CREDIT: Shutterstock Nebraska just became the first red state in the country to bar employers from asking prospective employees about their criminal histories on job applications. Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman (R) on Wednesday signed a broad bill meant to ease overcrowding in the state’s prisons. It covers job training programs, mental health and transitional services, and fair hiring practices for ex-offenders — one specifically aimed at eliminating the so-called ‘box’ that asks about criminal history from initial job applications.