Pillen vetoes bill that would have let schools be sued for abuse of children

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Gov. Jim Pillen said Wednesday that he has signed a bevy of bills and vetoed one other.

Pillen vetoed LB 25, which would have allowed political subdivisions like school districts to be held liable if their employees abuse or sexually assault children.

The governor said the bill would have punished taxpayers for the crimes of others.

“We must hold perpetrators accountable and protect children from abuse by enforcing criminal laws that exist and by targeting wrong-doers, not taxpayers,” he said in a press release. “There are civil remedies already available to children and their families that allow for compensation when harm results from abuse.”

The chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party called Pillen’s veto a “shameful act.”

“Governor Pillen is refusing to hold abusers accountable,” Jane Kleeb said in a press release. “I don’t care if an abuser works for the government, they need to be held accountable and so does the governmental agency if they ignored previous behaviors. Pillen is choosing abusers over kids.”

The 10 bills approved by Pillen include a property tax break for veterans and a tax credit for Nebraskans caring for sick or elderly family members.

The governor also signed Legislative Bill 1402, which repeals the Opportunity Scholarships Act and replaces it with another school choice proposal.

Under the new system, the state will award up to $10 million a year to nonprofits that give scholarships to private school students.

A referendum on the Opportunity Scholarships Act, which the Legislature passed last year, was set to be on the ballot in November.

It’s not clear whether the vote will still take place, given that the law has been repealed.