Deadline arrives for Nebraska Senator priority bills

BEATRICE – Today (Friday) is the deadline for Nebraska state senators and legislative committees to name their priority bills, for this 90-day session.

Legislative Speaker, Senator John Arch said those designations must be submitted, prior to Friday’s adjournment.

"It's kind of like, you know, I didn't know that term paper was due....but, it's due, today."

Senator Myron Dorn, of Adams has named as his priority bill a measure sponsored by Senator Jana Hughes of Seward, to change the tax on electronic nicotine delivery systems.

The Natural Resources Committee chaired by Plymouth Senator Tom Brandt, has priority measures dealing with Wellhead Protection Area notification and a proposed merger of the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Environment and Energy.

Senator Robert Hallstrom chose as his priority a bill addressing confidentiality and access to certain injury reports under the Nebraska Workers Compensation Act.

The Speaker also gets to name his priority bills but has just a few more days to consider which senator bills will become Speaker priorities.  "I'll be looking over the requests and making my decisions this weekend. As you know, I have 25 to select. We've had approximately 75 request letters so far...so just to give you an idea of the odds of being selected....I wanted to let you know that,"

Arch told colleagues at the beginning of Friday’s floor session that he will announce his 25 Speaker priority bills on Monday.

Friday is the 44th day of the 90-day session.