Governor Jim Pillen has issued his first veto of the 2025 Nebraska Legislative session, sending LB 319 unsigned back to lawmakers.
In doing so, Nebraska will continue to impose a lifetime ban on individuals with three or more felony convictions for drug use or distribution from accessing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Pillen rejected the bill, hours after it was passed by a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the state’s technically non-partisan Unicameral.
In his veto letter, Gov. Pillen expressed said he disagrees with providing SNAP to repeat felons and that the bill would create “loopholes” for offenders to avoid treatment.
Currently, individuals with one or two drug possession or use convictions can access SNAP after completing an accredited treatment program. The bill would have allowed them to qualify sooner — either upon completing their sentence, beginning parole, or actively participating in a treatment program — unless a health care provider determined that treatment was not necessary.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Nebraska testified in support of LB 319, the priority bill of Sen. Victor Roundtree of Bellevue, and are currently calling on lawmakers to support Roundtree’s effort to override the veto. Speaker John Arch has scheduled the motion to override for Monday, May 19, according to the Nebraska Examiner.
“The governor is essentially endorsing punishing Nebraskans and their families for life because they struggled with addiction and made mistakes that they have since served time for,” said Mindy Rush Chipman, Executive Director for ACLU of Nebraska. “Food insecurity is just one more collateral consequence of a felony conviction that threatens successful reentry and increases the risk of recidivism. This is simple: penalizing struggling Nebraskans will not make our communities safer. Senators got it right, and they should swiftly move to override the governor’s veto.”
The Governor’s veto letter is can be viewed below.