Nebraska Lawmakers Uphold Governor’s Veto of Bill Authorizing Needle Exchange Programs

Syringe services programs provide drug users with access to sterile syringes, needles, and other items or equipment.

People roam the streets of San Francisco, Calif., on March 7, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

The Nebraska Legislature on March 12 upheld Gov. Jim Pillen’s veto of legislation authorizing safe syringe programs in the state, marking a turnaround in support.

Lawmakers failed 27-20 to override the Republican governor’s veto of the measure—Legislative Bill 307—which was introduced by State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha last year.

The legislation would have allowed cities and counties in Nebraska to adopt syringe services programs, also known as SSPs. These programs provide drug users with access to sterile syringes, needles, and other items or equipment as part of efforts to reduce the risk of disease transmission or other harm. The SSPs would also facilitate the safe disposal of old, used needles and other equipment, and provide drug users with information and educational materials about substance use disorder, prevention, and treatment.

Such programs would also provide drug users with information on how to reduce injection and overdose risks, such as where naloxone can be obtained from.

Supporters argued that Legislative Bill 307 would reduce the risk of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C spreading through needle-sharing among drug users. The measure initially appeared to have widespread support, passing with a 30-7 vote among lawmakers on Feb. 29.

However, Mr. Pillen, in issuing his veto of the bill, raised multiple concerns regarding the safety of SSPs.

Studies Tied to AIDS Crisis

In a letter explaining his decision to veto the measure, Mr. Pillen said SSPs have been shown to increase drug deaths where they have been implemented, and that they are ineffective at decreasing drug usage and disease transmission when compared to other means.

The governor noted proponents of the bill, in attempting to demonstrate the effectiveness of SSPs in reducing the spread of HIV, had cited studies that focused on programs that were established to combat the AIDS crisis in the 1980s and 1990s.

“Those programs differ substantially from the ongoing opioid crisis in terms of its geographic reach and lethality,” he wrote. “Those studies also relied on small sample sizes and self-reported data regarding individuals’ drug use, and typically did not consider the unintended consequences to individuals who are not receiving direct treatment.”

Mr. Pillen also argued the legislation would allow children of any age to participate in SSPs and would result in unintended health and safety risks for ordinary citizens.

“I do not think it is prudent to encourage minors to abuse dangerous drugs instead of seeking out the substance abuse treatment they need to overcome drug addiction,” he wrote in the letter. “SSPs have the potential to expose citizens to unintended, yet equally concerning health and safety risks as a result of improperly disposed needles.”

Hunt Accuses Governor of Fearmongering

Following his veto, some lawmakers backtracked on their initial vote, instead voting not to override Mr. Pillen’s veto during the March 12 vote. Six lawmakers who said they were “present, not voting” during the Feb. 29 vote opted to vote against it.

According to KFF, a nonprofit organization tracking health policy data, approximately 43 states had some form of a needle or syringe exchange program as of 2022.

In a statement following the legislature’s failure to override Gov. Pillen’s veto of the needle exchange bill, Ms. Hunt, an independent, accused the governor of fearmongering.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen speaks in the Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol, on June 7, 2023. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

No clinic or program administering a needle-sharing program is going to hand out syringes to young children, she said.

“To imply otherwise is fearmongering and undermines trust in Nebraska’s expert healthcare providers,” the lawmaker added.

On the social media platform X, Ms. Hunt said lawmakers who supported the measure should “hold our heads high knowing we did all we could to prioritize good, evidence-based policy that puts public safety and treatment first.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.