NTF Worksheet: *UPDATED* BAD BILLS IN THE 2019 LEGISLATURE

Legwatch2019.doc. 1-19.
NEBRASKA TAXPAYERS FOR FREEDOM WORKSHEET:
GOOD & BAD BILLS IN THE 2019 LEGISLATURE. Updated: 4/15/19

BAD RESOLUTIONS.
LR 9: Wayne. To call a constitutional convention to reverse a U.S. Supreme Court rulings that overturned liberal campaign finance laws. BAD RESOLUTION/ GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

LR14CA: Wayne. Allow cities and villages to pledge taxes used for TIF indebtedness for a period not to exceed 20 years instead of 15 years, if more than 1/2 of the property in the project area is designated as extremely blighted. However, the bill contains no definition of extreme blight, and future senators could expand the definition. Expanding the repayment period will encourage developers to persuade officials to declare more areas blighted in order to qualify for a longer repayment period. This property would remain off the tax rolls for another 5 years, forcing taxpayers in other areas to pay more. TIFs have become tax giveaways to developers. BAD RESOLUTION/ SELECT FILE

BAD BILLS.
LB 15: Blood. To require most insurance companies to cover all expenses for hearing aids for Nebraskans younger than 19. Expenses capped at $3,000 over 4 years. Mandated costs for such coverage passed along by higher premiums for others. BAD BILL/ FINAL READING

LB 18: Briese. To levy sales taxes on Internet purchases from companies whose gross revenue from NE sales exceeds $100,000 or whose deliveries exceed 200+ in separate transactions. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 25: Kolterman. To impose biennial fees of $50 for doctors and $20 for physician assistants through 2025 to fund a patient safety medical malpractice fund. BAD BILL/ PASSED

LB 33: Kolterman. To exempt legal compliance audits contracts from bidding requirements. BAD BILL/ PASSED

LB 39: Hilkemann. Not wearing a car seat belt would constitute a primary offense. BAD BILL/ TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

LB 44: Chambers. To eliminate the state death penalty, after a majority of Nebraskans voted to restore it. His bill would apply retroactively. The ACLU-NE supports the bill. BAD BILL/ GENERAL FILE

LB 50: Vargas. To raise the state income tax on individuals earning over $100,000 or married couples earning over $200,000, to 7.84%. To levy an additional 1% income tax on taxable income exceeding $1 million and an additional 2% income tax on taxable income exceeding $2 million. The bill would increase revenue by $140 million in FY 2019-2020 and $105 million in FY 2020-2021. Experience in other states shows that expected revenue does not materialize, perhaps because millionaires leave. This bill severely would hurt small businesses that file as individual taxpayers. Mobile businesses would not locate in NE. Our income taxes would place us as the 5th highest, matching our high property tax rating. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 58: Morfeld. To allow authorities to take guns away from people only suspected of presenting a danger. Liberals claim the objective is to remove guns from those who might use them for mass shootings or terrorism. Called extreme risk protection orders or risk warrant, they can last for a few weeks or up to 1 year. This legislation does not require a diagnosis of mental illness or criminal conviction. The targeted person must surrender all firearms to the police, and police could use search warrants to discover other firearms. The NRA and conservatives oppose this bill, because it does not protect gun owner due process or provide mental health treatment. The bill is blatantly unconstitutional, and family members or alienated neighbors or roommates could use it against someone they dislike. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 66: Hansen. To force Omaha to adopt a new comprehensive plan or update an existing comprehensive plan not later than January 1, 2022. This plan must update and include an early childhood element which assesses the supply of quality licensed early childhood education programs for children under 6, evaluates the availability and utilization of licensed child care capacity and quality for children under 6, and promotes early childhood health and education measures. The NE Association of School Boards supports the bill. BAD BILL/ KILLED

LB 83: Wayne. To eliminate the 2-year waiting period for felons to vote following completion on their sentence or probation. Gov. Ricketts last year vetoed the same bill, because it violates the state constitution by assuming the power to pardon that belongs to the executive branch. A waiting period gives released felons an incentive to behave. The NAACP supports the bill and with the sponsor claims without proof that a waiting period purposely targets blacks. BAD BILL/ GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

