Latest news with #JaneRaybould
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State Sen. Jane Raybould decides not to seek reelection in 2026
State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln. Dec. 7, 2023. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — State Sen. Jane Raybould announced Thursday that she will not seek reelection to her central Lincoln seat in 2026, retiring at the end of her term after 16 years in public service. Raybould, 66, said she has been honored and humbled by getting to serve on the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners, Lincoln City Council and in the Nebraska Legislature. In each office, she said she juggled family obligations and outside work. 'Knowing I was making a difference in my community has been tremendously rewarding and profoundly fulfilling,' Raybould said in a statement Thursday to the Nebraska Examiner. Raybould made clear that her announcement is not a resignation speech, writing: 'Oh no, not even close!' She said she remains committed and dedicated 'to being the most effective senator' in her remaining year and a half in office. That window will likely include a revived effort to slow the state's minimum wage, a Raybould priority that stalled just a couple of weeks ago, receiving pushback from some voters who supported the measure on the ballot just a few years ago. 'I look forward to working with my colleagues as I have always done to create policies that help all Nebraska families and businesses thrive in a state that I love,' Raybould wrote. Raybould, a Democrat, ran for lieutenant governor in 2014 with former University of Nebraska Regent Chuck Hassebrook in 2014, and, challenged Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., in 2018, falling short both times. Raybould served as chair of the Lincoln City Council during the COVID-19 pandemic, and she called it a 'distinct honor' to work with Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and the late Pat Lopez, former director of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department. 'We worked together to keep our community safe, and we did,' Raybould said. In 2023, Raybould succeeded former Lincoln State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks, who was term-limited out of the seat representing Legislative District 28. Pansing Brooks endorsed Raybould. No one had announced a 2026 campaign for the seat by Raybould's announcement. In Raybould's first three legislative years, she introduced a variety of bills, including those focusing on affordable housing, campaign finance reform, red-flag gun legislation, emergency care for survivors of sexual assault, expanded access to and coverage of contraception, mental health access and expanding the state's homestead exemption. Raybould, who now chairs the Legislature's State-Tribal Relations Committee, has also taken the mantle to support indigenous Nebraskans from past senators, which helped influence the creation of a state liaison for missing and murdered indigenous persons. In 2024, multiple Raybould bills helped prioritize grants for water improvement projects for tribal lands under federal no-drink orders and allowed state recognition of tribal emergency protection orders. Raybould sometimes stood on an island in her legislative service, such as singing on the legislative floor after conservatives booted her from an assignment on the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee for a desired partisan lean. In 2023, she was a leading voice against the state's enactment of 'constitutional carry,' and she regularly spoke against bills to restrict abortion access and to advance 'needless culture-war attacks' against transgender children and adults. She has also tried multiple times to claw back hundreds of millions of dollars from the proposed Perkins County Canal project and to slow the state's 'accelerated' income tax cuts. By 2027, the income tax rate for corporations and individuals making more than $18,000 will drop to 3.99%. A 2025 partnership with State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln could soon lead to statewide evidence-based nurse home visitations for newborns and their families. Perceptions of Raybould have been reshaped by the 2025 fight over Legislative Bill 258, her effort to slow the voter-approved increase in the state minimum wage. That bill is set to resurface in 2026. Voters in 2022, the same year Raybould was elected to the Legislature, raised the minimum wage by $1.50 multiple times, from $9 before the law to $15 by Jan. 1, 2026. Voters also approved annual inflationary increases after beginning in 2027. LB 258, which Raybould designated as her 2025 priority and amended during negotiations, would instead lock annual minimum wage increases at 1.75%, which is smaller than average inflation in recent years. It also would increase a 90-day 'training wage' for teen workers to roughly 90% of the state minimum wage, rather than 75% of the federal minimum wage. It would apply only to 16-19 year olds. Under her proposal, teens aged 14 and 15 could instead be paid a 'youth minimum wage.' As lawmakers return in 2026, Raybould has suggested locking that wage at $15 instead of starting at $13.50, the current minimum wage, with small increases every five years. Raybould has said the fixed increase offers better stability and predictability for businesses that need to plan and that her motivation is to help small businesses and others who might not be able to absorb less predictable costs. 