Lawmakers fail to override veto of 'safe needles' bill as HIV rates rise in Nebraska

The Nebraska Legislature could not override Gov. Jim Pillen’s veto of a “safe needles” bill on Tuesday, losing by just three votes.

Thirty supporters were needed to override the veto, but only 27 voted to do so despite previous broad bipartisan support for the bill that would’ve established a syringe service program (SSP) to reduce HIV and other blood-borne infections by distributing clean syringes and creating touchpoints to access addiction treatment.

State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, who introduced the legislation, said the governor’s veto was personal after she helped filibuster a ban on gender-affirming care for minors last session.

“This veto is not about me, it’s not about your feelings about me, it’s about Governor Pillen’s feelings about me,” Hunt said to her legislative colleagues before the voting began. “We played it straight, we did it right. It’s a good bill.”

Pillen did approve final rules on gender care regulations on Tuesday for hormonal treatment, which applies to Nebraska minors 19 years of age and will take effect next week.

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The bill hit a roadblock last week when seven conservative state senators walked back their support for Hunt’s bill after the governor expressed his concern about making the public more desensitized to substance abuse and increasing opioid drug use in the state, potentially turning Nebraska into San Francisco.

“I’m calling on state senators to sustain my veto to prevent our government from aiding and abetting the use of dangerous, illicit, and dehumanizing drugs,” the governor said in a statement.

Four of the 20 senators who did not vote to override the veto stated that while SSPs would help decrease rates of HIV infections, they would exacerbate opioid use in the state.

“Enabling addiction in any way is a really dangerous path to get started on,” Sen. Kathleen Kauth said.

By allowing for the distribution of clean needles, SSPs lower the risk of HIV transmission that occurs when needles are reused. In recent years, rates of HIV infection in Nebraska have continued to rise as national rates fall, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sen. Tom Brant, who represents Legislative District 32 just southwest of Lincoln, noted that opioid addiction is an issue across the state, especially in rural areas, and SSPs would help combat it.

“Everybody is afraid for our children, and there’s going to be needles everywhere, and this bill does quite the opposite,” Sen. Brandt said.

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After multiple senators flipped on their original support, some members, including Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, spoke on how refusing to override the gubernatorial veto sends a more significant message that the legislature is letting the executive branch control it.

“This is a classic sneak attack,” Conrad said. “Nobody from the governor’s office stepped forward at any round of debate to ask for an amendment, to show what they needed to have the bill passed.”