The Southern Nebraska Register is published weekly, September through May, except the week following Christmas; bi-weekly June through August.

As 2007 winds down, one approaching event on the 2008 horizon is the second session of the 100th Nebraska Legislature. January 9 is the scheduled convening date for the 49 citizen legislators.

Unless something extraordinary happens, the 2008 session will have a run of no more than 60 working days. It is the second installment of one full Legislature, following up on the 90 days of lawmaking that took place in January through May this year.

Legislative bills not terminally disposed of in the 90-day session, whether by passage or indefinite postponement, carry over to the 60-day session. This includes bills already positioned at one of three stages of Unicameral floor action, having been advanced by one of the standing committees, and bills still under committee jurisdiction.

Approximately 100 bills are positioned for floor action right away; there’s not much lull at the onset of a second session. A summary of some of these bills follows:
LB 112 is pending on General File, the first stage of floor action. It proposes to establish a statutory procedure whereby any qualifying minor could petition the district court of his/her county of residence for a judgment of emancipation, i.e., adulthood. Certain facts regarding the minor’s situation and capacity to function as an adult would have to be set forth in the petition and considered by the judge.

As it currently stands, this bill is not free of ambiguities, nor is the scope of the policy sufficiently clear. Presumably, greater clarity will be sought and provided as floor debate on the bill unfolds.

LB 157 had some floor debate in the first session, but its fate was unresolved. The bill proposes the abandoned baby safe-haven, allowing a parent to leave a newborn infant at a designated location (e.g., hospital, fire station) without being subject to prosecution for child abandonment. The issues of such a policy are more complex than intuitively apparent. It will be interesting to watch how they are addressed.

LB 171 proposes to direct the state’s Health and Human Services agency to apply for and utilize any and all options available to maximize Federal funding for the food stamp program. The bill was advanced to the full Legislature by the Health and Human Services Committee, debated and amended on General File and advanced to the second stage, Select File, where it awaits action in the upcoming session.

Also pending further action on Select File is LB 246. It proposes to statutorily ensure the recovery of transplantable organs from donor decedents whose bodies come under the jurisdiction of a county coroner. Apparently, this is intended to be remedial of situations in which a coroner’s response may not be time-sensitive enough to facilitate transplantation of organs donated pursuant to Nebraska’s Anatomical Gift Act.

LB 476 proposes to repeal the death penalty and replace it with imprisonment for life without parole and order of restitution to the victim’s estate as the exclusive punishment for first-degree murder. The bill was debated “on the floor” before failing to advance on a 24-25 vote. Technically it is alive—bills can have three strikes on General File—but it probably won’t be scheduled for more action.

In addition to carry-over bills already at floor-debate stages, there are others that will start 2008 under committee jurisdiction. Among them are the following: LB 104, proposing to drop the age of majority from 19 to 18; LB 534, proposing to authorize cities to establish fictionalized storm water utilities and to impose user fees; LB 571, proposing to allow two adults, regardless of marital status and regardless of gender, to jointly adopt a minor child; LB 599, proposing to establish a legal process whereby the biological parents of a child carried by a gestational surrogate could establish maternity and paternity for purposes of the child’s birth certificate; LB 647, proposing to require parity in insurance coverage for the diagnosis of behavioral illness; and LB 700, proposing a comprehensive ban on human cloning.

Perhaps, and as this column is being written it’s still a pretty big perhaps, this Congress is going to pass a new Farm Bill, quite likely over a presidential veto. If it happens, it is virtually a sure thing that it will include a strong Food and Nutrition Title, which will increase benefit levels and make other improvements in both domestic (e.g., food stamps) and international programs that address the needs of hungry people.

To his credit, Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson has been a consistent supporter and leader regarding a strengthened policy on nutrition assistance.

In another area of Congressional activity, a salute please for First District Representative, Jeff Fortenberry for voting to override the President’s veto of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill. Although the override failed, Rep. Fortenberry showed support for programs that are critical to the nation’s health and well-being and which have been harmed by inflation and cuts.

Finally, how sad and annoying is it, if not downright offensive, to be exposed to all of this state-government-sponsored advertising to influence the buying of lottery and scratch-off tickets as Christmas gifts? Linking Christmas with government-promoted gambling—bah humbug.

You can write to Jim at the Nebraska Catholic Conference
215 Centennial Mall South, Suite 310, Lincoln, NE 68508
Or email: nebrcc@neb.rr.com