UNICAMERAL UPDATE News published daily at Update.Legislature.ne.gov Vol. 41, Issue 7 / Feb. 12 - 15, 2018 University backers oppose funding cuts Nebraska University President Hank Bounds (center) presents the case to the Appropriations Committee for restoring the institution’s funding. upporters of the University of offered by Gov. Pete Ricketts, the students, business leaders and others Nebraska turned out for a four university system would lose $11 mil- lined up in opposition. Sand a half hour hearing of the lion in funding in the current fiscal President Hank Bounds said the Appropriations Committee Feb. 14 to year and $23 million in FY2018-19. proposed cuts are on top of the across- oppose funding cuts. During the agency budget hearing, the-board reductions already absorbed Under the state budget proposal administrators, alumni, teachers, by the university system along with (continued page 3) Bill would require employers to provide equal wages mployers would be held accountable for gender-based receive more college and graduate degrees than men, yet Ewage disparities under a bill discussed by the Business this gap persists.” and Labor Committee Feb. 12. The bill would provide an affirmative defense in any civil LB1014, introduced by Lincoln Sen. Patty Pansing action brought against an employer alleging wage discrimi- Brooks, would require employers to provide equal pay for nation based on gender, if that employer has completed employees performing comparable work that requires sub- a self-evaluation in good faith of its pay practices within stantially similar skill, effort and responsibility, performed three years of the complaint. under similar working conditions. Additionally, the employer must demonstrate that it has Pansing Brooks said women in Nebraska currently make made reasonable progress toward eliminating any wage dif- 73 cents for every dollar a man makes. Protecting employees ferentials for comparable work based on such an evaluation. who disclose wage information would help women more A person would be guilty of a Class III misdemeanor if effectively negotiate higher wages and more quickly close he or she fires or discriminates against an employee who the gender pay gap, she said, which will not close until has filed a complaint with an employer, the state attorney 2066 if current trends persist. general or the Equal Opportunity Commission. A Class “While the pay gap has slowly moved in the right di- III misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to three months rection, it has been far too slow in my opinion,” Pansing imprisonment, a $500 fine or both. Brooks said. “Women make up half of the workforce and An employer would be guilty of a Class V misdemeanor (continued page 2) INSIDE: Social workers proposed for ESUs • Automated vehicles considered • Hearing schedule February 12 - 15, 2018 Bill would require employers to provide equal wages (continued from front page) if it hinders any investigation into of the bill. She said wage discrimination by the commis- that without a clear sion or attorney general by falsifying understanding of or failing to furnish related records. A comparable wages, it Class V misdemeanor carries a penalty is difficult for women of up to a $100 fine. to challenge unfair The bill also would prohibit an pay practices. employer from requiring an employee “Open and accu- to sign a waiver or nondisclosure agree- rate disclosures of ment, preventing the employee from wages would help disclosing his or her wages. put women on a An employee could file a civil more equal footing,” lawsuit against an employer if there Herres said. “When is evidence of retaliation for wage women go into ne- disclosure including, but not limited gotiations with wage Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks said employers continue to pay to, coercion, intimidation, interfer- information, they will women considerably less than men for doing the same work. ence, discipline or threats against the be better positioned.” representing the Nebraska Chamber employee. Sarah Ann Kotchian, representing of Commerce. He said the protec- If the court finds in favor of the the Holland Children’s Movement, tions proposed under LB1014 already employee, he or she would be entitled also supported the bill. She said have been addressed through federal to any judgment awarded by the court eliminating the gender pay gap would legislation. and reasonable attorney’s fees. Ad- benefit families, who increasingly are “Compensation questions like this ditionally, the court could order rein- headed by women. are already protected at the federal lev- statement of the employee, restoration “This would provide greater and el under the National Labor Relations of lost service credit, expungement more comprehensive employee protec- Act,” Moore said. “The bill creates a of negative employment records and tions,” Kotchian said. “Eliminating new standard that is not very workable lost wages. the wage gap would provide much and could be prone for litigation and Representing the Women’s Foun- needed income to women who sustain a barrier to businesses.” dation of Lincoln and Lancaster their