some-child-sexual-assaults/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;A state lawmaker is seeking to uphold her promise to a Lincoln family to fight for and revive a 2024 vetoed proposal for families to sue public schools in&nbsp;some&nbsp;cases of child sexual assault.

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Intro/LB156.pdf" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 156</a>&nbsp;on Monday as a revived version of&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50137" target="_blank">LB 25 of 2024</a>, which Gov. Jim Pillen&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/24/pillen-vetoes-nebraska-child-sexual-assault-and-abuse-proposal/">vetoed</a>&nbsp;after lawmakers had already&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/18/nebraska-lawmakers-adjourn-but-break-will-be-short-lived-as-special-session-looms-this-summer/">adjourned</a>&nbsp;the 2024 legislative session, preventing any attempt at a possible veto override. The new bill is narrower, applying only to sexual assaults of children in school settings.

Conrad said the legislation comes in response to a string of Nebraska Supreme Court decisions that closed the courthouse doors for families to allege negligence against political subdivisions in cases more broadly including&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/05/06/nebraska-supreme-court-dismisses-foster-care-abuse-case-against-dhhs-expands-immunity/">abuse of children in foster care</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/26/nebraska-corrections-officials-face-another-lawsuit-over-slaying-of-inmate-in-a-double-bunked-cell/">deaths of state prisoners</a>.

“The point is quite simple: When a citizen is hurt by their government they should have access to recourse,” Conrad told the Nebraska Examiner. “It’s our job to fight for citizens, not to give big government special favors and immunities when they hurt their citizens.”

Conrad’s legislation would allow lawsuits arising out of sexual assaults of children that occurred:

LB 25 would have allowed lawsuits beyond direct ties to a school, when the child abuse or sexual assault of a child was the “proximate result” of the failure of&nbsp;any&nbsp;political subdivision or an employee to exercise “reasonable care” to protect the child.

Private schools can already be sued and held liable in these instances.

LB 25 was led by former State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, then chair of the Judiciary Committee. Pillen vetoed the bill days after it passed in a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_votes.php?KeyID=11138" target="_blank">28-17</a>&nbsp;vote, having received broad support across the proverbial aisle.

The governor had argued that Wayne’s legislation, one of many since&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/nebraska/supreme-court/2020/s-19-726.html" target="_blank">Moser v. State</a>&nbsp;(2020) decision by the Nebraska Supreme Court&nbsp;prohibited similar lawsuits against state or local government, was “overly broad.” Pillen said it would “substantially erode” decades-old sovereign immunity protections.

“We must hold perpetrators accountable and protect children from abuse by enforcing the criminal laws that exist and by targeting the wrongdoer,” Pillen said in his veto letter. “Taxpayers should not bear this burden.”

Laura Strimple, a spokesperson for the governor, had said several criminal and civil remedies already existed and that Pillen would fight “soft-on-crime efforts to water down those protections,” in addition to ones like LB 25 that she said could open the “floodgates” to trial lawyers and “frivolous lawsuits.”

Former State Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/09/lawmakers-seek-to-hold-public-schools-state-employees-liable-for-child-sexual-assault-and-abuse/">challenged opponents</a>&nbsp;arguing LB 25 would raise taxes, asking: “How many child molesters is your school district employing if it’s going to impact your bottom line?”

Other supporters of the law have said the lawsuits would allow an attempt, but not a guarantee, at financial rewards that could help a child with medical care or counseling that they might need for the rest of their lives.

Conrad and Wayne, both lawyers, have said attorneys have an ethical duty against filing frivolous claims.

One of the faces behind the LB 25 measure, and others like it, goes back to 2016 —&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/25/we-were-so-close-nebraska-mother-responds-to-veto-of-child-sexual-assault-and-abuse-bill/">Loree Woods and her daughter Taylor Woods</a>.

Loree Woods had testified multiple times on behalf of her daughter, including most recently in August, during the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/08/04/second-attempt-made-to-let-nebraska-families-sue-local-government-in-cases-of-child-abuse-sexual-assault-death/">summer special session</a>&nbsp;on property taxes, detailing how 19-year-old Taylor Woods was sexually assaulted in October 2016 while in the care of Lincoln Public Schools.&nbsp;

Taylor Woods was in a program to help prepare students with disabilities, primarily aged 18 to 21, for a positive transition to adulthood.

The day after Pillen’s veto, Loree Woods joined Conrad to talk with reporters, saying her daughter’s life had been defined by trauma and fear since her assault.

“If you could live in her head for one day, you would not want to be a part of that,” she said of her daughter, now 27, who would have been too old to benefit from the law change.

The Nebraska Supreme Court decided in&nbsp;2020, in Moser v. State, that cases arising from assault or battery precluded any lawsuits against political subdivisions under the State Tort Claims Act and Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act.&nbsp;

The Woods family was scheduled for a court date just weeks&nbsp;after the Moser decision, leading to the Woods’ case being dismissed.

Conrad said the Nebraska Supreme Court had for decades “struck the right balance” between government immunity and citizens seeking justice.&nbsp;But she pointed to decisions like Moser v. State, related to a state prisoner’s death, and&nbsp;<a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/nebraska/supreme-court/2024/s-21-1037.html" target="_blank">Joshua v. State</a>&nbsp;in May 2024,&nbsp;related to foster care abuse, as tipping points.

She said Pillen “needlessly and heartlessly” vetoed the measure that Conrad had pledged to the Woods family to continue highlighting after Wayne and after lawmakers left the Legislature.&nbsp;

Part of LB 156, Conrad said, is paying respects to Loree Woods and her husband, Roger, who died in a September accident. She shared a letter she had received from Taylor Woods.

“It will keep me and my peep’s safe again,” Taylor Woods wrote in a letter to Conrad. “I am a very strong girl and want you to tell my story just like my mom. I am proud of myself and proud of you caring about me and my friends.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736874272815.jpeg" alt="A letter from Taylor Woods of Lincoln, a survivor of sexual assault at 19 years old while she was in a transitionary Lincoln Public Schools program for adults with disabilities, to State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln sits on Conrad’s desk in the legislative chamber on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>A letter from Taylor Woods of Lincoln, a survivor of sexual assault at 19 years old while she was in a transitionary Lincoln Public Schools program for adults with disabilities, to State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln sits on Conrad’s desk in the legislative chamber on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/13/lawmaker-revives-proposal-to-hold-nebraska-schools-liable-for-some-child-sexual-assaults/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;A state lawmaker is seeking to uphold her promise to a Lincoln family to fight for and revive a 2024 vetoed proposal for families to sue public schools in&nbsp;some&nbsp;cases of child sexual assault.State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Intro/LB156.pdf" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 156</a>&nbsp;on Monday as a revived version of&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50137" target="_blank">LB 25 of 2024</a>, which Gov. Jim Pillen&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/24/pillen-vetoes-nebraska-child-sexual-assault-and-abuse-proposal/">vetoed</a>&nbsp;after lawmakers had already&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/18/nebraska-lawmakers-adjourn-but-break-will-be-short-lived-as-special-session-looms-this-summer/">adjourned</a>&nbsp;the 2024 legislative session, preventing any attempt at a possible veto override. The new bill is narrower, applying only to sexual assaults of children in school settings.Conrad said the legislation comes in response to a string of Nebraska Supreme Court decisions that closed the courthouse doors for families to allege negligence against political subdivisions in cases more broadly including&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/05/06/nebraska-supreme-court-dismisses-foster-care-abuse-case-against-dhhs-expands-immunity/">abuse of children in foster care</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/26/nebraska-corrections-officials-face-another-lawsuit-over-slaying-of-inmate-in-a-double-bunked-cell/">deaths of state prisoners</a>.“The point is quite simple: When a citizen is hurt by their government they should have access to recourse,” Conrad told the Nebraska Examiner. “It’s our job to fight for citizens, not to give big government special favors and immunities when they hurt their citizens.”Conrad’s legislation would allow lawsuits arising out of sexual assaults of children that occurred:<ul>
 <li>On school grounds.</li><li>In a vehicle owned, leased or contracted by a school and being used for a school purpose.</li><li>In a vehicle being driven for a school purpose by a school employee or designee.</li><li>At a school-sponsored activity or athletic event.</li>
 </ul>LB 25 would have allowed lawsuits beyond direct ties to a school, when the child abuse or sexual assault of a child was the “proximate result” of the failure of&nbsp;any&nbsp;political subdivision or an employee to exercise “reasonable care” to protect the child.Private schools can already be sued and held liable in these instances.<h2>The governor’s veto</h2>LB 25 was led by former State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, then chair of the Judiciary Committee. Pillen vetoed the bill days after it passed in a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_votes.php?KeyID=11138" target="_blank">28-17</a>&nbsp;vote, having received broad support across the proverbial aisle.The governor had argued that Wayne’s legislation, one of many since&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/nebraska/supreme-court/2020/s-19-726.html" target="_blank">Moser v. State</a>&nbsp;(2020) decision by the Nebraska Supreme Court&nbsp;prohibited similar lawsuits against state or local government, was “overly broad.” Pillen said it would “substantially erode” decades-old sovereign immunity protections.“We must hold perpetrators accountable and protect children from abuse by enforcing the criminal laws that exist and by targeting the wrongdoer,” Pillen said in his veto letter. “Taxpayers should not bear this burden.”Laura Strimple, a spokesperson for the governor, had said several criminal and civil remedies already existed and that Pillen would fight “soft-on-crime efforts to water down those protections,” in addition to ones like LB 25 that she said could open the “floodgates” to trial lawyers and “frivolous lawsuits.”<h2>Promise to a Lincoln family</h2>Former State Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/09/lawmakers-seek-to-hold-public-schools-state-employees-liable-for-child-sexual-assault-and-abuse/">challenged opponents</a>&nbsp;arguing LB 25 would raise taxes, asking: “How many child molesters is your school district employing if it’s going to impact your bottom line?”Other supporters of the law have said the lawsuits would allow an attempt, but not a guarantee, at financial rewards that could help a child with medical care or counseling that they might need for the rest of their lives.Conrad and Wayne, both lawyers, have said attorneys have an ethical duty against filing frivolous claims.One of the faces behind the LB 25 measure, and others like it, goes back to 2016 —&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/25/we-were-so-close-nebraska-mother-responds-to-veto-of-child-sexual-assault-and-abuse-bill/">Loree Woods and her daughter Taylor Woods</a>.Loree Woods had testified multiple times on behalf of her daughter, including most recently in August, during the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/08/04/second-attempt-made-to-let-nebraska-families-sue-local-government-in-cases-of-child-abuse-sexual-assault-death/">summer special session</a>&nbsp;on property taxes, detailing how 19-year-old Taylor Woods was sexually assaulted in October 2016 while in the care of Lincoln Public Schools.&nbsp;Taylor Woods was in a program to help prepare students with disabilities, primarily aged 18 to 21, for a positive transition to adulthood.The day after Pillen’s veto, Loree Woods joined Conrad to talk with reporters, saying her daughter’s life had been defined by trauma and fear since her assault.“If you could live in her head for one day, you would not want to be a part of that,” she said of her daughter, now 27, who would have been too old to benefit from the law change.The Nebraska Supreme Court decided in&nbsp;2020, in Moser v. State, that cases arising from assault or battery precluded any lawsuits against political subdivisions under the State Tort Claims Act and Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act.&nbsp;The Woods family was scheduled for a court date just weeks&nbsp;after the Moser decision, leading to the Woods’ case being dismissed.<h2>‘I am a very strong girl’</h2>Conrad said the Nebraska Supreme Court had for decades “struck the right balance” between government immunity and citizens seeking justice.&nbsp;But she pointed to decisions like Moser v. State, related to a state prisoner’s death, and&nbsp;<a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/nebraska/supreme-court/2024/s-21-1037.html" target="_blank">Joshua v. State</a>&nbsp;in May 2024,&nbsp;related to foster care abuse, as tipping points.She said Pillen “needlessly and heartlessly” vetoed the measure that Conrad had pledged to the Woods family to continue highlighting after Wayne and after lawmakers left the Legislature.&nbsp;Part of LB 156, Conrad said, is paying respects to Loree Woods and her husband, Roger, who died in a September accident. She shared a letter she had received from Taylor Woods.“It will keep me and my peep’s safe again,” Taylor Woods wrote in a letter to Conrad. “I am a very strong girl and want you to tell my story just like my mom. I am proud of myself and proud of you caring about me and my friends.”