'You have to always balance it out to make sure that we maintain the economic vitality and vibrancy and economic growth in our state without falling off and creating a cycle of cost increases that are so much harder for Nebraska families to be able to afford,' Raybould said in April. Raybould declared a conflict of interest on the legislation shortly after introducing it because her family owns B&R Stores, the grocery store chain that includes Russ's Market and Super Saver. She stepped down as vice president of her family company in late March and continues to serve as vice chair on the company board. The bill continues to have 33 supporters — 32 of 33 Republicans and Raybould as the lone Democratic supporter — the minimum support needed under the Nebraska Constitution to change or repeal laws that voters have enacted. The minimum wage fight turned deeply personal among progressive legislators, including State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, who said she had 'never seen such a blatant, bald-faced, self-serving, self-dealing, selfish, unethical example of self-dealing as this bill.' Others, such as State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, who led the opposition that stalled Raybould's bill this year, said consumers didn't care about the age of employees, which should be 'equal pay for equal work.' The bill was defeated by a filibuster when one of Raybould's supporters briefly left the legislative floor. Republicans had defended Raybould for what they said was a thoughtful approach that properly considered federal work restrictions on young workers. Raybould said she plans to focus in 2026 on 'true property tax relief' while working to address the state's projected structural budget deficit compounded by the state's 2023 income tax cuts. Raybould said her decision not to seek reelection was 'a thoughtful one long in the making,' similar to the 'deliberate and well-scheduled plan' to retire from her family company this year. Raybould said those 'who want to rush to judgment' that her decision is directly related to the 'rather brutal' 2025 session 'are wrong, but you are also welcome to speculate.' 'There is no doubt it certainly was a tough one,' she said. However, Raybould said that those who know her know she has 'never shied away from any controversial issue, fought tirelessly and advocated for smart policies for working families, small businesses and the most vulnerable.' Raybould said previously she had 'never cared, not ever' about reelection, but that she did care about 'doing the right thing every day for the right reasons that help the most Nebraskans.' In early 2024, she was diagnosed with a rare type of blood cancer: splenic marginal zone lymphoma, which took her away from much of the 2024 session. Raybould said her family has 'enthusiastically and wholeheartedly supported' her political career, 'beyond anyone's reasonable expectations.' She said reflected on her 'own mortality and life priorities.' 'Thank you, dear family, for all the sacrifices and sharing that you have made. Now, it is my turn to be the full-time spouse, mom, grandma, sister, aunt and friend they deserve. I plan to spend more time with all of them,' Raybould said. 'I'm officially announcing that my next campaign is to be the best grandma ever!' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Another merger attempt fails for slowing Nebraska's minimum wage increases
State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln speaks in favor of gun reforms on March 16, 2023, in Lincoln. In her hand is a cut-out of a pre-schooler in Raybould's district, Octavia, who Raybould said the suggested reforms would support. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — Another last-minute attempt by State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln to force a vote this session on a legislative proposal to slow Nebraska's voter-approved minimum wage increases failed Thursday to join an unrelated bill. This time, she tried attaching the amendment to State Sen. Tony Sorrentino of the Elkhorn area's Legislative Bill 265, a budget bill with business overtones that dealt with unemployment insurance tax rates and the Workforce Development Program Cash Fund. Opponents trying to stop the effort by Raybould, a Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, filed motions to filibuster the amendment and keep it from being considered — a tactic her fellow Democrats used to successfully block it from becoming part of a bill Wednesday weakening Nebraska's paid sick leave protections, LB 415, which is heading to the governor's desk. Raybould said before withdrawing her amendment that she 'was going to do everything' to work within the rules and follow the regulations of the body. She emphasized that if the rules had been followed, her bill would not have failed after Sorrentino missed the vote on final reading, because lawmakers would have been able to reconsider it on the same day and pass her standalone bill. 'I made a commitment to all the business leaders out there that are in the lobby [and] to the small businesses, daycare centers, dog groomers and yoga studios,' Raybould said. Raybould also emphasized that she wants to act now, saying the political dynamics facing her bill change if lawmakers wait. She said it would be harder to reduce pay for young people after the voter-approved law has taken effect. Her revived proposal, in its current form, would shrink the wage increases by setting the annual increase for adults at 1.75%. It also would create a youth minimum wage and amend a separate state training wage for people ages 16 to 19 in the first 90 days on the job. Raybould and supporters of her changes said they would protect small businesses that could not afford to pay more. Lawmakers against slowing wage growth said they were defending the people's will. State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha said Sorrentino's bill was 'hijacked by the Senator Raybould show' during the debate as she was taking a 'third bite of the apple.' 