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Dist. 40 report
Last week, the Legislature concluded bill introduction for the year and began the committee hearing process.
In Nebraska, all bills and constitutional amendment resolutions are referred to a legislative committee for a public hearing. Senators will continue to meet in the mornings for floor debate and attend com mittee hearings in the afternoons until the end of February.
Full-day floor debate is tentatively scheduled to begin on March 3. So far this year, I introduced 15 bills and one proposed constitutional amendment resolution. Additionally, the Agriculture Committee, of which I chair, introduced two bills.
Last week, six of those pieces of legislation were heard in public hearings as part of the committee process. I would like to highlight three of those measures.
LR283CA was heard by the Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee. This measure, if ultimately approved by voters, would specify that only a United States citizen shall be an elector in the State of Nebraska. Currently, Article VI, Section 1 of the Nebraska Constitution specifies that every citizen of the United States shall be eligible to vote in the State of Nebraska. Elsewhere in the nation, municipalities in the states of California, Maryland, and Vermont, as well as Washington D.C., permit noncitizens to vote in local elections. It is necessary to proactively clarify and reaffirm, in the state’s constitution, that only citizens may lawfully register and vote in Nebraska given that there is now a patchwork of laws nationwide which can create confusion or leave room open for misinterpretation.
Meanwhile, LB868 was heard by the Revenue Committee. This measure would provide an inheritance tax exemption for victims of homicide.
This bill was proposed to me by a family from Legislative District 40 who had members become victims of homicide. LB868 represents an incremental step to reduce the inheritance tax in Nebraska as there are only about 60 Nebraskans a year whose estates would be exempted.
I acknowledge this is a piecemeal approach toward the inheritance tax and that a broader reduction or elimination of the inheritance tax is the ultimate goal. At the same time, the Legislature has stalled on this issue and has not made much progress on reducing or eliminating the inheritance tax in recent years.
Finally, LB795 was heard by the Judiciary Committee. This measure would designate Bromazolam as a controlled substance. Bromazolam is a drug which is structurally related to Xanax and has recently begun to appear in the national illicit drug supply. This substance is being found in counterfeit pills or mixed with opioids like fentanyl. However, unlike fentanyl, Bromazolam overdoses can’t be treated with opioid reversal medications like Narcan because it is a benzodiazepine not an opioid. Earlier this year, the federal government temporarily designated Bromazolam as a Schedule I substance while rulemaking takes place to make this change permanent. LB795 would close a loophole in state statute and give Nebraska law enforcement and prosecutors the legal authority to crack down on the Bromazolam supply chain.
I invite you to let me know your thoughts or concerns. My Capitol office telephone number is (402) 471-2801 while my email is bdekay@leg. ne.gov. My mailing address is: Senator Barry DeKay, District #40, P.O. Box 94604, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509.
