Nebraska lawmakers pass bill defining Uber drivers as independent contractors

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

ANDREW WEGLEY Lincoln Journal Star Mar 10, 2025 Updated 12 hrs ago

LINCOLN — Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill Monday that would define app-based ride-share and food delivery drivers as independent contractors, overcoming a filibuster to send the proposed law to Gov. Jim Pillen's desk.

Lincoln Sen. Jane Raybould, a Democrat and grocery store executive, joined 32 Republican lawmakers in Nebraska's formally nonpartisan Legislature to end the Democrat-led filibuster.

Sen. Dave Wordekemper, a Republican from Fremont, joined 14 Democrats voting against the bill. Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt, a nonpartisan, was absent.

Introduced at the request of a ride-share company by Sen. Bob Hallstrom of Syracuse, Legislative Bill 229 would make clear that drivers for platforms such as Uber, Lyft and DoorDash are not employees of the companies.

Read more: http://archive.today/ogFnv

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Original link: https://omaha.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/article_52137af2-4b2f-5f5e-8822-66f9a769995b.html

[Chi67]

1. Huh?

So, when was this not the case? I'm confused. I have driven for Uber and Lyft in the past and always got 1099s at the end of the year. Why is a law necessary to make this clear?

[Omaha Steve]

2. This is so the drivers can't organize a union

Republican win for business.

OS

[MichMan]

3. Some state and local areas were classifying them as employees

While that would be beneficial to drivers regarding compensation, benefits and taxes, it also may have meant that as employees, they would have lost the flexibility to set their own hours and schedule their own time off.