Home Local News NEBRASKA SENATE CONSIDERS EXPANDING FIREWORKS USE

NEBRASKA SENATE CONSIDERS EXPANDING FIREWORKS USE

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NEBRASKANS WOULD HAVE MORE OPTIONS WHEN BUYING FIREWORKS UNDER A BILL GIVEN FIRST-ROUND APPROVAL TUESDAY BY STATE SENATORS.

THE BILL INTRODUCED BY SENATOR JULIE SLAMA OF PERU, WOULD ADOPT THE FEDERAL STANDARD OF CONSUMER FIREWORKS, WHICH IS MORE PERMISSIVE THAN CURRENT NEBRASKA LAW.

IT WOULD ALSO AUTHORIZE THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL TO TEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE FIREWORKS IN RESPONSE TO COMPLAINTS AND DECLARE THEM UNSAFE IF NECESSARY.

SLAMA SAID THAT MISSOURI, WHICH USES THE FEDERAL DEFINITION OF CONSUMER FIREWORKS, REPORTED $51 MILLION IN FIREWORKS SALES IN 2019, WHILE NEBRASKA HAD SALES OF $6.6 MILLION.

SENATOR CAROL BLOOD OF BELLEVUE SAID VETERANS SUFFERING FROM POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER COULD BE TRIGGERED FURTHER BY POTENTIALLY NOISIER FIREWORKS ALLOWED UNDER THE BILL.

BUT LINCOLN SENATOR PATTY PANSING BROOKS ARGUED THE ONLY WAY TO ELIMINATE THE RISK OF FIREWORKS AGGRAVATING AN INDIVIDUAL’S PTSD WOULD BE TO BAN ALL FIREWORKS.

SHE SAYS THAT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN,

THE SENATE ADVANCED LB-152 TO SELECT FILE ON A 40-3 VOTE.