LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An effort to repeal Nebraska's ban on federal food assistance for drug felons is all but dead for the year.
Opponents defeated the measure Tuesday with a filibuster during second-round debate in the Legislature.
Nebraska currently prohibits people from collecting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits if they were convicted of three felony drug possession charges or one felony distribution charge.
The repeal bill by Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln was part of a larger package that would have made changes to Nebraska's parole system.
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services says it denied benefits to 676 applicants last year because of drug felony convictions, and others likely didn't apply because they knew they would be rejected.
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