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Nebraska bill would help prevent nuisance lawsuits

Legislation introduced in the Nebraska legislature would help prevent nuisance lawsuits like those brought against pork producers in North Carolina.

The bill is sponsored by Senator Dan Hughes of Venango.

“There have been successful lawsuits against livetock feeding operations that have forced them to pay heavy damages because of encroachment by subdivisions,” Hughes says. “We’re trying to make sure that same scenario does not play out here in Nebraska.”

The bill has the support of several ag groups, including Nebraska Cattlemen and Nebraska Farm Bureau.

“What we’re supporting is making sure that our rules are right for today and that we make sure that some of the things that have happened in North Carolina don’t happen in Nebraska,” says Nebraska Farm Bureau president Steve Nelson.

“We want to make sure that Nebraska’s laws reflect the desires of Nebraskans, which I think is to continue to promote the livestock industry here in the state,” he says. “It’s extraordinarily important, not only for livestock producers, but for grain producers, too—and very important to the entire economy of the state.”

The bill, LB 227, is scheduled for an Agriculture Committee hearing on February 12th.

AUDIO: Senator Dan Hughes

AUDIO: Steve Nelson