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LINCOLN — The latest version of a persistent anti-bedbug proposal seeking stronger remedies by Omaha’s public housing agency crept forward Friday in the Nebraska lawmaking process.
The measure is part of a multi-bill package championed by the Nebraska Legislature’s Urban Affairs Committee that easily advanced to a second round.
State Sen. Terrell McKinney chairs the committee and also represents North Omaha, which is home to some government-subsidized dwellings managed by the Omaha Housing Authority.
“I think it’s a good compromise,” McKinney said of the proposal that’s rooted in bedbugs but also addresses other public housing concerns. “I definitely would like to further hold OHA accountable, but you fight your battles and sometimes you have to know when to say, ‘Okay, we can get this much and maybe next year we could come back and try to get something more.’”
Averting veto
McKinney has been pushing for legislation that forces the housing authority of the state’s most populous city to take additional actions to improve conditions for low-income public housing residents, many of whom have complained about infestation. A group last year filed a class-action lawsuit.
OHA leaders have insisted throughout the past few years that the agency has taken multiple steps to get rid of the hard-to-eliminate pests. A member of the housing authority board who is also a lawyer testified before the Urban Affairs Committee last year, saying OHA is about 90% funded by the federal government and, as such, already is “heavily regulated” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Jennifer Taylor told state lawmakers that the OHA risks financial cuts if it fails federal inspections on a repeated basis.
On Friday in Lincoln, McKinney said during legislative debate that recent conversations with Gov. Jim Pillen’s Office led to what he called compromises on his bedbug-focused proposal. He said he wanted to avoid a repeat of last year’s veto, which at least temporarily squashed the measure.
An earlier version included more stringent OHA reporting, disclosure and inspection requirements, McKinney said. He said he believes the latest proposal still would accomplish his “goal” of improving conditions for residents.
McKinney said that under the current proposal, the City of Omaha has “the option, if they want” to regulate the housing authority.
The City of Omaha previously raised objections. City Attorney Matthew Kuhse said the housing authority is a separate legal entity and that any additional oversight or regulations should be by the Legislature and not the city.
Inland port authorities
Among other legislative pieces folded into the Urban Affairs amended package is a proposal led by State Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City to increase the number of Municipal Inland Port Authority districts that Nebraska could designate, from the current five to eight.
Such quasi-governmental public agencies are designed to accelerate economic development and job growth within an approved territory. The state designation, established under a 2021 Nebraska law, comes with powers including the ability to issue revenue bonds to boost development.
An effort by State Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte to block Lippincott’s effort failed to pass. Jacobson said he didn’t think it was a good idea to “saturate the market” as the state’s current five Inland Port Authorities are not fully operational.
The five certified port authorities in Nebraska are in Omaha, Bellevue, South Sioux City, North Platte/Lincoln County and Fremont/Dodge County.
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