Nebraska bill strengthening religious freedoms stalls amid concerns it might go too far
LINCOLN — Arguments that Nebraska needs to beef up protections for religious rights and freedoms fell short Wednesday in the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.
Legislative Bill 774, a proposal that would have provided broader protections, got only four votes from committee members. It needed five to advance to the full Legislature.
State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon introduced the measure, which he dubbed the First Freedom Act. During a public hearing Wednesday, he said the bill would ensure that people of all faiths can “live their lives and practice their religion” freely in Nebraska.
The senator said he had been looking at the idea but was inspired to introduce the bill by a 2020 case involving two Native American students in the Cody-Kilgore school district. School employees repeatedly cut the girls’ hair, even after their parents objected and informed school officials that hair is a sacred symbol in Lakota tradition. The parents have filed a federal lawsuit over the incident.
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