Sen. Christensen's passed bills

Well, eight Legislative Sessions have come and gone since I've been writing these letters back home for District 44. In some ways, it has seemed quick and in some ways it has seemed long, but I have truly enjoyed the time serving District 44 in Lincoln. It has been an honor and a privilege to represent the great people of Southwest Nebraska, which I proudly call my home. Thank you!

Over, the next several weeks I will continue to write letters to wrap up the 2014 Session. This week I wanted to touch on some of my bills that were passed and signed into law.

Eight bills I introduced have passed the Legislature. Three of the eight were passed as their own bills, while the other five were amended into other bills that were passed.

LB390 was my priority bill that removed the authority of the Governor during a time of emergency to suspend or limit the sale, dispensing, or transportation of firearms. This will make it clear that every resident has a right to defend themselves, especially during a time of emergency.

LB798 allows a power district whose only wholesale customer is a city or village to use the same fiscal year as the city or village. This was helpful legislation for the City of Imperial.

LB687 was a bill that made changes to criminal background checks when applying for a real estate license.

The last five bills were amended into two different bills. Legislative bills 686, 710, and 723 were water related bills amended into LB1098. LB686 changed the opt-out date for the irrigation occupation tax from March 1 to June 1, giving more flexibility to producers. LB710 makes a requirement for Natural Resources Districts have public hearings before entering into groundwater augmentation projects. The last bill amended into LB1098 was LB723. It requires county assessors, if the information is available, to consider whether the price of irrigated cropland was affected by government regulation on the amount of water available or well capacity.

Finally, Legislative Bills 688 and 993 were amended into LB700 dealing with insurance issues. LB688 removed a requirement for a hearing on cease and desist orders unless either party requests it, and LB993 clarified in law regarding what healthcare sharing ministries are and how they operate.

Again, I am thankful for these successes and others, and look forward to seeing you all back home in the district.

If you have any questions or comments, contact my office. Mark R. Christensen, PO Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509, 402-471-2805 or mchristensen@leg.ne.gov.