Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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This week, I will be discussing Initiative Measure 437 and Initiative Measure 438. Both of these initiatives revolve around the issue of cannabis and propose a framework to legalize medical cannabis in the state. Should these two ballot initiatives pass, the Legislature will likely play a role in shaping some of the finer details of implementing medical cannabis in this state, much akin to the implementation of casino gambling in 2021-22. Initiative Measure 437 proposes to create a new law...
Here's a rundown of three of those ballot issues, a referendum to repeal a private school voucher law and the pair concerning medical marijuana: In one of the more hotly contested issues in recent years, voters will decide whether to repeal, or retain, a controversial law was passed earlier this year that allows the State Treasurer to administer a scholarship program to private and parochial K-12 schools that was funded with $10 million of state funds. Legislative Bill 1402 served to replace a l...
Back in the day, our high school basketball team used to employ a full-court press when we'd fallen behind. It was mostly a desperation measure toward the end of a game, a frantic effort in hopes that we could suddenly trip up our opponent and turn a defeat into a victory. Well, just recently in Nebraska, we were able to see a political full-court press in action, and such all-out strategy seems to have become the norm when it comes to citizen-led ballot initiatives. Ballot initiatives allow...
“When there’s a will, there’s a way.” That was a phrase that surfaced regularly at the end of state legislative sessions. It referred to the hope that bills that appeared dead might be resurrected. Somehow, someway – like the zombie in a horror movie that would never die – some of those bills came back to life and were passed. Again, when there’s a will, there’s a way. That was the case at the end of the tumultuous 2023 session of the Nebraska Legislature, when filibusters were a daily routine...
We are now over a third of the way through this short session of the biennium. This week focused on hearings and debate on railroads, daylight saving time, kratom, hemp-derived THC and many other issues. The Legislature has spent its days engaged in debate and committee hearings as per usual, yet that does not mean we have avoided filibuster this session. LB31, put forward by Sen. Jacobson, would require railroads to have a minimum of two individuals on their crews. Three days of debate were...
Grassroots government is thriving in Nebraska. There are eight petitions circulating with hopes of making the 2024 General Election ballot, according to Secretary of State Bob Evnen. The action is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gives people the right to “petition the government for a redress of grievances.” From the old familiar legalizing medical marijuana to an exemption of grocery items from sales tax, various groups or individuals are seeking the signatures of registered voters to support their cau...
We are now past the one-third mark of this 90-day legislative session but still have a great deal of work to do. The various standing committees are busy holding public hearings on the 820 bills and 22 substantive resolutions that were introduced in January. We have around four more weeks of hearings yet to go. Thus far, two of my bills have been presented before committees. The week began with Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Heavican delivering the State of the Judiciary address...
This week saw the Legislature conclude the second and final week of all-day committee hearings. The schedule will return to a traditional format, where floor debate is in the mornings and committee hearings in the afternoon. The question of whether Nebraska should legalize medical marijuana will again be considered by the Legislature. Sen.Wishart introduced LB 588, the Medicinal Cannabis Act, which would provide a regulatory framework to establish access to cannabis specifically for medical...
LINCOLN - Nebraskans gathered at the Nebraska State Capitol, Feb. 9, to debate medical marijuana legalization, which has been debated in the state for years. Efforts to legalize medical cannabis in Nebraska go back to 2016 when its first bill was presented by former State Sen. Tommy Garrett of Bellevue. Introduced by State Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln, LB588 would establish medical cannabis dispensaries where certified patients could possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana. Patients with specific conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, c...
Since ancient times, marijuana has been used for medicinal and recreational purposes in many cultures. In the United States, it became illegal during prohibition, like alcohol. Later, under the Controlled Substances Act in the 1970s, the federal government classified marijuana a Schedule 1 drug. This classification includes heroin, LSD and ecstasy, all deemed to have no safe, effective medical use and a high potential for abuse. This Schedule 1 status imposes bureaucratic and legal barriers,...
The question of whether Nebraska should legalize medical marijuana will be debated by the Legislature this year. LB 474, the Medicinal Cannabis Act, was advanced this past week from the Judiciary Committee on a 5-2-1 vote. It has been prioritized by Senator Anna Wishart, the primary sponsor of LB 474. The bill, 62 pages in length, provides the regulatory framework to establish access to cannabis for medical purposes. It limits the allowable amount of cannabis, requires a patient to have a bona...
Natalie Stanley Nebraska News Service LINCOLN-- The Judiciary Committee heard another bill regarding marijuana legislation this week with LB474, the Adopt the Medicinal Cannabis Act. So far, there are 14 bills regarding marijuana that have been proposed this year. Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln introduced LB474 to the Committee on Wednesday. Wishart has been working on marijuana legislation for the past five years. Most recently, she and Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln led an effort to gather nearly 190,000 signatures in 2020 to add medicinal...
Madeleine Grant and Brooke Wrage Nebraska News Service LINCOLN--Nebraska lawmakers continue to push for marijuana legislation this session. On Feb. 19, the Nebraska Legislature Judiciary Committee heard six bills relating to the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana. Substance possession penalties State senators are considering a bill to change the penalty for controlled substance possession. LB 287, was introduced by Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha to lessen penalties for possession of unusable amounts of controlled substances under the...
