Slama introduces election measures

LINCOLN – State  Sen. Julie Slama introduced a bill and constitutional amendment aimed at Nebraska’s election laws.

The first district senator proposes LB76 that will turn Nebraska into a winner-take-all state for Electoral College votes.

She also introduced a legislative resolution to allow Nebraska voters to decide if a photo identification should be required to vote.

Slama: “LB76 and LR3CA will improve our current election statutes. LB76 will end the practice of gerrymandering in our state for Electoral College votes and give all Nebraska voters a say in how our five Electoral College votes should be distributed.

Slama: “LR3CA will give Nebraskans the opportunity to join 35 other states requiring an identification to vote and provide another layer of security for our elections. I look forward to working with my colleagues on these common-sense measures.”

Other bills  introduced on Day 2 of the 20201 Nebraska Legislative session on Thursday include a measure to legalize marijuana.

Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha introduced LRcCA to legalize the cultivation, manufacture, consumption and sale of cannabis in any form.

The proposal would need at leasts 30 votes in the Legislature to be put on the Nov. 2022 general election ballot.

Last year, 54 percent of voters in South Dakota approves a constructional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana.

That vote and a favorable vote by the US House were cited by State Sens. Adam Morfeld and Anna Wishart in a push for a ballot initiative to legalize cannabis.

143 bills were introduced in total, including:

LB18, sponsored by Seward Sen. Mark Kolterman, which would change provisions relating to equivalent employees and qualified locations under the ImagiNE Nebraska Act;

LB40, sponsored by North Platte Sen. Mike Groene, which would adopt the Nebraska Rural Projects Act;

LB43, sponsored by Lincoln Sen. Matt Hansen, which would provide for election of election commissioners and eliminate certain deputy positions;

LB52, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Steve Lathrop, which would provide for immunity for injury or death resulting from COVID-19 exposure;

LB64, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Brett Lindstrom, which would change provisions relating to the taxation of Social Security benefits;

LB69, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Jen Day, which would adopt the Student Loan Repayment Tax Credit Act;

LB72, sponsored by Lincoln Sen. Suzanne Geist, which would provide for sale of alcoholic liquor not in its original package;

LB76, sponsored by Peru Sen. Julie Slama, which would change apportionment of Nebraska’s electoral college votes;

LR2CA, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne, which would amend the Nebraska state constitution to legalize cannabis for persons twenty-one and older and to require legislation; and

LR11CA, sponsored by Bayard Sen. Steve Erdman, which would amend the Nebraska state constitution to require enactment of a consumption tax and prohibit certain other forms of taxation.