Rep. John Cavanaugh

Maddy summaryNebraska's LB 414 establishes a suicide mortality review team within the Department of Veterans' Affairs to address veteran suicides. The team, made up of VA staff, mental health professionals, law enforcement, and veteran advocates, will collect data on all veteran suicide deaths in Nebraska, analyze causes, and develop prevention protocols for agencies like hospitals and law enforcement. It requires an annual report by April 1st starting in 2026, detailing each reviewed case (including age, location, and contributing factors) and recommendations to reduce preventable suicides. The bill directly affects veterans who died by suicide and aims to improve data-driven prevention strategies through coordinated reviews.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (not a law) that formally congratulates the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) men's basketball team for earning its first-ever NCAA Division I tournament appearance after winning the Summit League Tournament in March 2025. It directly affects the UNO team and head coach Chris Crutchfield by recognizing their historic achievement. The resolution has no policy provisions or financial impact - its sole purpose is to express legislative support through a symbolic gesture. It was adopted by the Nebraska Legislature on April 8, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (not a legislative bill), passed by the Nebraska Legislature to honor the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) softball team. It specifically congratulates the team for winning their second consecutive Summit League Tournament Championship in 2024 and reaching the NCAA regional final - the first time in program history. The resolution has no policy impact or financial effect; it simply expresses legislative recognition through a formal statement sent to the team. As a procedural resolution, it does not create new laws or affect any regulations.

Maddy summaryNebraska's LB 21 adopts the Uniform Unlawful Restrictions in Land Records Act to remove discriminatory property restrictions from land records. It directly affects property owners and homeowners' associations (HOAs) holding restrictions based on race, religion, sex, or other protected characteristics that violate state or federal law. The bill creates a streamlined process: owners can submit amendments to remove unlawful restrictions from their own property, while HOA governing bodies must remove such restrictions within 90 days of a member request without requiring a member vote. Amendments must be recorded in land records with specific language clarifying they only remove unlawful restrictions, not valid ones, and do not affect property conveyances.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (LR 63) passed by the Nebraska Legislature to honor the University of Nebraska at Omaha Mavericks men's basketball team for winning the Summit League regular season championship in 2025. It formally congratulates the team, head coach Chris Crutchfield, and captains Marquel Sutton, Tony Osburn, and Lance Waddles on their victory over Oral Roberts University on March 1, 2025. The resolution has no legal effect or policy changes; it is purely symbolic recognition of the team's athletic achievement. The Legislature adopted this resolution on March 12, 2025, and sent copies to the team and coach.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Nebraska electric utilities to provide service to customers who own small on-farm renewable energy systems (≤100 kilowatts) used for agricultural purposes, such as solar or wind installations. It specifically applies to systems that don’t connect to the grid for net metering and must be located on the same property as the farm’s electric account. Utilities must serve these customers but can still require compliance with safety standards, interconnection rules, and standard rates. The bill ensures grid access for qualifying farm systems without altering utility rate structures or creating new financial incentives.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new homestead tax exemption for Nebraska residents, allowing owners to exclude the first $100,000 of their home's actual value from property taxes starting in 2025. The law applies to all homeowners who live in the property and works alongside existing exemptions for seniors, disabled individuals, and veterans, which remain available in addition to the new deduction. It also establishes a process for transferring these tax benefits to a new home if an owner sells their current residence and buys another before August 15 of the same year. To support this change, the bill requires the state to issue standardized application forms and ensures that the tax revenue lost from these exemptions is reimbursed by the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to end the Perkins County Canal Project by repealing the existing laws that created the project fund and authorizing the construction of a canal. It directs the state to transfer all remaining money and investment earnings from the fund into other state accounts, specifically the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund, the Economic Recovery Contingency Fund, the Museum Construction and Maintenance Fund, and the Inland Port Authority Fund. Additionally, the legislation requires a final study on the canal's costs, timeline, and environmental impacts to be completed and presented to the legislature before the fund is fully dissolved.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the rules for how the Nebraska Legislature prepares voter information for constitutional amendment proposals. It requires the Legislative Council to create a neutral, plain-language summary explaining the effects of voting for or against each proposal. This summary must be printed on the ballot and submitted to the Secretary of State at least four months before a regular election or sixty days before a special election. The bill also clarifies that these timing requirements do not apply to proposals placed on the ballot during special elections.