Take action to secure emergency rental assistance
The state has failed to apply for additional federal emergency rental assistance (ERA), leaving millions of dollars on the table that could help struggling Nebraskans.
The Treasury Department extended the application deadline to March 30, 2022, to allow us to still apply. Nebraska could receive over $120 million in funding if we apply.
What you can do to help:
Senator Mike McDonnell’s office is collecting information on the need for these funds. If you serve communities outside the Douglas/Lancaster area:
- Email Senator McDonnell’s office (mmcdonnell@leg.ne.gov) with the subject line “Need for Emergency Rental Assistance.”
- If you have any information on the amount of people who need help with rent and utilities in your community, please share that with his office.
- If you have any information on issues that people have had applying for the state’s ERA funding, please share that, too.
- Share any thoughts or concerns with his office about what it will mean for your community if we do NOT apply for these funds.
If you have questions, contact Erin Feichtinger at erinmfeichtinger@gmail.com.
Bill to help immigrant Nebraskans on the agenda
Senators will soon debate LB298, a bill to ensure work-authorized immigrant Nebraskans can access the unemployment benefits they have earned. Let folks know to call or email to their senator today and urge them to vote for this important bill.
This bill was introduced and prioritized by Sen. Mike McDonnell last year, but due to time constraints, senators are set to debate it on the floor this year. Nebraska is the only state in the country where work-authorized immigrants cannot access unemployment benefits that they have earned and that their employer has paid. LB298 would bring consistency to our state law to fix this issue.
Upcoming committee hearings
There are several CSN bills of interest that will be heard in committee next week. This is your chance to make your voice heard by testifying at the hearing or submitting a public online comment.
If you want your online comment to be part of the public committee record, you must submit it by noon the business day before the hearing (comments for Monday’s hearings are due Friday at noon). Click the bill number to see which committee will hold the hearing.
Monday, January 31st
- LB737, introduced by Senator Eliot Bostar, creates a council to examine barriers and solutions to increasing access to primary healthcare.
- LB762, introduced by Senator Myron Dorn, sets a provider rate increase for behavioral health services contracted through the state.
- LB871, introduced by Senator Matt Hansen, increases transparency in meatpacking plants and increases capacity of the state’s meatpacking workers’ rights coordinator.
- LB988, introduced by Senator John Stinner, allocates funding to DHHS to conduct a study to determine reasonable rates for assisted-living care for those in the Medicaid Aged and Disabled program.
- LB989, introduced by Senator John Stinner, allocates federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act for nursing facility services.
- LB1067, introduced by Senator John Stinner, allocates funding to the University of Nebraska Behavioral Health Education Center.
- LB1133, introduced by Senator Adam Morfeld, adds healthcare workers to the list of first responders eligible for workers’ compensation for mental health injuries.
- LB1164, introduced by Senator Anna Wishart, requires DHHS to implement a 15% increase in child welfare service provider reimbursement rates.
Tuesday, February 1st
- LB915, introduced by Senator Justin Wayne, requires nonprofit development organizations spend down grant funding before applying for additional funds. An amendment allocates $30 million to affordable housing development in urban areas.
- LB1024, introduced by Senator Justin Wayne, allocates $450 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to provide grants to North Omaha organizations to provide relief from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wednesday, February 2nd
- LB1036, introduced by Senator Steve Lathrop, allows the Nebraska Supreme Court to implement problem solving court referees to prevent entrance to the criminal justice system.
- LB1051, introduced by Senator John Cavanaugh, allows those convicted of concealed weapons offenses to apply to have the conviction set aside and sealed.
- LB1154, introduced by Senator Terrell McKinney, expands the ability to serve sentences outside a prison or jail.
Thursday, February 3rd
- LB1068, introduced by Senator John Stinner, expands the capacity of the University of Nebraska Behavioral Health Education Center to address the shortage of behavioral healthcare workers.
- LB1111, introduced by Senator Terrell McKinney, provides funding for reentry and restorative justice programming and support services.
- LB1155, introduced by Senator John Cavanaugh, creates a pilot program for counties to implement pretrial risk assessments to determine pretrial release.
- LR282CA, introduced by Senator Julie Slama, eliminates the requirement to elect senators as nonpartisan.
To stay up-to-date on these and other bills
we’re following, use our online bill tracker!