Lawmaker Revives Proposal to Hold Nebraska Schools Liable for some Child Sexual Assaults

WASHINGTON —Days before his term end, President Biden on Monday canceled more student loan debt.

On the White House web site, Biden wrote.

"Today, my Administration is approving student loan relief for more than 150,000 borrowers – bringing the total number of Americans who have had their student debt cancelled by my Administration to over 5 million.&nbsp;These 150,000 borrowers include: almost 85,000 borrowers who attended schools that cheated and defrauded their students, 61,000 borrowers with total and permanent disabilities, and 6,100 public service workers."

"My Administration has taken historic action to reduce the burden of student debt, hold bad actors accountable, and fight on behalf of students across the country. This includes fixing the broken Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program and ensuring over 1 million public service workers receive the student loan relief they are entitled to under the law, approving student loan relief for 1.7 million borrowers who were cheated and defrauded by their schools, delivering student debt relief to 633,000 borrowers with total and permanent disabilities, and fixing administrative errors in the Income-Driven Repayment programs to deliver relief to over 1.4 million borrowers who have been in repayment for decades."

My Administration also secured the largest increase to the maximum Pell Grant award in a decade to put higher-education in reach for more Americans.

"Since Day One of my Administration, I promised to ensure higher-education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity, and I’m proud to say we have forgiven more student loan debt than any other administration in history."

WASHINGTON —Days before his term end, President Biden on Monday canceled more student loan debt.On the White House web site, Biden wrote."Today, my Administration is approving student loan relief for more than 150,000 borrowers – bringing the total number of Americans who have had their student debt cancelled by my Administration to over 5 million.&nbsp;These 150,000 borrowers include: almost 85,000 borrowers who attended schools that cheated and defrauded their students, 61,000 borrowers with total and permanent disabilities, and 6,100 public service workers.""My Administration has taken historic action to reduce the burden of student debt, hold bad actors accountable, and fight on behalf of students across the country. This includes fixing the broken Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program and ensuring over 1 million public service workers receive the student loan relief they are entitled to under the law, approving student loan relief for 1.7 million borrowers who were cheated and defrauded by their schools, delivering student debt relief to 633,000 borrowers with total and permanent disabilities, and fixing administrative errors in the Income-Driven Repayment programs to deliver relief to over 1.4 million borrowers who have been in repayment for decades."My Administration also secured the largest increase to the maximum Pell Grant award in a decade to put higher-education in reach for more Americans."Since Day One of my Administration, I promised to ensure higher-education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity, and I’m proud to say we have forgiven more student loan debt than any other administration in history."

Parting Gift: Biden cancels student loans for 150,000 more borrowers

Lincoln, NE – Governor Jim Pillen joined Attorney General Mike Hilgers and state senators to speak on four bills which will be introduced to protect children from online abuse and the addictive nature of phone apps and online services. These four bills are being introduced at the request of the Governor.

Gov. Pillen said, “Attorney General Hilgers and I wanted to partner together as we both have good ideas on how we can best protect kids in Nebraska. These bills will address the addictive nature of social media, prohibit the generation of AI child pornography, restrict the use of phones and electronic devices in schools and require parental consent for minors to set up social media accounts.”

Attorney General Hilgers added, “One of the top priorities for our office is protecting children. And right now, some of the biggest threats to children originate online, through cell phones, social media, and child sexual abuse material. These bills are necessary to enhance current laws. I am proud to work with Governor Pillen and senators to enact laws that hold those perpetrating harm against our children accountable.”

Legislation Senator Sanders will introduce requires each public school board to adopt policies to restrict the use of phones in schools before the start of the next academic year. This bill includes some exceptions and accommodations to this policy, such as medical needs, emergency situations, educational purposes, or if the child has an individualized education plan.

Speaking on the cell phones in schools bill, Senator Sanders said, "I believe that students deserve the best possible chance to succeed, and creating an education free from digital distraction is an important step in ensuring that they can reach their full potential. I am committed to supporting policies that prioritize the well-being and academic growth of every student. By removing electronic communication devices from the classroom, we can create an environment free from distractions, allowing both teachers and students to fully succeed."

Additionally, the&nbsp;Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act, which Senator Bosn plans to introduce, contains several provisions to protect Nebraska’s children from the harms of social media and other online services. The bill requires social media and other online services to include design features that prevent compulsive usage of the product, severe psychological harm such as anxiety and depression, severe emotional harm, identity theft, and privacy violations. The&nbsp;Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act&nbsp;also requires these services to provide parents the ability to manage their child’s privacy and account settings and allow parents the ability to restrict the hours of use of these services. It also requires online services to establish default settings for users the service knows are minors and restricts data collection to the minimum amount of a user’s personal data to provide its services. Importantly, the bill also restricts the ability of these services to send push alerts during hours children are in school or sleeping.

To protect Nebraska children against inappropriate advertisements, online services may not facilitate targeted advertising to an individual the service knows is a minor, and they are prohibited from facilitating ads for products inappropriate for minors such as alcohol, tobacco or gambling.

Finally, the bill requires online services to create mechanisms to report harm to minors on their services and allows civil penalties against online services that violate the bill.

Addressing the bill, Senator Bosn said, “This legislation prioritizes the best interests of children over company&nbsp;profits.&nbsp;The Age-Appropriate Design Code Act&nbsp;ensures a safer online space for children.&nbsp;It requires companies to consider the privacy and protection of children in the design of digital products and services that kids are likely to access without undermining the&nbsp;First Amendment.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also, addressing issues surrounding children’s use of social media, Senator Storer will introduce legislation to create the&nbsp;Parental Rights in Social Media Act. The Act requires social media companies to verify parental consent prior to allowing a minor to create a social media account.

Speaking on the importance of parent’s roles in their children’s social media use, Senator Storer said, “I am pleased to be introducing the&nbsp;Parental Rights in Social Media Act&nbsp;on behalf of our children, parents and Nebraska. Children today are more anxious, more depressed and inflicting self-harm and at the highest rates ever. Our kids are our most precious resource, and it’s time to take action to protect them in the social media world.

This legislation empowers parents to supervise their children on social media in a meaningful way."

The final bill discussed at the press conference is legislation Senator Hardin will introduce to add “computer-generated child pornography” to the statutes that prohibit child pornography and defines the term in statute. The bill addresses AI-generated and other child pornography created by minors by making such crime a Class III felony. Adults who violate the act will be guilty of a class 1D felony. These changes will ensure there is no loophole for predators in our statutes.

