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The Legislature last week began debate on a state budget adjustment that
would address reduced revenues released last month. On March 19 and 20, senators
gave second-round approval to the three budget bills to adjust the state’s $6.86
billion, two-year general fund budget passed last year.
With only 15 working days remaining in the current legislative session, the
budget is one of the few priorities lawmakers are obligated to address before
the Unicameral’s sine die adjournment on April 17. The state budget is
structured on a two-year basis, with the budget enacted during odd-numbered
years. Sessions in even-numbered years are used to make budget adjustments based
on revenue forecasts.
For a complete list of bills that NHA is following, check the bill summary on our
Web site.
— Nebraska Chamber of Commerce Legislative Report, March 21, 2008.
VoterVOICE makes communicating with senators easy
Nebraska’s hospitals face numerous challenges to their mission of providing
high-quality health care to the communities they serve. Legislative and
regulatory actions taken by federal, state and local governments often greatly
impact these challenges. It is imperative for hospital representatives to voice
their opinion about the critical issues currently affecting hospitals. In
response to the challenges, the Nebraska Hospital Association works aggressively
to educate key elected officials, community stakeholders and others regarding
the manner in which our member hospitals care for the overall well being of
their communities. As part of these efforts, the NHA utilizes an online advocacy
tool – VoterVoice – to help members quickly and easily communicate with
government officials about important health issues. Once they have signed up for
VoterVoice, they have the option of participating in grassroots activities in
several ways.
When critical issues arise, the NHA prepares and delivers advocacy
alerts straight to subscribers' e-mail inboxes. These alerts provide information on what
the legislation is and how it might affect hospitals, talking points on the
issue, and a draft letter for hospital staff to send to their representatives. All they need to do
is personalize their message and click “Send” to instantly take
action. They can also draft their own letters on issues important
to them and use VoterVoice to deliver them to the appropriate legislators.
If you want to participate more in the
political process, it is now easier to make your voice heard.
How it works:
1. Visit
http://www.nhanet.org/advocacy/action_center.htm
2. Go to “Click here to sign up for VoterVoice.”
3. Enter your information.
4. Instantly become a grassroots advocate for Nebraska’s hospitals and health
systems.
Bills of interest to NHA members advance
The following "bills of interest" to NHA members
advanced March 17-20. Behind each bill number and description are the NHA's position and
the bill's current status.
LB
830 — Adopt the Prescription Drug Cost Savings Act
NHA position: Monitor Status: General File
LB 902 — Change provisions relating to controlled substances schedules
and inventory
NHA position: Monitor Status: Select File
LB 960 — Appropriate funds for employee pay and benefits
NHA position: Monitor Status: Select File
LB 1016 — Adopt the Proper Employee Classifications Act
NHA position: Monitor Status: General File
LB 1048 — Provide for issuance of birth certificates for
stillbirths
NHA position: Monitor Status: Select File
LB 1092 — Require seat belts on school buses
NHA position: Monitor Status: Select File
LB 1108 — Change licensure requirements for mental health practitioners
NHA position: Monitor Status: Select File
At this point, if a state senator has not prioritized a bill, it is not
likely to receive much attention due to time restrictions.
More money given to aging services
State senators added another $500,000 to help sustain programs from
home-delivered meals to respite care that help seniors stay in their homes and
out of nursing homes. Appropriations Committee Chairman Lavon Heidemann pointed
out that federal funds have dropped and the state is picking up those losses.
“I believe these are good programs, and the agencies do good work,” he said.
“But I don’t know if this (increase) is sustainable.” State funding for aging
services across the state will go up 24 percent, from $4.56 million to $5.72
million, with the $500,000 addition, according to Heidemann’s figures.
“This isn’t budget creep. This is budget leap,” said Sen. Tom Hansen of North
Platte. Aging services will also get about $7.25 million in federal funds next
fiscal year. The change is part of the main budget bill, which received
second-round approval Thursday.
— Lincoln Journal Star, March 20, 2008.
