As someone descended from Irish and German immigrants, Sen. Mike Groene said he considered himself a "mongrel" and said others in the community where he grew up proudly saw themselves that way, too.

The proclamation comes as President Joe Biden recently announced a plan to address gun violence. A growing number of Nebraska counties have adopted similar "sanctuary" resolutions.

Public servants have a "special obligation" to implement the law "without regard to political preference, personal bias or administrative expediency," the employee wrote in his resignation letter. 

Eligible applicants include county and city governments, Native tribal organizations, small businesses and nonprofit organizations with providers required to be licensed by the state.

"Nebraska is declining their request because we are reserving our resources for serving our kids," the governor said. "I do not want our kids harmed as the result of President Biden's bad policies."

Sen. Adam Morfeld's bill would have prevented school districts from censoring student publications.

Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh was brought into the process with a probe beginning in the Health and Human Services Committee. She had been excluded from an executive board special investigative subcommittee even though she had proposed it.

The afternoon debate took an unusual detour after Sen. Mike Groene dismissed some senators' understanding of constitutional law as well as the law schools they attended, including the University of Nebraska.

Ryan Hamilton, executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party, describes Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha as the Legislature's most liberal member. 

The Sarpy County Board voted unanimously to remove county treasurer Brian Zuger from his post following a state audit that detailed alleged accounting errors.