'What troubles me about small business owners like Senator Raybould … is that they have more solidarity with large corporations than they do with the workers themselves,' said Hunt, who runs a small store in Omaha. Raybould withdrew her amendment after it looked like lawmakers wouldn't have the time to consider the amendment, which many believe had the votes needed to pass. But before she pulled her amendment, she pushed back on what she called 'misrepresented dialogue' from Democratic-aligned lawmakers against her proposal. 'It's not something that we're doing to save money, as some have alleged; it's really to be an incentive to hire young people,' Raybould said. 'I think there are several things that the Legislature can do to strike a balance on the [wage] increase approved in November and not forcing our small and medium businesses to shutter or sell out.' Opposed lawmakers eventually pulled amendments related to the filibuster of Raybould's minimum wage amendment, but only after responding to her speech, letting the base bill, LB 265, eventually advance. One state senator, speaking privately, said the drama from Thursday showed the statehouse is 'not a serious place,' and that lawmakers are not 'serious people.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
29-05-2025
- Business
Nebraska Republicans sought to weaken voter-backed paid sick leave. A Democrat helped them do it.
Republicans in the Nebraska Legislature managed to pass a bill that significantly weakens a voter-backed measure requiring employers to offer paid sick leave. And they did it with the help of a Democrat. Backers of the bill overcame a filibuster on Wednesday with the exact number of votes needed — 33 — thanks to the support of a Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln. Raybould, whose family owns several grocery store chains in the state, was also the main sponsor of another bill that sought to restrict a voter-backed minimum wage law. That bill suffered an unexpected defeat earlier this session when a freshman lawmaker failed to show up for a vote on it. Raybould's attempt to attach it to the paid sick leave measure on Wednesday also failed. By a nearly 3-to-1 margin, Nebraska voters in November approved a ballot measure that requires all Nebraska employers to provide at least some paid sick leave to their employees. The ballot language, which had been set to take effect Oct. 1, required businesses to provide workers with one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to seven days at businesses with more than 20 employees. Employees at smaller businesses could accrue up to five days' worth of paid sick leave a year. The leave could be used for the employees themselves or to tend to a family member. But the bill passed Wednesday and expected to be signed into law by Gov. Jim Pillen carves out exceptions. It allows businesses to withhold paid sick leave from 14- and 15-year-olds, as well as from temporary and seasonal agricultural workers. Businesses with 10 or fewer employees would not need to provide paid sick leave at all. More concerning, opponents say, is a provision that strips from the new law the ability of workers to sue employers who retaliate against them for using paid sick leave. The removal of that enforcement language would 'essentially gut' the paid leave measure, said Sen. John Cavanaugh, who opposed the bill. Cavanaugh reiterated that paid sick leave received nearly 75% approval — more support than most lawmakers got at the polls. 'The voters wanted this more than they wanted you here,' he said, addressing fellow lawmakers. 'This is about respect for the will of the voters.' Nebraska joins other states leading efforts to counter voter-approved policies on everything from paid sick leave to abortion. Some states are seeking to limit the voter initiative process itself, leading to pushback from voters. Supporters of the Nebraska paid sick leave rollback say they're seeking to protect both workers and businesses. Raybould has said throughout debate this session that teens under 16 will find themselves unable to get an after-school or summer job without changes to both minimum wage and paid sick leave measures. She says no one will hire teens with limited experience and federal child labor restrictions at $15 per hour — the minimum wage set to take effect Jan. 1. 'We have to find that balance between business and labor,' Raybould said during debate Wednesday. 'We have to be competitive, and we have to be flexible.' Others went further, with Republican Sen. Mike Jacobson saying that government telling businesses what wages and benefits they must offer employees 'threatens democracy.' If employees don't like the terms of their employment, he said, it's incumbent on them to find a different job. Sen. Robert Hallstrom is another Republican who supported restrictions on both the minimum wage and paid sick leave. He said the Legislature has the right to make changes to voter-backed measures, asking if young or seasonal workers who would be affected by those changes would 'rather have a $10-an-hour job or no job?' The Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans coalition, which was behind the effort to get paid sick leave on the Nebraska ballot last year, said the bill passed Wednesday would remove paid sick leave protections for 140,000 workers in the state. 'Despite thousands of Nebraskans demanding that our Legislature honor the clear will of voters, 33 senators ignored those calls yet again today," the coalition said in a statement. "It will prevent thousands of Nebraskans from being able to access the good life.'
