Lawmaker's Bill Would Make Election Day a State Holiday
A lawmaker introduced a bill Tuesday that would declare Election Day a state holiday and automatically register eligible residents as voters when they renew their driver’s licenses.
The bill by Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln follows a handful of states that have made it a holiday to help ensure that working people get a chance to vote.
Legislative Bill 577 would also give residents the choice to decline to register when renewing their license. Current state law already allows residents to update their registrations when renewing their licenses, but the process isn’t automatic.
Lawmakers also introduced bills Tuesday to create local police oversight boards, repeal Nebraska’s motorcycle helmet law, legalize marijuana with certain limits and move the headquarters of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission from Lincoln to Sidney in western Nebraska. Among the 104 measures introduced on Day 9 were:
• LB 489, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, which would require a financial stability and service capability analysis for certain state contracts;
• LB 505, sponsored by Omaha Sen. John Cavanaugh, which would limit habitual criminal enhancement to specified felonies;
• LB 508, sponsored by Brainard Sen. Bruce Bostelman, which would provide motor vehicle tax exemptions for certain veterans and spouses;
• LB 515, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Terrell McKinney, which would adopt the Municipal Police Oversight Act;
• LB 519, sponsored by Lincoln Sen. Adam Morfeld, which would provide immunity from arrest and prosecution for certain drug and alcohol offenses for witnesses and victims of sexual assaults;
• LB 520, sponsored by Henderson Sen. Curt Friesen, which would provide for applications for the collocation of certain wireless facilities;
• LB 525, sponsored by Lincoln Sen. Anna Wishart, which would provide duties and requirements for transitional housing facilities and change powers of the Office of Inspector General of the Nebraska Correctional System;
• LB 531, sponsored by Albion Sen. Tom Briese, which would adopt the Nebraska Child Care Contribution Tax Credit Act;
• LB 539, sponsored by Fremont Sen. Lynne Walz, which would provide for a limit on the length of trains; and
A complete list of bills introduced is posted at nebraskalegislature.gov. New bills may be introduced for the first 10 legislative days.
The Unicameral Information Office contributed to this report.
User login
Omaha Daily Record
The Daily Record
222 South 72nd Street, Suite 302
Omaha, Nebraska
68114
United States
Tele (402) 345-1303
Fax (402) 345-2351