There’s a lot to unpack from the Legislature today… early morning, the senators went on a frenzy, passing 21 bills from Licensure of PAs, changing lottery, liquor, and tobacco tax act to special ag valuations and provisions related to fees and mileage for sheriffs. All of which Arch stated has no fiscal impact.
LB857 Create the Nebraska Prenatal Plus Program, provide for use of the Medicaid Managed Care Excess Profit Fund, and change provisions relating to coverage of glucose monitors under the Medical Assistance Act
LB857A Appropriation Bill
LB607 Change provisions relating to grants for the 211 Information and Referral Network
LB644e Change provisions relating to the use of the Site and Building Development Fund
LB644Ae Appropriation Bill
LB834 Establish requirements for a resident dental license
LB839e Change provisions relating to the executive director and members of the State Racing and Gaming Commission
LB894 Change provisions relating to election, appointment, qualifications, and training of county sheriffs
LB906 Change provisions relating to child labor laws
LB1004e Change motorcycle, moped, and autocycle helmet provisions
LB1102 Declare October 17 as Nebraska Missing Persons Day and May 19 as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, Malcolm X Day
*LB1204 Change provisions relating to certain lotteries and raffles, certain tobacco and nicotine delivery products, the State Lottery Act, the Nebraska Liquor Control Act, the Tobacco Products Tax Act, and public records
LB1204A Appropriation Bill
*LB1215e Adopt the Dietitian Licensure Compact and the Physician Assistant (PA) Licensure Compact, change provisions relating to prescriptions, death certificates, credentialing of barbers, nurses, pharmacies, pharmacy professionals, and certain health care facilities and services, treatment of individuals with communicable tuberculosis, and telehealth consultations, and provide for abstracts of death and coverage under the medical assistance program for certain breast pumps and lactation visits
LB1313 Provide for regulation of health benefit plans for nonprofit agricultural organizations
LB851e Change provisions relating to internship grants
LB877e Change provisions relating to agricultural or horticultural land receiving special valuation
LB998 Adopt the State Acceptance of Gifts Act
LB1118 Change the process for a mayor in a city of the second class to remove an officer from office
LB1143 Eliminate provisions relating to certain health districts
LB1162 Change provisions relating to fees and mileage for sheriffs and constables
The truly important part came next as Arch discussed the plans for the last 7 days of the session. It was noted that after passing the budget, the legislature is left with $20 million at the floors disposal. Of the bills on Select and Final Reading, they are currently at $370 million of appropriation ask. There are still many priority bills to even make it onto General File. With that, Arch implored the senators to find ways to cut their fiscal note or to expect hard decisions having to be made.
He followed this up with a stunning statement about priority bills and the potential of them not even making it to the floor if a voter card can not be provided showing the support needed to deem debate worthwhile! It was also again stated that highly controversial bills may still have their debate time cut short.
With only 7 days left of the session, we may see many of the bills falling off and pushed until next year, if the Senator isn’t term limited. What this means for bills like LB575 (Sports & Spaces) is certainly up in the air. Will it be sacrificed due to controversy? With the current track record of shirking at any minor threat of filibuster due to controversy, we aren’t so confident.
Consider sending an email to Speaker Arch encouraging time to be afforded to LB575! Nebraskans want protections for our girls and boys participating in school sports and activities. Jarch@leg.ne.gov
LR335 Executive Committee Hearing
Senator Cavanaugh had her own personal cry fest at the LR335 hearing this afternoon. We applaud Senator Halloran making the decision early on in the day, not to attend this circus.
Yesterday, it was announced that Chairman Aguilar had ruled that there would be only 4 testifiers at Senator Halloran’s censure hearing: Senators John Cavanaugh, Machaela Cavanaugh, George Dungan and Halloran. The Chair justified this by declaring this is an internal legislative issue, yet disallowed any additional senator testifiers in support of Halloran.
With those three being the only allowed to testify against Sen Halloran, and he, alone, would have been able to testify on his behalf, Halloran instead put together a collection of testimony and evidence pertinent to the commentary in question. Feel free to view them below!
The hearing itself went quickly. Both Senators John Cavanaugh and Dungan opted out of testifying, leaving it up to Michaela Cavanaugh.
Of course, that didn’t stop Senators Riepe, Aguilar, Slama, and Vargas from praising her for “her strength.” Aguilar went so far as telling her how proud he was of her.
The most laughable statement from M. Cavanaugh was “we must protect the dignity of the unicameral.” After last session? She has the gall to point her finger at someone else?! Whilst simultaneously carrying on about a single excerpt from a book read by Halloran over a week prior! She claimed to want this all to just be over, and yet she asks for a meaningless censure of a Senator that has less than 10 days left of service in his term.
After some big fat baby tears, the hearing came to an end with no deliberation given. Senator Aguilar told the senators to give it the weekend, and a decision would be made the next week.
What YOU Can Do!
Please consider emailing the executive committee members and encourage them to dismiss this frivolous attempt at the censure of Senator Halloran.
Executive Board of the Legislative Council:
Ray Aguilar (Chairperson) – raguilar@leg.ne.gov – currently supports censure.
John Lowe (Vice Chairperson) – jlowe@leg.ne.gov – currently opposes censure.
John Arch – jarch@leg.ne.gov – nonvoting member.
Beau Ballard – bballaard@leg.ne.gov – unsure of position.
Eliot Bostar – Ebostar@leg.ne.gov – unsure of position.
Robert Clements (Ex Officio) – rclements@leg.ne.gov – currently opposes censure.
Mike Jacobson – mjacobson@leg.ne.gov – unsure of position.
Merv Riepe – mriepe@leg.ne.gov – supportive of M. Cavanaugh.
Julie Slama – jslama@leg.ne.gov – supportive of censure.
Tony Vargas – Tvargas@leg.ne.gov – supportive of M. Cavanaugh.
Thank you, NAGO members and friends!
We want to give genuine thanks to everyone who has answered the call to action this week in support of Senator Halloran. The Democrats rallied in support of Cavanaugh, but few of the Republicans stood publicly in support of Halloran. Your time and words of support were huge and greatly appreciated.
It is a crazy day and age where the conservatives are ridiculed and targeted for maintaining strong family values and promoting freedoms granted by our Creator. It is of utmost importance that we continue to stand in support when this happens in order to protect the truth and freedoms of conservatives in the future.
I did have several emails back and forth with Slama in the last couple days. All I can say is that she is either deceived or deceiving at this point. This is part of her first response:
“Senator Halloran’s continued sexual harassment of Senator Cavanaugh is not being, as you put it, “over dramatized” and he deserves to be held accountable for his actions. Senator Halloran should be censured and resign.“ I responded by telling her that she is baring false witness and needs to repent. This is from her last response:
“I’m telling the truth about Senator Halloran- he not only sexually harassed Senator Cavanaugh by reading a graphic rape scene with her name gratuitously used, his conduct following the incident only builds upon this pattern of troubling behavior.” Unbelievable. She is not running again, correct? That is a blessing. We have to do better.