LB 84: Wayne. To reduce federal taxable income by 65% of wages paid to a convicted felon in NE or another state, for the first year of employment. The total deduction for each individual cannot exceed $20,000. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 85: Wayne. That Omaha must adopt a rental housing inspection program to enforce provisions of the building code for all residential rental property within the city limits. All such property must become registered in the city, except federal subsidized housing. Rentals must be inspected at least once every 3 years. Supplemental inspections must occur after any complaint. Landlords must pay annual inspection fees. Fines levied for failure to comply with registration requirements or failure to pay fines or interest for late payments. Additional inspection fees for required re-inspections. Cities would enforce collection of unpaid fees and fines and place liens. Cost of Omaha: $4 million annually. This proposed nuisance law would penalize conscientious landlords along with slumlords. It is too costly and violates local control. This state senator literally is blackmailing Omaha with this bill. BAD BILL/ GENERAL FILE

LB 86: Wayne. To raise the documentary stamp tax on real estate transactions and divert additional funding to government subsidized housing. BAD BILL/ GENERAL FILE

LB 88: Wayne. To give a $5,000 state income tax credit to anyone who buys a primary residence home in a blighted area. If a homeowner moves or sells his home within 5 years after receiving the credit, the Dept. of Revenue will reclaim the credit. However, there is no reliable enforcement mechanism. BAD BILL/ GENEERAL FILE

LB 89: Wayne. To lessen criminal penalties for possession of marijuana. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 90: Wayne. To make post- release supervision optional for Class IV felonies. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 98: Wayne. To double the number of signatures needed to access NE partisan ballots, freezing out many conscientious candidates. BAD BILL/ GENERAL FILE

LB 120: Crawford. To force public school teachers and staff every year to take training in behavioral and mental health, including suicide awareness of prevention training. The teachers union supports the bill. BAD BILL/ EDUCATION COMMITTEE

LB 130: DeBoer. To require more burdensome and expensive minimum standards for radon resistant new construction. Her bill would incorporate these standards into the state building code and force local building codes to adopt the standards, raising home and commercial building prices. BAD BILL/ SELECT FILE

LB 131: Pansing Brooks. To require minimum prison sentences to be not more than 1/3 of the maximum sentence for the crime. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 132: Pansing Brooks. To reduce the minimum prison term for someone under 19 convicted of a Class IC or Class ID felony to a minimum term only and not a mandatory minimum sentence. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 134: Stinner. From FY 2020-2028, several NRDS could levy up to 3c on each $100 of valuation on all property within the district for water management projects. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 136: Wayne. To force citizens to reside in more densely-populated neighborhoods and to require every residential neighborhood to have a specific amount of subsidized housing for the poor and minorities. His bill applies to metropolitan, primary, and 1st class cities. The leftist NE Appleseed group supports the bill. BAD BILL/ URBAN COMMITTEE

LB 160: Quick. To require the city economic development program to include early childhood education program development for cities of the first and second class and villages through grants and loans. BAD BILL/ PASSED

LB 162: Hunt. To impose state sales tax on tattooing, tanning, and electrolysis. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 165: Hunt. To prohibit suspension or expulsion of early childhood ed or kiddiegarden students who disrupt school activities or willfully defy school authorities except in a few circumstances. The bill sponsor stated that kids deserve to have an education despite their behavior. BAD BILL/ EDUCATION COMMITTEE

LB 167: Hunt. To prohibit conversion therapy advertising to cure sex perverts. No medical professional could provide conversion therapy to anyone under 18. Families deserve the right to decide on counseling and therapy. Recent Supreme Court cases suggest that this bill would violate 1st Amendment rights. The bill would interfere with doctor-patient relationships. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 169: Hunt. To allow criminals convicted of 3 or more felonies for possession, use, or sale of illegal drugs to become eligible for food stamps, a right removed by previous legislation. Drug dealers do not deserve pity or a second chance. They can go to food banks. The prospect of losing food stamp eligibility is motivation for drug felons to obey the law. BAD BILL/ GENERAL FILE

LB 175: Chambers. To prohibit one political candidate committee from making contributions to another candidate committee, a common practice when one candidate committee dissolves. BAD BILL/ GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