households.” The committee took no immediate County, Mary Herres spoke in support Opposing the bill was Scott Moore, action on the bill. g UNICAMERAL UPDATE The Unicameral Update is a free, weekly newsletter published during the legislative session. It is produced by the Clerk of the Legislature’s Office through the Unicameral Information Office. For print subscriptions, call 402-471-2788 or email [email protected]. Visit us online at Update.Legislature.ne.gov, twitter.com/UnicamUpdate and facebook.com/UnicameralUpdate. Clerk of the Legislature: Patrick J. O’Donnell Editor: Heidi Uhing; Writers: Kyle Harpster, Kate Heltzel, Ami Johnson; Photographer: Bess Ghormley Printed copies of bills, resolutions and the Legislative Journal are available at the State Capitol room 1104, or by calling 402-471-2709 or 800-742-7456. Status of bills and resolutions can be requested at that number or can be found on NebraskaLegislature.gov. Live video of hearings and floor debate can be viewed on NET2 and at NetNebraska.org/capitol. Senators may be contacted by mail at this address: Senator Name, District #, State Capitol, P.O. Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509-4604 Assistance provided by the Clerk of the Legislature’s Office, the Legislative Technology Center, committee clerks, legal counsels, journal clerks, pages, transcribers, mail room and bill room staff and the State Print Shop. The Unicameral Update is available as an audio recording from the Nebraska Library Commission’s Talking Book and Braille Service. Call (800) 742-7691 for more information. THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE’S OFFICIAL NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1977 PAGE 2 • UNICAMERAL UPDATE • 105TH LEGISLATURE February 12 - 15, 2018 University backers oppose funding cuts (continued from front page) other state agencies. Nebraska Uni- programs to the university’s main You can see the pain and confusion in versity accounts for roughly 13 percent campuses. students’ eyes as, with each cut, they of state budget, he said, but is being “This list I just gave you totals a realize that they are losing another asked to take approximately 34 percent little more than $9 million,” Bounds opportunity.” of the total cuts in state spending. said. “We would still have more than Tonn Ostergard, chairman and In what he called “a conversation $14 million to go and the decisions CEO of Crete Carrier Corporation about Nebraska’s future,” Bounds don’t get any easier. Today, I’m asking and past chairman of the University of said the university is essential to the you to limit future damage to your uni- Nebraska Foundation, said the univer- state’s ability to grow its way out of the versity and restore our base funding of sity does not have as much flexibility current economic downturn through $580 million to FY2018-19.” as the public believes when it comes workforce development, research and Among over a dozen student tes- to funding options. educational opportunity. Overall, he tifiers was Carlo Eby, University of For example, he said, 99 percent said, the university offers the state a Nebraska at Omaha student body of the funds in the university’s $1.7 return of $6 dollars for every dollar president. As the son and grandson of billion endowment are restricted and invested in the institution, which he house painters, Eby said he was one can be used only for specified expen- said no other state agency can match. ditures. “In my view, we are at a defining “It’s not a piggy bank that we can moment and we have a choice to “Today I’m asking you tap into and use,” Ostergard said, make,” Bounds said. “Are we going to limit future damage adding that successful organizations to reaffirm the partnership between make strategic investments even dur- the state and its public university that to your university ing difficult economic times. has opened the door of opportunity Rich Herink, representing the Ne- to young people and driven economic and restore our base braska Chamber of Commerce and growth for almost 150 years, or will funding ...” Industry, said that the organization you decide that you no longer see the supports “less drastic” cuts to the uni- value that the University of Nebraska versity. The chamber surveys its mem- provides?” — Hank Bounds, bers each year about their concerns, The administration already has university president he said, and last fall 80 percent of outlined potential cuts that Bounds respondents listed workforce develop- said would impact areas across the of approximately 44 percent of UNO ment as the number one issue facing university spectrum. Proposed recom- students who are the first in their their businesses and communities. mendations include eliminating the families to attend college. “That’s the sixth year in a row geography, art history and electronics Eby said that as a finance major [that] workforce is the number one is- engineering degree programs in Lin- and fiscal conservative, he under- sue that’s holding back companies in coln, closing the Haskell Agricultural stands the need for efficiencies in Nebraska from growing,” Herink said, Research and Extension Center in budgeting.