A legislative proposal to give all Nebraska counties the option to conduct elections entirely by mail was discussed Wednesday/this afternoon. Currently, only counties with populations under 10,000 can apply to the Secretary of State to mail ballots to all registered voters. In the last general election, 11 of the state’s 67 eligible counties did just that. In most counties, voters must request an absentee ballot to vote by mail.

The Nebraska Legislature advanced bills Wednesday taxing alternative nicotine products and offering housing help to survivors of domestic violence.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is ending its Local Food to Schools program. Current funding will continue through December, leaving food producers and schools wondering what will happen to their partnerships when the funding is gone.

Congressman Mike Flood was greeted with a relatively hostile crowd at his town hall in Columbus Tuesday evening. Flood represents Nebraska’s First Congressional District, which includes Columbus, Lincoln and Norfolk. Attendees booed references to President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. The biggest applause of the night came when Flood expressed his support for funding Ukraine.

Bills moving through the Nebraska Legislature were temporarily sidetracked by objections to the process Tuesday, while the Appropriations Committee heard proposals to divert money from the Perkins County Canal project.

A proposal to reduce the number of reports required on health topics drew opposition in the Nebraska Legislature Monday.

Nebraska universities would be able to pay athletes name, image and likeness compensation directly under a bill heard Monday afternoon in a legislative committee. Last year, former college athletes brought a case against the NCAA claiming that it unfairly restricted them from profiting from NIL. The NCAA agreed to a nearly $3 billion settlement, allowing universities to pay current and former athletes the money they may have missed out on. But current Nebraska law prohibits universities from directly paying NIL compensation to athletes.

For years, it’s been up to teachers to control cell phones in their classrooms. Now, many school districts have started creating a wider policy, and a bill in the state legislature would require all districts to follow suit.

The Legislature’s Revenue Committee considered proposals to end taxes on tips and overtime pay. During a hearing Friday afternoon, Sen. Danielle Conrad said she introduced the bills to show her support for working families. She acknowledged opposition to the policies from both left and right-leaning think tanks, but she said the policies have majority support from both parties according to polling.

Nebraska state senators discussed increasing their pay and taxing certain services Friday.