LB 176: Chambers. To remove mandatory minimum prison penalties for Class ID and Class IC felonies. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 177: Lindstrom. To allow the Papio natural resource district to continue to issue bonds paid for by property taxes to 2024 instead of ending this year. NRDs can complete their projects with property tax dollars without bonding authority. Papio NRD projects benefit only developers. BAD BILL/ SELECT FILE

LB 182: Bolz. To allow local school districts to levy income taxes on residents. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 201: McCollister. Any gas station utilizing multi-product motor vehicle fuel dispensers with 6 or more fueling pumps must make such advertised automotive spark ignition engine fuel available at every 5 fueling pumps. BAD BILL/ AG COMMITTEE

LB 206: Morfeld. To expand protection to student journalists in a way that would compel private and religious schools to disseminate content in their student papers that violate institutional values. Such schools could not discipline a newspaper advisor or student who violates the mission or beliefs of the school. BAD BILL/ GENERAL FILE

LB 207: Morfeld. To create the Death Penalty Defense Standards Advisory Council to undermine our state death penalty. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 210: Crawford. The posting on the Internet or other publication or distribution of a newletter would require the sponsor to report such expenditure, if over $1,000 and within 30 days of an election, as a campaign expenditure to the Accountability & Disclosure Commission. The report must name all individuals who contributed over $250, subjecting them to harassment by political opponents. Leftwing Common Cause-NE supports the bill. BAD BILL/ GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

LB 213: McCollister. For anyone convicted of an infraction, a misdemeanor, or a felony but not sentenced to a term of imprisonment of more than 1 year, such person may, after completion of his or her sentence, petition the sentencing court to set aside the conviction. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 230: Pansing Brooks. To prevent juvenile facilities from using room confinement of a juvenile for disciplinary reasons for longer than 1 hour during a 24-hour period. Confinement used only after all other alternatives exhausted and juvenile poses a serious and immediate security threat. Notice of such confinement must be given parents and attorney within 1 business day. BAD BILL/ GENERAL FILE

LB 231: Pansing Brooks. To create a taxpayer-funded Juvenile Indigent Defense Fund, funded by a $1 fee assess on all county court cases . Legal counsel appointed for every juvenile offender. State grants to counties to cover costs. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 238: Pansing Brooks: To force 2 members of the Legislature to continuously witness the execution process from the moment the convicted person enters the execution chamber until declared dead or the execution is halted. Her bill would require the Legislature to appoint 2 state senators to witness the execution. The NE ACLU supports the bill. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 251: Walz. To require all public schools to provide free breakfasts and lunches at no cost to students for those whose families earn between $26,000 and $37,000 annually. The state education dept. would reimburse school districts. Cost per year: $1.9 million. The leftist NE Appleseed group supports this bill. BAD BILL/ EDUCATION COMMITTEE

LB 253: McCollister. To adopt a redistricting plan that is disadvantageous to conservatives. BAD BILL/ EXECUTIVE BOARD

LB 255: McCollister. To allow food stamp recipients to retain eligibility while employed or in training. To increase the gross income eligibility limit to 140% of the federal poverty level to qualify for welfare payments. 35,000 more people would become eligible for food stamps. BAD BILL/ HEALTH COMMITTEE

LB 261: DeBoer. Any map introduced as part of a legislative bill or an amendment to a legislative bill for purposes of drawing district boundaries must use state-issued computer software. Such a computer program easily could become skewed in order to disadvantage conservative voters. BAD BILL/ EXECUTIVE BOARD

LB 267: Bolz. To allow counties to levy a property tax to repair bridges. BAD BILL/ GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

LB 276: McCollister. To eliminate an exclusion that permits owners of pass through S corporations to not pay state income tax on business income derived from out of state sources. Income from such companies passes through to owners and taxed on their individual income tax filings. The bill would force NE residents who are shareholders of an S corporation or members of an LLC to include their share of the business federal income in their state taxable income. The leftist Open Sky Institute supports the bill, which would encourage businesses to move to other states and discourage new businesses from locating here. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 282: M. Hansen. To allow defendants charged with one of several misdemeanors or violation of a city or county ordinance to avoid posting bail and become released on their personal recognizance, placing victims and witnesses at high risk. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 283: Pansing Brooks. To require UN-L to conduct a state climate change study with action plan to adapt and mitigate, costing up to $250,000 and submit report to Legislature and Governor. BAD BILL/EXECUTIVE BOARD

