We’re going to break from introduced bills for just a moment – ALL ATTENTION is needed on the rules!
The hearing has been set for THIS Thursday! Proposed changes are now available online, and comments are open. Please go through each, consider them, and present your concise thoughts where applicable.
Hearing Date: January 16, 2025
Hearing Time: 1:30 PM
Hearing Location: Room 1525
View proposed Rules Changes and Submit Online Comments here:
https://nebraskalegislature.gov/rules/comments.php
The deadline to submit and verify a comment for the hearing on rule changes is Thursday, January 16, 2025, at 12:00 P.M. Central Time.
There are 24 proposed rules!
NAGO Recommends ✅️ SUPPORT 👍 OKAY ❌️ OPPOSE
❌️ Proposed Rule Change #1- Senator McKinney; removes the limitation on the number of bills a Senator, and Governor request bills, introduces (the limitations have been good thus far and helps limit the number of bills that can be put into Christmas tree bills, we would prefer to see the limitations reduced further or senators incentived to reduce bills without limitations)
❌️ Proposed Rule Change #2- Senator M. Cavanaugh; expands the background check and reports on appointees by the governor (this seems like an unnecessary reach into the personal lives of appointees)
❌️ Proposed Rule Change #3- Senator DeBoer; When the previous question (ending debate) is made, the presiding officer would not be able to call the previous question for debate to cease out of order (there’s already a process to over rule the chair, #3 is an unnecessary change)
❌️ Proposed Rule Change #4- Senator DeBoer; allows a senator to call another Senator to order at any time of the day for a transgression of rules (#7 is a much better process)
❌️ Proposed Rule Change #5- Senator DeBoer; anyone may call for a division, removes the order by the presiding officer
✅️ Proposed Rule Change #6- Senator Hansen; appointments by the governor are considered individually, appointments by committee report will be grouped, unless recommendations differ or a Senator pulls one to be voted on individually
✅️ Proposed Rule Change #7- Senator Lonowski; addresses germane speech, provides a process for stopping non-germane tangents by a Senator, prohibits profane or abusive language
❌️ Proposed Rule Change #8- Senator Lippincott; changes Cloture from 2/3s (33+ votes) majority to 3/5s majority (+30 votes) (Rule Change #22 is a better proposal, reducing cloture in this way just makes it easier to pass bad bills too)
❌️ Proposed Rule Change #9- Senator Lippincott; eliminates presiding officers ability to to rule a motion for cloture out of order, changes cloture to 3/5s, if cloture fails debate must last one more hour before cloture may be called again (Rule Change #22 is a better proposal, reducing cloture in this way just makes it easier to pass bad bills too)
👍 Proposed Rule Change #10- Senator Lippincott; outlines process of rule debate
✅️ Proposed Rule Change #11- Senator Lippincott; eliminates secret votes, votes for chair will be called out
✅️ Proposed Rule Change #12- Senator Lippincott; removes media from Executive Sessions (the media could use their privilege to warp the intent of the senators, if it’s a closed session it’s a closed session – if the public can’t be there, media shouldn’t be either)
✅️ Proposed Rule Change #13- Senator Lippincott; outlines the process for dilatory motions (this outlined process would eliminate the onslaught of motions like we saw from democrats attempting to stall the legislature the last two sessions)
👍 Proposed Rule Change #14- Senator Lippincott; outlines a motion to call the question
👍 Proposed Rule Change #15- Senator Lippincott; Machine Voting, Electric Roll Call and Show of Hands
👍 Proposed Rule Change #16- Senator Lippincott; outlines motions during general and select file
✅️ Proposed Rule Change #17- Senator Lippincott; eliminates requirements for bipartisan committees
_ Proposed Rule Change #18 – Senator Lippincott; this one will take some time to get through, edits, and rewrites of all the rules
✅️ Proposed Rule Change #19- Senator Clements; over ruling the Chair (this is a great proposal by Senator Clements)
❌️ Proposed Rule Change #20- Senator M. Cavanaugh; prohibits firearms in the Unicameral for the public
✅️ Proposed Rule Change #21- Senator lbach; statement of intent must be submitted within one day of Bill Introduction
✅️ Proposed Rule Change #22- Senator Kauth; A two-thirds majority of the elected members present and voting shall be required for the cloture motion to be successful. (This means senators who vote present not voting would effectively reduce the cloture!)
👍 Proposed Rule Change #23- Senator Kauth; eliminates the Natural Resources Committee, created the Technology committee, and combines the Agriculture & Natural
Resources Committee
✅️ Proposed Rule Change #24- Senator Holdcroft; except that a motion to reconsider shall not be in order for any motion or amendment that fails, where at least four-fifths or more members voted against such motion or amendment (in other words you can’t reconsider if a 4/5s voted against it)
Make sure to CONFIRM YOUR SUBMISSION, which will be sent to your email!!! If you do not receive a confirmation, please email the following:
Alliebush@nago.group (so we can track the number of complaints)
Llippincott@leg.ne.gov (so the rules Chair is aware of the problem)
Bmetzler@leg.ne.gov (so the legislative clerk can be aware and hopefully eventually fix the problem)
Back to Bills
Resuming with Bill Introduction review! Bill Introduction today added 64 new bills and 2 Constitutional amendments.
