Legislature advances teacher retirement overhaul after brief technical amendment debate

The Nebraska Legislature advanced LB 6 45, a broad measure changing state teacher retirement benefits, to engrossing after a floor debate in which Senator Machaela Conrad offered and then withdrew a late technical amendment intended to reaffirm that the state would not assume funding liabilities for the Omaha School Employees Retirement System (OSERS).

Senator Conrad introduced AM1184, calling it “technical in nature” and saying it was meant to “reaffirm our long standing and consistent state policy” that the state should not assume OSERS’ unfunded liabilities. She told colleagues the amendment was drafted because the bill had moved quickly and she wanted to avoid any “wiggle room” that could be read as creating state liability for the Omaha plan. She also offered to withdraw the amendment if members…