Campaign Newsroom

Legislator relishes CIR role

By Paul Hammel / Published Sunday May 29, 2011

WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

LINCOLN — It was well past midnight. The shops along Main Street in tiny Louisville, Neb., had long since locked their doors and hung out the “closed” signs.

But inside the local bank, tense negotiations were still under way — after 11 hours — on how to fix the state’s much-criticized labor court, the Commission of Industrial Relations.

State senators, lawyers and lobbyists had hoped to hammer out, far from the State Capitol, a last-minute compromise on the touchy labor court controversy.

Plan would overhaul collective bargaining for public employees

By KEVIN O'HANLON / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Tuesday, March 29, 2011 11:50 pm

A compromise plan to overhaul the state's collective bargaining system for public workers was unveiled Tuesday in hopes of avoiding the tumult that engulfed Wisconsin in recent weeks.

Omaha Sen. Steve Lathrop, chairman of the Nebraska Legislature's Business and Labor Committee, offered the plan after several collective-bargaining measures were introduced earlier this session, including two that proposed to end collective bargaining for public employees.

Bill targets misclassification of workers in Nebraska

Nancy Hicks, Lincoln Journal Star
March 18, 2010

The growing practice of calling employees independent contractors seems simple and harmless.

But in practice the misclassification hurts honest companies that can't compete with lower bids, and it robs the state of tax dollars, said Omaha Sen. Steve Lathrop, sponsor of a bill that would penalize construction and delivery service companies for misclassifying workers.

When workers are labeled independent contractors, the company does not withhold income taxes, doesn't paying unemployment taxes and doesn't pay overtime.

State Senator Steve Lathrop Files for Reelection

OMAHA, Neb. - State Senator Steve Lathrop filed today for re-election to his second term in the Nebraska Legislature. Lathrop represents District 12, which includes the communities of Ralston and Millard and neighborhoods in southwest Omaha.

Lathrop will hold a campaign kick-off event on Tuesday, February 9th at 7pm. The event will be held at Kennedy’s Irish Pub and Grille, 72nd and Q Streets in Ralston and is open to the public.

©2010 Lathrop for Legislature. All rights reserved.
Paid for by Lathrop for Legislature • 11818 Oakair Plaza • Omaha, Nebraska 68137