OMAHA - Executive Director of the Life Care Center of Elkhorn Michelle Yosick stated that two residents have been hospitalized with COVID-19 and five more staff members have tested positive. In total, 51 residents have tested positive and 25 have tested negative. Seven residents have been hospitalized.
The residents that have tested positive are receiving specialized care.
Read the full article HERE
LINCOLN — The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled Friday that state officials must release documents revealing where Nebraska obtained the lethal injection drugs used to execute Carey Dean Moore in 2018.
The ruling marked a victory for the Omaha World-Herald, the Lincoln Journal Star and the ACLU of Nebraska, which had sued the state Department of Correctional Services for denying their separate public records requests. The state argued that the records should be confidential because they could lead to the identification of members of the execution team. Those identities are protected in state law.
But the high court rejected the state's arguments, saying that they "contradict the text of Nebraska’s public records statutes and are adverse to this court’s public records precedent." It ordered the department to redact confidential portions of the documents, such as the names of execution team members, and release the rest.
Read the full article HERE
LINCOLN - Tax Commissioner Tony Fulton on Friday released an updated report on the general fund receipts collected by the state for the general fund. Gross receipts were down 41% from the original forecast of $795 million (to $469 million). Tax refunds were down by 21.4%, to $124 million from the $158 million. Net receipts also fell nearly 46%. Most of this is due to the movement of the mandatory filing date for Nebraska state income tax returns from April 15, 2020 to July 15, 2020. Importantly, this movement has placed the income tax receipts into Nebraska's next fiscal year of FY2020-21.
Though April numbers had greatly fallen, over all net general fund receipts for FY19-20 were 0.1% above the certified forecast, $4 billion up from $3.997 billion.
A full listing these figures, and more detailed information, can be found on the department's press release by clicking HERE. We can expect more commentary on this issue later today and over the weekend from both the Governor's Office and Appropriations Committee Chairman John Stinner of Gering.
WASHINGTON – A federal district court judge in Montana has decided to stand by his April ruling that shut down the use of an Army Corps of Engineers general permit for pipeline projects. This decision could delay dozens of projects across the country. Chief Judge Brian Morris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana tailored the scope of his ruling further “to bar the Army Corps of Engineers from using its streamlined Clean Water Act permit for the construction of new oil and gas pipelines, but allowed its use for other construction projects, as well as routine maintenance of existing projects.”
In a case that relates specifically to the Keystone XL pipeline, Morris ruled that the Corp’s nationwide permit was invalid due to the fact that the Corps did not consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service to see if it would endanger animals and plants protected by the Endangered Species Act. Morris has rejected the arguments of the Trump administration in their attempts to revive the permits.
Read the full article HERE
ATLANTA — State lawmakers in Mississippi voted overwhelmingly last week to strip away the governor’s authority to spend more than $1.2 billion in federal funds. In Wisconsin, lawyers for the Legislature’s Republican leaders argued before the State Supreme Court their case for reining in the governor’s executive “safer-at-home” order.
As Lousiana legislators find themselves separated by masks and plexiglass barriers Blake Miguez, the leader of the Republican caucus in the State House of Representatives stated “I don’t want to have to override our governor, but the Legislature has become very frustrated. They’re hearing screams louder than ever from back home that we need to reopen the economy.”
Until recently, intergovernmental friction over individual state responses to the virus and plans for restarting state economies has been dominated by skirmishes between executives, with tension between mayors and governors, and governors and the president. Yet as more state legislatures reconvene, and as states take tentative steps toward some semblance of normalcy, lawmakers have increasingly asserted themselves, demanding to define a clearer role for the legislative branch and challenging governors who have become the face of their state’s response.
Lawmakers have emerged from isolation in recent weeks, mostly with the goal of curtailing executive orders imposed by governors and picking up the pace of reopening.
Read the full article HERE
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court’s use of telephonic hearings due to the coronavirus has served to notify all that Justice Thomas remains active in deliberations, even in a very idiosyncratic way. Last week, Justice Thomas said more during oral arguments than has in many years combined. He asked questions of every attorney in the four cases the court heard.
Cornell law professor Michael Dorf stated that “He’s asking some interesting questions and sounds just like any other justice during these telephonic arguments.” Normally, Justice Thomas views excessive questioning in a free-for-all fashion to interfere with the cases that the lawyers are making. He is inclined to read and listen rather than engage in dialogue. Due to justices asking questions by seniority over the phone, he has become more apt to participate.
Before the telephonic arguments, Justice Thomas spoke in 32 of approximately 2,400 cases the court has heard since he succeeded Justice Thurgood Marshall. Those questions took a combined 26 minutes over the 29-year span. This past week, his questions have amounted to 7 ½ minutes.
Usually, Justice Thomas lets other justices ask questions that he already has. However, as he is the most senior justice, he has had to take matters into his own hands.
Read the full article HERE
KEARNEY - Over a three-day period, National Guardsmen tested more than 450 people at six sites in the panhandle. The tests were offered to individuals who were symptomatic or who believed they were exposed to a coronavirus positive individual.
