High court decision could make LB947 irrelevant

The offices of every senator in the State Capitol received more letters, emails, and phone calls about LB 947 than on almost any other bill this session. After it was vetoed by Governor Ricketts on the 15th, it was debated once more on the legislative floor on April 20th. The bill was advanced on a vote of 31 to 13 with five not voting. I was "present, not voting" on the override of the governor's veto.

After the bill had passed the legislature the first time, I received a letter from Governor Ricketts which raised a number of concerns about the bill. Among other things, the letter stated that LB 947 will allow professional licensing for a much broader group of people than originally thought. Most of these concerns, however, were not raised before the bill was passed, and no one testified against the bill when it was still in committee. I also received a letter from Senator Mello, articulating that the bill "does not make any changes to any existing immigration process," and that it applies only to "persons who are following the federal rule of law."

Additionally, the applicability of the bill to large groups of people, including illegal immigrants who are themselves, parents of US citizens, may be curtailed if the Supreme Court sides with Texas and Nebraska, among other states, who have challenged the federal program to defer action on these persons. After the tragic death of Justice Scalia, a 4-4 split court seems increasingly likely, meaning that the lower court decision will be upheld and the federal program will be halted.

The remainder of the time on the 60th and final day of the second session was spent giving the eleven term-limited senators time to reflect on their years of service and the opportunity to share their thoughts on how the Legislature as an institution can be improved moving forward. I certainly appreciate all of their friendship and advice over the course of my first two years here.

I want to thank those of you who have loyally read my column every week during this session. The Legislature will not return to session until January of 2017, so I will write this column monthly until late December when I will once again update you weekly. In the meantime, look for me this summer at festivals, fairs, and town celebrations in the 44th District.

I always enjoy hearing from the Nebraskans I represent. Please feel free to contact my office with any questions or concerns that you might have.

My email address is dhughes@leg.ne.gov and my phone number is (402) 471-2805.You can read more about bills and other work of the Legislature at www.nebraskalegislature.gov, and you can click on the Live Video Streaming NET logo to watch sessions, hearings, and other Capitol events.