In September of 2024, OTOC helped launch the Nebraska Alliance for Thriving Communities, a three year organizing effort resulting in over 70 organizations across the state working together for positive immigration solutions for strong Nebraska communities, families, & workforce. Now we have an opportunity to act on one of these positive policies that would affect thousands of immigrants in Nebraska!

Although immigration reform is a federal issue, there are several ways that Nebraska can enact positive policies that support immigrant families. For example, Nebraska is one of the last if not THE LAST state that doesn't allow ALL WORK AUTHORIZED immigrants to access unemployment insurance and some other benefits even though their employers DO pay into those programs on their behalf. 

Sen. Ibach (D44), has introduce LB299 "Supporting Nebraska Workers" to fix this problem affecting thousands of Nebraskans. 

LB299 has been scheduled for a hearing on Monday, February 10, at 1:30pm, in front of the Business and Labor committee in Room 2102 (on the 2nd floor of the capitol.)

Members of this committee include:

What you can do: 

1) Testify in-person: if you are able to, this is the most effective form of testimony. 

• Length of testimony: it should be limited to 3-5 minutes (for hearings with many testifiers, committees may modify the time limit.)
  
  
• When to arrive at the capitol: The hearing will begin at 1:30pm. Right now, LB299 has been rescheduled as the 1st bill for the committee. While the order of bills can change, I’d recommend you arrive by 12:30pm to get parked and checked in to be safe.
  
  
• Dress code: There is no dress code. Senators typically dress more formally but testifiers are welcome to dress in whatever way you feel most comfortable.
  
  
• If you do plan to testify, email your testimony to Sen. Ibach in advance, but do not submit them as comments as that may void your ability to testify in person. 

2) Submit testimony online by Monday, February 10, at 8:00am: if you are unable to attend in person, you may submit testimony through the bill’s online portal by clicking on “Submit comments online for LB299.”

• There is a 500 word limit for online testimony
  
  
• Your comments will be included in the official hearing record
  
  
• Again, the deadline to submit is Feb 10 at 8:00am.
  
  
• PLEASE NOTE: After submitting a comment, you will receive an email asking to verify your comment. Your comment will not be viewable by Legislative Staff until this step is completed. Online comments for the Public Hearing Record are to be submitted in lieu of in-person testimony. If you have submitted an online comment for the Public Hearing Record, you may be asked not to testify by the committee.
  
  

Talking points to help with your testimony or comment:

• (1) A quirk in Nebraska law prevents some work-authorized immigrants from accessing the unemployment insurance they have earned and their employers have paid for if they lose their job through no fault of their own.
  
  
• (2) Virtually every state allows a person to access unemployment so long as they have work authorization and have made financial contributions to the unemployment insurance trust fund.
  
  
• (3) Work authorized Nebraskans contribute millions of dollars in taxes each year, yet thousands of those people would be ineligible for unemployment insurance because of a gap in our current law. Already, over 30 work authorized Nebraskans have been excluded from unemployment because of their specific immigration program (e.g. DACA, TPS, Asylum Applicants).