LB 284: McCollister. To tax Internet sales if a remote seller has gross revenue from NE sales over $100,000 or if it makes 200 or more separate sales in the current or previous calendar year. These retailers must obtain a permit from the Dept. of Revenue when beginning to collect the tax. A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision stated that states may collect sales tax from online sales. The Platte Institute surprisingly supports this tax increase bill. BAD BILL/ PASSED

LB 286: McCollister. To establish a state bureaucracy to help released criminals fit back into society. The Corrections Dept. already has to committees handling these duties. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 288: Linehan. To impose state income tax on out of state companies doing business in NE that includes sale, lease, or license of services or digital products to NE consumers that exceed $500,000 annually. BAD BILL/ GENERAL FILE

LB 289: Revenue Comm.

LB 300: Lathrop. To increase salaries for NE Supreme Court justices by 7%, way above the inflation rate. The salaries of other state judges, tied to supreme court judicial salaries, also would rise. BAD BILL/ GENERAL FILE

LB 305: Crawford. To force employers with 4 or more employees to offer paid sick leave, at least 1 hr. of paid leave for every 30 hrs. worked, up to 40 hrs. annually, for employee illness or family member illness. Some employers could not cover gaps with other employees, and rural and small independent stores could not afford this expense. BAD BILL/ GENERAL FILE

LB 306: Crawford. To give workers compensation to anyone who declines to come to work to care for a family member or relative with a serious illness. Families can rely on relatives or charitable organizations. The ACLU, AARP, and state AFL-CIO support the bill. BAD BILL/ PASSED

LB 309: Lathrop. To add another district court judge in Douglas County, increasing county expenses for this judge and other needed staff. BAD BILL/ SELECT FILE

LB 311: Crawford. To require businesses to offer paid family and medical leave, curtailing business profitability. 6 weeks off to care for a family member with a serious illness or elderly and up to 12 weeks to care for a baby, adoption, or oneself. Benefits determined by an employee annual salary as a percentage of the state average weekly wage. Employers would pay for this medical leave insurance program through a new tax. It would be difficult for employers to find temporary workers, and employees already can use sick leave or vacation time to care for family members. Cost: $436 million annually. BAD BILL/ GENERAL FILE

LB 314: Briese. To raise the tax from 31c to $1.38 per gallon of beer, the highest in the nation, and a 3% sales tax on alcohol. Cigarette taxes would rise from 64c per pack to $2.14. Sales taxes levied on vehicle repairs and lawn care services. A 1/2c hike in the state sales tax. An income tax surcharge of 7.84% on incomes of $250,000 or more for anyone else and $500,000 or more for individuals. Proponents include the NE Farmers Union, NE Council of School Administrators, and the leftist Open Sky Institute. NE grocery stores cannot differentiate to ID candy, bottled water, and pop as taxable items. Upgrading systems would become extremely expensive for smaller groceries. There is not mechanism in the bill to require local subdivisions to lower their property tax rates. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 329: Bolz. To allow Nebraskans to qualify for child care subsidies until they reach 200% of the federal poverty level. An additional 19,000 children would qualify at a cost of $96 million annually. BAD BILL/ HEALTH COMMITTEE

LB 336: M. Hansen. To allow government subdivisions to exceed their budget levies by 1% by a simple majority of votes instead of 75% of votes. BAD BILL/ GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

LB 338: Wayne. To raise the state gas tax calculation in order to give additional funds to Omaha to improve its unimproved streets. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 345: Wishart. To prohibit mandatory work overtime hours for NE prison system employees, more than 12 hrs. daily or 7 days straight without a day off. BAD BILL/ BUSINESS COMMITTEE

LB 346: Wishart. To force the state to reimburse local school districts for a higher amount of special education costs, 60%. BAD BILL/ EDUCATION COMMITTEE

LB 350: Morfeld. To exempt from budget limitations, for school districts with more than 1,000 students, expenditures up to $100,000, and for districts with 1,000 or fewer students, up to $50,000 for expanded learning opportunity programs. BAD BILL/ EDUCATION COMMITTEE

LB 351: Morfeld. To allow school districts to exceed their property tax levying authority or bonding authority for cybersecurity and violence prevention. BAD BILL/ EDUCATION COMMITTEE

