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215 Centennial Mall South, Suite 310, Lincoln, NE 68508-1813; 402-477-7517; nebrcc@neb.rr.com
Focus on public policy from a Gospel mandate, from the Catholic Church's moral and social teaching and from Her concern for the common good.
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Partial listing as of 3/19/02 Education-Related Bills in Blue; Pro Life -Related Bills in Green
(Chambers) Proposing to abolish the death penalty and replace it with mandatory imprisonment for life and mandatory restitution of victims' families. Heard by the Judiciary Committee, 3/8/01; awaiting action by the Judiciary committee; not prioritized.
(Suttle) Proposing to require the Dept. of Health and Human Services to exercise the federal option to cover substance abuse treatment under Medicaid. Hearing held by Health & Human Services Committee 2/1/01. By a vote of 7-0, bill advanced to General File 2/5/01; passed by legislature with emergency clause, awaiting action by the Governor.
(Bruning) Proposing to change the method of inflicting the death penalty from electrocution to lethal injection. Public hearing on 3/8/01; awaiting action by the Judiciary Committee in 2002; prioritized by Senator Bruning.
(Bromm) Proposing to provide a state income tax credit for contributions to elementary and secondary scholarship programs set up to assist families to pay tuition at non-governmental schools. Hearing held by Education Committee 3/13/01; awaiting action in committee; not prioritized.
(Redfield, et. al.) Proposing to eliminate the "marriage penalty," that quirk in the tax code that forces two-income married couples to pay more in taxes than they would if each spouse were taxed as a single wage earner. Public hearing on 2/23/01; advanced to General File, 6-2, by the Revenue Committee; prioritized by Senator Redfield; placed on Select File 4/4/01; advanced 4/12/01; final reading March 2002.
(Beutler) Proposing a weak alternative to prohibiting research use of fetal brain tissue derived from induced abortions by prohibiting the sale and transfer of fetal tissue for research, by monitoring the use of tissue, cells and organs obtained from dead embryos or fetuses after abortions, and by "requiring" UNMC to stop using tissue from abortions as soon as a substitute is found. Public hearing on 2/9/01; awaiting action by the Judiciary Committee; not prioritized.
(Raikes, et. al.) Amended to provide for $2,000 salary supplements for beginning public school teachers (within first four years of teaching) for one year, followed by increased state aid of $100 per student to fund teacher salary increases in future years. Raised sales tax rate by .25% to fund additional state aid for salaries. Heard by the Education Committee, 1/29/01; prioritized by Sen. Raikes'; placed on Select File; stalled on Select File when motion to invoke cloture failed; carried over from last session.
(Quandahl) Proposing to modify and improve the law that requires parental notification when a minor seeks to have an abortion, by adding to the crime of criminal impersonation conduct whereby a person fraudulently poses as a person who can waive notification. Public hearing on 3/9/01; awaiting action by the Judiciary Committee; not prioritized.
(Quandahl) Proposing to modify and improve the law governing informed consent as a precondition for a woman having an abortion, by making it clear that the woman has to be given the state’s informative materials before the abortion can be performed, and also repeals the current law that requires school districts to provide parental-notification and judicial-bypass information to students in grades 7-12. Public hearing on 3/9/01; awaiting action by the Judiciary Committee; not prioritized.
(Quandahl) Proposing to modify and improve the law that requires parental notification when a minor seeks to have an abortion, by more clearly defining the situation in which parental notification would not be required, and by requiring that any written authorization for the abortion from a parent or guardian must be notarized. Public hearing on 3/9/01; awaiting action by the Judiciary Committee; not prioritized.
(Brashear) Proposing to change the method of inflicting the death penalty from electrocution to lethal injection; technically different from LB 62. Status: Public hearing on 3/8/01; awaiting action by the Judiciary Committee; not prioritized.
(Robak) Proposing to provide limited immunity from liability for volunteers within a governmental entity or nonprofit organization; to the extent a volunteer in the state would enjoy immunity under the Federal Volunteer Protection Act of 1997, that volunteer would be immune from civil liability if the organization maintains a general liability insurance policy with a minimum coverage of $1 million per person and $5 million per occurrence. Public hearing on February 28; awaiting action by the Judiciary Committee; not prioritized.
(Pedersen) Proposing to prohibit state-funded institutions from engaging in biomedical research that uses fetal tissue derived from induced abortions. Public hearing on 3/9/01; deadlocked, 4-4, in the Judiciary Committee; prioritized by Senator Erdman; bracketed until Jan. 9, 2002 on 4/11/01. Voted on cloture, did not pass, remains on General File as of 3/19/02.
(Landis) Proposing to institute a refundable state earned-income tax credit for limited-income working families, at a rate of 5% of the federal EITC. Heard by the Revenue Committee, 1/24/01; awaiting action in committee; not prioritized; indefinitely postponed in 2002.
(Suttle, et. al.) Proposing the behavioral task force, to examine mental-health issues and recommend policy. Public hearing on 2/1/01; advanced to General File, 5-0, by the Health and Human Services Committee; awaiting first-round floor debate; not prioritized, remains on General File as of 3/19/02.
(Chambers) Proposing to prohibit employees of public schools from using the term "fetus" to refer to or describe a stage of human development during any presentation, including textbooks, and to require them to use the term "unborn child." Public hearing on 2/9/01; awaiting action by the Judiciary Committee as of 3/19/02; not prioritized.
