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Nebraska Family Council
1106 E Street, Lincoln, NE 68508-3511
Phone: 402-477-3191
Toll Free: 1-888-777-5188
1106 E Street, Lincoln, NE 68508-3511
Phone: 402-477-3191
Toll Free: 1-888-777-5188
Legislative Bills to Watch
Below are several legislative bills of interest. For more information on what is happening at the Nebraska Unicameral you can check their Web site Nebraska Legislature. |  |
Bills that were before the 2010 Legislature:
The following Legislative Bills are stuck in committee. This means the committee has not allowed these bills to come out into the full Legislature for debate.LB 444 Escort Service Bill (Introduced by Sen. Christensen)
LB 444 was inspired after I was searching the Yellow Pages for an Excavating Contractor and seeing Escort Service ads. When I read the large Escort ads I was shocked at their bold immoral advertising.
In speaking with local police officers, they confirmed my assessment that Escort Services are often associated with prostitution. There is also a suspicion that some of them are using underage run away children and human trafficking as employees.
Senator Mark Christensen was willing to introduce this important piece of legislation. LB 444 would adopt the Escort Services Accountability and Licensing Act. This bill would require an Escort type Service to have an address, keep records of clients, obtain a license to operate, have the employer and employees checked through a national fingerprint search and become subject to criminal actions.
LB 19 (Introduced by Sen. Christensen)
The 50% divorce rate is intolerable. Divorce is devastating children, costly to taxpayers and emotionally destructive to adults. Oklahoma has seen their divorce rate decline.
Working together with Sen. Mark Christensen's office LB 19 was introduced. This bill encourages a couple to take an eight hour pre-marriage class. If a couple completes the class the marriage license would be $15, without the class a marriage license is $75 with a 10 day waiting period. The bill states that eight hours of instruction are to include conflict management, communication, financial management and parenting skills. This type of legislation is an important first step in reducing the divorce rate.
Oklahoma is well ahead of Nebraska in addressing the divorce problem. The Governor of Oklahoma realized a joint effort between the government, non-profits and the faith community could reduce divorces. After passing a similar bill and a state wide effort, Oklahoma has seen the divorce rate drop 7%.
LB 443 (Introduced by Sen. Mark Christensen)
This bill would put additional regulations on strip bars and stores that sell pornography. Why is it important for Statewide Regulations? It is difficult for small communities and sparsely populated counties to legally defend themselves against this type of business but they experience the problems created by the secondary affects.
Bills about Pro-life
LB 594: The Woman's Health Protection Act.
This bill clarify's in statute the duty of physicians to screen women for risk factors that research shows will increase her chance of having physical or psychological complications from abortion. It also makes it easier for a woman to hold an abortionist liable for avoidable injuries which may have been avoided with proper screening and counseling. The bill was introduced last year and was passed by a strong majority of the Legislature this year. This ground breaking piece of legislation may be challenged in court. To view more information click here LB 594 Womens Health Proteciton Act or LB 594 Womens Health Protection Talking Points
LB 1103: The Abortion Pain Prevention Act
This bill provides a general prohibition on abortions performed when the probable gestational age of the unborn child is 20 or more weeks, unless, "in reasonable medical judgment," the woman is experiencing a medical emergency. The bill bases the 20 week line on research concerning fetal development and ability to experience pain, abortion methods used at and after 20 weeks, anesthesia, and the state's interest in reducing or preventing actions that inflict pain. This bill had a public hearing February 25th, at which time I handed out an article from the Lincoln Journal Star about a 24 week pregnancy that resulted in a healthy birth. The Legislature passed this bill with a strong majority. This is also a ground breaking piece of legislation that could be challenged in court.
LB 1110: Prenatal care for unborn children
This bill is intended to allow Nebraska to continue to offer prenatal services to unborn children of low-income women, including those who are undocumented immigrants. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) notified the state that it must stop providing prenatal services to some of these children through Medicaid. CMS has also informed the state that prenatal care may be provided to unborn children through the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Therefore, LB 1110 directs the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a separate state program under the targeted low-income child health option of CHIP. This bill was not sucessful and did not pass.
This bill clarify's in statute the duty of physicians to screen women for risk factors that research shows will increase her chance of having physical or psychological complications from abortion. It also makes it easier for a woman to hold an abortionist liable for avoidable injuries which may have been avoided with proper screening and counseling. The bill was introduced last year and was passed by a strong majority of the Legislature this year. This ground breaking piece of legislation may be challenged in court. To view more information click here LB 594 Womens Health Proteciton Act or LB 594 Womens Health Protection Talking Points
LB 1103: The Abortion Pain Prevention Act
This bill provides a general prohibition on abortions performed when the probable gestational age of the unborn child is 20 or more weeks, unless, "in reasonable medical judgment," the woman is experiencing a medical emergency. The bill bases the 20 week line on research concerning fetal development and ability to experience pain, abortion methods used at and after 20 weeks, anesthesia, and the state's interest in reducing or preventing actions that inflict pain. This bill had a public hearing February 25th, at which time I handed out an article from the Lincoln Journal Star about a 24 week pregnancy that resulted in a healthy birth. The Legislature passed this bill with a strong majority. This is also a ground breaking piece of legislation that could be challenged in court.
LB 1110: Prenatal care for unborn children
This bill is intended to allow Nebraska to continue to offer prenatal services to unborn children of low-income women, including those who are undocumented immigrants. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) notified the state that it must stop providing prenatal services to some of these children through Medicaid. CMS has also informed the state that prenatal care may be provided to unborn children through the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Therefore, LB 1110 directs the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a separate state program under the targeted low-income child health option of CHIP. This bill was not sucessful and did not pass.
Gambling Bills
LR 277 CA: Off Track BettingThis got out of committee but was narrowly defeated on the floor. This bill would have allowed every bar in the state to have off site betting on horses. It was presented as a bail out for the struggling horse racing industry. I am glad to report this legislation did not come back to haunt us again this session by being placed as an amendment to another bill. To view more information click here LR 277 CA Gambling Talking Points.
LB 1023: Enhanced Keno
This bill failed to advance out of committee.
LR 296 CA: Poker Palaces
This bill never came out of committee but was a priority bill of Senator Karpisek.
LB 1102: Horse Slots
This bill failed in the first round of debate before the full legislature but it was a priority bill of Senator Lautenbaugh. This was presented as another bill to support the struggling horse racing industry. To view more information click here LB 1102 Instant Racing Maryland and LB 1102 Instant Racing Terminals WY case.
LB 765: Tighten Laws on Illegal Slots
This was a good bill presented by Senator Fulton at the request of the Attorney General. The gambling industry is attempting to create machines that are just like slot machines, which are illegal, and call them games of skill. This bill would better define legal and illegal gaming devices in Nebraska. The Bill failed to be passed this session.