KEY LEGISLATIVE RACES COULD ALTER THE BALANCE OF POWER

LINCOLN- Though most incumbents are almost certain to make it through today's primary election, some could face an uphill battle leading to November's general election, the results of which could alter the lever of power in the Legislature.

Incumbents such as Julie Slama of Peru and Mike Hilgers of Lincoln have challengers with serious campaign operations in place, and more than 1 opponent in today's primary. Though they are likely to advance to the general, the race ahead could prove a true 'race'. Additionally Senator Tom Brewer will face off against fellow republican Tanya Storer and her backing from former Governor Kay Orr. 

The general election will also bring serious competition to incumbents Carol Blood, Dan Quick, and Lynne Walz, all likely targets of the state Republican Party.

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EDITORIAL: A STRONG ELECTION TURNOUT WILL PREVENT CORONAVIRUS FROM SHORT-CIRCUITING OUR DEMOCRACY

OMAHA WORLD HERALD EDITORIAL: Americans have never let national emergencies stop us from holding elections. Wars, pandemics, economic collapses — as terrible as those challenges were, balloting still proceeded so that American democracy might live. So it will be this week as Nebraskans express their political will in the 2020 primary. The latest national emergency is, of course, COVID-19. It’s brought upheaval and trepidation to our country. But we can take comfort that it will not shatter our nation’s commitment to rule by the people through expression at the ballot box.

The historical example of the Civil War is directly relevant to our current situation. In 1864, our country faced its greatest obstacle to holding a national election. Could a legitimate presidential election be held that year, people wondered, when the conflict had drawn such enormous numbers of Northern men into military service?

The answer was yes, for two main reasons. First, because President Abraham Lincoln insisted that the election proceed, even though his re-election chances were weak until quite late in the election season. Second, because the nation adopted a system of large-scale absentee voting for the first time, to enable Northern servicemen to participate.

“The Civil War soldier vote set a precedent for what we now take for granted: that anyone who is away from home can vote,” says scholar Jonathan W. White. “You still retain that right of citizenship even if you’re not able to be at the ballot box on a given day.” 

And so it is now in Nebraska 

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POLL WORKERS PREPARED FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF ELECTION

OMAHA – Nebraska officials are taking all precautions possible for Tuesday’s primary election. Michelle Andahl, Sarpy County election commissioner, stated that “All of our poll workers have been supplied with N95 masks, hand sanitizer, gloves, Clorox wipes and polling places will be cleaned regularly as voters come through.” Tape will also be placed on the ground to ensure social distancing. 

Brian Kruse, the election commissioner in Douglas County, stated that they will be taking similar precautions. 

Also defining this historically different primary will be the number of citizens voting via absentee ballot. Usually Sarpy County receives approximately 5,000 requests to vote by mail. This year, the county has received 40,000. That number is over 1/3 of the registered voters in the county. In Douglass County, 139,000 mail-in-ballots have been requested. Kruse stated that it is recommended that the ballot be dropped off at one of the nine drop off locations by 8 p.m. Tuesday, but it is important to note that  ballots cannot be dropped off at polling locations.

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TC ENERGY: KEYSTONE COULD BE DELAYED BY YEAR:

WASHINGTON - Canadian pipeline developer TC Energy said last Friday the Keystone XL pipeline would face significant new delays because of a Montana district court ruling last month that invalidated a critical nationwide water permit for its construction. Bevin Wirzba, TC Energy’s senior Vice President of liquids pipelines said, “The long-term potential delay with any of these very omnibus-type filings or motions to vacate a permit that broad could have up to a year delay on the ultimate project.” TC Energy maintains that the pipeline will be operational in 2023 and plans to “secure the necessary authorizations to continue with planned Keystone XL construction.”

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SASSE CHALLENGED BY FORMER GOP COUNTY CHAIRMAN MATT INNIS

LINCOLN- Sen. Ben Sasse faces a Republican primary challenge from former Lancaster County GOP Chairman Matt Innis of Crete, who has based his campaign largely on his contention that Sasse has not been sufficiently supportive of President Donald Trump or Nebraska agriculture.

Sasse, however, comes to the contest armed with the endorsement of Trump, and the senator points to his efforts to expand trade that benefits Nebraska agriculture as a member of the Senate Finance Committee while he's also fighting for regulatory relief for farmers. Innis has hammered Sasse for leaving the Senate Agriculture Committee to accept "more glamorous" committee assignments, which now includes the Senate Intelligence Committee along with Judiciary and Finance, which oversees trade policy. 

Democrats have been unable to successfully compete statewide since Sen. Ben Nelson won reelection to a second term in 2006, and most GOP victories in Senate and governor contests since then have come in the form of landslides.

