State slogan bill withdrawn

Senators voted to withdraw from consideration a bill that would have provided the state’s tourism commission additional marketing authority.

LB1024, introduced by Omaha Sen. Heath Mello, would have authorized the Nebraska Tourism Commission to adopt a state symbol, state slogan or both. The Commission asked Mello to withdraw the bill to prevent any further confusion in their ongoing branding efforts.

“The bill, which should have been noncontroversial, would have repealed statutory language from 1963 establishing the official state slogan as ‘Welcome to Nebraskaland, where the west begins,’” Mello said. “Unfortunately early media reports gave the false impression that it would have repealed ‘The Good Life,’ which is not actually the state slogan.”

Senators voted to withdraw the bill on a 30-2 vote.