Senators take on Beatrice center issues
After 17 months of investigations and inspections, of critical report after
critical report showing problems with staffing and safety at the Beatrice State
Developmental Center, state senators decided it was time the Legislature got
more directly involved in finding solutions. Republicans and Democrats talked
Thursday, March 20, about the problems identified by federal inspections at
Beatrice and approved three Beatrice-related measures as part of the main budget
bill, which gained second-round approval.
Senators will provide money for employee recruiting and retention efforts,
create an investigative committee of seven senators to look at the center and
the community programs that serve people with disabilities, and require reports
as Beatrice residents move into community programs. “The Legislature came
together when necessary” to find a direction “in the absence of solutions by the
department and the administration,” Lincoln Sen. Danielle Nantkes said.
The three measures provide short-term oversight plus a broader, longer-term look
at both community-based and institutional care for people with developmental
disabilities in Nebraska.
Read the full article.
— Nancy Hicks, Lincoln Journal Star, March 20, 2008.
Taxpayers pay travel costs for term-limited senators
After term-limited state senators cast their last votes and become lame ducks,
some of them will be jetting off to conferences in New Orleans, Chicago and
elsewhere out of state. Nebraska taxpayers will pay the bills.
While many state senators agree that attending out-of-state conferences held by
national associations are useful, citing good ideas for Nebraska legislation,
the practice raises a question: Why underwrite trips for senators who won’t be
around next session? “I wonder how much help that really is,” said Sen. Cap
Dierks of Ewing, who stopped short of criticizing his colleagues.
Already, three of the 14 term-limited state senators not coming back next year
have been approved for state-funded, out-of-state travel to conferences after
the session ends next month. More such trips are likely, if 2006 is any
indication. That year — the last in office for 20 of the state’s 49 senators —
nine term-limited senators took out-of-state trips on the state’s dime,
according to an Associated Press review of travel documents.
Total cost: $20,191.
Read the full article.
— Nate Jenkins, Associated Press, March 24, 2008.
Lawmakers give first-round approval to multimillion-dollar settlement
LINCOLN — The Legislature gave first-round approval Tuesday to a $9.9 million
settlement for a Schuyler man who was severely injured in a 1999 traffic
accident blamed on a malfunctioning stoplight.
Lawmakers also approved $415,500 in payments to 11 women and nine children who
suffered sexual assaults and abuse while involved with the State Department of
Health and Human Services. The payments were among $10.5 million in legal
settlements included in Legislative Bill 1019, which advanced on a 34-0 vote.
Jacob Wagner was 16 when he was hurt in a car crash at the intersection of U.S.
30 and Nebraska 15 in Schuyler. Wagner suffered severe brain damage and remains
unable to walk after years of therapy. He has no use of one arm, limited use of
the other, double vision and difficulty speaking. The state settled with Wagner
and his mother, Gail Fickle, after the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled last year
that the State Roads Department was at fault for not fixing the stoplight
despite repeated complaints that it flashed green in conflicting directions at
the same time.
The claims against the Health and Human Services Department involved women who
were patients at state-run psychiatric hospitals and children in foster care.
Eight women were assaulted by an employee at the Lincoln Regional Center in
2001. Three other women were assaulted by another patient at the Norfolk
Regional Center in 2000 and 2001.
One foster child was assaulted by another child in her foster family, and eight
children in a different foster family were assaulted by a foster child placed in
their home. The eight children ranged in age from 11 weeks to 9 years old.
Sen. Abbie Cornett said HHS officials had pledged to do more to prevent future assaults.
Sen. Gwen Howard of Omaha said lawmakers need to closely monitor the situation
and be willing to spend more if necessary to prevent future assaults. "This is
no light case. These are very serious accusations and very damaging," Howard
said.
— Leslie Reed, Omaha World-Herald, March 18, 2008.
For more information about health-related legislative bills or resolutions, contact: Bruce Rieker, vice president, advocacy at (402) 742-8146 or brieker@nhanet.org.
NHA Rotunda Review is published by the Nebraska Hospital Association, 3255 Salt
Creek Circle, Lincoln, NE 68504. Phone (402) 742-8140, Fax (402) 742-8191. Visit our Web site at
http://www.nhanet.org. Christy Rasmussen, editor, at
402/742-8151, or email, crasmussen@nhanet.org.
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