Nebraska Update

A Nebraska-based company spent two years figuring out there is a disconnect between what educators are teaching K-8 students in math and what those students are tested on. Now, it aims to solve that disconnect.

A bill restricting some consumable hemp products in Nebraska advanced to the final round of debate in the Legislature Tuesday Afternoon. Under a bill from Sen. Kathleen Kauth, LB316, some consumable hemp products would be reclassified as marijuana, which is currently illegal for recreational use in the state. To remain legal, THC – the chemical responsible for making a user high – must make up less than 0.3% of the processed hemp product’s total weight with a limit of 10 total milligrams of THC per package.

The Nebraska Legislature upheld Gov. Jim Pillen's veto of a bill aimed at cracking down on bedbugs in Omaha Housing Authority buildings.

Nebraska has seen a steady increase in calls to 9-8-8, a number that connects people to counselors that can provide crisis support for mental health concerns, substance abuse disorders, loneliness and more. In fiscal year 2023, there were about 19,000 calls to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline from Nebraskans. In 2024, just over 23,000 Nebraskans called in. There have been around 20,000 calls in the current fiscal year, representing a 14% increase in monthly calls compared to last year.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has a new position focused on connecting justice-involved young people to educational opportunities. It’s meant to be proactive and offer support the whole way through.

The Legislature’s General Affairs Committee heard testimony from Lorelle Mueting and Dr. Monica Oldenburg, who were both selected by the governor from a pool of applicants. Mueting serves as a prevention program director at Heartland Family Service, while Oldenburg is an anesthesiologist who previously practiced in Colorado. Both have a history of opposition to medical marijuana legalization.

Creighton baseball is playing in the Big East Tournament this weekend and that means head baseball coach Ed Servais only has a few games left. Servais is set to retire after leading the program for 22 years.

This Mental Health Awareness month, the Lincoln Police Department is celebrating a successful start to its co-responder program -- a team-up with mental health professionals that could decrease the use of jails and emergency medical services. Lincoln announced plans for the co-responder program in September, with a partnership between LPD and CenterPointe, a mental health and substance abuse care clinic that conducts street outreach and crisis response. It began in early March.

The Nebraska Legislature Thursday revived a proposal for a lower minimum wage for young workers, but final approval may have to wait 'til next year.

State senators considered a package of education bills Wednesday afternoon. By the end of the day’s debate, only the underlying bill, LB306, remained. The legislation initially contained six different bills after an amendment, AM1335, from the Legislature’s Education Committee combined them. The section of the bill from Sen. Loren Lippincott, originally LB550, which would excuse students from public schools to attend religion classes, was among the most controversial. It would require school districts to adopt policies allowing students to miss up to one class period per week for an off-site course in religious instruction.