Speaking on the harms of AI-generated pornography, Senator Hardin said , “I have spoken with multiple parents who have had their daughter’s photo taken in public, then uploaded to AI platforms to create AI pornography which later was distributed to people the girls knew. This is a devastatingly harmful offense against any young person. Unfortunately, the creation of AI-generated videos or photos featuring minors is not restricted to older, deviant people. It also occurs among young adults disappointed in the end of a relationship and seeking revenge. School superintendents have told me that the problem of students creating AI pornography involving classmates is alive and well in Nebraska and causing harm to its victims. My legislation seeks to address this issue.”

The State of Nebraska will not tolerate the exploitation of its children by those who seek to use Artificial Intelligence to create and distribute Child Sexual Abuse Material.

Office Governor Jim PillenLincoln, NE – Governor Jim Pillen joined Attorney General Mike Hilgers and state senators to speak on four bills which will be introduced to protect children from online abuse and the addictive nature of phone apps and online services. These four bills are being introduced at the request of the Governor.Gov. Pillen said, “Attorney General Hilgers and I wanted to partner together as we both have good ideas on how we can best protect kids in Nebraska. These bills will address the addictive nature of social media, prohibit the generation of AI child pornography, restrict the use of phones and electronic devices in schools and require parental consent for minors to set up social media accounts.”Attorney General Hilgers added, “One of the top priorities for our office is protecting children. And right now, some of the biggest threats to children originate online, through cell phones, social media, and child sexual abuse material. These bills are necessary to enhance current laws. I am proud to work with Governor Pillen and senators to enact laws that hold those perpetrating harm against our children accountable.”Legislation Senator Sanders will introduce requires each public school board to adopt policies to restrict the use of phones in schools before the start of the next academic year. This bill includes some exceptions and accommodations to this policy, such as medical needs, emergency situations, educational purposes, or if the child has an individualized education plan.Speaking on the cell phones in schools bill, Senator Sanders said, "I believe that students deserve the best possible chance to succeed, and creating an education free from digital distraction is an important step in ensuring that they can reach their full potential. I am committed to supporting policies that prioritize the well-being and academic growth of every student. By removing electronic communication devices from the classroom, we can create an environment free from distractions, allowing both teachers and students to fully succeed."Additionally, the&nbsp;Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act, which Senator Bosn plans to introduce, contains several provisions to protect Nebraska’s children from the harms of social media and other online services. The bill requires social media and other online services to include design features that prevent compulsive usage of the product, severe psychological harm such as anxiety and depression, severe emotional harm, identity theft, and privacy violations. The&nbsp;Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act&nbsp;also requires these services to provide parents the ability to manage their child’s privacy and account settings and allow parents the ability to restrict the hours of use of these services. It also requires online services to establish default settings for users the service knows are minors and restricts data collection to the minimum amount of a user’s personal data to provide its services. Importantly, the bill also restricts the ability of these services to send push alerts during hours children are in school or sleeping.To protect Nebraska children against inappropriate advertisements, online services may not facilitate targeted advertising to an individual the service knows is a minor, and they are prohibited from facilitating ads for products inappropriate for minors such as alcohol, tobacco or gambling.Finally, the bill requires online services to create mechanisms to report harm to minors on their services and allows civil penalties against online services that violate the bill.Addressing the bill, Senator Bosn said, “This legislation prioritizes the best interests of children over company&nbsp;profits.&nbsp;The Age-Appropriate Design Code Act&nbsp;ensures a safer online space for children.&nbsp;It requires companies to consider the privacy and protection of children in the design of digital products and services that kids are likely to access without undermining the&nbsp;First Amendment.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Also, addressing issues surrounding children’s use of social media, Senator Storer will introduce legislation to create the&nbsp;Parental Rights in Social Media Act. The Act requires social media companies to verify parental consent prior to allowing a minor to create a social media account.Speaking on the importance of parent’s roles in their children’s social media use, Senator Storer said, “I am pleased to be introducing the&nbsp;Parental Rights in Social Media Act&nbsp;on behalf of our children, parents and Nebraska. Children today are more anxious, more depressed and inflicting self-harm and at the highest rates ever. Our kids are our most precious resource, and it’s time to take action to protect them in the social media world.This legislation empowers parents to supervise their children on social media in a meaningful way."The final bill discussed at the press conference is legislation Senator Hardin will introduce to add “computer-generated child pornography” to the statutes that prohibit child pornography and defines the term in statute. The bill addresses AI-generated and other child pornography created by minors by making such crime a Class III felony. Adults who violate the act will be guilty of a class 1D felony. These changes will ensure there is no loophole for predators in our statutes.Speaking on the harms of AI-generated pornography, Senator Hardin said , “I have spoken with multiple parents who have had their daughter’s photo taken in public, then uploaded to AI platforms to create AI pornography which later was distributed to people the girls knew. This is a devastatingly harmful offense against any young person. Unfortunately, the creation of AI-generated videos or photos featuring minors is not restricted to older, deviant people. It also occurs among young adults disappointed in the end of a relationship and seeking revenge. School superintendents have told me that the problem of students creating AI pornography involving classmates is alive and well in Nebraska and causing harm to its victims. My legislation seeks to address this issue.”The State of Nebraska will not tolerate the exploitation of its children by those who seek to use Artificial Intelligence to create and distribute Child Sexual Abuse Material.

   Governor Pillen, Attorney General Hilgers, and Senators Introduce Legislation  to Protect Nebraska Children

Nebraska General Attorney's Office

On January 10, 2025, District Court Judge Lori A. Maret of Lancaster Court denied TikTok’s Motion to Dismiss, ruling in favor of the State of Nebraska. Judge Maret found that the District Court of Lancaster County has jurisdiction over TikTok and that the case can proceed. Unless TikTok seeks to appeal the order, the lawsuit will proceed in the District Court of Lancaster County.

“We have filed this lawsuit to hold TikTok accountable for deceiving Nebraska parents and children and for the harm TikTok’s deception has caused,” said Attorney General Mike Hilgers. “We are grateful to the Court for allowing this lawsuit to proceed so that our Office can continue to fight for Nebraskans and protect them from exploitative companies that would do them harm.”

Judge Maret heard arguments on TikTok’s Motion to Dismiss on October 23, 2024. TikTok was represented by attorneys from two large national law firms. Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Assistant Attorney General Colin Snider appeared on behalf of Nebraska.

<a href="https://ago.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/Order.PDF">Court Document</a>

Nebraska General Attorney's OfficeOn January 10, 2025, District Court Judge Lori A. Maret of Lancaster Court denied TikTok’s Motion to Dismiss, ruling in favor of the State of Nebraska. Judge Maret found that the District Court of Lancaster County has jurisdiction over TikTok and that the case can proceed. Unless TikTok seeks to appeal the order, the lawsuit will proceed in the District Court of Lancaster County.“We have filed this lawsuit to hold TikTok accountable for deceiving Nebraska parents and children and for the harm TikTok’s deception has caused,” said Attorney General Mike Hilgers. “We are grateful to the Court for allowing this lawsuit to proceed so that our Office can continue to fight for Nebraskans and protect them from exploitative companies that would do them harm.”Judge Maret heard arguments on TikTok’s Motion to Dismiss on October 23, 2024. TikTok was represented by attorneys from two large national law firms. Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Assistant Attorney General Colin Snider appeared on behalf of Nebraska.<a href="https://ago.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/Order.PDF">Court Document</a>

TikTok Lawsuit Will Proceed in Lancaster County District Court

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/gov-pillen-and-law-enforcement-recognize-efforts-to-curb-human-trafficking/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen said he found it hard to comprehend at first that human trafficking existed in Nebraska. “Somebody’s gotta be making this stuff up,” he said.

But on Friday, he and state law enforcers said the often hidden “scourge” impacted all counties of the state. They held a news conference recognizing Human Trafficking Awareness Month —&nbsp; and touted what they described as progress in raising public awareness.

“It can be right next door and we don’t see it,” Pillen said.

He cited a fresh Omaha case in which six people were arrested on suspicion of sex trafficking that involved two juveniles. A police report said officers originally responded Jan. 6 to a theft at the AmericInn near 13th and Spring Streets. As the case progressed, investigators found potential sex trafficking of two minors.

Pillen was joined at the event in the State Capitol by Attorney General Mike Hilgers, Col. John Bolduc of the Nebraska State Patrol and FBI Special Agent in Charge Gene Kowal. Several state senators also attended, as did leaders from nonprofits and other organizations that work to combat trafficking.

The group cited efforts in 2024 to curb the crime defined as forced labor or commercial sex without consent. Among the statewide efforts by the Human Trafficking Task Force under the Attorney General:

In addition, officials said, the Nebraska Human Trafficking Hotline — 833-PLS-LOOK — resulted in law enforcement officers being dispatched to a scene 15 times last year.&nbsp; The hotline received 113 calls last year, according to a brief report on human trafficking released Friday.&nbsp;

Since the state’s human trafficking statute was created in 2006, Nebraska has had a total of 27 convictions for trafficking or attempted trafficking under the law, the report said.

Last year, the report said, 12&nbsp;defendants statewide were convicted of felonies for human trafficking-related charges.

