Greetings District 43! Here’s your update on the latest happenings in the Nebraska State Legislature.

Floor Action

This week at the Capitol, several key bills were debated. Monday, April 8th, began with LB3, Winner Take All. The speaker followed the 4-2-1 cloture threshold, allowing for only four hours of debate on general file. Currently, Nebraska awards two electoral votes to the winner of the statewide popular vote, with the remaining three allocated based on the popular vote in each congressional district. LB3 proposed awarding all five electoral votes to the statewide winner, in line with 48 other states. After 4 hours of debate, a motion to end debate, (cloture) fell 2 votes short, in effect killing the bill.

Two of my bills came to the floor this week. The first, LB 667, which strengthens Nebraska’s franchise laws by improving the warranty reimbursement process for local auto dealers. LB 667 addresses recent manufacturer practices that have eroded fair compensation paid to dealerships for warranty work by manipulating repair time allowances, redefining dealer rates, and bypassing standard reimbursement protocols. This bill reinstates a process to ensure dealers are fairly reimbursed for the warranty work they perform and reinforces the original intent of Nebraska law. I am pleased to report that LB 667 was successfully advanced to Select file.

My personal priority bill, LB 383, the 'Parental Rights in Social Media Act,' was introduced on Thursday. The debate about social media’s impact on children is over and the evidence is clear. Children today are more anxious, more depressed, and more likely to attempt self-harm, including suicide, than ever before.

This essential legislation aims to safeguard children's mental health and safety in the digital age and give parents the tools to make decisions about their minor children's access to social media platforms. LB 383 requires age verification and parental consent for anyone 17 or younger to open a new social media account as well as provide parents access to those accounts. This legislation is modeled after Tennessee and Florida laws and addresses growing concerns about the harmful impact of social media on youth including the predatory practices of big tech on our children, often unbeknownst to parents. Parents are asking for the tools they need to take a more active role in managing their children's online activities and LB 383 achieves that. This is not government interfering, this is government empowering parents in the digital world of their children, taking control away from big tech and giving it back to parents, where it belongs. After a 4 ½ hour debate, spanning two days, LB 383 passed general file with 38 votes.

As always, I am committed to representing District 43's interests and value your continued support and engagement. It is an honor to serve as your representative and hear your perspectives. Please contact my office with any questions or concerns.

Respectfully, Senator Storer