LB 352: Morfeld. To restrict the use of jailhouse informants. Judges, juries, and attorneys already determine the reliability of such testimony. Every county attorney office must maintain a record of each case in which a jailhouse informant provides testimony and benefit or plea deal offered. Prosecutors must tell defense lawyers informant criminal history, what benefit provided, and other cases in which the informant testified. Disclosing such information to the defense would result in bodily harm to an informant. There are no cases in Nebraska where the use of such informant testimony resulted in an injustice or wrongful conviction. BAD BILL/ SELECT FILE

LB 354: Pansing Brooks. To require that juvenile criminal records become sealed automatically after completion of diversion, mediation, probation or supervision programs. Schools and employers then would not be aware of violent criminal behavior by such juveniles. BAD BILL/ PASSED

LB 358: Walz. To increase state aid for unneeded early childhood education and increase state funding for transportation for these services. The leftist teachers union supports the bill, which would cost $10.4 million annually. BAD BILL/ EDUCATION COMMITTEE

LB 369: Vargas. To require jails, law enforcement agencies, and the State Patrol to give 30 days public notice before making agreements with federal immigration authorities to enforce our immigration laws. All subdivisions working with the feds must include this information on their agenda for public meetings to solicit community input. The bill would impede enforcing laws on a daily basis, impede cooperation with federal immigration authorities, and give advance notice of operations to illegal alien gangs and drug smuggling syndicates. The NE State Patrol opposes the bill. The leftist NE Appleseed Center and ACLU-NE both support the bill. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 383: Quick. To increase the state minimum wage of $9 per hour every year matching the consumer price index inflation rate. No annual rate hike could exceed 3.5%. BAD BILL/ BUSINESS COMMITTEE

LB 384: Walz. To force applicants for a broker or real estate license to take additional unnecessary classes. BAD BILL/ PASSED

LB 390: Pansing Brooks. To require the state education dept. to develop a model governing the use of school cops or security guards. Training would include student rights, ethics, teen brain development, adolescent behavior, bias training, and diversity and multicultural awareness. Students informed of their constitutional rights. Complaint process for students and parents to complain about a school cop. To force every school district having a school cop present to require them to take 20 hrs. training on school-based policing, as if police officers do not know the law. At least 1 teacher and administrator in each school must undergo like training. Detailed records kept on every student referred for prosecution. The ACLU support this bill. This bill will prevent school cops from carrying out their duties. BAD BILL/ SELECT FILE

LB 393: Groene. To raise the real estate documentary stamp tax from $2.25 to $3.25 for each $1,000 value. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 396: M. Hansen. To eliminate continuance provisions that allow for continuances only for extraordinary causes and require deposits of rental unit payments. Therefore, too many continuances. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 398: DeBoer. To nullify the 10% levy limit for elementary learning center employees. BAD BILL/ EDUCATION COMMITTEE

LB 400: Hunt. To raise the tipped minimum wage from $2.13 per hour to $4.50 per hour in 2021. Most restaurant employees make more than the tipped minimum wage, some up to $12.67. BAD BILL/ BUSINESS COMMITTEE

LB 401: Quick. To establish a taxpayer-funded multi-state passenger rail system. BAD BILL/ TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

LB 402: Hilkemann. To repeal a law so that persons convicted of 3 or more felonies for drug use, possession, or sale can again become eligible for food stamps. The leftist NE Appleseed group supports the bill. BAD BILL/ HEALTH COMMITTEE

LB 408: Quick. To give worker compensation death benefits to non-family individuals. BAD BILL/ BUSINESS COMMITTEE

LB 415: Friesen. To prohibit the right of constituents to launch recall petitions against members of city councils, county boards, NRDs, and several other local subdivisions. BAD BILL/ GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

LB 424: Quick. To allow expansion of municipal land banks that compete with private businesses. All municipalities could join land banks. Non-profit land banks can acquire vacant properties and not pay taxes, which is unfair competition with private developers. The bill would allow for issuance of debt and a land bank to issue bonds without a vote of the people. The land bank in Omaha has taken over the previous opportunities for private companies to assume control of abandoned properties. BAD BILL/ GENERAL FILE

