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Nebraska Legislature opens eighth legislative day with wide-ranging bill introductions; adjourns to Jan. 21
Summary
On the eighth day of the legislative session the Nebraska Legislature opened with prayer and the Pledge, received dozens of new bill introductions across education, taxation, public safety and health policy, set committee leadership and a 3‑part deadline, and adjourned to Jan. 21, 2025.
LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Legislature convened for its eighth legislative day with opening remarks, a chaplain's prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance before the clerk read a lengthy slate of new bills across multiple policy areas.
The clerk introduced bills ranging from LB383, described as the "Parental Rights in Social Media Act" introduced by Senator Storer, to measures addressing property tax definitions, deceptive trade practices, corrections, judicial nominating commission residency rules, education policies, and a proposed Regional Mental Health Expansion Pilot Program. Many bills included section citations to the Nebraska Revised Statutes and several sponsors requested emergency clauses.
“Today is the day that the Lord has made,” said Senator Storer during the opening prayer, which also asked for support for deployed troops. Senator DeBoer then led the chamber in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Senator Ibar reminded members of a procedural deadline: "The deadline to request that a bill be 3‑part is Tuesday, January 21st by 1 PM," he said, noting that revisers will process requests submitted after that time only as time permits and there is no guarantee they will be completed before adjournment on Wednesday.
Committee and leadership announcements included the Business and Labor Committee’s selection of Senator Sorrentino as vice chair and the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee selecting Senator Anderson as vice chair. The Planning Committee was later reported to have elected Senator DeBoer as chair and Senator Stroman as vice chair. The clerk also noted agency reports filed electronically and the registered lobbyist report for Jan. 16, 2025 would appear in the daily journal.
The day’s bill introductions covered a wide range of subjects, with notable entries including proposals related to:
• social media parental-rights legislation (LB383); • a Regional Mental Health Expansion Pilot Program and related mental-health procedural changes (LB386); • veterans’ and education measures including homestead-exemption changes and programs for flag education and educational savings accounts; • public-safety and criminal-justice items such as an amendment touching execution methods and controlled-substance classification proposals; • labor and worker-compensation matters, including proposed presumptions for occupational cancers in firefighters; and • proposals affecting gaming, including a constitutional amendment concept for sports wagering referenced as LR20.
Dr. Dale Michaels of Lincoln was recognized as the day's family physician. The clerk also announced that the Planning Committee would meet under the north balcony after adjournment.
Senator McEwen moved to adjourn the Legislature until Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, at 10 a.m. The presiding officer put the motion by voice vote and declared the body adjourned.
No formal roll-call votes on substantive bills were recorded in the day's proceedings. The next scheduled convening was announced by motion as Jan. 21, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.
