Hello Friends and Neighbors,

The 2025 legislative session is officially underway, and with 17 new senators joining the Legislature, we have a unique opportunity for a fresh start. This year’s session is about more than just new faces—it’s a chance to refocus our agenda on the issues that truly matter to everyday Nebraskans. Together, we can prioritize what unites us: creating good-paying jobs, ensuring affordable healthcare, protecting our LGBTQ+ neighbors, supporting education, and fostering safe and thriving communities.

Meg

New Committee Leadership

With a new biennium, it is time for new committee chairs. Every odd-numbered year, the Legislature elects new committee leadership and restructures the makeup of each committee. These individuals will help guide important bills through the hearing process and set the committee agenda. Here is a list of the new committee chairs for the 2025 session:

• Agriculture – Senator DeKay
• Appropriations – Senator Clements (retained his chairmanship)
• Banking, Commerce, Insurance – Senator Jacobson
• Business & Labor – Senator Kauth
• Committee on Committees – Senator Armendariz
• Education – Senator Murman (retained his chairmanship)
• Executive Board – Senator Hansen
• General Affairs – Senator Holdcroft
• Government – Senator Sanders
• Health and Human Services – Senator Hardin
• Judiciary – Senator Bosn
• Natural Resources – Senator Brandt
• Retirement – Senator Ballard
• Revenue – Senator von Gillern
• Transportation & Telecommunications – Senator Moser
• Urban Affairs – Senator McKinney
• Rules – Senator Lippincott

Make your voice heard!

The next few weeks will be filled with hearings for each bill that is introduced. It’s more important than ever that you make your voice heard. You can testify in person or submit an online comment for the record by 8:00 AM on the day of the hearing. These comments are an essential part of the process and help shape the discussions that lead to decisions in the Legislature.

Additionally, you can always reach out to your senator and those senators who sit on a certain committee by email or phone to voice your thoughts and concerns on the issues that matter the most to you.

Handy links to bookmark: 

• 2025 Legislative calendar 
• Contact Info for Senators 
• Bill search (by date of introduction, introducer, etc.)
• Live stream the Legislature

Legislative Priorities

Here are some of my broad priorities for this session:

Keep Nebraska's Economy Competitive: 

• Nebraska’s economic success depends on innovation, fairness, and opportunity. From modernizing liquor licensing laws to updating NIL protections for student-athletes, my goal is to ensure our state remains a leader in fostering growth and supporting our communities.

Improve Quality of Life:

• Improving quality of life means tackling the challenges that Nebraskans face every day. Whether it’s creating opportunities for homeownership, ensuring fair pay for tipped workers, or advocating for healthcare access, these priorities are about giving families the tools they need to thrive.

Foster Opportunity: 

• Opportunity shouldn’t be a privilege for a select few—it should be available to everyone. This session, I’m pushing to update our NIL laws, which will better support our student-athletes as they navigate an ever-changing landscape. 
• I also want to make public service more accessible to everyone, which is why I’m advocating to allow officeholders to use campaign funds for their child's care and travel with them related to their duties. This removes a barrier to lower-income and single parents running for office. 
• Extending term limits will allow for the better retention of institutional knowledge, reducing the disruption that comes with turnover every few years and ensuring more effective, stable leadership in the Legislature.

Protect the Public: 

• Public protection isn’t just about law enforcement—it’s about standing up for Nebraskans' safety and rights in every facet of life. This includes measures to protect renters from radon exposure, strengthen immigration protections, and ensure that harmful practices like conversion therapy are outlawed.

Keep Nebraskans Healthy: 

• A healthy community starts with the right policies. This session, I’m working to ensure that Nebraskans have access to the care they need, including expanding protections for young people seeking healthcare, updating policies on medical consent, and safeguarding social security benefits for foster youth.

Defend Gender Equity:

• We will not allow anyone to use “protecting women” as a guise to discriminate against others. This includes strongly opposing anti-trans bills that restrict young people’s ability to participate in school activities. Every Nebraskan deserves the chance to thrive without fear of discrimination.

This Session's Big Issues to Watch

As the 2025 legislative session begins, I am eager to continue our work together to build a Nebraska that is inclusive, prosperous, and just. We are facing significant challenges that require thoughtful, bipartisan solutions. Here are some of the major priorities we will tackle this session:

Reduce property taxes & address public school funding

Property taxes continue to be a heavy burden on Nebraska residents, especially when it comes to funding our public schools. This session, we’ll likely see competing drives for further property tax relief while also working to resolve our budget deficit, which adds another layer of complexity. There are mixed opinions about whether more property tax reductions will be feasible without jeopardizing our schools and critical public services.

Governor Pillen's proposal from the 2024 special session suggested shifting public school funding from property taxes to the state budget. While this plan attempted to provide some relief, it lacked a clear solution for how the state would sustain this funding without undermining the quality of education our students deserve. As we move forward, we must find a way to relieve property tax pressure while ensuring that our public schools continue to receive the necessary funding for growth and excellence. The challenge will be finding a balance that benefits both homeowners and students.

Set a state budget

The state’s projected budget shortfall will undoubtedly be one of the most significant discussions we have this session. The state is facing a projected shortfall of ~$433 million by the end of the next two-year budget cycle. This comes at a time when sales tax collections are lagging and recent income and corporate tax cuts have constrained our revenue options. According to projections, if we don’t address the issue now, the deficit could widen to $1.13 billion by 2029.

This is a critical issue because it will impact everything from education to healthcare, and law enforcement to infrastructure. We may see new efforts to roll back the large personal and corporate income tax cuts passed in recent years, which have contributed significantly to our budget deficit. Additionally, there’s talk of introducing online sports betting as a potential revenue source to help address the shortfall.

While balancing the budget is crucial, we must also ensure that essential services are not compromised. It’s a tough road ahead, but with careful, responsible budgeting, we can maintain Nebraska’s financial stability without sacrificing the needs of our communities.

Support Workforce Development & Economic Equity

As we look ahead, Nebraska’s economic success will depend on the strength of its workforce. It's time to focus on making sure our workforce is prepared for the future. This includes promoting policies that support small businesses, provide equitable opportunities, and address workforce shortages in critical sectors, like healthcare and education. Expanding access to affordable childcare and housing is vital in addressing systemic issues that limit opportunities for families to thrive and grow in our state.

Following the overwhelming passage of the medical marijuana ballot initiative, the Legislature will now be tasked with regulating its implementation. This initiative will create opportunities for patients to access needed treatments while also contributing to economic growth through new industries, revenue growth from taxes, and more jobs. Through a combination of targeted investments and smart policies, we can build a thriving workforce that benefits all Nebraskans.

The work of the Legislature is not easy, but with each new session comes an opportunity to improve the lives of Nebraskans. While the road ahead will undoubtedly be challenging, I am committed to working with my colleagues—new and experienced alike—to find solutions that prioritize people over politics and balance our budget while improving the quality of life for all. 

But we can’t do it alone. We need your support to continue driving this momentum forward.

Whether it’s advocating for affordable healthcare, education, or tax reform, your contribution will directly fuel the efforts to keep our state moving in the right direction. Every dollar counts, and your generosity allows us to continue fighting for a brighter, more inclusive future for all Nebraskans.