On June 2, the Nebraska Unicameral adjourned sine die (a fancy Latin term meaning, without a day). This means the 109th Nebraska Legislature, First Session, is completed. State Senators won't convene together as a body until January 2026 (unless a special session is called!).
So, what's the last day of session like? The last day of session is usually long-anticipated and a favorite of those who work in and around the Legislature. It's like the last day of school before summer break. The day is mostly filled with ceremonial closing activities, including final remarks by the Speaker of the Legislature and the Governor. Senators then ride off into the sunset and more permanently return home to their legislative districts.
Remember how it all started? When this session started, over half of the Senators had served for less than three years, with more than half of those being brand-new Senators. Yet, that did not deter the full Legislature from getting plenty of legislation introduced and passed. Over 700 bills were introduced.
Senators spent over two months in public hearings, ensuring every single bill introduced got a chance to be considered. And they immediately started advancing bills out of committee and spent even more months in all-day floor debate on important Senator priority bills, passing many of those and killing some of them.
What did Senators accomplish? 209 bills were passed. Included within these bills were another 113 bills. Meaning, 322 total bills were passed. 2 bills were vetoed by the Governor, without successful overrides by the Legislature. And 1 constitutional amendment proposal - to extend term limits from two 4-year terms to three 4-year terms - was advanced for voters to decide on in the 2026 election.
Except for about a dozen or so bills which were killed or withdrawn, every other piece of legislation is eligible to "carryover" into the 2026 legislative session and be further worked on. At that time, we'll likely see another 600-700 bills introduced for the 109th Legislature, Second Session.
How did the session go for the NCC? While every legislative session is hectic, especially in those first few months, this session was relatively calm. This wasn't a bad thing after coming off the abortion-related ballot initiatives and a grueling legislative session prior to that. It gave us time to recuperate, while still bearing the light of Christ in the public square.
The good news is that, for yet another year, none of the bills we opposed were advanced. We are proud to continue stopping public policies that undermine the common good, especially those this session that directly attacked human life through abortion and IVF or undermined human sexuality.
The better news is that 13 bills we worked on were passed by the Legislature. These are bills which - at their core - embody important principles of Catholic social teaching, inspired by the person and life of Jesus Christ.
- Protecting Human Sexuality. Ensuring that males cannot compete in female sports.
- Advancing Parental Choice. Expanding 529 education savings accounts to be used on K-12 private school tuition expenses.
- Fostering Family Life. Instituting an adoption tax credit for families who have adopted a child.
- Feeding the Hungry. Maintaining robust income eligibility for food assistance, and continuing grant opportunities for Nebraska's major food banks to serve the hungry and thirsty.
- Caring for the Vulnerable. Providing funding assistance and programming for victims and survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking.
- Safeguarding Kids. Keeping Nebraska's children safe from predatory social media companies and practices.
These successes were not possible without the grace of God, the hard work of numerous Senators and legislative staffers, and your tireless prayers and faithful advocacy.
So, what's next now that it's all over? As the legislative interim period begins, Senators, staff members, lobbyists, and others will likely take a breather, get in some vacation time, close out files on the session, or catch up on some other tasks.
Then, it'll be time to get back in the saddle and start thinking about the 2026 legislative session: Which pre-existing bills need continued work for possible passage in the upcoming session? Which new ideas, proposals, or problems need to be addressed by the Legislature? What strategies will it take to succeed in 2026?
At the NCC, we'll be doing much of the same thing. In addition, we'll be planning for some of our major events, like the annual Bishops' Pro-Life Banquet & Conference (Nov. 21-22) – mark it down in your calendar!
Because bearing the light of Christ in the public square doesn't stop with the Nebraska Legislature's adjournment sine die and plenty of public policy matters will continue to flourish in the days to come, we'll keep you updated through this column but also encourage you to join our advocacy network at www.NEcatholic.org where we provide more regular and timely updates.
Thank you for all you did to make the 2025 legislative session a success and may we praise God for His goodness through it all!
