(AP) Nebraska’s soon-to-open casinos would have to display human trafficking informational posters under a bill advanced by state lawmakers on Monday. Lawmakers gave first-round approval to the measure, which seeks to help human trafficking victims. Nebraska already mandates posters in rest stops and strip clubs, both places that advocates have identified as spots where human trafficking might take place.
The posters are written in English and Spanish and include a toll-free number where trafficking victims or people who suspect trafficking can call for help. The measure was introduced by state Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks, of Lincoln, who has worked with advocates over the years to clamp down on sex and labor trafficking in Nebraska.
“Law enforcement routinely recognizes that casinos are hubs for human trafficking, so it’s especially important to make sure that these new establishments are among those required to post these signs,” Pansing-Brooks says.
Casinos will be opening in Nebraska after voters approved a constitutional amendment in November to legalize and regulate the industry, which was previously banned.