The 2019 Nebraska Legislature will be addressing climate-related bills.
LB243, creation of the Healthy Soils Taskforce has been introduced by Sen. Gragert. The charge of the taskforce is to develop a comprehensive action plan to coordinate efforts in carrying out a healthy soils initiative for the state of Nebraska. A public hearing will be held before the Unicameral Agriculture Committee on 1/29/2019. At 1:30 PM at the State Capitol. Enhancing soil health is beneficial on several fronts—enhancing water, nutrient, and pest management, while reducing crop and soil losses from extreme weather events--all leading to improved agricultural productivity and profitability. At the same time, there are considerable benefits from the public perspective as well, including the effective sequestration of carbon in our state’s agricultural soils. As a major agricultural state, Nebraska can, and should, be a leader in both adaptation and mitigation responses to climate change.
LB 283, creation of a Strategic Action Plan to Provide Methods for Adapting to and Mitigating the Impacts of Climate Change has been introduced by Sen. Pansing Brooks. It would charge the University of Nebraska to develop and evidence-based, strategic action plan that covers all aspects of the challenges of climate change. And as with the previous bill, it too would identify the positive (economic and societal) opportunities resulting from adaptation and mitigation strategies. At this writing, the date for the public hearing has not been set for LB283.
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Both bills and the related actions can be accessed on line by going to: www.nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/intro.php
