Hughes: Ignoring a problem does not make it go away

We've had another busy week in the Legislature. We took action on a number of bills impacting a wide range of subjects. We were able to advance some bills forward. LB1313, sponsored by Senator Robert Dover, was one of those bills. It would allow farm organizations like Farm Bureau to offer a health benefit plan to its members. This is a significant win for agriculture in Nebraska as many farmers and ranchers, being self-employed, have little access to affordable health insurance options. Many in agriculture rely upon the insurance of their spouse's employer or forgo health insurance altogether. High health insurance premiums and deductibles along with growing health care costs have forced farmers to sell land in order to pay their medical bills. LB1313 is one potential solution to address this growing problem.

We also considered legislation that was less successful. LB1170 offered by Senator Merv Riepe to reduce unemployment benefits from 6 months to 4 months stalled out after being filibustered. I supported LB1170 as Nebraska has the second lowest unemployment rate in the nation at 2.3 percent. 6 months of unemployment benefits might make sense during tough economic times like during 2008 or during the more recent pandemic, but it seems to be an impediment going forward in addressing our growing workforce issues in Nebraska. Ultimately LB1170 did not have enough support to advance.

Perhaps the biggest news of the week was a bill that was recently passed, LB307, was returned to the Legislature unsigned by Governor Pillen. LB307, sponsored by Senator Megan Hunt, would have allowed Douglas County to implement a needle-exchange program to stop drug addicts from sharing needles and spreading disease. LB307 was supported by the Douglas County Sheriff, along with health officials and other community leaders in Douglas County in an attempt to deal with the growing opioid epidemic. This epidemic and the use of shared needles is resulting in the spread of preventable communicable diseases.

LB307 does not directly impact Legislative District 24. It is also no secret that Senator Hunt and I have had significant differences over policy matters. However, I supported this local effort in Douglas County and voted to approve LB307, along with a majority of my colleagues. I have no illusions that LB307 will stem the tide of the opioid crisis. However, this is a well-intentioned effort and Senator Hunt deserves credit for crafting a very thoughtful bill. LB307 did not require Douglas County to institute a needle-exchange program but simply allowed them the option to do so, under pretty strict conditions.

Governor Pillen chose to veto LB307. I understand that he has concerns that a needle-exchange program could be a slippery slope and be the slow start of leading Nebraska down the path of perhaps legitimizing illegal drug use. However, LB307 does not decriminalize drug use nor condone it. Governor Pillen cited the fact in his veto statements that Nebraska had the lowest opioid overdose rate in the country. While that is good news for Nebraska relative to other states that is a bit like saying you are the last person to jump out of the plane without a parachute. Ignoring a problem does not make it go away. I am all for better ideas and I understand the Governor was uncomfortable in signing LB307. It is within his right to veto this bill. Denying one potential, local solution without offering any other solution in its place is dangerous considering the issue at hand. Nebraska is sitting on over $100 million in opioid settlement dollars. We need to put these to work to address the opioid crisis. We need to enable local solutions and help communities that are being decimated by this epidemic. I call upon Governor Pillen and all my colleagues to come together to do something to stem the tide of drug abuse in our state.

As always, if I can be of assistance to you in any way, please do not hesitate to contact my office. My staff members — Matt and Katie — are available to assist you with your needs and they pass along messages, so if you'd like a call back, please let them know!