The Legislature began debate this week on revisions to prison policies and criminal sentences designed to reduce prison crowding. As the week drew to a close, lawmakers commenced debate on legislation to repeal the death penalty and advanced the bill to Select File after approximately four hours of floor debate.
Youth Minimum Wage Bill Advances
Lawmakers have given first round approval to a bill that would set a lower minimum wage for most high-school age workers in Nebraska. As amended, Legislative Bill 599, introduced by Sen. Laura Ebke (Crete) and designated as a priority bill by Sen. John Kuehn (Heartwell), would keep the minimum wage at $8 per hour for student workers under the age of 19 when the state’s overall minimum wage rises to $9 an hour next year. The legislation, supported by NFIB, advanced to Select File on the following vote of 32 to 11:
Voting in the affirmative, 32:
Bloomfield, Friesen, Kintner, Murante, Stinner, Bolz, Garrett, Kolterman, Riepe, Sullivan, Brasch, Gloor, Krist, Scheer, Watermeier, Coash, Hadley, Kuehn, Schilz, Williams, Craighead, Hilkemann, Larson, Schnoor, Davis, Hughes, Lindstrom, Seiler, Ebke, Johnson, McCollister, and Smith
Voting in the negative, 11:
Campbell, Crawford, Harr, B., Morfeld, Chambers, Haar, K., Kolowski, Nordquist, Cook, Hansen, and Mello
Present and not voting, 3:
Baker, Groene, and Schumacher
Excused and not voting, 3:
Howard, McCoy, and Pansing Brooks
The bill will require 33 votes for final passage since the state Constitution requires a two-thirds majority vote of the legislature to modify any law passed by public vote, which occurred when Nebraska voters approved an increase last November in the state’s overall minimum wage from $7.25 to $8 per hour this year, then to $9 an hour next year.
Tipped Employee Minimum Wage
Lawmakers have rejected an amendment that would have increased the state’s minimum wage from $2.13 an hour to $2.35 in August and $2.64 next year. Having rejected the committee amendment, Legislative Bill 494, which would have provided for a larger increase in the tipped employee minimum wage, failed to advance on the following vote of 18 to 27. (NFIB Position Oppose)
Voting in the affirmative, 18:
Bolz, Crawford, Howard, McCollister, Pansing Brooks, Campbell, Haar, K., Johnson, Mello, Schumacher, Chambers, Hansen, Kolowski, Morfeld, Cook, Harr, B., Krist and Nordquist
Voting in the negative, 27:
Baker, Ebke, Hughes, Murante, Sullivan, Bloomfield, Friesen, Kintner, Riepe, Watermeier, Brasch, Garrett, Kolterman, Scheer, Williams, Coash, Groene, Larson, Schnoor, Craighead, Hadley, Lindstrom, Seiler, Davis, Hilkemann, McCoy and Stinner
Present and not voting, 2:
Kuehn and Smith
Excused and not voting, 2:
Gloor and Schilz
Workers’ Compensation Package Advances
On Thursday morning, the Business and Labor Committee voted to advance Legislative Bill 480, with amendments, to General File. As amended by the Business and Labor Committee, LB 480 contains the following provisions:
- Interest Rate on WC Awards – These provisions would reduce the interest rate currently applicable to awards of WC benefits on appeal from 14 percent to approximately 8 percent (T-bill rate plus 6 percent).
- Employee Misrepresentation – The defense of employee misrepresentation would be reinstated to allow employers to avoid having to pay benefits resulting from an injury or condition relating to misrepresentations given by the employee when applying for a position with the employer.
- Balance Billing of Employees – Would clarify that the prohibition against “balance billing” an employee for medical expenses in excess of the workers’ compensation fee schedule extends to finance charges and late penalties.
- Self-Insured Trust Funds – Would authorize trust funds required to be established under the Workers’ Compensation Act to be invested in the same manner authorized for corporate trustees holding retirement or pension plans for the benefit of current or former employees of political subdivisions.
NFIB continues to promote adoption of a “drug formulary” to address the significant costs associated with individuals who become addicted to or dependent upon opioids or pain killers. Efforts will continue to have an amendment to this effect added when the bill is considered by the full legislature. Since LB 480 has been designated as a priority bill of the Business and Labor Committee, it could be debated in the near future.
Past Reports