Chadron had the most persons tested, at 95, likely because Dawes County reported its first case of the coronavirus Friday. That case had been reported in a man in his 30s, who was identified as a close contact of a previous case. Other testing numbers were: 75 tests, Sidney; 76, Oshkosh; 64, Bridgeport; 70, Alliance; 73, Gordon. Twenty members of the Nebraska National Guards Team 6 conducted the public testing
Read the full article HERE
KEARNEY - CHI Health Good Samaritan resumed non-urgent, elective surgeries, and procedures on Tuesday. Non-urgent procedures were first postponed on March 25th.
CHI Health Good Samaritan met the standards to begin non-urgent, elective surgeries according to Governor Ricketts. The state has maintained that hospitals may resume elective surgeries if they maintain 30 percent general bed availability, 30 percent ICU bed availability, 30 percent ventilator availability, and have a two-week supply of necessary personal protective equipment in their specific facility.
Non-urgent surgical patients are tested for COVID-19 prior to the procedure. Visitation remains restricted.
Read the full article HERE
'LONG YEAR AHEAD’ FOR FARMERS, PRODUCERS
NORFOLK - Farmers have been hit hard for years. Now the COVID-19 pandemic has turned an already uncertain time into a crisis. The Platte Institute hosted a webinar, and an economist with the Nebraska Farm Bureau, Jay Rempe, gave his analysis of the coming year. Rempe stated that losses could total more than $2 billion, which is about 10% of all the income generated by agriculture in Nebraska. Nonetheless, Rempe stated that it wasn’t a definitive forecast. What is certain, however, is that it will be a very long year.
Ethanol producers are also suffering, as at least 11 plants have closed in Nebraska, which could lead to losses of about $3 billion. Additionally, the supply chain in many adjacent industries could be affected.
Rempe was joined by Tom Sell, former deputy chief of staff for the House Committee on Agriculture, where he was instrumental in crafting the 2002 Farm Bill.Sell said if it weren't for the strong agricultural programs already in place, the COVID-19 crisis would be much worse.
View the full webinar and slides by clicking HERE
LINCOLN – A vaccine for coronavirus can be envisioned, but right now it does not exist. However, a drug named Remdesivir has shown promise as a treatment. Governor Ricketts announced that the state received 400 vials from the federal government. Those 400 vials can be used to treat approximately 50 people. Chief Medical Officer with the Department of Health and Human Dr. Gary Anthone has stated that the drug can potentially decrease the time people are on ventilators.
"I think it does give people hope and I think it gives doctors hope too. And I know that's why a lot of doctors want to use it now. Because they want to give all patients the best chance they have."
Nationally 600,000 doses of the drug have been distributed by the federal government.
Read the article by clicking HERE
OMAHA- Nebraska may have reached its peak for coronavirus cases, an infectious disease specialist said Thursday, but infections in long-term care facilities remain a problem. That’s according to Dr. M. Salman Ashraf, medical director of the Nebraska Infection Control Assessment and Promotion Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
“It appears to be at the peak, a plateau,” Ashraf said, during a televised town hall with Gov. Pete Ricketts. “We might even be on the way to a decline. We have to wait a few more days. There is hope, we should be looking forward to that.”
But his comments were tempered by Ricketts, who quickly followed with a call to keep expectations in check.“Let’s be cautious,” Ricketts said. Both reiterated that the course of the virus is somewhat dependent on Nebraskans.
read the full article HERE
WASHINGTON - House Democrats’ latest bill to "juice the economy and secure the nation’s health is full of goodies for health care, like a $100 billion fund to providers and hospitals." The bill has $75 billion committed to testing and surveillance. The bill would require labs to send reports on COVID tests and their results. HHS would make that data public.
The bill would require manufacturers of diagnostics to tell the department how many tests they’re distributing. However, Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is in no hurry to pass the bill.
OMAHA – The Nebraska University system expects to face a $50 million budget shortfall come fall. To help cut expenses, President Ted Carter announced that 20 positions are being eliminated. Seventeen people are losing their jobs. Most job loss occurred among the technology support staff. Three positions are being eliminated; however, those positions are vacant.
The cuts total $2.4 million. Some of the cut jobs include federal relations coordinator, global engagement officer, and chief compliance officer. President Carter stated, “There’s no question that the depth and breadth of our work will be narrower because of today’s decisions.”
A higher freeze is already in place.
Read the full article HERE
WASHINGTON – Hospitals are increasingly anxious about resuming elective surgeries without assurances that they will not get sued.
Knee surgeries and colonoscopies, to name two, will likely remain dormant if hospitals do not get guarantees from Congress that they will not be sued by patients and their own workers if someone gets infected with coronavirus during a procedure. Industry lobbies such as the American Hospital Association have articulated this concern and have gotten the attention of many Republican leaders. This fight may prove to be reminiscent of fights such as tort reform and former medical malpractice suits.
