'Where's the empathy?' asks Omaha Sen. @SenMcKinneyLD11 in support of a bill to offer diversion -- instead of a trip to juvenile court -- to kids who miss excessive days of school. Truancy, he said, should not mean a trip into the criminal justice system.

Lincoln Sen. @Patty4Nebraska Brooks says that sending truant kids to court is counterproductive. On average, they spent 5 more days out of school, according to a South Carolina study, she said. Diversion programs could help solve issues that are keeping kids out of the classroom.

Sen. @Erdman4You says Pansing Brooks bill "has no teeth" to make sure juveniles get back into school. 'That's wishful thinking,' he said, if we think kids will voluntarily return to classes.

Omaha Sen. @TonyVargas says Pansing Brooks bill would make it easier to keep kids of color out of the 'school-to-prison pipeline.' Kids of color are more likely to be truant, he points out.

Sen. @Patty4Nebraska Pansing Brooks said LB 568 is an important bill to resolve prison overcrowding because 70% of kids who enter the juvenile court system end up in the adult court system, and then jail or prison.

Amendment to @Patty4Nebraska juvenile diversion bill barely passes, on a 25-12 vote. North Platte Sen. Mike Groene, who opposes the bill, now introduces amendment to allow drug testing and restricting driving privileges to juveniles in diversion programs.

Sen. @Erdman4You says its 'naive' to think that just talking to a youth with stop truancy. He recites story of girl who missed 38 days of school and refused to participate in plan devised to get her back to classes. She lives with various friends and is in a gang, Erdman said.