We have reached the final full week of the second half of the 109th Legislature. After this week, we are scheduled to return on Friday, April 17, to vote on any final legislation or veto overrides.

If the governor indicates that he will not veto any bills, Day 60 may not be necessary.

A week ago, I attended the Hershey Volunteer Fire Department’s annual spaghetti fundraiser. It is my understanding that it was a record turnout of nearly 800. I had the opportunity to spend time with local volunteer firefighter Amada Snide and the President and immediate Past President of the Nebraska State Volunteer Firefighters Association.

We had the opportunity to discuss LB 400, which was pending before the Nebraska Legislature. We discussed why the bill would hurt the budgets of local rural fire departments if passed, and why I would be leading a filibuster to stop it. I care deeply about the work our firefighters do to protect us. I especially appreciate the work our volunteer firefighters and EMTs do to keep us safe. Supporting a huge unfunded mandate by the state would do more harm to local departments and their slim budgets. The strong attendance at this event indicates how local communities will help financially support our volunteers. Thank you for all you do!

I also participated in the ceremony to elevate Jayden McDermott, Landon Gilbert, and Jordan Redden to the rank of Eagle Scout. It is so refreshing to know that organizations like the Boy Scouts of America continue thriving to help foster the values that our country was founded on. The accomplishments of these three individuals set a fine example for others to aspire to. Congratulations to these young men.

Cattle brands

The highlight of last week in the Legislature was the culmination of a two-year-long debate over the brand law in Nebraska. It began last year with Sen. Theresa Ibach’s LB 646, which would have exempted registered feedlots (RFL’s) from brand inspection, audits, and fees. That bill was significantly modified, but was passed over before a vote was taken on final reading. This year, Sen. Ben Hansen introduced LB 1258. The bill would have immediately eliminated the state brand committee and made all inspections voluntary. Sen. Barry DeKay introduced LB 1187, which would have simply increased fee caps and allowed for a surcharge for travel, as requested by the brand committee.

The Legislature’s Agriculture Committee ultimately advanced LB 1187, but with a committee amendment that made significant changes to the brand law. Proposed changes included reducing the required audits, exempting dairy heifer developments from inspections and audits, completely changing the board, and allowing cattle to be moved anywhere in the state for grazing and temporary care with no inspection when there wasn’t a transfer of ownership. I joined Sen. Tanya Storer in opposing both Sen. Hansen’s bill and the committee amendment to LB 1187.

Once it was clear that LB1187 with the committee amendment was going to be scheduled for debate this year, I spent the prior weekend and most of Tuesday afternoon negotiating with all the parties to find an acceptable path forward. This resulted in me filing AM 3037, an amendment to LB 1187 that replaced the committee amendment and the underlying bill’s provisions. LB 1187 passed the first round debate on a vote of 37-1-7 with AM 3037 attached, essentially becoming the new bill. The bill will move to the final two rounds of debate this week and should be signed by the governor.

It has been a collaborative effort by many to get the brand bill to the finish line. I agree with Sen. Storer’s statement that we hope not to be re-addressing this issue again anytime soon. This issue has divided both the industry and the Legislature. We expect the brand committee to do its part by making further regulatory changes and only coming to the Legislature for needs they recommend.

In the end, AM 3037 preserved the integrity of the brand (ownership verification process), reduced fees for RFLs in the brand inspection area (who do not need the protections that the brand offers), and kept the inspection/audit process in place, along with reasonable fees to support the costs associated with carrying out the system.

This was a huge win for cow/calf producers when you consider the proposed alternatives. Reaching a negotiated agreement that everyone can live with was imperative for the industry. I appreciate everyone’s efforts to reach this agreement. Special thanks to Sen. Storer for her tenacity and guidance along the way.

It continues to be a privilege to represent you in the Nebraska Legislature, and I look forward to hearing from you regarding issues that are important to you. I can be reached at 402-471-2729 or by emailing me at mjacobson@leg.ne.gov.

Mike Jacobson represents Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Thomas, Hooker and the majority of Perkins counties – Dist. 42 — in the Nebraska legislature.

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