Coffee With Your Senators

(Grand Island, NE) – The Grand Island Chamber of Commerce is hosting “Coffee With Your Senators” at The Chocolate Bar, 116 West 3^rd Street, on Friday, February 15 beginning at 8:30 a.m. The event is open to the public.

Attendees will be able to have an in-depth discussion with Nebraska State Senators Dan Quick (Dem., Dist. 35) of Grand Island and Steve Halloran (Rep., Dist. 33) of Hastings. Each Senator will review the current legislative session as well as answer any constituents’ questions.

Senator Quick, who is beginning his third year of service in the Unicameral, has introduced two notable bills thus far during the current session, which began January 9. The first, LB149, is intended to provide restrictions on the sale of vapor products and flavored liquids, especially for teenagers and children. The bill will ensure that vapor tobacco products be regulated in the same manner as traditional products, and it will also raise the age of purchase for e-cigarettes and vapor products to 21. Additionally, the bill will add vapor products to the Nebraska Clean Indoor Air Act, which prohibits the use of the aforementioned products in public or work spaces.

The second bill, LB383, requires an annual adjustment on the state’s minimum wage. Beginning in 2020, the legislation calls for the State Treasurer to adjust the minimum wage each year to reflect the average annual percentage change in the Consumer Price Index. Senator Quick noted in a press release that the CPI is already used to adjust Social Security payments and other cost-of-living wage adjustments.

Senator Halloran, also in his third year, has introduced legislation this session that provides the option for school employees to carry concealed handguns. The bill, LB343, or the “School Safety Rapid Response Option Act”, is specified for employees to carry a concealed handgun upon the school’s building, grounds, vehicles, or school-sponsored activity or athletic event as long as such employees, as authorized, are in compliance with the Concealed Handgun Permit Act.

Senator Halloran, in response to scammers’ use of local numbers, also introduced LB693 to prohibit the selling, renting, or conveying of telephone numbers. The “Neighbor Spoofing Protection Act” prevents any telecommunications service to knowingly transmit misleading or inaccurate caller identification information with the intent to defraud, cause harm or wrongfully obtain anything of value.

For more information with the Chamber’s “Coffee With Your Senator Event”, please contact Michala Soundy, Vice President, at [email protected] or 308-382-9210.