LB 426: DeBoer. To allow unmarried adults of either sex to adopt children. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 429: Wayne. To raise taxes on cigars to 20% of purchase price. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 434: M. Hansen. Extends from 3 days to 7 days for tenants to pay back rent or non-payment of rent. Renters understand when their rent is due. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 435: M. Hansen. If a rental tenant complained against his landlord, an adverse action by landlord like eviction against tenant presumed to be retaliatory. Tenant then could file a lawsuit against landlord. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 436: M. Hansen. To create a bureaucratic 23-member Complete Count Commission to develop, recommend, and assist in the administration of the 2020 census to encourage full participation. Outreach to community organizers and multilingual media. This commission would issue a final report to the Legislature by 12-31-2020. The leftwing Civic Nebraska and Common Cause-NE endorsed the bill. The state government can assure an accurate population count without creating a bureaucracy. Cost: $110,000. BAD BILL/ GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

LB 439: Crawford. To include chiropractic services in Medicaid services offered, up to 24 treatments annually. BAD BILL/ HEALTH COMMITTEE

LB 440: Walz. To increase the tax on aviation fuel from 3c to 10c per gallon. The state Dept. of Transportation opposed the bill, which would cost the airline industry an additional $4.7 million annually. Airlines would raise fares and cut service growth. NE would become disadvantaged compares to adjacent states like Kansas that levy lower jet fuel taxes. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 466: Howard. To adopt a redistricting system that favors the Democrat Party. BAD BILL/ EXECUTIVE BOARD

LB 468: Walz. Until 1-1-2020, the welfare dept. cannot add additional services or people to the Medicaid managed care program that saves taxpayers money. BAD BILL/ HEALTH COMMITTEE

LB 488: Howard. To force each public school district to use materials of mental health education in school programs, another unfunded mandate. BAD BILL/ EDUCATION COMMITTEE

LB 492: Wayne. To create a metropolitan transit authority and add a maximum property tax levy for it. A 7-member bureaucracy could issue revenue bonds, paid for by property taxes, and seize private property by eminent domain. BAD BILL/ URBAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

LB 495: Wayne. To force the State Board of Education to implement a statewide system for collecting data on school disciplinary measures and law enforcement referrals and force every school district to maintain and produce records. This bill intentionally seeks to accuse districts of targeting minorities for disciplinary action. BAD BILL/ EDUCATION COMMITTEE

LB 497: Friesen. To place a sales tax on groceries. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 498: Wishart. To require the welfare dept. to provide several kinds of medical assistance for family planning services for those whose income is at or below the current income eligibility level, which is 194% of the federal poverty level. Numerous studies have shown that such legislation actually increases abortions. Cost: $1.4 million annually. BAD BILL/ HEALTH COMMITTEE

LB 499: Morfeld. To force NE psychologists to refer patients in a manner that violates religious beliefs. The bill would penalize professionals who supposedly discriminate against patients on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. This legislation could cause psychologists to stop practicing in NE rather than violate their religious consciences. The NE Division of Public Health testified against the bill, saying it would violate state law by adding a preferential class not recognized by federal law. It would hold professionals to a code of conduct not in their professional license area. The NE Assoc. of Social Workers supports the bill. BAD BILL/ HEALTH COMMITTEE

LB 501: Hunt. To force insurance companies to cover in vitro fertilization coverage. Higher insurance premiums would result for others. BAD BILL/ BANKING COMMITTEE

LB 502: Hunt. No law officer or government employee may ask the immigration status of any person detained interacted with or ask for a personal SS number or other info that would disclose immigration status, unless required by court order. The leftist NE Appleseed group and ACLU-NE supported the bill. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 503: Hunt. To repeal the state law prohibiting medication abortion done via teleconferencing. More abortions would occur, and a doctor would not be available if complications developed. Diminished patient safety and increased chance of injury, sickness, or death may occur. BAD BILL/ GENERAL FILE

LB 504: Hunt. To establish tougher penalties and civil action for crimes committed against perverts. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 515: Vargas. To make it more difficult to suspend or expel unruly and violent public school students. BAD BILL/ EDUCATION COMMITTEE

LB 526: McDonnell. To increase worker compensation for temporary disability. BAD BILL/ BUSINESS COMMITTEE