LB203 – Change powers and duties of health directors in certain local public health departments
Introducer: Kauth – kkauth@leg.ne.gov
View Bill text here: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Intro/LB203.pdf
We’re glad to see Senator Kauth continue her efforts to hold our officials accountable for the mandates imposed in 2021 by various city-county health directors. The proposed language is as follows:
“issue and enforce community-wide directed health measures. The health director shall receive approval of such directed health measures in writing prior to issuance by a majority of the publicly elected representatives of the county board or, in the case of a city-county health department, written approval by a majority of the publicly elected representatives of the city council, and such directed health measures shall be submitted to the board of health for ratification at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the board”
LB204 – Adopt the Biometric Autonomy Liberty Law
Introducer: Kauth – kkauth@leg.ne.gov
View Bill text here: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Intro/LB204.pdf
The goal here is to ensure the security and privacy of your Biometric data as various entities implement Biometric use.
LB213 – Require the State Board of Education to adopt academic content standards on human embryology under the science education standards
Introducer: Holdcroft – rholdcroft@leg.ne.gov
View Bill text here: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Intro/LB213.pdf
“Instruction on human development that accurately portrays the biological science of human embryology, including the Carnegie Stages of Human Embryonic Development, in the curriculum of elementary, middleschool, and high school students”
It seems a little crazy that this had to be stated specifically, but we can certainly see the importance of providing this education and promoting the sanctity of life.
LB216 – Eliminate elected clerks of the district court, provide for consolidation of duties of court clerks and clerk magistrates, and change certain county employees to state employees
Introducer: Holdcroft – rholdcroft@leg.ne.gov
View Bill text here: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Intro/LB216.pdf
It’s an interesting idea! We’re not typically fans of removing an elected position, but this one might make sense.
LB218 – Change provisions relating to voter registration
Introducer: Fredrickson – jfredrickson@leg.ne.gov
View Bill text here: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Intro/LB218.pdf
Any automated voter registration should be opposed!
LB221 – Provide a procedure to fill unfilled gubernatorial appointments
Introducer: M. Cavanaugh – mcavanaugh@leg.ne.gov
View Bill text here: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Intro/LB221.pdf
It’s an interesting concept to fill vacant gubernatorial appointments whereby after 6mo of vacancy the corresponding legislative committee may take applicants on behalf of the governor and if after another 3mo the spot is not filled the executive board may appoint an applicant to the position. The discussion and testimony on this bill could be fun!
LB237 – Permit counties to conduct elections by mail
Introducer: M. Cavanaugh – mcavanaugh@leg.ne.gov
View Bill text here: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Intro/LB237.pdf
Supposedly, the SoS claims this can already be done. Either way, every attempt at moving more towards mail-in elections should be opposed.
LB245 – Change provisions of the Nebraska Pure Food Act
Introducer: DeKay – bdekay@leg.ne.gov
View Bill text here: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Intro/LB245.pdf
Increases the annual fee for food establishments to $200 from $86.19.
LB246 – Prohibit cultivated-protein food products under the Nebraska Pure Food Act and provide a deceptive trade practice
Introducer: DeKay – bdekay@leg.ne.gov
Introduced By: DeKay At the request of the Governor
View Bill text here: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Intro/LB246.pdf
Bans the sale and production of lab grown meats in Nebraska!
LR12CA – Constitutional amendment to impose a limit on ad valorem taxes for real property, provide a new method of valuing real property for tax purposes, provide certain exceptions, and eliminate conflicting constitutional provisions
Introducer: Kauth – kkauth@leg.ne.gov
View Bill text here: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Intro/LR12CA.pdf
Kauth introduced this legislation during the special session as well. It’s based on Prop 13 in CA, and it’s at the same price. So Nebraska wouldn’t use mass appraisals anymore is how she’d explained it then.
LR13CA – Constitutional amendment to prohibit the levying of an inheritance tax
Introducer: Hallstrom – rhallstrom@leg.ne.gov
View Bill text here: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Intro/LR13CA.pdf
We’re thrilled to support LR13CA, which ELIMINATES inheritance tax!!! Reminder: If you’d like to join in this effort, consider joining this Facebook group: Nebraskans Against the Inheritance Tax (( https://www.facebook.com/share/g/15UjAZ9YRX/?mibextid=K35XfP ))
Get your comments submitted for the proposed rules changes before Thursday at noon! As always, feel free to contact us with any comments, questions, or concerns. If you haven’t yet, sign up to have our newsletters and announcements delivered directly to your inbox at www.nago.group!
Reminder: Upcoming Events
We will provide updates on other events, rallies, and opportunities as they come up! If you have a group or organization that would like us to share about your upcoming event, please email alliebush@nago.group
Nebraskans Against Government Overreach 
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