Hilgers said his office each January holds an event to recommit the state to “end this illegal evil and no longer allow it to thrive in the shadows.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736801049409.jpeg" alt="A Nebraska State Patrol trooper walks into a news conference Friday on human trafficking at the State Capitol. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>A Nebraska State Patrol trooper walks into a news conference Friday on human trafficking at the State Capitol. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Cindy Gonzalez<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/gov-pillen-and-law-enforcement-recognize-efforts-to-curb-human-trafficking/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen said he found it hard to comprehend at first that human trafficking existed in Nebraska. “Somebody’s gotta be making this stuff up,” he said.But on Friday, he and state law enforcers said the often hidden “scourge” impacted all counties of the state. They held a news conference recognizing Human Trafficking Awareness Month —&nbsp; and touted what they described as progress in raising public awareness.“It can be right next door and we don’t see it,” Pillen said.He cited a fresh Omaha case in which six people were arrested on suspicion of sex trafficking that involved two juveniles. A police report said officers originally responded Jan. 6 to a theft at the AmericInn near 13th and Spring Streets. As the case progressed, investigators found potential sex trafficking of two minors.Pillen was joined at the event in the State Capitol by Attorney General Mike Hilgers, Col. John Bolduc of the Nebraska State Patrol and FBI Special Agent in Charge Gene Kowal. Several state senators also attended, as did leaders from nonprofits and other organizations that work to combat trafficking.The group cited efforts in 2024 to curb the crime defined as forced labor or commercial sex without consent. Among the statewide efforts by the Human Trafficking Task Force under the Attorney General:<ul>
 <li>Trained more than 2,000 people to recognize warning signs of trafficking.</li><li>Created a poster to distribute statewide, and videos to help hospitality staff recognize trafficking and to educate high school students on signs of grooming of potential targets of trafficking.</li><li>Worked with a hospital in Winnebago to develop a forensic nursing team to serve survivors of trafficking, sexual assault and domestic violence.&nbsp;</li><li>Hosted the state’s first human trafficking summit in Kearney that drew about 200 people.</li>
 </ul>In addition, officials said, the Nebraska Human Trafficking Hotline — 833-PLS-LOOK — resulted in law enforcement officers being dispatched to a scene 15 times last year.&nbsp; The hotline received 113 calls last year, according to a brief report on human trafficking released Friday.&nbsp;Since the state’s human trafficking statute was created in 2006, Nebraska has had a total of 27 convictions for trafficking or attempted trafficking under the law, the report said.Last year, the report said, 12&nbsp;defendants statewide were convicted of felonies for human trafficking-related charges.Hilgers said his office each January holds an event to recommit the state to “end this illegal evil and no longer allow it to thrive in the shadows.”

Gov. Pillen and law enforcement recognize efforts to curb human trafficking

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-state-employees-union-reaches-tentative-agreement/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — The largest union representing Nebraska state employees announced last week that its members would vote soon on a tentative agreement with Gov. Jim Pillen’s negotiators.&nbsp;

The union has said it won’t release the language of the contract until after its members weigh in. But it highlighted some potential changes.

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://napeafscme.org/2025/01/08/state-of-nebraska-contract-reaches-tentative-agreement/" target="_blank">Jan. 8 post to its more than 8,000 members</a>, union leaders, including executive director Justin Hubly, wrote that they had secured raises of 6.5% to 19% over the next two years.

They also touted paid maternity leave, higher pay for people who speak multiple languages, better pay for some overnight shifts and more flexibility to donate sick leave to other workers.

The union also highlighted having pushed up the minimum wage of state contractors to $15 an hour, which would help state employees better compete with contracted labor.

In a statement to the Examiner, Hubly said his team “is pleased with the results of negotiations, and we made significant progress on our members’ priorities.”

Leaders did not, however, discuss any progress or negotiations on the future of remote work for state employees, a decision Pillen has said he would like the administration to retain.

The union and state are in the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/07/11/ne-labor-court-sides-with-gov-pillens-order-calling-state-employees-back-to-the-office/">middle of a court fight&nbsp;</a>over whether it can force the state to bargain with the union over his decision to force state employees back to the office.&nbsp;Hubly said the state was unwilling to negotiate remote work conditions while litigation continues.

He and other union leaders have said they plan to appeal a July decision by the Commission of Industrial Relations rejecting the union’s push to force Pillen to negotiate the issue and not act unilaterally.

Before they could do so, they needed to wait for the state labor court to&nbsp;<a href="https://ncir.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/1561%20Order%20for%20Attorney%20Fees.pdf" target="_blank">decide this month</a>&nbsp;that the union would have to pay the state at least $42,000 in attorney fees from the case.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736800965012.jpeg" alt="Justin Hubly, executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees. Dec. 7, 2023. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Justin Hubly, executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees. Dec. 7, 2023. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Aaron Sanderford<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-state-employees-union-reaches-tentative-agreement/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — The largest union representing Nebraska state employees announced last week that its members would vote soon on a tentative agreement with Gov. Jim Pillen’s negotiators.&nbsp;The union has said it won’t release the language of the contract until after its members weigh in. But it highlighted some potential changes.In a&nbsp;<a href="https://napeafscme.org/2025/01/08/state-of-nebraska-contract-reaches-tentative-agreement/" target="_blank">Jan. 8 post to its more than 8,000 members</a>, union leaders, including executive director Justin Hubly, wrote that they had secured raises of 6.5% to 19% over the next two years.They also touted paid maternity leave, higher pay for people who speak multiple languages, better pay for some overnight shifts and more flexibility to donate sick leave to other workers.The union also highlighted having pushed up the minimum wage of state contractors to $15 an hour, which would help state employees better compete with contracted labor.In a statement to the Examiner, Hubly said his team “is pleased with the results of negotiations, and we made significant progress on our members’ priorities.”Leaders did not, however, discuss any progress or negotiations on the future of remote work for state employees, a decision Pillen has said he would like the administration to retain.The union and state are in the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/07/11/ne-labor-court-sides-with-gov-pillens-order-calling-state-employees-back-to-the-office/">middle of a court fight&nbsp;</a>over whether it can force the state to bargain with the union over his decision to force state employees back to the office.&nbsp;Hubly said the state was unwilling to negotiate remote work conditions while litigation continues.He and other union leaders have said they plan to appeal a July decision by the Commission of Industrial Relations rejecting the union’s push to force Pillen to negotiate the issue and not act unilaterally.Before they could do so, they needed to wait for the state labor court to&nbsp;<a href="https://ncir.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/1561%20Order%20for%20Attorney%20Fees.pdf" target="_blank">decide this month</a>&nbsp;that the union would have to pay the state at least $42,000 in attorney fees from the case.&nbsp;

Nebraska state employees union reaches tentative agreement

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/10/nebraska-bills-call-for-end-to-double-bunking-inmates-caution-in-prosecutorial-decisions/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A Nebraska legislator has proposed a new law to end “double-bunking” of two inmates in a cell designed for one — a situation that has arisen due to prison overcrowding and has led to lawsuits against the state.

<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59089" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 99</a>, introduced Friday by State Sen. Ashlei Spivey alongside State Sens. Dunixi Guereca and Terrell McKinney, all of Omaha, would eliminate the practice unless inmates voluntarily agree in writing. Her bill also adds more limits on the use of solitary confinement.

Spivey said the proposed legislation continues the pursuit of “smart justice” policies championed by McKinney, former State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha and ACLU Nebraska. Spivey, sworn in this week as a new legislator, previously served as board chair of the ACLU.

Last year, the estate of deceased inmate Kevin Carter filed an&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/26/nebraska-corrections-officials-face-another-lawsuit-over-slaying-of-inmate-in-a-double-bunked-cell/">updated federal lawsuit</a>&nbsp;alleging that Nebraska Department of Correctional Services officials were negligent and reckless in housing the 20-year-old with a convicted murderer who was reportedly paranoid, delusional and threatening.

Carter was found unresponsive under a bed sheet and later was pronounced dead about a week after he was housed in the same cell as the inmate.&nbsp;

Nebraska’s Office of Inspector General of Corrections, which has oversight over the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, has&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/11/15/prison-watchdog-again-urges-end-to-double-bunking-of-certain-inmates-after-2022-death/">repeatedly urged an end to the practice</a>.

A similar slaying in a double-bunked cell occurred in 2017.

<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59011" target="_blank">LB 127</a>&nbsp;from State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst, also introduced Friday, would require that people who prevail over Nebraska criminal charges in certain situations be awarded monetary damages, such as lost wages.

McKeon’s bill would prevent such an award if the defendant was convicted of another substantially similar offense or the person waived the payment.

“The Legislature finds that people who are mistakenly or wrongfully prosecuted suffer significant financial hardship as a result,” the bill states. “The purpose of this section is to lessen the hardship faced by such people and to serve as an incentive for the government to use caution and restraint in making prosecutorial decisions.”