LB 531: Vargas. To transfer $200,000 to the Enhanced Motor Voter Fund before 6-30-19 to encourage additional people to register to vote while renewing driver licenses. However, no immediate checking to see if such people are citizens eligible to vote. BAD BILL/ APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

LB 534: Cavanaugh. To force all NE colleges and universities to conduct a yearly sex assault climate survey and report results to the State. BAD BILL/EDUCATION COMMITTEE

LB 535: Cavanaugh. To prohibit NE businesses from discriminating against anyone because of sexual orientation or gender identity, a gross imposition on private businesses. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 540: Walz. To eliminate the sunset date for the developmental disability service. The state could run out of money for this service, if additional emergency services cases arise. BAD BILL/ HEALTH COMMITTEE

LB 551: McDonnell. To appropriate $1,000,000 General Funds in each of FY2019-20 and FY2020-21 to fund local development districts. BAD BILLL/ APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

LB 564: Bolz. To obtain state grants for historic buildings and recreation centers in a program established to help fund only community centers. BAD BILL/ URBAN COMMITTEE

LB 567: Morfeld. To place many new burdensome cost regulations on drug manufacturers selling their products in NE. BAD BILL/ HEALTH COMMITTEE

LB 572: Walz. To extend authority for the deputy public counsel over assisted-living facilities despite no evidence of need. This bill goes way beyond the jurisdiction of the state welfare dept. BAD BILL/ EXECUTIVE BOARD

LB 579: Quick. To allow anyone convicted of drunken driving that causes serious bodily injury to continue driving with an ignition interlock device, which is easily disabled. BAD BILL/ GENERAL FILE

LB 580: Hilkemann. To increase landfill fees. BAD BILL/ NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

LB 589: Chambers. To prohibit law enforcement officers from being school resource officers, allegedly because they disproportionately target minority children. This bill would have a significant negative impact on the safety and education of NE students, because violence is escalating in our public schools. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 596: Quick. To create a new public health inspector, although HHS administrators say that current oversight mechanisms for assisted living facilities are sufficient, including state inspections and national accreditation. BAD BILL/ EXECUTIVE BOARD

LB 597: Walz. To force assisted living facilities to report each incident of bed bugs or restraint of patients to the welfare department. BAD BILL/ HEALTH COMMITTEE

LB 607: Kolterman. To force licensing of fingernail manicurists, a barrier to entry into a low-wage profession. Periodic inspections is a better alternative. BAD BILL/ HEALTH COMMITTEE

LB 614: Crawford. To raise the state tax on liquor manufactured and sold or shipped for sale in NE from $3.75 to $8.02 per gallon. The cigarette tax would hike from 64c to $2.15 per pack, and sales tax on candy, pop, and bottled water. Nebraskans could deduct only medical and dental expenses from federally itemized deductions from their federal adjusted gross incomes for state income tax purposes. Her bill would end a tax exemption for the first $10,000 of valuation of tangible personal property. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 619: Kolowski. To force insurance companies to provide coverage for behavioral health services delivered in a school or other educational setting. Non-school employees could bill insurance companies for services they administer. The leftist teachers union supports the bill. BAD BILL/ FINAL READING

LB 621: Kolowski. Any covenant governing or regulating the ownership or use of homes which forbids or outright restricts the installation or use of a solar energy collector or solar energy system or the building of structures that facilitate the collection of solar energy in any form, including, but not limited to, any covenant, declaration, bylaw, deed, lease, contract or other agreement, term, provision, or condition, would become void and unenforceable. This law would override local neighborhood covenants established to protect home value. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 627: Pansing Brooks. To prohibit job discrimination by government agencies and subdivisions, unions, employers or employment agencies against sexual perverts, another burden on businesses. This bill is a violation of personal religious freedom and makes employers subject to reverse discrimination. This bill gives state government the use of coercion and punishment to force conduct that conflicts with employer beliefs. There exists to study or proof that sexual perverts leave NE because of the absence of this protection. BAD BILL/ GENERAL FILE

LB 628: Pansing Brooks. To increase the earned income tax credit from 10% to 20% of the federal credit allowed. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 629: Pansing Brooks. To limit access to female health providers and make it more difficult for small providers to qualify for federal aid under Title X. The ACLU-NE supports the bill. BAD BILL/ GENERAL FILE

