Nebraska's Unicameral is Officially Back in Session!

Nebraska's 109th Legislature kicked off last week and we're eager to get started. 

 This is the beginning of a biennium, where our unicameral operates in 2-year terms, and this year is the long session with 90 legislative days. This means we will see senators working to address the concerns of Nebraska through the beginning of June. 

 One of the biggest issues that our state senators will face this session is setting the state budget as Nebraska faces a $432 million+ deficit in the next two fiscal years. This could have strong implications for how agencies and programs are funded. With 17 newly elected senators to the legislature, they have their work cut out for them.

What’s New this Year?

One new change to note, starting this year each senator is capped at being able to introduce only 20 bills per session. This will find our senators having to be intentional and strategic about bringing forth bills that align with their priorities. 

New Faces on RISE’s Policy and Advocacy Team

Policy & Advocacy associate, Olivia Larson

Meet our Policy & Advocacy associate, Olivia Larson! Olivia has spent the last two years as our policy fellow and has been instrumental with our Voting Rights Restoration Coalition efforts. She's now joining us as a staff member and we're looking forward to continuing momentum for change. 

Policy Intern, Shari Kimble

Meet our Policy Intern, Shari Kimble! Shari is a student at UNO's Grace Abbott School of Social Work and is enrolled in their dual masters program for social work and public administration. She'll be a part of our team for the spring semester and getting involved with policy advocacy efforts.

RISE's policy agenda is shaping up for the year. With the last day of bill introduction on January 22nd, we will send out an email after that day to ensure you have the most accurate information on bills that we plan to support this year.