NAPE 2025-2027 Legislative Priorities
NAPE’s legislative priorities for the 2025-2027 biennium were adopted by delegates to the NAPE Delegate Assembly in August 2025. Our legislative priorities can be viewed below. [Download PDF]
NAPE supports legislation that reinforces the rights of unions to organize, bargain, and advocate collectively for employees of the State of Nebraska.
NAPE WILL…
- Support legislation strengthening the State Employees Collective Bargaining Act
- Create a fair impasse procedure
- Ensure accurate and fair comparability
- Fight any effort to weaken or diminish the collective bargaining rights provided to employees in the State Employees Collective Bargaining Act
- Oppose any effort to weaken the voice of state employees
NAPE supports state budget and tax policies that ensure adequate funding for the vital services provided by state agencies.
NAPE WILL…
- Ensure state employees’ salary and benefits are fully funded
- Oppose any cutback to vital state services or layoff of state employees that would harm Nebraskans
- Oppose cash fund sweeps or other methods of reducing agency spending outside the budget process.
- Advocate for measures that move Nebraska towards a tax system where corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share
NAPE believes that rights granted to state employees should be protected and strengthened.
NAPE WILL…
- Support legislation requiring paid family leave for all
employees - Support anti-discrimination legislation, and oppose
discriminatory legislation. - Oppose any efforts to diminish workers’ compensation
or unemployment insurance benefits - Oppose the use of artificial intelligence to replace the
expertise and judgment of state employees - Oppose legislation that results in the outsourcing of
any jobs that should be performed by state employees
NAPE will advocate for legislation that ensures a safe working environment for all state employees.
NAPE WILL…
- Ensure all state employees are provided with necessary safety equipment, personal protective equipment, and health screening
- Advocate for legislation that protects employees from workplace risks
- Ensure that those who are responsible for workplace safety violations are held accountable.
Government Affairs Committee
The NAPE/AFSCME Government Affairs Committee (GAC) is a bipartisan committee comprised of members appointed by the NAPE/AFSCME President to monitor pending legislation, advocate on behalf of members, and make endorsement recommendations for political candidates. Current committee members are:
Brandon Brown
Revenue, Lincoln (Chair)
Brianne Bushlow
DHHS, Fremont
Daniel Buchanan
Corrections, Lincoln
Michael Henry
DHHS, Lincoln
Tom Jacobson
Labor, Lincoln
Adam Johnson
DHHS, Fremont
Madeline Kettler
Veterans’ Affairs, Lincoln
Brooke Noordhoek
State Patrol, Lincoln
Anissa Rasmussen
Economic Development, Lincoln
Ashlie Thompson
DHHS, Lincoln
Sharon Waters
Game & Parks, Lincoln
Daniel Watson
Labor, Lincoln
Melissa Haynes
DHHS, Fremont (Ex-officio)
Justin Hubly
Executive Director, Lincoln
2025-2026 Legislative session
The legislature convened for the short session on January 7, 2026. The NAPE/AFSCME Government Affairs Committee (GAC) reviewed proposed legislation and took positions on bills after bill filing was completed in January. The GAC uses the NAPE/AFSCME Legislative Platform as a guide to take positions on bills. A list of bills and our positions are as follows:
To find your State Senator, visit the Nebraska Legislature site where you can search by your home address to locate your senator.
