Zach Wendling
LINCOLN — By the start of Nebraska’s next license plate cycle in 2029, the state could only issue drivers a rear-facing license plate and allow multiyear registrations.
State lawmakers gave near-unanimous approval Thursday, on a 46-0 vote, to approve Legislative Bill 97 led by State Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha. It included the new license plate change from State Sen. Brad von Gillern of the Elkhorn area (originally LB 297) and the multiyear registration allowance from State Sen. Rob Dover of Norfolk (originally LB 543).
Von Gillern said he brought his change partly because it is often the “norm” for new cars to no longer have brackets or mounts for front-facing license plates.
He said that means some new car owners are left with three options:
- Pay the car dealership an average of $100 to furnish and install a front plate holder.
- Pay a $50 annual fee for a windshield decal conferring the right to display just a rear plate.
- Drill holes in the front bumper of someone’s “dream” car.
Von Gillern said his bill, originally LB 297, could save taxpayer dollars by not issuing dual license plates to about 2 million vehicles in the state. Nebraskans currently pay $4.10 per license plate, leading to potential savings of about $8 million. Nebraskans incarcerated at the Nebraska State Penitentiary manufacture state plates. New car buyers could also save about $6 million to $8 million, von Gillern estimated.
His bill could also have an environmental benefit, von Gillern said, reducing 200 tons of aluminum mined. At least 26 other states no longer require front-facing plates.
Law enforcement officials from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Omaha Police Officer’s Association have testified neutral or in support of similar legislation in recent years. Von Gillern’s proposal was added to LB 97 during first-round debate in a 30-5 vote.
Under Dover’s bill, auto owners could pay up to three years of registration taxes or fees in advance, giving them the chance to save if local taxes or fees increased in future years.
Lawmakers during debate Thursday also passed LB 113 from State Sen. Dan Quick of Grand Island, which would allow licensed craft breweries to operate up to eight separate retail locations (up from five) and allow such license holders to directly sell for resale up to 3,500 gallons of microdistilled products (up from 500 gallons) each year to retail licensees in the state.
State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln led opposition to the bill, as she’s done during each of the bill’s three stages of debate. She alleged it would give “preferential treatment” to in-state operators compared to out-of-state or regional distributors, risking a lawsuit.
“It is only a matter of time that some regional distributor that plays by all the rules and adheres to the regulations and standards gets frustrated and files a lawsuit,” Raybould said.
The longtime grocery store executive sought an attorney general’s opinion on whether LB 113 could increase the risk of a lawsuit against the state’s craft brewery laws on the grounds of violating the constitutional clause about regulating commerce over state lines. Raybould argued the lawsuit could undo some of the state’s other alcohol-related laws.
Quick told his colleagues to remember that they were discussing Nebraska small businesses and that lawmakers had added an earlier amendment to protect other statutes if LB 113 was ever challenged and ruled unconstitutional.
“This is a good bill,” Quick said. “It will help a lot of our Nebraska businesses grow their business model.”
State Sen. Tanya Storer of Whitman also defended the proposal. She said it had gone through “significant compromises” from its original version and was “just government allowing someone to distribute their own product to the retail market without being forced to pay a middleman some fee to distribute that for them.”
The bill passed 33-13 — six senators were present but did not vote, which, under a legislative rule adopted earlier this year for final reading votes, meant their votes had to be categorized as “no” votes.
The Legislature also approved Thursday:
- LB 390, from State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, to require that public schools by the start of the 2026-27 school year publicly catalog all library books by school building. Parents could opt-in to be notified via email of when their child checks out a book, including the title, author name and the book due date. It passed 34-14.
- LB 457, from State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, to cap out-of-pocket costs for medically necessary epinephrine injectors, such as EpiPens, to no more than $60 for a two-pack. It also would require the state’s health and education agencies to create model policies for schools and licensed child care programs for responding to severe allergic reactions, or anaphylaxis. It passed 47-1.