LB 99 and LB 127 were among 48 bills and three constitutional amendments introduced on the second day of bill introductions for the 2025 legislative session. Among the others:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736800855559.jpeg" alt=" The Nebraska State Capitol. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> The Nebraska State Capitol. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Cindy Gonzalez<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/10/nebraska-bills-call-for-end-to-double-bunking-inmates-caution-in-prosecutorial-decisions/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A Nebraska legislator has proposed a new law to end “double-bunking” of two inmates in a cell designed for one — a situation that has arisen due to prison overcrowding and has led to lawsuits against the state.<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59089" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 99</a>, introduced Friday by State Sen. Ashlei Spivey alongside State Sens. Dunixi Guereca and Terrell McKinney, all of Omaha, would eliminate the practice unless inmates voluntarily agree in writing. Her bill also adds more limits on the use of solitary confinement.Spivey said the proposed legislation continues the pursuit of “smart justice” policies championed by McKinney, former State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha and ACLU Nebraska. Spivey, sworn in this week as a new legislator, previously served as board chair of the ACLU.Last year, the estate of deceased inmate Kevin Carter filed an&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/26/nebraska-corrections-officials-face-another-lawsuit-over-slaying-of-inmate-in-a-double-bunked-cell/">updated federal lawsuit</a>&nbsp;alleging that Nebraska Department of Correctional Services officials were negligent and reckless in housing the 20-year-old with a convicted murderer who was reportedly paranoid, delusional and threatening.Carter was found unresponsive under a bed sheet and later was pronounced dead about a week after he was housed in the same cell as the inmate.&nbsp;Nebraska’s Office of Inspector General of Corrections, which has oversight over the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, has&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/11/15/prison-watchdog-again-urges-end-to-double-bunking-of-certain-inmates-after-2022-death/">repeatedly urged an end to the practice</a>.A similar slaying in a double-bunked cell occurred in 2017.<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59011" target="_blank">LB 127</a>&nbsp;from State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst, also introduced Friday, would require that people who prevail over Nebraska criminal charges in certain situations be awarded monetary damages, such as lost wages.McKeon’s bill would prevent such an award if the defendant was convicted of another substantially similar offense or the person waived the payment.“The Legislature finds that people who are mistakenly or wrongfully prosecuted suffer significant financial hardship as a result,” the bill states. “The purpose of this section is to lessen the hardship faced by such people and to serve as an incentive for the government to use caution and restraint in making prosecutorial decisions.”<h2>Bill introductions</h2>LB 99 and LB 127 were among 48 bills and three constitutional amendments introduced on the second day of bill introductions for the 2025 legislative session. Among the others:<ul>
 <li>&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58990" target="_blank">LB 95,</a>&nbsp;by State Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha, calls for a three-year pilot program to provide child care assistance for the child care workforce. Eligible workers must be income-qualified, with households earning 85% or less of median income.</li><li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59497" target="_blank">LB 100,</a>&nbsp;by Spivey, would create an Office of Business Entrepreneurship and Innovation. It would employ a full-time person within the Department of Economic Development to strengthen policies and programs supporting startup businesses and would submit an annual report tracking state contracts and awards to businesses in operation less than five years.&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58967" target="_blank">LB 101</a>, by State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln, revives a failed effort of last year that would allow landlords and tenants to demand a jury trial when an eviction notice is filed (versus a bench trial decided by a judge).&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59257" target="_blank">LB 107,</a>&nbsp;by State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, would provide an income tax credit for Nebraska renters. The refundable credit is not to exceed $1,000, and the greater of either 4% of the total amount of rent paid during the year or $200.</li><li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58926" target="_blank">LB 110,&nbsp;</a>by State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward, would prohibit health care providers from performing a pelvic examination on an anesthetized or unconscious patient in a hospital or medical clinic without prior written consent, except in the case of necessary emergency treatment or by a court order.</li><li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59233" target="_blank">LB 115,</a>&nbsp;by State Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln, would expand a refundable income tax credit for volunteer emergency responders — firefighters or members of local rescue squads — from $250 to $1,000 each year. Ballard said it is “a little token of at least the state’s appreciation” for Nebraskans who put their lives at risk and volunteer hours of their time for others.</li><li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58908" target="_blank">LB 117,</a>&nbsp;by State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue, would exempt the sale or purchase of residential electricity, natural gas, propane and sewer from sales taxes, effective Jan. 1, 2026.</li><li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59385" target="_blank">LB 122,&nbsp;</a>by State Sen. Glen Meyer of Pender, would require schools to prominently display the national motto — “In God We Trust” and the state motto — “Equality Under the Law” — in all Nebraska classrooms or a central location.</li><li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59576" target="_blank">Legislative Resolutions 5CA&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59414" target="_blank">6CA,</a>&nbsp;also from Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, seek to remove a provision voters put into the Nebraska Constitution in 2000 against the validity or recognition of same sex marriages. LR 6CA would explicitly require Nebraska and its political subdivisions to recognize marriage of and issue marriage licenses to couples regardless of gender and race. Under a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision, the provision is unconstitutional but remains in the Nebraska Constitution. If passed, the resolutions would go to voters in 2026.</li><li><a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58899" target="_blank">LR 7CA,&nbsp;</a>by State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams, would increase lawmakers’ annual salary from $12,000 to $30,000 if passed by the Legislature and approved by voters in 2026.</li>
 </ul>

Nebraska bills call for end to ‘double-bunking’ inmates, caution in prosecutorial decisions

Chadron, Neb. - At 2:04 pm on Saturday, Jan. 11 Chadron Volunteer Fire Department was paged out for a detached garage fire with a residential structure at risk.

We responded with two city pumpers, one ladder truck, one crash unit and a command vehicle, as well as a rescue unit.

The garage is considered a total loss, but there is no damage to the residence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736783665106.jpeg" alt="Photo by AJ Huffman" />
 <figcaption>Photo by AJ Huffman</figcaption>
 </figure>Chadron Police DepartmentChadron, Neb. - At 2:04 pm on Saturday, Jan. 11 Chadron Volunteer Fire Department was paged out for a detached garage fire with a residential structure at risk.We responded with two city pumpers, one ladder truck, one crash unit and a command vehicle, as well as a rescue unit.The garage is considered a total loss, but there is no damage to the residence.

Chadron Volunteer Fire Department responds to weekend fire

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/13/what-if-all-states-adopted-nebraskas-blue-dot-approach-for-president/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — If every state adopted Nebraska’s unique system of awarding its Electoral College votes for president — which provides one electoral vote to the winner in each congressional district and two per state to the overall winner — President-elect Donald Trump would have still won the White House.

But his margin of victory would have been slimmer.

A Nebraska Examiner analysis found that Trump would have won the popular vote in 229 congressional districts compared to wins by Vice President Kamala Harris in 206 districts, according to results compiled by national political analyst Drew Savicki.

Trump would have secured another 62 electoral votes by winning the statewide popular vote in 31 of 50 states, giving him 291 electoral votes, 21 more than needed to win the White House.

That result under a district-led system would have resulted in Trump winning 21 fewer electoral votes than were cast for him Monday, based on the current system of counting electoral votes, in which 48 states award all the electoral votes from those states to the popular vote winner statewide. His margin of victory over Harris would have been a narrower 291-247.

The real 2024 vote, based on the winner-take-all system used by every state except Nebraska and Maine, gave the Republican nominee a victory margin of 312 to 226 over Harris, the Democratic nominee.

The analysis comes as the Nebraska Legislature is poised again to consider whether to rescind the state’s unique system of awarding electoral votes and return to a winner-take-all approach, the law in the state until 1991.

This time, Nebraska provided four of its five electoral votes to Trump — two for winning the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts and two for winning the state overall. Harris secured one by winning in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District.

Two political science professors asked to comment on the Examiner’s analysis said they were not surprised by the results. The so-called “district system” used by Nebraska and Maine would rarely make a difference in the election outcome, they said.

Randy Adkins of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Dona-Gene Barton of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln said there’s no doubt that using the district system has brought additional attention from campaigns and the media to Nebraska’s 2nd District, the so-called “blue dot.”

It did so because it has delivered electoral votes to Democrats three times since 2000 in a Republican-dominated state.

“Most of the time, it doesn’t make a difference,” Adkins said.

But if all states adopted the system of awarding electoral votes by congressional district, more presidential campaigns would be spread out across the country, instead of focusing mostly on a handful of battleground states, Adkins said.

“All of a sudden, Republicans are campaigning in California and Democrats in Texas,” he said.

In this past election campaign, the UNO professor said he was interviewed by 200 reporters, from as far away as Japan, Austria and France. Most wanted to know about the possible impact of the blue dot on the outcome of the November election.

“Omaha got national and international attention from that,” Adkins said of the district approach to electoral votes. “It puts Omaha into discussions that didn’t exist before.”

Had all states adopted Nebraska’s system, it would have made a difference in an outcome at least once: Americans would have elected Mitt Romney president in 2012 rather than Barack Obama.

Obama won the popular vote by nearly 5 million votes and won in the Electoral College by a 332-206 margin. But if the electoral votes had been divided up by who got the most votes in each congressional district, Romney would have won by a margin of 273-262 — three more than needed for the White House.

Nationally, some Republicans sought for a time to change the way their states divvied up electoral votes from a winner-take-all system to the district way because of the 2012 election.

But generally, Republicans have preferred the Electoral College because it tends to favor GOP candidates, who do better in rural, less populated states and do worse in big cities and more populated states.

Public opinion polls, meanwhile, regularly indicate support for getting rid of the Electoral College, which is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, and using the popular vote for president.

Democrats have favored such a switch. After all, two Democrats, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Al Gore in 2008 won the popular vote but lost the presidency in the Electoral College. Given that Trump won both the popular and electoral votes in 2024, there hasn’t been as much talk of ditching the Electoral College.

A major gripe about the Electoral College is that it gives each state two votes for the popular vote winner in that state — one each of its two U.S. senators. That means that the nation’s least-populous state, Wyoming, with about 585,000 residents, has as much clout in that regard as the biggest state, California, which has a population of nearly 39 million.