Bills in Support
LB1176 (DeBoer) – Allows for automated work zone speed monitoring
LB1169 (Wordekemper) – Includes all facility employees in penalties for assault on workers
LB1055 (DeBoer) – Requires specific training for APS workers
LB973 (Raybould) – Provides free off street parking for all state employees
LB932 (J. Cavanaugh) – Tax adjustments for certain overtime work to match federal tax code
LB878 (Guereca) – Six weeks paid maternity leave for state employees
LB825 (Ballard) – Require domestic abuse training for behavioral health practioneers
LB816 (Storer) – Allow confidential peer support for firefighters and dispatchers
LB804 (Lonowski) – Allow confidential peer support for firefighters and dispatchers
LB755 (Wordekemper) – Allow confidential peer support for firefighters and dispatchers
LB744 (Juarez) – Include 911 dispatchers in provisions for Critical Incident Stress Management Act and Workers’ Comp Act
LB 577 (Fredrickson) – Prohibits tracking and surveillance of employees by electronic device
LB 535 (Kauth) – Prohibits assault on frontline behavioral heath staff at regional centers
LB 522 (Guereca) – Provides a COLA for workers comp claims paid for greater than 12 months
LB 400 (Wordekemper) – Firefighters experiencing certain cancers eligible for workers comp
LB 361 (Conrad) – Prohibits retaliation and discrimination based on the filing of a workers comp claim
LB 233 (Conrad) – Would require optional in vitro fertilization coverage under state employees health insurance
LB 224 (Guereca) – Would require 12 weeks of paid maternity leave for state employees
LB 189 (Cavanaugh, M) – Adopts the paid FMLA leave insurance act
LB 30 (Conrad) – Exempts overtime income from state income tax
LR303CA (M. Cavanaugh) – Amend the Nebraska Constitution to guarantee paid FMLA leave
Bills in Opposition
LB1213 (McKinney) – Requires licensure for CFS Specialists
LB1013 (Hansen) – Allows for YRTC’s to have population changes by gender
LB730 (Kauth) – Allows state agencies to make different policies to define gender and regarding bathroom usage at state facilities
LB 668 (Storer) – Allows for the outsourcing of some DHHS case management duties Amended January 2026 on general filed to remove the outsource position. No longer opposed.
LB 397 (Moser) – Eliminates workplace safety inspections and safety committee requirements
LB 258 (Raybould) – Changes minimum wage provisions, including a subminimum wage
Neutral
LB1048 (Arch) – Eliminates the state employees Suggestion Award Board
LB 578 (Cavanaugh, M.) – Requires minimum wage to paid to state employees (neutral because this bill is dealing with wages paid to inmates at correctional institutions for which we have no position).
Workers Comp & Unemployment Insurance Bills to Monitor
LB1056 (Conrad) – Increases benefits from 67% to 75% of salary & provides COLA adjustment
LB1011 (Dungan) – Require thirty days notice to end temporary benefits
LB1009 (Dungan) – Changes the waiting period for benefits from 7 days to 4 days.
LB 544 (Dover) – Disqualification of unemployment benefits if failing to respond to a job interview within 48 hours or failing to show for an interview that was accepted.
LB 456 (Hallstrom) – Waive confidentiality of medical records during workers comp claims
LB 455 (Hallstrom) – Confidentiality of workers comp injury reports
LB 313 (Ibach) – Subrogation of 3rd party workers comp claims
2025 Government affairs committee testimony:
LB 668 - Would allow DHHS to outsource case management services of certain cases.
LB 535 - would make criminal penalties for assault of a health care worker apply to all staff, not just nurses, at our YRTCs and Regional Centers.
LB 522 - would allow a cola for workers comp and shorten waiting period to begin payments
LB 477 - Prohibits an employer from tracking an employee by an electronic device.
LB 400 - allows for workers comp claims for firefighters based on workplace caused cancers
LB 397 - Eliminates workplace safety inspections and safety committee requirements.
LB 361 - Prohibits discrimination after filing a workers comp claim
LB 258 - Changes minimum wage provisions, including a subminimum wage.
LB 233 - Would require optional in vitro fertilization coverage under state employees health insurance.
LB 224 - Would require 12 weeks of paid maternity leave for state employees.
LB 189 - Would allow for paid FMLA LEAVE through payroll tax
LB 30 - Would Exempt Overtime from state income tax
People PAC
NAPE/AFSCME has its own Political Action Committee (PAC) called the NAPE/AFSCME PEOPLE PAC. PEOPLE stands for Public Employees Organized to Promote Legislative Equality. The PEOPLE PAC makes donations to candidates, committees, and ballot initiatives that support working families. Funds in the PEOPLE PAC are voluntary donations from union members. Members who do not wish to make a voluntary donation of $7.95 for 2026 can request a refund by sending a letter to NAPE/AFSCME PEOPLE PAC, 1230 O Street, Suite 120, Lincoln, NE 68508. 2026 refund requests must be postmarked by June 30, 2026.