School access for professional organizations amended, advanced

Lawmakers amended a bill March 6 aimed at ensuring that Nebraska school districts provide any professional employees’ organization equal access to the district’s employees.

LB429, introduced by Glenvil Sen. Dave Murman, would require school boards to provide equal access to physical and electronic mailboxes, meetings, events and recruitment opportunities when such access is granted to any professional employees’ organization.

A professional employees’ organization is defined as any organization that exists for the purpose of professional development or liability protection. Employees would include any administrative employee, student teacher, paraprofessional, teacher or administrator employed by a school board.

The bill also would require equal treatment with respect to signage and informational materials displayed on school property and prohibit school boards from naming or referring to any day or break in the school calendar using the name of a professional employees’ organization.

During select file debate, Omaha Sen. John Cavanaugh offered an amendment that replaced the bill with a modified version of the proposal. He said the amendment represented a compromise that would more clearly define professional employees’ organizations and ensure that access to teachers is limited to entities with whom schools and school districts have an established relationship.

The amendment also would specify that the bill does not apply to, modify or supersede the provisions of the Industrial Relations Act or any matters relating to collective bargaining.

Murman supported the amendment, saying his “ultimate goal” is to provide teachers with as much information as possible about their insurance options.

Following the 39-0 adoption of the Cavanaugh amendment, LB429 was advanced to final reading by voice vote.