Fentanyl penalties slowed by cost concerns, free school meals proposal heard

By Fred Knapp , Senior Reporter/Producer Nebraska Public Media

17 de Febrero de 2026 a las 17:00 ·

Sen. Myron Dorn speaks Tuesday (Fred Knapp/Nebraska Public Media News) — Sen. Myron Dorn speaks Tuesday. (Fred Knapp/Nebraska Public Media News)

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A proposal to increase penalties for fentanyl trafficking was slowed in the Legislature Tuesday by objections that it would waste money. And the Education Committee heard a proposal to provide free school breakfasts and lunches to students currently eligible for reduced-price meals.

Fentanyl trafficking is already a felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison. But a proposal (AM2092 to LB795) by Sen. Tanya Storer would raise that, depending on the amount, as high as 20 years to life. Storer said her proposal would bring penalties for fentanyl in line with those for other drugs.

“It is updating, really complementing, I guess, and updating the laws to treat fentanyl trafficking and distribution with the same clear, proportional and consistent penalty structure that we already apply to methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine,” Storer said.

Sen. Terrell McKinney opposed the move, saying it would add to prison overcrowding and force lawmakers to spend money on more prisons instead of other priorities.

Sen. Terrell McKinney (Photo courtesy Nebraska Legislature) — Terrell McKinney

“I'm just telling y'all, if y'all care about property tax relief, passing a bunch of new felonies every year is not going to get you to that goal,” McKinney said. "It's never going to happen. You're going to keep building prisons, and you're not getting property tax relief, because the money will go to the prison-industrial complex in the prison capital of Nebraska."

Sen. Myron Dorn supported the proposal as a matter of public safety.

“Why are we overpopulating the jails? Because we pass all these laws? Maybe," he said. "Maybe we pass all these laws, but we pass those laws so that we're protecting a certain segment of society, or we’re protecting society out there."

Sen. George Dungan opposed the move, saying it would only deter crime if the chances of getting caught were increased.

“Why are we doing this in the first place? If you just want to punish somebody because it makes you feel better, I don't think that's what we in the Legislature should be in the business of doing, because I think we should be spending taxpayer dollars to actually create safer communities,” Dungan said.

Lawmakers adjourned for the day before reaching a vote on the proposal. Debate on it is scheduled to resume Wednesday.

Senators did give second-round approval to a bill (LB653) that would once again give schools permission to suspend students in kindergarten through second grade. That reverses a prohibition the Legislature enacted three years ago. The measure was attached to bill that requires schools to accept special education students under the state’s option enrollment program, if the school has already accepted a sibling from the same family. The bill was advanced on a vote of 28-7.

Tuesday afternoon, the Education Committee heard a proposal (LB966) by Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh to provide free school breakfasts and lunches to students who currently qualify for reduced price meals. The benefit would be available to students from households with income between 130% and 185% of the federal poverty line. For a family of four, that’s between about $42,000 and $59,000.

Kathy Poehling, president of the Omaha Education Association, said those families need the help.

“Currently, Nebraska families living just above the federal poverty line fall in a difficult middle ground. While they qualify for reduced price meals, even a cost of 40 cents for lunch adds up quickly, especially with families who have multiple children. For a family of four living paycheck to paycheck, these costs can exceed 200 to $300 per school year,” Poehling said.

And Edward Ventura Jr., an elementary school librarian, described the effect of hunger on students who may not be getting enough to eat at home.

“Hunger is not a small distraction. It is a barrier of learning. It dulls concentration, heightens stress, disrupts emotional regulation and steals a sense of safety every child deserves to feel at school. When a student is worried about food, their mind is not free to wonder, to question, to imagine and to learn,” Ventura said.

The proposal would cost the state an additional $1.2 million a year, at a time when lawmakers face a $471.5 million budget shortfall.

No one spoke against the proposal in the hearing, but 15 people opposed it in online comments, compared to 115 who supported it.