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nebraska Republicans sought to weaken voter-backed paid sick leave. A Democrat helped them do it.
Republicans in the Nebraska Legislature managed to pass a bill that significantly weakens a voter-backed measure requiring employers to offer paid sick leave. And they did it with the help of a Democrat. Backers of the bill overcame a filibuster on Wednesday with the exact number of votes needed — 33 — thanks to the support of a Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln. Raybould, whose family owns several grocery store chains in the state, was also the main sponsor of another bill that sought to restrict a voter-backed minimum wage law. That bill suffered an unexpected defeat earlier this session when a freshman lawmaker failed to show up for a vote on it. Raybould's attempt to attach it to the paid sick leave measure on Wednesday also failed. By a nearly 3-to-1 margin, Nebraska voters in November approved a ballot measure that requires all Nebraska employers to provide at least some paid sick leave to their employees. The ballot language, which had been set to take effect Oct. 1, required businesses to provide workers with one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to seven days at businesses with more than 20 employees. Employees at smaller businesses could accrue up to five days' worth of paid sick leave a year. The leave could be used for the employees themselves or to tend to a family member. But the bill passed Wednesday and expected to be signed into law by Gov. Jim Pillen carves out exceptions. It allows businesses to withhold paid sick leave from 14- and 15-year-olds, as well as from temporary and seasonal agricultural workers. Businesses with 10 or fewer employees would not need to provide paid sick leave at all. More concerning, opponents say, is a provision that strips from the new law the ability of workers to sue employers who retaliate against them for using paid sick leave. The removal of that enforcement language would 'essentially gut' the paid leave measure, said Sen. John Cavanaugh, who opposed the bill. Cavanaugh reiterated that paid sick leave received nearly 75% approval — more support than most lawmakers got at the polls. 'The voters wanted this more than they wanted you here,' he said, addressing fellow lawmakers. 'This is about respect for the will of the voters.' Nebraska joins other states leading efforts to counter voter-approved policies on everything from paid sick leave to abortion. Some states are seeking to limit the voter initiative process itself, leading to pushback from voters. Supporters of the Nebraska paid sick leave rollback say they're seeking to protect both workers and businesses. Raybould has said throughout debate this session that teens under 16 will find themselves unable to get an after-school or summer job without changes to both minimum wage and paid sick leave measures. She says no one will hire teens with limited experience and federal child labor restrictions at $15 per hour — the minimum wage set to take effect Jan. 1. 'We have to find that balance between business and labor,' Raybould said during debate Wednesday. 'We have to be competitive, and we have to be flexible.' Others went further, with Republican Sen. Mike Jacobson saying that government telling businesses what wages and benefits they must offer employees 'threatens democracy.' If employees don't like the terms of their employment, he said, it's incumbent on them to find a different job. Sen. Robert Hallstrom is another Republican who supported restrictions on both the minimum wage and paid sick leave. He said the Legislature has the right to make changes to voter-backed measures, asking if young or seasonal workers who would be affected by those changes would 'rather have a $10-an-hour job or no job?' The Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans coalition, which was behind the effort to get paid sick leave on the Nebraska ballot last year, said the bill passed Wednesday would remove paid sick leave protections for 140,000 workers in the state. 'Despite thousands of Nebraskans demanding that our Legislature honor the clear will of voters, 33 senators ignored those calls yet again today," the coalition said in a statement. "It will prevent thousands of Nebraskans from being able to access the good life.'