The issue of liability protections has been a significant sticking point in the process to create another trillion-dollar-plus coronavirus relief package, one that is primarily aimed at supporting local and state governments that have seen their budgets crippled due to coronavirus. Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy have called the protections have stated that it is imperative to include liability protections in the next relief bill. Without them, efforts to reopen will be stalled and blunted greatly.
Read more on our website by clicking HERE.
WASHINGTON – 11 biofuels and farm groups have sent a message to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. That message is that the industry needs “direct assistance.”
Due to the collapse in driving, biofuel producers have been hit hard. A letter, released by the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, the Farm Bureau, and others, states that "It is vital that the next COVID-19 relief package includes immediate, temporary, and direct assistance to help the U.S. biofuel industry retain its skilled workforce and mitigate the impact of plant closures on the food and feed supply chain and rural communities."
Read the full article HERE
KEARNEY – According to two new Directed Health Measures issued by the Two Rivers Public Health Department, restaurants, bars, beauty salons, and barbershops may reopen in the Kearney area Monday with limitations.
Additionally, Baseball and softball teams may begin practicing June 1 and start playing games June 18. According to the measures, “Restaurants and bars can reopen with up to 50 percent maximum capacity. Parties must be six people or fewer, and they must be seated at tables at least six feet apart. Alcohol may be served as part of a meal, but buffets and self-service lines are not permitted.”
Hair salons, barbershops, and massage parlors may reopen but everyone must wear a mask. A maximum of 10 customers are allowed in a given location at one time. Daycare centers are allowed to have 15 individuals, including 10 children and adults, in a room together.
Read the full article HERE
LINCOLN - State Senator Kate Bolz secured the Democratic nomination to take on incumbent Republican Congressman Jeff Fortenberry. The 1st Congressional District has the potential to be more competitive than in previous elections. Bolz stated that her primary focus is helping those affected by coronavirus and supporting the healthcare workers. Speaking to supporters, Bolz stated that "What we need is confidence and belief in one another, that our goodness and ingenuity will prevail, that today's challenges don't have to be tomorrow's struggles, that instead, they can be a part of our story of overcoming adversity, changing for the better and continuing to build our collective American Dream."
Fortenberry issued a statement saying, "together we're working non-stop, particularly during this crisis, to protect health care, fight COVID-19 and support Nebraska families, farmers and small businesses." Following the declaration of the Bolz victory, Fortenberry released both television and radio advertisements attacking Bolz over international affairs. These ads are expected to run heavily over the next month.
Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District will see incumbent Congressman Don Bacon square off against Kara Eastman. The 3rd District will see incumbent Congressman Adrian Smith face off against Mark Elworth Jr. Incumbent Senator Ben Sasse easily defeated fellow republican Matt Innis in the GOP primary and will face democrat Chirs Janicek in November.
Read the full article and see the ad HERE
OMAHA- Kara Eastman and Nebraska Democrats stumbled a bit out of the blocks on day one of their general election campaign against Rep. Don Bacon, with one of Eastman’s primary rivals declining to endorse her.
But Democrats argued that Ann Ashford’s snub — which was based both on policy and personal differences with Eastman — was not a sign of a wider rift within the party’s ranks. To the contrary, they say, the party and its apparatus are far more in sync with Eastman than two years ago, when differences among Eastman, state party leaders and the fundraising arm of House Democrats in Washington contributed to Eastman’s narrow loss to Bacon.
“I can say for certain that Ann’s decision not to endorse Kara yet — and I use the word yet, because I’m confident it will come — is not a sign of any rift in the party,” said Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democrats. “We are moving together as a team, leaving anything that happened in 2018 behind us.”
Read the full article HERE
OMAHA – In-person voting on Tuesday was slow, very slow. However, mail-in voting made up the difference and more. Nebraska’s Secretary of State, Bob Enven, stated that “Nebraskans did not allow this pandemic to stop them from exercising their right to vote,” Evnen said “[Nebraskans] had opportunities to vote early by mail or at the polls. They selected the option they thought was best for them.”
According to the Omaha World Herald, “Nebraska voters may not have turned out in person, but they did by ballot. Evnen’s office received 441,000 requests for early ballots. About 336,000 were returned before Tuesday. More were expected to be picked up at ballot drop-off boxes.” The 35% turnout rate was significantly higher than the previous 27% set in 2006 with regard to primaries.
Read the full article HERE
OMAHA - All but one incumbent state senator made it through Tuesday’s primary election in good shape. Incumbent Senator Andrew La Grone trailed challenger Jen Day in his bid to hang on to the northwest Sarpy County District 49. Nonetheless, they will both meet again in November.
Jen Day owns a small business in Omaha. Senator La Grone was appointed to the Legislature by Governor Ricketts in 2018. A win by Day would mean an additional seat for registered Democrats. However, the primary also showed that Republicans can win back two open districts.In both districts, Republican candidates were leading in the polls against Democratic opponents.
The Legislature is nonpartisan, meaning senators appear on the ballot and serve without regard to party affiliation. However, party affiliation often plays a major part in the campaigns.
Read the full article HERE