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Nebraska debate sharpens over bill to lock in rideshare drivers as independent contractors
Summary
Lawmakers spent the session debating LB 229, which would statutorily define marketplace network drivers (e.g., Uber, Lyft) as independent contractors. Supporters say the change preserves flexible app work and legal clarity; opponents warn it would preempt workers’ rights to organize and foreclose future reclassification.
Senator Hallstrom, sponsor of LB 229, told the Nebraska Legislature that the bill would "define the independent contractor status of individuals engaged in the marketplace network" and "remove the uncertainty" for rideshare drivers who use app-based platforms. He framed the bill as a narrow measure aimed only at marketplace network contractors and said it would not change how drivers are paid or when they choose to work.
Supporters on the floor argued the bill simply codifies longstanding legal tests and protects a flexible model of app-based work. "Drivers determine when they work, they buy and insure their own car, and the initiative is up to the driver,"…
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