In Nebraska, GOP leaders, led by Gov. Jim Pillen, have long called for returning to a winner-take-all system. He maintains that it would allow the state’s voters to speak with one voice, and end the “undue influence” of the Omaha-area’s “blue dot.”

Defenders of the district system, meanwhile, say it allows voters’ voices to be heard in states — like Nebraska — where the politics in each congressional district are different.

Republicans in Nebraska’s GOP-dominated Legislature made two last-minute tries in 2024 to get rid of the district system after anxiety rose that Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, in a possibly close election, might tilt the election to Harris.

As it turned out, Harris’ win in the “blue dot” didn’t matter, because Trump easily won the election after sweeping nearly all seven “battleground” states that swing back and forth between favoring Democrats or Republicans.

That is another common criticism of the winner-take-all approach, because a nationwide election comes down to a few battleground states and tend to ignore the others.

Former State Sen. Mike McDonnell, a Democrat-turned-Republican, was a critical “no” vote against switching to winner-take-all despite his change of political party.

McDonnell, who is now a candidate for mayor of Omaha, said the current district system brought increased attention and campaign spending to the Omaha area that would disappear if Nebraska adopted a winner-take-all system.

Harris’ win in the Omaha area was the third time that a Democrat had emerged as the winner in the 2nd District. The other wins came in 2008 by Obama and in 2020 by Joe Biden.

The latest win has prompted Pillen to again urge the Legislature to do away with the state’s district system.

State Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City proposed Legislative Bill 3 on Thursday that would shift the state to a winner-take-all system. It would award all five of the state’s electoral votes to the statewide winner of the presidential popular vote.

Whether or not that happens is up in the air — Republicans have 33 senators in the Legislature, enough to fend off a filibuster and pass a change in voting laws. But it remains to be seen if every GOP state senator would support such a switch.

At least a couple want state voters, at the ballot box via a proposed constitutional amendment, to decide.

Adkins said that 150 years ago, there was more discussion by states about switching to a district system similar to what Nebraska and Maine use.

He said states can adopt the district system without amending the U.S. Constitution, which he said would be easier than amending the constitution to get rid of the Electoral College.

Barton, the UNL professor, said she doesn’t see any momentum nationally to get rid of the Electoral College, given that Republicans control both houses of Congress and the White House.

She said changing back to a winner-take-all system would end the political attention focused on the 2nd District, because Nebraska, as a whole, has reliably voted for Republican candidates for the past 60 years.

“I think that would be a bad move for Neb

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736801172408.jpeg" alt="Nebraska Examiner logo" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska Examiner logo</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/13/what-if-all-states-adopted-nebraskas-blue-dot-approach-for-president/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — If every state adopted Nebraska’s unique system of awarding its Electoral College votes for president — which provides one electoral vote to the winner in each congressional district and two per state to the overall winner — President-elect Donald Trump would have still won the White House.But his margin of victory would have been slimmer.A Nebraska Examiner analysis found that Trump would have won the popular vote in 229 congressional districts compared to wins by Vice President Kamala Harris in 206 districts, according to results compiled by national political analyst Drew Savicki.Trump would have secured another 62 electoral votes by winning the statewide popular vote in 31 of 50 states, giving him 291 electoral votes, 21 more than needed to win the White House.That result under a district-led system would have resulted in Trump winning 21 fewer electoral votes than were cast for him Monday, based on the current system of counting electoral votes, in which 48 states award all the electoral votes from those states to the popular vote winner statewide. His margin of victory over Harris would have been a narrower 291-247.<h2>How the election worked in 2024</h2>The real 2024 vote, based on the winner-take-all system used by every state except Nebraska and Maine, gave the Republican nominee a victory margin of 312 to 226 over Harris, the Democratic nominee.The analysis comes as the Nebraska Legislature is poised again to consider whether to rescind the state’s unique system of awarding electoral votes and return to a winner-take-all approach, the law in the state until 1991.This time, Nebraska provided four of its five electoral votes to Trump — two for winning the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts and two for winning the state overall. Harris secured one by winning in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District.Two political science professors asked to comment on the Examiner’s analysis said they were not surprised by the results. The so-called “district system” used by Nebraska and Maine would rarely make a difference in the election outcome, they said.Randy Adkins of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Dona-Gene Barton of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln said there’s no doubt that using the district system has brought additional attention from campaigns and the media to Nebraska’s 2nd District, the so-called “blue dot.”It did so because it has delivered electoral votes to Democrats three times since 2000 in a Republican-dominated state.“Most of the time, it doesn’t make a difference,” Adkins said.<h2>What the change might mean</h2>But if all states adopted the system of awarding electoral votes by congressional district, more presidential campaigns would be spread out across the country, instead of focusing mostly on a handful of battleground states, Adkins said.“All of a sudden, Republicans are campaigning in California and Democrats in Texas,” he said.In this past election campaign, the UNO professor said he was interviewed by 200 reporters, from as far away as Japan, Austria and France. Most wanted to know about the possible impact of the blue dot on the outcome of the November election.“Omaha got national and international attention from that,” Adkins said of the district approach to electoral votes. “It puts Omaha into discussions that didn’t exist before.”Had all states adopted Nebraska’s system, it would have made a difference in an outcome at least once: Americans would have elected Mitt Romney president in 2012 rather than Barack Obama.Obama won the popular vote by nearly 5 million votes and won in the Electoral College by a 332-206 margin. But if the electoral votes had been divided up by who got the most votes in each congressional district, Romney would have won by a margin of 273-262 — three more than needed for the White House.Nationally, some Republicans sought for a time to change the way their states divvied up electoral votes from a winner-take-all system to the district way because of the 2012 election.But generally, Republicans have preferred the Electoral College because it tends to favor GOP candidates, who do better in rural, less populated states and do worse in big cities and more populated states.Public opinion polls, meanwhile, regularly indicate support for getting rid of the Electoral College, which is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, and using the popular vote for president.Democrats have favored such a switch. After all, two Democrats, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Al Gore in 2008 won the popular vote but lost the presidency in the Electoral College. Given that Trump won both the popular and electoral votes in 2024, there hasn’t been as much talk of ditching the Electoral College.A major gripe about the Electoral College is that it gives each state two votes for the popular vote winner in that state — one each of its two U.S. senators. That means that the nation’s least-populous state, Wyoming, with about 585,000 residents, has as much clout in that regard as the biggest state, California, which has a population of nearly 39 million.<h2>Nebraska Republicans eye ‘blue dot’</h2>In Nebraska, GOP leaders, led by Gov. Jim Pillen, have long called for returning to a winner-take-all system. He maintains that it would allow the state’s voters to speak with one voice, and end the “undue influence” of the Omaha-area’s “blue dot.”Defenders of the district system, meanwhile, say it allows voters’ voices to be heard in states — like Nebraska — where the politics in each congressional district are different.Republicans in Nebraska’s GOP-dominated Legislature made two last-minute tries in 2024 to get rid of the district system after anxiety rose that Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, in a possibly close election, might tilt the election to Harris.As it turned out, Harris’ win in the “blue dot” didn’t matter, because Trump easily won the election after sweeping nearly all seven “battleground” states that swing back and forth between favoring Democrats or Republicans.That is another common criticism of the winner-take-all approach, because a nationwide election comes down to a few battleground states and tend to ignore the others.Former State Sen. Mike McDonnell, a Democrat-turned-Republican, was a critical “no” vote against switching to winner-take-all despite his change of political party.McDonnell, who is now a candidate for mayor of Omaha, said the current district system brought increased attention and campaign spending to the Omaha area that would disappear if Nebraska adopted a winner-take-all system.<h2>The way forward</h2>Harris’ win in the Omaha area was the third time that a Democrat had emerged as the winner in the 2nd District. The other wins came in 2008 by Obama and in 2020 by Joe Biden.The latest win has prompted Pillen to again urge the Legislature to do away with the state’s district system.State Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City proposed Legislative Bill 3 on Thursday that would shift the state to a winner-take-all system. It would award all five of the state’s electoral votes to the statewide winner of the presidential popular vote.Whether or not that happens is up in the air — Republicans have 33 senators in the Legislature, enough to fend off a filibuster and pass a change in voting laws. But it remains to be seen if every GOP state senator would support such a switch.At least a couple want state voters, at the ballot box via a proposed constitutional amendment, to decide.Adkins said that 150 years ago, there was more discussion by states about switching to a district system similar to what Nebraska and Maine use.He said states can adopt the district system without amending the U.S. Constitution, which he said would be easier than amending the constitution to get rid of the Electoral College.Barton, the UNL professor, said she doesn’t see any momentum nationally to get rid of the Electoral College, given that Republicans control both houses of Congress and the White House.She said changing back to a winner-take-all system would end the political attention focused on the 2nd District, because Nebraska, as a whole, has reliably voted for Republican candidates for the past 60 years.“I think that would be a bad move for Neb

What if all states adopted Nebraska’s ‘blue dot’ approach for president?

CHICAGO&nbsp;‒ The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into an agreement with JBS USA Food Co. in which the nation’s leading meat packing processor and slaughterhouse will provide $4 million to assist individuals and communities affected by unlawful child labor practices nationwide.

The Jan. 13, 2025, agreement commits JBS to holding key elements of its supply chain, third-party contractors and service providers accountable for illegal child labor. They are also creating a targeted advertising campaign to raise awareness about unlawful child labor practices.

