Nebraska
Amendment to guard Nebraska Environmental Trust falters in legislature after losing key support
Thursday marked a turning point in Nebraska’s 2026 legislative session: any bill that hasn’t already been brought to the floor for debate stands no chance of making it through the body and onto Gov. Jim Pillen’s desk.LR298CA now shares that fate with several other senator priority bills, despite it being scheduled for debate on Thursday morning.”There were about 15 bills, priority bills of other senators, that have yet to be heard,” Sen. Tom Brandt, who championed LR298CA, said. “And so, we felt very fortunate that we had a shot at this.”The proposal would have put a constitutional amendment to a vote of the people, aiming to erect more stringent guardrails around the Nebraska Environmental Trust. Budget legislation swept more than $10 million from the fund this year, and the measure sought to prevent that in the future.Brandt said he had the votes as of yesterday, but this morning, a couple of defections dropped the tally below the crucial 33-vote threshold. The body adjourned early without debate.”To be fair to everyone in this situation with their priorities, we will be passing over LR298CA,” Speaker John Arch said.Brandt said he wishes he had more time.”It is certainly disappointing,” Brandt said. “Normally, you would have time — you’d have hours to work a bill like that. And quite often you can get them to come back and vote your way.”The decision drew frustration from conservation advocates, who had been watching closely from places like Prairie Pines, a restored prairie and forest area outside Lincoln funded in part by Environmental Trust dollars.”It felt like a gut punch,” said Mark Brohman, executive director of the Wachiska Audubon Society. “I was hoping that someone would come out and say we’ve got something worked out, but it just didn’t happen.”Brohman said without additional protections to NET, the future of conservation work in the state would be more uncertain.”As long as they’re taking money from the Environmental Trust, it’s going to make our job tougher on the landscape,” Brohman said. “I’m really worried next year, without this protection going into place, that the trust will be another source of income they’ll come looking at again.”Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Thursday marked a turning point in Nebraska’s 2026 legislative session: any bill that hasn’t already been brought to the floor for debate stands no chance of making it through the body and onto Gov. Jim Pillen’s desk.
LR298CA now shares that fate with several other senator priority bills, despite it being scheduled for debate on Thursday morning.
“There were about 15 bills, priority bills of other senators, that have yet to be heard,” Sen. Tom Brandt, who championed LR298CA, said. “And so, we felt very fortunate that we had a shot at this.”
The proposal would have put a constitutional amendment to a vote of the people, aiming to erect more stringent guardrails around the Nebraska Environmental Trust. Budget legislation swept more than $10 million from the fund this year, and the measure sought to prevent that in the future.
Brandt said he had the votes as of yesterday, but this morning, a couple of defections dropped the tally below the crucial 33-vote threshold. The body adjourned early without debate.
“To be fair to everyone in this situation with their priorities, we will be passing over LR298CA,” Speaker John Arch said.
Brandt said he wishes he had more time.
“It is certainly disappointing,” Brandt said. “Normally, you would have time — you’d have hours to work a bill like that. And quite often you can get them to come back and vote your way.”
The decision drew frustration from conservation advocates, who had been watching closely from places like Prairie Pines, a restored prairie and forest area outside Lincoln funded in part by Environmental Trust dollars.
“It felt like a gut punch,” said Mark Brohman, executive director of the Wachiska Audubon Society. “I was hoping that someone would come out and say we’ve got something worked out, but it just didn’t happen.”
Brohman said without additional protections to NET, the future of conservation work in the state would be more uncertain.
“As long as they’re taking money from the Environmental Trust, it’s going to make our job tougher on the landscape,” Brohman said. “I’m really worried next year, without this protection going into place, that the trust will be another source of income they’ll come looking at again.”
Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |