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Last week, senators debated LB669, a bill introduced by Senator Storer which would update Nebraska’s informed consent laws to require women be screened for coercion and abuse when they go in for an abortion appointment. This measure was introduced with the intent of combating domestic violence and human trafficking. In debate, senators presented contrasting information on the potential impacts of this measure. Senator Storer and other supporters of the bill argued it was necessary to give victims of domestic violence and sex trafficking a lifeline that could be their only option to escape in a time when sex trafficking is on the rise in Nebraska and across the country. Meanwhile, opponents countered that this measure would be hard to implement for OBGYNs and hospitals.
Following a filibuster that spanned four days, the cloture motion for LB669 fell two votes short of the necessary 33-vote threshold to cease debate, meaning the bill did not advance. I voted in support of LB669.
Senators also considered LB258.
LB258 was a bill introduced by Senator Raybould which would amend the state’s minimum wage law. In 2022, the voters approved a ballot measure to increase the state minimum wage to $15 per hour in 2026. After 2026, the state’s minimum wage was to be tied to the Consumer Price Index to adjust for inflation. For example, in a high inflation year like 2022, the minimum wage would have grown eight percent.
LB258 would limit the annual increases of the minimum wage to a more predictable rate of 1.75 percent.
Rate increase caps would also be imposed on both the state’s training wage and the newly created youth minimum wage. Echoing the debates from last year, supporters of the bill argued that LB258 would provide businesses with more certainty when making decisions and give small businesses a reasonable compromise.
In contrast, opponents contended the measure would harm the state’s lowest earners and undermine the will of statewide Nebraska voters who approved the ballot measure. Following a contentious debate, LB258 was advanced to the Governor’s desk by a 33-16 vote. I voted in support.
Additionally, a public hearing was held on one of the bills I introduced: LB1261. LB1261 was heard before the Natural Resources Committee and would establish a carefully defined exception authorizing public power utilities to enter into contracts with privately owned electric generation developers for the facilities necessary to serve extremely large customers.
This is a bill I worked on extensively with the state’s public power industry to ensure the state’s unique public power model is protected in a time of unprecedented load growth across the country. Much of the load growth is being driven by large customers.
For example, NPPD is seeing a sizable increase in demand for energy to power data centers and the industries relating to the production of fertilizer, ethanol, and sustainable aviation fuel. However, public power today cannot refuse to serve any customer who meets all requirements and works in good faith.
LB1261 would create a carefully defined pathway for a large load customer to come into the state, pay for their own generation, and interconnect with public power while preserving the state’s unique public power model. This bill would help shift costs and risks away from public power since private financial investment, not public ratepayer dollars, could be used to fund the construction of the generation necessary to power a large load customer. Today, the state’s public power model has resulted in Nebraska having the third-lowest average electricity rate in the country and is nationally recognized for grid reliability. As someone who has previously served on multiple public power boards at all levels, ensuring affordability and reliability of electricity via the public power model in Nebraska is of utmost importance to me.
I invite you to let me know your thoughts or concerns. My Capitol office telephone number is (402) 4712801 while my email is bdekay@leg. ne.gov. My address is: Senator Barry DeKay, District #40, P.O. Box 94604, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509.
