State lawmakers are moving forward with a new view on fixing safe haven issues highlighted by last year's drop-offs of teens at hospitals.

After two days of debate, senators were not much closer to voting on LB 356, a bill that would provide $15 million a year for behavioral health services. So they decided to advance the bill with a different plan to combine it with several other bills that aim to fix the same problems.

Kathy Bigsby Moore, executive director of Voices for Children in Nebraska, says the compromise is a good idea because some of the bills rely on each other to be effective.

"If (LB) 356 does not pass, then we think the hotline and navigation in (LB) 346 are a waste of general fund dollars," said Bigsby Moore.

Many senators agree, so they plan to combine several proposals dealing with issues revealed by last year's safe haven drop-offs, hoping to avoid competition among different bills.

But Senator Scott Price of Bellevue says funding is still a main issue.

"While we all agree that something has to be done, there's a certain size of the pie. And we're talking about a new program, then you have a new slice to the pie, then you're going to get into prioritization of paying existing slices of the pie. That was my big concern," Price said.

But Regional Director of Region V Systems C.J. Johnson says the attempt at compromise will show that funding is already in place for each of the bills.

"Each bill in and of itself, if you look at it, really takes on different funding strings coming down. Some are in relation to stimulus dollars, some are in relation to other federal block grant dollars, and other state dollars... I wouldn't be surprised if the senators walked out of there saying, 'You know what? We think we can actually accomplish every one of these bills in the way they were originally proposed based on these various funding streams,'" said Johnson.

So with two bills already advanced, and a compromise in the works, supporters say they're close to the goal of helping kids in crisis.

"Nebraska should be proud of the fact that we're in a budget position that we can offer help and begin to lessen the negative and traumatic effect of these tight economic times on our families," Bigsby Moore said.