Bill Increasing Penalties To Criminals In Drug Overdose Cases Advances

LINCOLN–(KFOR Feb. 22)–A bill that would enhance criminal penalties for drug dealers, who provide substances that lead to overdoses advanced in the Nebraska Legislature on Thursday.

State lawmakers overcame a filibuster and advanced LB 137 on a 35-2 vote. The primary focus of the bill from Lincoln Senator Carolyn Bosn (BOZ-in), with the target of enhancing the penalty of someone that delivered a controlled substance that seriously hurt or killed someone, primarily cracking down on the fentanyl crisis.

Omaha Senators Terrell McKinney and Machaela Cavanaugh voted against the bill. Cavanaugh said enhancements in the bill are an ineffective tool to administer criminal justice and address broader opioid use. McKinney says the bill will impact the state’s prison system and the overcrowding issue.