LB 631: Morfeld. A Medicaid Expansion Implementation Task Force established to facilitate implementation of expanded Medicaid. The HHS Medicaid director stated that this bureaucracy would hinder expanding Medicaid expansion coverage by slowing the process and duplicating administration. BAD BILL/ EXECUTIVE BOARD

LB 634: Hilkemann. To force every school district to put seat belts in its buses, another unfunded state mandate. Accidents and studies have shown that children die in school bus accidents and bus fires, because they cannot unbuckle their seat belts quickly enough. BAD BILL/ TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

LB 652: Wayne. To lessen the criminal charge for drug use. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 653: Wayne. To force owners of all residential homes built before 1978 to pay for lead contamination testing within 90 days of selling or renting a property. The state HHS dept. would have to develop a registry of all certified lead-free residences in NE and issue certificates t owners of premises free of lead-based paint. The teachers union supports the bill. Most owners and landlords already have remediated the contamination, and this bill would raise rents. BAD BILL/ HHS COMMITTEE

LB 686: Lathrop. To make is easier to declare a correctional system overcrowding emergency. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 687: Lathrop. To allow voter registration when applying for a drivers license or state ID card, facilitating illegal alien voter registration. BAD BILL/ GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

LB 689: Cavanaugh. To prohibit sales and rental housing discrimination against sexual perverts or illegal aliens. This bill would lead to frivolous lawsuits. The ACLU and a queer group support the bill. BAD BILL/JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

LB 710: Cavanaugh. To raise the tobacco tax from 64c to $2.14 per pack of cigarettes to expand Medicaid welfare and other state spending. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 711: Cavanaugh. To allow convicted felons to vote immediately upon release from prison or probation. BAD BILL/ GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

LB 724: Vargas. To force corporations with a board of directors to have at least 50% women directors or lose state business incentives. The ACLU-Nebraska supports this bill. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 725: Walz. The State Department of Education will have $12 million annually to reimburse each school district and educational service unit for allowable mental health expenditures in the immediately following school fiscal year, up to 80% of their expenses, a pro rata amount based on the reimbursement percentage as determined by the department. The leftist teachers union supports the bill. BAD BILL/ EDUCATION COMMITTEE

LB 727: Walz. To allow school staff and medical professionals to consult with children before notification of parents or guardians. The state would give each school district a list of local mental health resources for kids and require 1 employee in each district to be responsible for implementation. Each school district must identify its contact person to the state education dept. before each school year begins. Professionals go to school to interview kids suspected of having mental problems without parental notification, believing too many families overwhelmed. These professionals are not degreed in psychiatry or psychology and have no clinical oversight. Testifying in favor was a Children’s Hospital official, who praised the program now at Westside School District. Supporters include the liberal Stand for Schools, Nebraska Assoc. of Social Workers, NE Association of School Boards, NE Assoc. of School Administrators, the State Board of Education, and the teachers union. Proponents want to push this kind of mental health care for kids statewide with a central registry of children. The bill has no funding mechanism, so local districts would have to absorb this additional unfunded mandate. BAD BILL/ EDUCATION COMMITTEE

LB 728: Walz. Free meals for all kids! To provide every public school student with breakfast or lunch, regardless if such student can immediately pay for the meal or has accrued debt for school meals. The leftist NE Appleseed Center study supported this bill, its representative stating that several school districts accrue debt because of unpaid school meals. He neglected to mention that many schools fail to check child eligibility for free meals. The liberal Voices for Children, teachers union, NE Assoc. of Social Workers, and the chief of Children’s Hospital also support it. BAD BILL/ EDUCATION COMMITTEE

LB 733: Kolowski. To require many expensive and unnecessary alterations at polling places to assist the physically-impaired, like slip-resistant floors. Such legislation would automatically eliminate most current poll sites. BAD BILL/ GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

LB 738: Wayne. To raise the state income tax on higher earners. BAD BILL/ REVENUE COMMITTEE

LB 739: Vargas. Corrections Dept. could not place or retain some inmates in solitary confinement for more than 90 days in a calendar year, whether consecutive or not, because of a security threat posed by the inmate. This bill would cause additional disruption in our prison system. The Corrections Dept. director assured senators that his department does not use restrictive housing in a capricious, punitive, or random manner. BAD BILL/ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

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