The proposed juvenile justice reform initiative in Nebraska, spearheaded by Gov. Jim Pillen and State Sen. Merv Riepe, aims to lower the age at which a child can be detained for an alleged crime.
Under the new bill, the threshold for detention would decrease from 13 to 11, and the age for charging a minor as an adult for serious felonies would drop from 14 to 12.
This legislation is in response to cases involving younger minors, such as a recent incident where an 11-year-old was charged in connection with a fatal shooting.
However, the bill faces strong opposition, particularly from State Sen. Terrell McKinney, who argues that such measures disproportionately impact youths of color and overlook systemic issues within the juvenile justice system. The bill is still being refined and has yet to be formally introduced.
Additionally, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers has outlined his priorities for 2025, which include bills to combat the sale of synthetic THC products and a mental health initiative for rural law enforcement. The latter, proposed by State Sen.
Tanya Storer, would create a pilot program to offer mental health care in rural jails, aiming to address the challenge of mental health crises in rural areas.