The Nebraska State Capitol. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)
LINCOLN — A pair of priority bills that by fluke had ended up linked, then faced moments of conflict and potential demise, are now decoupled and moving on to next rounds of debate in the Nebraska Legislature.
Floor discussions on State Sen. Terrell McKinney’s Legislative Bill 48 and State Sen. Glen Meyer’s LB 382 had gone on for several days before lawmakers voted Thursday to advance each separately.
At points in recent weeks, McKinney, of North Omaha, threatened to disrupt the remainder of the session if his priority bill was killed. Another lawmaker questioned whether McKinney was being mistreated because he was Black or a Democrat.
State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha. July 26, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
His LB 48 calls for an around-the-clock Family Resource and Juvenile Assessment Center pilot program in Omaha. The goal is two sites that would address family dynamics, mental health, substance abuse and educational challenges to juvenile delinquency.
The effort will integrate “culturally relevant services delivered by and for the communities served.” Subject to available funds, up to $1 million annually for five years for the pilot would come from a Medicaid cash fund.
‘Not ready for prime time’
Opponents of the measure, including State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, said she counted two dozen entities in the Omaha area that offered services and she believed made the pilot redundant and duplicative.
State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston said the measure needed work and was “simply not ready for prime time.”
Speaker John Arch of La Vista was among lawmakers who said they came around to supporting the McKinney bill. Noting his background with Boys Town, Arch said that “not every program works with every youth,” and he saw value in the approach.
State Sen. Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln, chair of the Judiciary Committee and a former prosecutor, viewed the pilot program as aiming at the toughest to reach youth and families, and agreed with McKinney that the lawmaking body should do more for prevention programs, especially if it is beefing up penalties.
State Sen. Glen Meyer of Pender, center, talks with State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
Meyer, of Pender, didn’t face outright opposition to his priority legislation, LB 382, which calls for taking $4 million over two years from a Medicaid cash fund to keep afloat services offered by the state’s eight designated agencies for the aging, including Meals-On-Wheels.
The fluke
But when McKinney’s pilot program last month failed to garner enough votes to move forward, another lawmaker revived it by tacking it on as an amendment to Meyer’s LB 382. Meyer’s priority bill happened to be next up for discussion after McKinney’s.
Meyer opposed the move then and in various ways tried to detach McKinney’s bill. He was among seven lawmakers who on Thursday voted against moving McKinney’s priority bill to its second reading. The vote was 30-7.
Meyer’s LB 382 advanced Thursday to its third and final reading on a voice vote, which is allowed on second reading.
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