“Under this agreement, JBS USA Food Co. has adopted creative and forward-thinking compliance measures to combat illegal child labor,” said Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman. “JBS has taken responsibility for children performing dangerous work at its facilities by proposing concrete and enforceable solutions to address those issues, setting the standard as a market leader in preventing illegal youth employment.”&nbsp;

JBS will fund $4 million towards preventing illegal child labor and supporting victims of child labor nationwide while prioritizing its efforts in the communities of Guntersville, Alabama; Greeley, Colorado; Ottumwa, Iowa; Worthington, Minnesota; and Grand Island, Nebraska.

The funds may provide direct assistance to affected individuals and community organizations in the form of scholarships, stipends and educational aid including assistance to community organizations to fund English as a Second Language teaching positions, literacy, job training and housing.

“Host companies like JBS have enormous leverage to help prevent child labor in their supply chains and even more broadly in the industry,” said Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda. “With this agreement, JBS USA Food Co. is taking significant steps to ensure children are not put in harm’s way at its facilities or by its contractors.”&nbsp;

In addition to the establishment of the $4 million fund for victims of child labor and community-based causes, the agreement requires JBS to do the following:

<a>Headquartered in Greeley, JBS USA Food Co. is a leading producer of beef with nine U.S. facilities, offering beef products to more than 44 countries on six continents and the second-largest fresh pork producer with five U.S. facilities, offering pork products to more than 26 countries on five continents. The company employs more than 37,000 people at these facilities. Its products are sold under dozens of brand names including Pilgrim’s, Primo and Swift in the U.S. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of JBS S.A. in Brazil, the world’s largest processor of fresh beef and pork, with more than $50 billion in annual sales.</a>

Since 2022, the department has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20230217-1">investigated various third-party contractors</a>&nbsp;that provide&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20221206-3">sanitation services at meat packing establishments</a>&nbsp;and service providers of poultry catching operations across the U.S. These investigations discovered that JBS’s third-party service providers employed children in dangerous jobs and during overnight shifts at the company’s facilities in Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska.

In fiscal year 2024, department investigators found&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/data">more than 4,000 children had been employed in violation of federal child labor laws</a>. The division continues to prioritize protecting children and currently has over 1,000 open child labor investigations.

Workers and employers can call the division confidentially with questions and the division can speak with callers in more than 200 languages at its toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd">Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division</a>,&nbsp;including child labor regulations on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/child-labor/what-jobs-are-off-limits">dangerous jobs that are prohibited</a>&nbsp;for workers under age 18.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736801594156.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO&nbsp;‒ The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into an agreement with JBS USA Food Co. in which the nation’s leading meat packing processor and slaughterhouse will provide $4 million to assist individuals and communities affected by unlawful child labor practices nationwide.The Jan. 13, 2025, agreement commits JBS to holding key elements of its supply chain, third-party contractors and service providers accountable for illegal child labor. They are also creating a targeted advertising campaign to raise awareness about unlawful child labor practices.“Under this agreement, JBS USA Food Co. has adopted creative and forward-thinking compliance measures to combat illegal child labor,” said Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman. “JBS has taken responsibility for children performing dangerous work at its facilities by proposing concrete and enforceable solutions to address those issues, setting the standard as a market leader in preventing illegal youth employment.”&nbsp;JBS will fund $4 million towards preventing illegal child labor and supporting victims of child labor nationwide while prioritizing its efforts in the communities of Guntersville, Alabama; Greeley, Colorado; Ottumwa, Iowa; Worthington, Minnesota; and Grand Island, Nebraska.The funds may provide direct assistance to affected individuals and community organizations in the form of scholarships, stipends and educational aid including assistance to community organizations to fund English as a Second Language teaching positions, literacy, job training and housing.“Host companies like JBS have enormous leverage to help prevent child labor in their supply chains and even more broadly in the industry,” said Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda. “With this agreement, JBS USA Food Co. is taking significant steps to ensure children are not put in harm’s way at its facilities or by its contractors.”&nbsp;In addition to the establishment of the $4 million fund for victims of child labor and community-based causes, the agreement requires JBS to do the following:<ul>
 <li>Host or sponsor a symposium focused on preventing illegal child labor for industry leaders, non-profits and other interested parties committed to combating unlawful child labor.</li><li>Hire a child labor compliance specialist to review policies, develop training materials and conduct unannounced audits.</li><li>Maintain a toll-free ethics hotline for the anonymous reporting of compliance concerns.</li><li>Incorporate a zero-tolerance policy in any contract agreements with third-party sanitation firms or poultry catching service providers.</li><li>Notify the department when contracts have been terminated because of child labor violations.</li><li>Conduct community outreach to educate communities about the prohibitions on child labor at meat packing establishments.</li><li>Create targeted advertising campaigns to raise awareness about unlawful child labor in Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska.</li><li>Require nationwide training on prevention of illegal child labor to all third-party sanitation employers at JBS facilities and all JBS employees at meat packing establishments.</li>
 </ul><a>Headquartered in Greeley, JBS USA Food Co. is a leading producer of beef with nine U.S. facilities, offering beef products to more than 44 countries on six continents and the second-largest fresh pork producer with five U.S. facilities, offering pork products to more than 26 countries on five continents. The company employs more than 37,000 people at these facilities. Its products are sold under dozens of brand names including Pilgrim’s, Primo and Swift in the U.S. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of JBS S.A. in Brazil, the world’s largest processor of fresh beef and pork, with more than $50 billion in annual sales.</a>Since 2022, the department has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20230217-1">investigated various third-party contractors</a>&nbsp;that provide&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20221206-3">sanitation services at meat packing establishments</a>&nbsp;and service providers of poultry catching operations across the U.S. These investigations discovered that JBS’s third-party service providers employed children in dangerous jobs and during overnight shifts at the company’s facilities in Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska.In fiscal year 2024, department investigators found&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/data">more than 4,000 children had been employed in violation of federal child labor laws</a>. The division continues to prioritize protecting children and currently has over 1,000 open child labor investigations.Workers and employers can call the division confidentially with questions and the division can speak with callers in more than 200 languages at its toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd">Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division</a>,&nbsp;including child labor regulations on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/child-labor/what-jobs-are-off-limits">dangerous jobs that are prohibited</a>&nbsp;for workers under age 18.

US Department of Labor secures agreement with JBS USA, nation’s  largest meat packing processor, to address child labor compliance

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/11/nebraska-lawmakers-aim-to-define-male-female-for-sports-bathrooms-and-more/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;Nebraska lawmakers will seek to define “male” and “female” in state law, broadening a past effort focused on sex-based restrictions for K-12 school bathrooms and sports teams to colleges and all areas of state government.

<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58025" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 89</a>, the Stand With Women Act from State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha and 20 other lawmakers, builds upon LB 575 from 2023: the Sports and Spaces Act. Now Kauth is trying to codify a “<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/30/nebraska-gov-pillen-enacts-second-governor-led-womens-bill-of-rights/">Women’s Bill of Rights</a>” that Gov. Jim Pillen enacted by executive order in August 2023.

“We have to be able to say that a woman is a woman and a man is a man, and there should be some places where each sex has privacy,” Kauth said at a morning news conference Friday with two University of Nebraska athletes and all but one of her legislative cosponsors.

Abbi Swatsworth, executive director of the statewide LGBTQ nonprofit OutNebraska, described the bill as an “escalation” of Kauth’s past efforts.

“Nobody’s ‘equality before the law’ should ever be put in jeopardy, and that is exactly what this bill does by touching everything that government controls,” Swatsworth said, quoting the state motto.

Kauth’s bill would define female, woman, girl, male, man and boy as follows:

The act would cover any agency, board, bureau, commission “or any other entity whose primary function is to act as an instrumentality or agency of the state.”

Governing bodies of any public or private K-12 school, as well as those overseeing postsecondary educational institutions, would need to designate all group restrooms or locker rooms for use by only females or males. This would be the same for all state-operated or used facilities, such as prisons, colleges and mental health facilities.

People whose sex does not match the designated bathrooms or locker rooms could enter for custodial, maintenance or inspection purposes or to render emergency assistance. Coaches, athletic trainers and other authorized officials or school employees would similarly be allowed to enter locker rooms.

Parents or caregivers of a minor child or someone with a disability who is a different sex than a parent or caregiver could join the child in the restroom of the parent’s or caregiver’s sex.

