Senators pass wide range of bills, praise departing colleagues

By Fred Knapp , Senior Reporter/Producer Nebraska Public Media

April 10, 2026, midnight ·

Senators greet schoolchildren visiting Capitol — Senators greet schoolchildren visiting the Capitol. (Fred Knapp/Nebraska Public Media News)

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The Nebraska Legislature on Friday passed bills dealing with everything from child care subsidies to guns in the Capitol, and senators paid tribute to departing members as they prepare to conclude their 2026 session.

Friday was another day of voting, without debate, on numerous bills poised for final passage. And the subject matter covered a broad range of topics.

Among them was a proposal (LB596) waiving a requirement that someone had to have died at least 15 years earlier before being eligible for election to the Nebraska Hall of Fame. Promoted by Gov. Jim Pillen as a tribute to former football coach Tom Osborne, the measure would allow the admission of a living person who demonstrated achievements in public service, college athletics and youth mentorship.

Senators also passed a bill (LB1165) that could provide over $50 million in tax incentives to a company merging with another to retain and grow jobs in Nebraska. The measure is aimed at keeping the headquarters of Union Pacific, which is merging with Norfolk Southern, in Omaha.

Interspersed between votes on bills, the only speeches of the day were tributes – often humorous and heartfelt, from senators to their departing colleagues, Typical was one by Sen. Rick Holdcroft for Sen. Myron Dorn.

“Myron Dorn. Well, I have to admit, I was a little surprised when I got the phone call to do this tribute, and frankly, I said, ‘Can you find somebody else?’ And they said, ‘No, you're our last hope.’ So I took this on with gusto, did a lot of research, talked to a lot of people – but folks, I got nothing," Holdcroft said.

Holdcroft went on to praise Dorn for his service on the Gage County Board and his eight years in the Legislature on the Appropriations Committee. In all, at least 13 of the 49 senators are leaving, including ten who have reached the two-term limit and three who chose not to run.

After each tribute, senators returned to the business at hand. Lawmakers gave final approval to a bill (LB304) extending child care subsidies for households with incomes from 130% to 185% of the federal poverty level – that’s up to about $59,000 for a family of four – which would otherwise have expired in October.

That bill was sponsored by Sen. Wendy DeBoer, whom Sen. Carolyn Bosn credited for her persistence.

“When some of us would say, ‘I can take a hint, this bill isn't going anywhere,’ Senator DeBoer would say, ‘Well, I'm bringing it next year, and I'm committing to working with the opponents until we find a solution.’ And even when I disagreed with her, that is a quality that I, and most of you, admire,” Bosn said.

Other measures passed Friday included (LB1237) one banning guns in the Capitol, except for holders of a concealed carry permit, and authorizing metal detectors at the entrances. Another (LB986) would allow candidates to use campaign funds to pay for security equipment and personnel.

Senators also passed a bill (LB966) that would change reduced-price school meals to free meals for children from families with incomes below 185% of poverty. Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh sponsored that measure, which she revealed would be paid for, for a five-year pilot period, by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation out of Illinois. The Legislature also approved using state funds to extend the program to students in private schools.

Another bill passed was one (LB1261) that would allow private companies to build electrical generating facilities to supply large users like data centers. They could also resell any extra power, but only if the public power supplier in the area approved.

The last tribute of the day was given by Sen. Mike Jacobson to Sen. John Arch, who is finishing his eighth year in office, the last four as speaker. Jacobson praised the way Arch has handled that job.

“He emphasized communications over conflict, collaboration over division, and results over rhetoric,” Jacobson said.

Arch has announced that the Legislature will meet for one more day this session, next Friday, which will give senators the chance to try and override any vetoes Pillen may issue of the bills they passed.

The audio version of this story misstated the number of senators who would not be returning. The correct number is at least 13.