Winnipeg Free Press
29-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Nebraska Republicans sought to weaken voter-backed paid sick leave. A Democrat helped them do it.
Republicans in the Nebraska Legislature managed to pass a bill that significantly weakens a voter-backed measure requiring employers to offer paid sick leave. And they did it with the help of a Democrat. Backers of the bill overcame a filibuster on Wednesday with the exact number of votes needed — 33 — thanks to the support of a Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln. Raybould, whose family owns several grocery store chains in the state, was also the main sponsor of another bill that sought to restrict a voter-backed minimum wage law. That bill suffered an unexpected defeat earlier this session when a freshman lawmaker failed to show up for a vote on it. Raybould's attempt to attach it to the paid sick leave measure on Wednesday also failed. By a nearly 3-to-1 margin, Nebraska voters in November approved a ballot measure that requires all Nebraska employers to provide at least some paid sick leave to their employees. The ballot language, which had been set to take effect Oct. 1, required businesses to provide workers with one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to seven days at businesses with more than 20 employees. Employees at smaller businesses could accrue up to five days' worth of paid sick leave a year. The leave could be used for the employees themselves or to tend to a family member. But the bill passed Wednesday and expected to be signed into law by Gov. Jim Pillen carves out exceptions. It allows businesses to withhold paid sick leave from 14- and 15-year-olds, as well as from temporary and seasonal agricultural workers. Businesses with 10 or fewer employees would not need to provide paid sick leave at all. More concerning, opponents say, is a provision that strips from the new law the ability of workers to sue employers who retaliate against them for using paid sick leave. The removal of that enforcement language would 'essentially gut' the paid leave measure, said Sen. John Cavanaugh, who opposed the bill. Cavanaugh reiterated that paid sick leave received nearly 75% approval — more support than most lawmakers got at the polls. 'The voters wanted this more than they wanted you here,' he said, addressing fellow lawmakers. 'This is about respect for the will of the voters.' Nebraska joins other states leading efforts to counter voter-approved policies on everything from paid sick leave to abortion. Some states are seeking to limit the voter initiative process itself, leading to pushback from voters. Supporters of the Nebraska paid sick leave rollback say they're seeking to protect both workers and businesses. Raybould has said throughout debate this session that teens under 16 will find themselves unable to get an after-school or summer job without changes to both minimum wage and paid sick leave measures. She says no one will hire teens with limited experience and federal child labor restrictions at $15 per hour — the minimum wage set to take effect Jan. 1. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'We have to find that balance between business and labor,' Raybould said during debate Wednesday. 'We have to be competitive, and we have to be flexible.' Others went further, with Republican Sen. Mike Jacobson saying that government telling businesses what wages and benefits they must offer employees 'threatens democracy.' If employees don't like the terms of their employment, he said, it's incumbent on them to find a different job. Sen. Robert Hallstrom is another Republican who supported restrictions on both the minimum wage and paid sick leave. He said the Legislature has the right to make changes to voter-backed measures, asking if young or seasonal workers who would be affected by those changes would 'rather have a $10-an-hour job or no job?' The Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans coalition, which was behind the effort to get paid sick leave on the Nebraska ballot last year, said the bill passed Wednesday would remove paid sick leave protections for 140,000 workers in the state. 'Despite thousands of Nebraskans demanding that our Legislature honor the clear will of voters, 33 senators ignored those calls yet again today,' the coalition said in a statement. 'It will prevent thousands of Nebraskans from being able to access the good life.'