Individuals born with a diagnosis of a disorder or difference in sex development would have the “relevant legal protections and accommodations” available under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

These were among concerns raised about Kauth’s Sports and Spaces Act when it&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/05/bathroom-sports-team-restrictions-fall-short-in-nebraska-legislature/">failed to advance by two votes</a>&nbsp;in April 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736799911325.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, left, is the lead sponsor on the “Stand With Women Act” to define school sports teams, bathrooms and locker rooms, as well as all bathrooms for state agencies, as male or female, as defined in her bill. Jan. 10, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, left, is the lead sponsor on the “Stand With Women Act” to define school sports teams, bathrooms and locker rooms, as well as all bathrooms for state agencies, as male or female, as defined in her bill. Jan. 10, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/11/nebraska-lawmakers-aim-to-define-male-female-for-sports-bathrooms-and-more/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;Nebraska lawmakers will seek to define “male” and “female” in state law, broadening a past effort focused on sex-based restrictions for K-12 school bathrooms and sports teams to colleges and all areas of state government.<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58025" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 89</a>, the Stand With Women Act from State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha and 20 other lawmakers, builds upon LB 575 from 2023: the Sports and Spaces Act. Now Kauth is trying to codify a “<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/30/nebraska-gov-pillen-enacts-second-governor-led-womens-bill-of-rights/">Women’s Bill of Rights</a>” that Gov. Jim Pillen enacted by executive order in August 2023.“We have to be able to say that a woman is a woman and a man is a man, and there should be some places where each sex has privacy,” Kauth said at a morning news conference Friday with two University of Nebraska athletes and all but one of her legislative cosponsors.Abbi Swatsworth, executive director of the statewide LGBTQ nonprofit OutNebraska, described the bill as an “escalation” of Kauth’s past efforts.“Nobody’s ‘equality before the law’ should ever be put in jeopardy, and that is exactly what this bill does by touching everything that government controls,” Swatsworth said, quoting the state motto.<h2>Defining ‘female’ and ‘male’</h2>Kauth’s bill would define female, woman, girl, male, man and boy as follows:<ul>
 <li>Female: A person whose biological reproductive system is organized around the production of ova, including a woman (adult female) and a girl (adolescent female).</li><li>Male: A person whose biological reproductive system is organized around the production of sperm, including a man (adult male) and a boy (adolescent male).</li>
 </ul>The act would cover any agency, board, bureau, commission “or any other entity whose primary function is to act as an instrumentality or agency of the state.”Governing bodies of any public or private K-12 school, as well as those overseeing postsecondary educational institutions, would need to designate all group restrooms or locker rooms for use by only females or males. This would be the same for all state-operated or used facilities, such as prisons, colleges and mental health facilities.<h2>Exceptions to the bill</h2>People whose sex does not match the designated bathrooms or locker rooms could enter for custodial, maintenance or inspection purposes or to render emergency assistance. Coaches, athletic trainers and other authorized officials or school employees would similarly be allowed to enter locker rooms.Parents or caregivers of a minor child or someone with a disability who is a different sex than a parent or caregiver could join the child in the restroom of the parent’s or caregiver’s sex.Individuals born with a diagnosis of a disorder or difference in sex development would have the “relevant legal protections and accommodations” available under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.These were among concerns raised about Kauth’s Sports and Spaces Act when it&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/05/bathroom-sports-team-restrictions-fall-short-in-nebraska-legislature/">failed to advance by two votes</a>&nbsp;in April 2024.<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/23/trans-health-exercise-specialists-weigh-in-on-nebraska-trans-sports-proposal/">Sports teams</a>&nbsp;sponsored by a school or athletic association would need to explicitly define sports or teams as for males, men or boys; females, women or girls; or coed or mixed.Female-designated sports or teams would exclude any male student-athletes, as defined by the law. Male-designated sports would be closed to female student-athletes unless there is no female equivalent sport offered.The Nebraska commissioner of education would be tasked with determining if a school district intentionally refuses to comply with the law and, if after a letter stating the noncompliance and a “reasonable time” to get in compliance, could take remedial action up to a violation for school accreditation.It’s unclear how the bill might apply to postsecondary institutions, which aren’t overseen by the state education commissioner.<h2>‘Our God makes no mistakes’</h2>Among speakers at the news conference Friday were Pillen and NU student-athletes: Jordy Bahl from the softball team and Rebekah Allick from Nebraska volleyball. Protesters gathered and shouted in the hallway outside the governor’s hearing room.The athletes urged transgender Nebraskans to find God and open their hearts to the love of Jesus Christ for an issue they said shouldn’t be partisan.“Our God makes no mistakes, and I believe it is beautiful that every single one of these souls is in here right now,” Allick said to a crowded room in the Nebraska State Capitol supporting Kauth’s bill. “Honestly, my heart just mostly breaks for the trans community, because I believe a lot of them resorted to that community because people weren’t listening … when they were asking for help and were confused.”Bahl, who supported Kauth’s previous bill focused on K-12 schools, recalled when she was 7 or 8 growing up in Papillion, Nebraska, and would go to the pool in the summer.She said she would show up and quickly walk through her designated locker room as quickly as possible.“If I accidentally saw a woman showering or changing, I just felt so awkward and so uncomfortable, and I just wanted to get out of there,” Bahl said.“Now, at this day and age, I just stop for a moment and I think: What disturbance and trauma would have come over me if, at that age, if I’m that embarrassed and awkward seeing another woman, had there been a man, or let alone a man watching me shower or watching me change?” she continued.Kauth said one instance would be too many is why her law was needed and that schools already have policies for following state law, so the bill doesn’t “have to recreate the deal.”<h2>An existing K-12 sports policy</h2>State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston was one of two Republicans to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/22/a-growing-number-of-nebraska-lawmakers-seeks-to-avoid-another-fight-on-trans-youth-in-2024/">oppose</a>&nbsp;Kauth’s Sports and Spaces Act in the spring of 2024.A self-described “doubting Thomas” of the bill, Riepe said the expansion to all of state government complicates the goal. He said he’s disappointed Kauth didn’t bring two bills for some choice, and he pointed to an&nbsp;<a href="https://nsaahome.org/about/gppolicy.pdf" target="_blank">existing Nebraska School Activities Association gender participation policy</a>&nbsp;that already covers participating K-12 schools.“I am interested in preserving women’s sports, and that’s about as far as I’ve gone or been able to take myself to,” Riepe said. “If they would keep it simple enough, then I could probably support it.”A handful of public schools, including&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/09/05/kearney-norfolk-school-officials-explain-trans-student-athlete-policies/">Kearney Public Schools and Norfolk Public Schools</a>, have passed policies similar to the former Sports and Spaces Act. The NSAA policy is not binding on schools.State Sen. Stan Clouse of Kearney, who was mayor of his city for 18 years until he was elected to the Legislature in November, said lawmakers have a responsibility to protect girls and women in sports, as well as in their intimate spaces. He and Kauth said schools need consistency.“Now the NSAA, I agree, they have a great policy, but it’s not statute. There’s a big difference,” Clouse said. “I think this is what is best now.”<h2>Getting to 33 votes</h2>State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, a former school board member for Omaha Public Schools until she was elected to the statehouse in November, said she had heard of no issues at OPS regarding bathrooms or sports teams. She said officials worked to accommodate and support all students.“I was pleased to hear that since I had no clue, and because that’s how I feel towards community in general, always wanting people to feel welcomed, because I just think that that’s so critical, especially from a mental health perspective,” Juarez said.Juarez said she hasn’t questioned if someone was in the “wrong” restroom, but “knowing our environment today and being respectful, I personally, I don’t think that I’d be uncomfortable.”State Sens. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln and Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, chief opponents of Kauth’s previous bill, said it was a distraction from other bills to help everyday Nebraskans, like Conrad’s efforts to remove taxes on tips,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59224" target="_blank">LB 28</a>, and overtime,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59225" target="_blank">LB 30</a>, and Cavanaugh’s bill to support renters,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59257" target="_blank">LB 107</a>.Kauth said hasn’t yet secured the 33 votes likely needed for the bill to overcome an expected filibuster. She has 20 cosponsors, and three senators who have not yet signed onto to the bill joined the news conference: State Sens. Jana Hughes of Seward, Glen Meyer of Pender and Dave “Woody” Wordekemper of Fremont.<h2>Nebraska historic volleyball record</h2>State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, who supported the Sports and Spaces Act, chairs the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/10/state-sen-jane-raybould-sings-in-opposition-to-nebraska-legislative-committee-assignments/">Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee</a>&nbsp;where Kauth’s LB 89 is likely to be referred for a hearing, because it touches so many areas of government.Sanders said she would give every testifier a fair chance to speak and a safe space to do so. She said she was abroad on Aug. 30, 2023, the historic Volleyball Day in Nebraska when 92,003 Huskers fans packed Memorial Stadium.&nbsp;It was the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/09/27/nebraska-advocates-say-womens-bill-of-rights-does-not-focus-on-needed-priorities/">same day Pillen issued his Nebraska Women’s Bill of Rights</a>&nbsp;for state agencies.“The first thing I thought was, ‘Whose brainchild was this?’” Sanders said of the volleyball record. “But more importantly, from the ‘70s to today of what it’s done [Title IX] for women and women’s sports and being able to leverage what they have.”Allick said the idea of separating church and state is “one of the biggest things that, personally, really pisses me off.” She asked without church and God if she was “just a speck of dust in this entire universe” or if her “combustion in my mother’s uterus was an accident.”“I just ask that we continue to pray for our brothers and sisters who feel lost and unloved and have found community elsewhere and are still wrapped in the arms of the devil that we just ask them to come to Jesus,” Allick said.<h2>‘God made me a trans woman’</h2>Jessie McGrath of Omaha, a native of Max, Nebraska, and a prosecutor in Los Angeles, said that as a transgender woman, Kauth’s efforts are troubling because McGrath has gone through efforts for legal changes to her name, birth certificate, passport and Social Security.“Everything indicates that I’m an adult human female, which means I’m a woman,” McGrath said, adding it was a years-long process for herself. “Why is it that now I’m suddenly a threat to the women everywhere, because I go pee in the ladies room?”McGrath said the effort is broader — that it’s about Kauth and others not wanting trans people to exist — and inflicting religious beliefs that not everyone shares.McGrath is Christian and agrees with Bahl that God doesn’t make mistakes.“But God made me a trans woman, and I recognize that, and it took me a long time to recognize that,” McGrath said. “It’s my acceptance of the fact that this was God’s path for me that finally allowed me to be able to break free from all of the repression that I put upon myself in order to be able to live free.”