July 2018 – Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) (photo, above) vetoed Legislative Bill 998, “The Collaborative School Behavioral and Mental Health Program.” Proponents of the bill hailed the measure because it would have used private funding to place social workers inside public schools as a means to screen students without parental knowledge and in turn, refer students for public behavioral health services.
Insisting that parental rights should always be paramount in legislation impacting a child, Ricketts voiced concern that the role of the parent was not clearly defined by LB 998. He considered it a one-size-fits-all program that would use private donations to achieve a political agenda.