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NEBRASKA TRUCKER WHO LOST FINGERS FROM FIREWORK BLAST SOUGH WORKERS’ COMP PAYOUT

OMAHA – A truck driver’s claim to receive workers comp was summarily rejected by the Nebraska Court of Appeals after he blew off his fingers attempting to entertain a warehouse manager. 

The judge stated that it was Gregory Webber’s fault to setting off the fireworks and that it was not related to his job duties. Judge Riko Bishop wrote for the unanimous decision and stated, “Lighting a firework at a warehouse where he was scheduled to pick up a trailer load … was not within the scope of Webber’s job.” Webber suffered burns to his stomach and lower legs and both hands, resulting in partial amputations of several fingers. He also suffered severe, permanent hearing loss.

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‘A REALLY BIG DEAL’ – LUTHERAN FAMILY SERVICES, CENTERPOINTE RECEIVES $8 MILLION TO HELP THOUSANDS

LINCOLN - Nearly 6,000 people seek support from CenterPointe and Lutheran Family Services because of mental illness, physical health, and substance abuse. Topher Hansen, CenterPointe’s president and CEO, has said that it is important to address all of their problems together. He stated, “When you bring all the things together and meet all their needs at the same time in an integrated way, you’re going to have a higher degree of likelihood to get them better sooner for longer.” 

CenterPointe and Lutheran Family Services have recently received nearly $8 million in federal funding to open Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. Each will receive about $2 million for two years from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. They will broaden the scope of their Lincoln locations with those funds. Lutheran Family Services anticipates dedicating 16 staff members to the grant-funded programs.

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SIX CANDIDATES VIE FOR BOLZ’S OPEN DISTRICT 29 LEGISLATIVE SEAT

LINCOLN – The seat in Nebraska’s Legislature that has been vacated by Sen. Bolz has six candidates. Eliot Bostar is far and away the biggest spender of the election. So far, Bostar has spent $133,000 according to campaign filings. He is the executive director of Conservation Nebraska and Nebraska Conservation Voters. Many of his major donors come from the New York area.

Jennifer Carter, another candidate, has devoted her career to healthcare access. She is legal counsel for the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee and a Democrat. She said she supports a vibrant university system, state parks, arts, culture, paid sick leave, and affordable child care. So far, she has spent about $52,000. She has received donations from Lincoln Mayor Gaylor Baird, and Lincoln City Council members Jane Raybould and Sändra Washington.

Jacob Campbell is a Republican, military veteran, owner of a property management business, and legislative aide for Sen. Ben Hansen. He has spent $68,000. A major amount of funding comes from the Republican State Leadership Committee. Major or notable contributors are former Gov. Kay Orr, the Gov. Dave Heineman Committee, the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, former Nebraska State Treasurer Lorelee Byrd, former NU regent Hal Daub, and the Nebraska Bankers State PAC.

Lisa Lee is the lead programmer for the Lincoln Council for International Visitors and has a degree in business administration from the University of Iowa. Lee is a Republican and has said that she would work to pass responsible property tax reform, address the state’s workforce shortage and strengthen and support quality education.

Neal Clayburn is a Democrat, retired educator, and Navy veteran who recently retired from the Nebraska State Education Association. He supports policies that recognize and use the lessons of science to protect clean water, clean air, support the development of renewable energy sources and preserve the land, he said. He has spent approximately $22,000.

Mike Connely an educational adviser for service-disabled military veterans and a Republican. He said he supports reducing regulations on business. Expanding prison beds is "just a bandage for a gaping wound.” He has said that he will not accept donations for his campaign.

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EARLY VOTING 'UNPRECEDENTED,' NEBRASKA ELECTION OFFICIALS SAY

LINCOLN- This year's early ballot returns have exceeded total statewide votes cast in the 2016 presidential primary, reaching unprecedented levels, Secretary of State Bob Evnen said Thursday. Evnen said counties are continuing to receive a record number of early ballots, adding daily to the count of votes cast in Nebraska’s primary election. Nebraska has about 1.2 million registered voters, and 441,466 of them have requested early ballots.

That number does not include the 52,132 ballots mailed to voters in Nebraska’s 11 mail-in-only counties, Evnen said. To date 296,968 ballots from early voters and 24,560 ballots from all-mail-in counties have been returned, for a total of 321,528 ballots already cast in the 2020 primary election. "This surpasses 313,000 total statewide votes cast in the 2016 primary election," he said.

As of Thursday, 67% of early ballots have been returned, and 47% of ballots from mail-in-only counties have been returned.

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SENATOR GROENE OPINION: THIS IS NO TIME FOR 'PIE IN THE SKY' PROPOSALS

NORTH PLATTE- Senator Mike Groene in an opinion piece submitted tot he North Platte Telegram takes on issues facing the legislature he views as 'pie in the sky'. These include the state's economic incentive law and its proposed replacement, the ImagiNE Act, as well as LB1084 which focuses on the University of Nebraska Medical Center project, Medicaid expansion, and a proposal to lease a new correctional facility.

