Nebraska Association of County Officials supports repeal of "excessive absenteeism" law

On Thursday, October 10, the Nebraska Association of County Officials (NACO) passed a resolution identical to the one passed by the Douglas County Board on October 8. County officials across the state have joined together in support of repealing the section of LB 800 that, in 2010, made 20 days of absence from school a crime. NACO's resolution also supports repeal of the amendments (LB 463 and LB 933) that were passed in a failed attempt to fix the original law, and recommends replacement with a law that addresses actual truancy, defined as absence from school without the knowledge or permission of a parent or guardian.

This is yet another powerful statement by elected officials that our “excessive absenteeism” law is a bad law that has hurt many families and entangled thousands of innocent children throughout the state in the juvenile justice system, while not addressing real truancy.

Our state legislators will not be able to ignore the increasingly loud cry of "REPEAL," which is no longer just coming from their constituents, but also from the county officials who have been mandated to enforce this fatally flawed law!