(Chambers) Proposing to change all references to "unborn child" in the current statutes to "fetus." Public hearing on February 9; awaiting action by the Judiciary Committee as of 3/19/02; not prioritized.
(Hilgert, et. al.) Proposing to increase the pay for behavioral health providers in child welfare programs, juvenile justice programs, the Medicaid program, community mental health and substance abuse programs; and the Medicaid mental health managed care contract. Heard by the Appropriations Committee, 3/13/01. Held by committee as of 3/19/02.
(Redfield at request of Governor) Amends the mentor teacher program. Every first year public school teacher provided with a mentor, every second and third year teacher may participate in the program. Appropriates funds for distribution to school districts for distribution to mentor teachers and program support. NCC and NFCSP Position: Support if amended to include private school teachers. Hearing held by Education Committee 2/5/01; held by Committee; carried over from last session. Indefinitely postponed (killed) in Committee on 1/30/02.
(Beutler) Proposing to increase the minimum wage under state law from the current $5.15 per hour to $5.65 effective October 1, 2001 and to $6.15 effective April 1, 2002. Public hearing on March 5; advanced to General File, 5-0, by the Business and Labor Committee; awaiting first-round debate; not prioritized; still on General File as of 3/19/02.
(Robak, Hilgert) Proposing to require that each public school district and each nonpublic school must develop and approve for each school under its jurisdiction a school safety plan, and to assist public school districts and nonpublic schools in meeting this mandate by awarding grants of up to $5000. Public hearing on 3/13/01; held in the Education Committee; not prioritized.
(Kristensen) Proposing a tuition reimbursement program to help new public school teachers to repay college tuition. NCC Position: Sought amendment to extend the program to include new teachers in private schools as well. Public hearing on 2/15/01; held in the Education Committee; not prioritized, carried over from last session. Indefinitely postponed (killed) in the Education Committee 1/30/02.
(Redfield) Adopts the Recruiting Educators to Nebraska act; applies to teachers in first, second or third year of teaching in a subject shortage area in Nebraska. Eligible teachers receive $1,500 per year for each year of eligibility, not to exceed $4,500. Payment made directly from Dept. of Education to teacher. Appears to include private school teachers. Hearing held by Education Committee 2/5/01; held by Committee; carried over from last session. Indefinitely postponed (killed) in the Education Committee on 1/30/02.
(Raikes) Proposing to eliminate non-governmental school teacher participation from Master Teacher program and Attracting Excellence to Teaching Act (forgivable student loan program). Reduces Master Teacher program stipend to $2,500 per year form $5,000 as originally enacted. Heard by the Education Committee, 2/5/01. Still held by committee as of 3/19/02.
(Chambers) Proposing that all references to "unborn child" in Nebraska law be changed to "fetus", and that the Pro Life preamble to Nebraska's abortion laws be repealed. Heard by the Judiciary Committee, 2/9/01; awaiting action by the Judiciary Committee; not prioritized. Still held by committee as of 3/19/02.
(Beutler, Suttle, Thompson) Proposing to require that all firearms to which minors might have access must be secured with a tamper-resistant safety device or be kept in a securely locked container; any violation would be a Class IV misdemeanor. Public hearing on January 31; awaiting action by the Judiciary Committee; not prioritized; still held in committee as of 3/19/02.
(Robak, Janssen) Proposing to legalize "electronic pickle card" machines. Public hearing on 3/12/01; awaiting action by the General Affairs Committee; not prioritized; still held in committee as of 3/19/02.
(Foley, et. al.) Proposing the Prenatal Protection Act, for civil law: to treat an unborn child the same as any other person/victim for purposes of a civil cause of action for wrongful death. Heard by the Judiciary Committee, 3/9/01; awaiting action by committee; not prioritized; still held in committee as of 3/19/02.
(Foley, et. al.) Proposing the Prenatal Protection Act, criminal law: to treat an unborn child the same as any other person/victim for purposes of crimes of homicide. Heard by the Judiciary Committee, 3/9/01; placed on General File 4/12/01; Foley prioritized, carried over from last session. Cloture invoked with a vote of 40-5 on 1/18/02 and bill was sent on to the second stage or General File, then Select File. A vote of 41-5 on 2/4/02 moved bill from Select file into third round or Final Reading. Passed by legislature with a vote of 42-5 with 2 absent. Approved by Governor on 2/28/02.
(Brashear) Proposing to impose the sales tax on certain services and to reinstate the sales tax on food, while creating a state income tax credit for food sales tax paid. Public hearing on 2/21/01; awaiting action by the Revenue Committee; not prioritized; indefinitely postponed (killed) as of 3/19/02.
(Suttle) Public school teachers would be entitled to receive tuition reimbursement for the cost of credit hours earned at any state-supported university or college in Nebraska having a teacher education program. Public hearing on 1/29/02; amendment proposed to include teachers employed in private/parochial schools. Advanced to General File with amendment for funds from lottery March 2002.
(Thompson) Public school teachers (and paraeducators) would be entitled to receive tuition reimbursement to earn additional teaching endorsements or a masters degree. Public hearing on 1/29/02; amendment to strike teacher tuition reimbursement from bill, turned it into a vehicle to reallocate lottery funds to Master Teacher Program that passed 2 years ago (does include private/parochial school teachers). Indefinitely postponed (killed) by Education Committee in March 2002.
(D. Pedersen) Proposing to create a state income tax credit to public school teachers ONLY with credit based on the amount of property tax paid to local school district. Public hearing scheduled for 2/21/02 before Revenue Committee. Still held by committee as of 3/19/02.
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