Instead, Senator Groene says the focus should be on property tax proposals such as LB1106. "The property tax proposal was expected to add approximately $100 million per year to state aid to public schools, thus lowering local property taxes by a like amount, reaching a total of $300 million by the third and final year (2022-23 school year) of LB 1106’s implementation. Meanwhile, by its third year of existence, the new ImagiNE Act is estimated to add an additional $50 million to the Revenue Department’s forecast $180 million revenue loss that year from the existing Advantage Act agreements"

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SEVEN CANDIDATES SEEK TO REPLACE STATE SEN. CHAMBERS, WHO ENDORSES CREIGHTON LAW STUDENT

OMAHA – A total of seven candidates, including a former Omaha City Council member and a representative on the board of the Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties, have decided to run for the seat held by Senator Ernie Chambers. Sen. Chambers is prevented by term-limits from seeking re-election.Sen. Chambers has thrown his support behind Terrell McKinney, a law student at Creighton University. 

The rest of the field includes, “former Omaha City Council member Fred Conley; Cornelius Williams, who is completing a term on the Learning Community Board; Teela Mickles, the founder of a program that helps prison inmates reenter society; Gwen Easter, a longtime North Omaha child care provider; John Sciara, a military veteran who was defeated by Chambers four years ago; and Dennis Womack, a former federal worker who has run several times for City Council and other positions.”

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EDITORIAL, 4/22: JOURNAL STAR EDITORIAL BOARD OFFERS ENDORSEMENTS

LINCOLN – Incumbent Senator Ben Sasse deserves to win the Republican Party’s primary for U.S. Senate over challenger Matt Innis. Sasse has proven himself to be adept at drawing attention to the issues that he champions. He has done what he has set out to do for his constituents. Democrats will have a difficult time ousting Sasse, but Janicek offers them their best chance. With an organized campaign, Janicek has the capacity to further the issues of climate change and health care for all.

As for House District 1, State Senator Kate Bolz has proven to be an effective lawmaker in the Unicameral. Her experience on the Appropriations Committee has earned her the opportunity to face Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, who is running in the primary unopposed, in November.

Regarding Nebraska Legislative District 21, Senator Mike Hilgers and Brodey Weber get the endorsement of the Journal Star. Hilgers has proven capable of working with individuals of both parties. Weber brings a background of community service and activism.

Concerning Nebraska Legislative District 29, Eliot Bostar, Jacob Campbell, and Jennifer Carter are seen as neck and neck in the eyes of the editorial board. Each candidate has perspective that would be invaluable to his or her constituents.

As for city charter amendments, voters should approve both of the amendments. Both amendments simply serve to update the charter and do not change anything drastically. One of the amendments fixes a typo and alters language to be gender-neutral. The other raises the threshold for requiring competitive bids on city purchases from $25,000 to $50,000.

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NEBRASKA CASES AND DEATHS

LINCOLN- As of Friday morning Nebraska has at least 7,190 confirmed cases, up from 6,125 cases on Tuesday. Additionally, the state reported 92 deaths, up from and 79 during the same time frame.

 Leading counties with cases include Hall with 1,306 cases and 31 deaths, up from 1,281 cases and 28 deaths, Douglas county with 1,235 cases and 17 deaths, up from 977 cases and 16 deaths, and Dakota County with 1,046 cases, up from 1,005 cases and 3 additional deaths bringing their total to 5.  The New York Times continuously tracks county, state, and national data regarding confirmed cases and deaths, and provided this data.

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STATE HAS SPENT LESS THAN A THIRD OF CORONAVIRUS EMERGENCY FUNDS

LINCOLN – The Unicameral passed emergency funding for the coronavirus outbreak in the amount of $83.6 million in March. So far, the state has spent less than a third of the appropriated funds: $24.7 million. The intention of the appropriation was to go to the Department of Health and Human Services and the University of Nebraska Medical Center for such things as medical and laboratory equipment, personal protective equipment, UV lightboxes, staffing, and testing. Approximately $25 million has been spent on personal protective equipment since the outbreak began. 

About $58,000 has been spent on ventilators. Governor Ricketts has stated that these purchases have gone to good use and that, "We've had plenty of capacity, just about every place you go.”

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LIABILITY SHIELD IS THE NEXT CORONAVIRUS AID BATTLE IN CONGRESS

WASHINGTON - The effort by Senator Republicans to shield companies from liability during the pandemic has drawn the ire of Democrats. Senate Lawmakers returned on Monday to begin working on the next round of relief targeted at households. During this time, Majority Leader McConnell has said that liability protections are a red line. Without it, Democrats' calls for increased local aid will not be entertained.

