Judges' pay, workers' compensation for firefighters considered by Legislature

By Fred Knapp , Senior Reporter/Producer Nebraska Public Media

May 8, 2025, midnight ·

Nebraska Capitol (Photo by Fred Knapp, Nebraska Public Media News)

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Nebraska lawmakers continued work on the state budget Thursday, debating pay raises for judges and also considered worker’s compensation for firefighters who develop cancer.

Up for consideration Thursday was a proposal to raise judges’ pay by 1.5% for each of the next two years. Sen. Carolyn Bosn, chair of the Judiciary Committee, said the pay hikes are needed to compete for legal talent from attorneys in private practice.

“It is important and it is relevant that we have the highest quality individuals who are interested in serving the public. This is public service. No, we shouldn't be paying them millions of dollars or lavish things like that, but giving them an incentive to want to do this type of public service is relevant and it is important, and it is in all of our best interests,” she said.

The bill would increase salaries of Supreme Court justices from about $225,000 to about $232,000 over two years, and would raise lower court judges’ salaries proportionately.

Sen. John Cavanaugh spoke against the measure, citing the state’s budget squeeze.

“When we're making cuts everywhere else, we're making transfers, we're shifting costs onto the backs of Nebraskans that I don't think it's the right time to give a raise, even to those who we've used most deserving," he said. "And folks might think other people are more deserving of a raise, but it's not a question that they don't deserve it. It's that we can't currently afford it."

Sen. Rob Clements, chair of the Appropriations Committee, said the state could afford the cost of the pay raises, which he put at $1.5 million over the next two years. Senators voted 29-6 first-round approval of the bill.

Senators also considered a proposal by Sen. Dave Wordekemper that would require workers’ compensation coverage for firefighters who develop cancer, unless their employer could prove it was not caused by their job. Wordekemper, himself a firefighter, said a lack of such coverage hurts people who are exposed to carcinogenic chemicals.

“For experienced firefighters, the prospect of developing cancer without proper coverage leads many to contemplate the statement known amongst firefighters: ‘We are dying to save others,’” he said.

Wordekemper said the proposal would ensure that firefighters would receive 66% of their salary while they were dealing with their cancer. The benefit would be available to those who worked full-time for at least five years as a firefighter, a fire investigator or a firefighter instructor or trainer.

Sen. Mike Jacobson opposed the proposal. He said questions about coverage should be handled by collective bargaining, not state law. And he objected to the financial implications for the cities that firefighters work for.

“The only way we can pay for this is property taxes, folks. That's the only way we pay for this, and it's also an unfunded mandate to the cities,” he said.

Sen. Bob Hallstrom challenged Wordekemper’s amendment as not germane to the bill he was trying to attach it to, which called for free tuition at public colleges and universities for first responders who become disabled on the job.

Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, presiding over the Legislature, ruled in favor of Hallstrom, but senators voted 27-15 to overrule him, allowing Wordekemper’s amendment to be considered.

Action then slowed to a crawl as Cavanaugh tried to prevent consideration of another amendment, by Sen. Bob Hallstrom, that could have limited compensation to injured workers.

After several more hours of debate, both Wordekemper and Hallstrom withdrew their proposals. Senators then gave the tuition waiver bill second-round approval on vote of 29-5.