Steve Lathrop - Economic Development and Jobs

Economic Development and Jobs

In 2010, Senator Lathrop worked with Mayor Don Groesser and the City of Ralston to introduce and pass LB 779. It established a turnback mechanism for cities in order to allow them to use new state sales tax revenue generated within 600 yards of a new sports arena to help fund mid-sized arenas. As a result of the new law, the City of Ralston opened a new arena in 2012 that is the home of the Omaha Lancers, the University of Nebraska at Omaha Mavericks' basketball team, and many other sporting, musical and convention activities.

Also in 2010, Senator Lathrop worked with business and labor groups to find a compromise that allowed the state to accept ARRA funds through the passage of LB 1020 that slowed the growth of unemployment insurance rates for businesses. It strengthened the state's unemployment insurance fund by balancing unemployment benefit improvements along with some cuts in unemployment benefits and was considered a benefit to the business community and workers.

In 2011, Senator Lathrop worked for months with business and labor groups to enact substantive and meaningful reforms to the Commission on Industrial Relations through the passage of LB 397. The end product was designed to provide predictability and specific criteria to be applied by the Commission while protecting collective bargaining rights in Nebraska. The process involved with LB 397 most likely kept Nebraska from experiencing the actions that took place in state capitols in Wisconsin, Indiana and elsewhere in 2011. As a result of his work, Senator Lathrop was honored along with Senators Brad Ashford and the late Dennis Utter by the League of Nebraska Municipalities in 2012.

In 2013, Senator Lathrop introduced two pieces of legislation aimed at growing and improving Nebraska's work force. LB 481 would create the Career Education Task Force that would consist of individuals with experience in career education and representatives of business and labor and assign them the task of providing the Nebraska Legislature and the State Board of Education with a road map on how to move forward in career education by the end of 2013.

LB 480 would establish a educational grant program for students at community colleges who are enrolled in programs that are technical in nature and would help Nebraska fill high need positions in technical careers. The program would be designed so that businesses could donate to the grant fund and work with community colleges in their areas to develop a well trained and well educated work force.