U.S. businesses are fearing a wave of lawsuits as workers in meat-processing facilities, grocery stores, and other locations get sick or die from the Covid-19 illness caused by the new coronavirus. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the risk of class-action lawsuits could deter businesses from reopening, even after restrictions have been lifted. Senator Mitt Romney has supported the liability protections, saying “It’s essential if we’re going to get the economy going again not to have every business becoming sued by the players who are associated with Covid-19.” However, unions say that liability shields are the wrong message.

Some states have proposed expanding liability protections to manufacturers aiding in the crisis.

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FACING POTENTIAL $17M SHORTFALL, LINCOLN OFFICIALS EXPLORE DIFFICULT BUDGET QUESTIONS, LOBBY FOR FEDERAL HELP

LINCOLN - In his January report, City Finance Director Brandon Kauffman adumbrated that Lincoln will experience shortfalls of $6 million and $8 million that would require attention during the budget building process. Kauffman’s projections now appear somewhat vatic given developments with the pandemic. Now, Lincoln, according to Kauffman, will face an even greater shortfall, amounting to $17 million in the upcoming fiscal year and $22 million in the following.

Forecasts are predicting a 40% decline in sales tax revenue for the city of Lincoln. Hiring freezes and the elimination of certain vacant positions are under consideration by the city. Jennifer Brinkman, the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, has said that everything is on the table. Both Omaha and Lincoln were not eligible for the aid contained within the federal CAREs act.

Lincoln Mayor Gaylor Baird has lobbied Nebraska’s Congressional delegation to push for more direct aid to local governments. Lincoln’s 40 million cash reserve is not seen as an answer to the current problems associated with the pandemic.

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9,640 BUFFALO COUNTY RESIDENTS VOTING BY MAIL AHEAD OF TUESDAY’S PRIMARY

KEARNEY - Buffalo County Election Commissioner, Lisa Poff, has stated that Tuesday’s primary election will present special challenges due to coronavirus. Since the courthouse has been locked down since March 18th, the challenge of a potential poll worker shortage has emerged. However, many individuals have stepped up to the challenge and each of the precincts in the county will be staffed by at least four poll workers, with more on standby. Additionally, “A record 9,640 Buffalo County voters requested early ballots so they could vote by mail, and of that number, 6,658 voters already had returned their ballots by Wednesday afternoon.”

Poff has decline to speculate on turnout.

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HEALTH OFFICIALS TO STOP RELEASING TYSON NUMBERS FOR NOW

NORFOLK – The Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department stated that it would no longer release specific COVID-19 numbers related to the Tyson Fresh Meats’ pork processing plant in Madison. During his press conference on Wednesday, Governor Ricketts stated that it is important for the state to follow the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which protects individuals’ medical records and other personal health information. Specifically, the Governor said, “unless the person who works for the employer specifically tells the employer they have coronavirus, and gives them permission to release that, the employer can’t do anything about that.” Thus, even if the state was able to ask for the information from the companies, there is no guarantee that the information would be reliable.

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LINCOLN, LANCASTER COUNTY TO RELUCTANTLY ADOPT EASED RESTRICTIONS RICKETTS OULTINED

LINCOLN- Lincoln and Lancaster County will implement eased restrictions beginning Monday, after Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and her health director reluctantly agreed to adopt the plans Gov. Pete Ricketts sought.

The new restrictions match those already in place in Omaha and elsewhere in the state and would allow the reopening of barbershops and tattoo parlors provided staff and patrons wear face masks and give restaurants the ability to serve half the number of diners their establishments can hold.In her Thursday afternoon briefing on the local pandemic response, Gaylor Baird said she was disappointed Ricketts said he would not extend beyond Sunday the Lancaster County restrictions currently in place.

New case totals and the rate of positive tests continue to head in the wrong direction, and the ramifications of a growing outbreak of COVID-19 among Lancaster County residents working at the Smithfield plant in Crete remain unclear, she said.

With another week or two, data on the outbreak could provide clarity, she said. 

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IT GETS WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER

WASHINGTON – According to Politico, “The pandemic has opened the floodgates for telehealth as federal and state governments rapidly roll back long-standing barriers. But not all patients can get online, and in-person treatment options are dwindling amid lockdown orders.” Safety net clinics are asking for help from the government to pay for treatment and connectivity dead zones. Nicol Turner Lee, a research fellow at the Brookings Institution's Center for Technology Innovation has said that “It's often the most vulnerable patients who can't access virtual care. Communities without the means to get online will not benefit from telehealth."

Lisa Cooper, founder of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity, stated that "People of color and people with low incomes are always the last to get access to any new technology. The disparity always gets worse before it gets better." Additionally, many rural and safety net clinics operate on thin margins, making it impossible to invest in telehealth.

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