LINCOLN THINK TANK QUESTIONS $230 MILLION TAX BREAK FOR NEBRASKA BUSINESSES

LINCOLN — A Lincoln-based think tank on Monday questioned the wisdom of allowing coronavirus-related tax changes that would effectively provide a $230 million tax break for businesses, a reduction that has the backing of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce.

The Open Sky Policy Institute said Nebraska has more pressing needs than granting such a big state income tax cut to businesses, citing the need to retain state tax revenue for other priorities. The Open Sky opinion piece puts the organization in the same camp as State Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte — with whom it often doesn’t agree — who has also called for the state to temporarily “decouple” from the federal tax code so that the tax break doesn’t go into effect.

Groene, the head of the Legislature’s Education Committee, recently said the $250 million would be better spent, and would benefit more people, if it was used to reduce local property taxes by increasing state funding of K-12 schools.

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DAPL STILL PUMPING OIL

WASHINGTON - The operator of the Dakota Access Pipeline is making no moves yet to shutdown the North Dakota pipeline, despite an order from a federal judge on Monday to empty it of oil by Aug. 5, a process that Energy Transfer said could take roughly 90 days. Company spokeswoman Vicki Granado said, "We have not yet started the process of shutting it down as we work through the legal process."

The company said Wednesday that D.C. District Court Judge James Boasberg had "exceeded his authority in ordering the shutdown of the Dakota Access Pipeline" until the Army Corps of Engineers conducted an environmental review of a section of the pipeline, and filed a motion asking that the shutdown order be suspended while it appeals the court ruling.

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JUDGE ORDERS DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE SHUT DOWN PENDING REVIEW

WASHINGTON - A judge on Monday ordered the Dakota Access pipeline shut down for additional environmental review more than three years after it began pumping oil — handing a victory to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and delivering a blow to President Donald Trump’s efforts to weaken public health and environmental protections his administration views as obstacles to businesses.

In a 24-page order, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in Washington, D.C., wrote that he was “mindful of the disruption” that shutting down the pipeline would cause, but that it must be done within 30 days. Pipeline owner Energy Transfer plans to ask a court to halt the order and will seek an expedited appeal, spokeswoman Vicki Granado said.

The order comes after Boesberg said in April that a more extensive review was necessary than what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers already conducted and that he would consider whether the pipeline should be shuttered during the new assessment.

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SPAT AT HISTORY NEBRASKA PROMPTS AN UNUSUAL MOVE – CREATION OF A SECOND FUNDRAISING FOUNDATION

LINCOLN - A long-running spat between History Nebraska and its fundraising foundation has prompted an unusual move — the creation of a totally new, second foundation by the state historical society.

Whether having two foundations devoted to the state’s top history organization will create confusion among donors, or increase or decrease gifts, remains to be seen.

But those are major questions for an agency that relies on donations and sales of memberships and merchandise to cover half its annual $8 million budget, especially when the COVID-19 pandemic has shot a hole in its budget with the closing of the Nebraska History Museum and other History Nebraska sites.

The head of the History Nebraska Board of Trustees, the agency’s governing body, said that the new History Nebraska Foundation will be formed by the trustees, will be more responsive to the goals of the history agency and will devote 100% of its funds to that effort.

The current foundation, the 78-year-old Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation, is a separate, private 501(c)(3) that devotes 75% of its income to History Nebraska and appoints its own board members. Officials there say the donations designed for History Nebraska will continue to flow to the agency, but that the foundation is also launching a new push to gather donations for local historical societies.

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NEBRASKA NOT PLANNING TO CHANGE GUIDANCE AFTER THREATS FROM PRESIDENT TO WITHOLD FED DOLLARS

Nebraska education officials Wednesday said they have no plans to change guidance for reopening schools after threats from President Donald Trump to withhold federal education funds to schools that don’t fully reopen in the fall.

“The Nebraska Department of Education has been working with local school districts for several months to safely provide continuity of learning for all students in the state,” said Nebraska Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt.

The state Department of Education has a website called Launch Nebraska that provides guidance for schools this summer and beyond, though officials plan to update the guidance soon to focus more specifically on fall.

Current guidance includes that students and staff wear face masks and social distance whenever possible, and stresses that school districts should work with local health departments to come up with a plan.

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STATE SENATORS CONSIDER REMOTE MEETING, VOTING OPTIONS FOR THIS MONTH’S SESSION

LINCOLN - As the Nebraska Legislature approaches a July 20 restart to finish its last days of the 2020 session, six senators met virtually Wednesday to discuss remote meeting or voting options.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused the Legislature to call a halt to its session in March, except for three days of gathering to pass emergency COVID-19 funding for the state.

Lincoln Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks earlier sent a memo to her colleagues saying the Legislature should make accommodations for those senators who don't want to come to the Capitol when it meets again. One senator, Mike Moser of Columbus, was hospitalized for five weeks with COVID-19.

Some states have allowed proxy votes, enabling senators to have another member vote on their behalf. Nebraska Speaker Jim Scheer said at Wednesday's meeting he was not in favor of that. "We were elected by a district to represent a district and the state, and (proxy voting) circumvents your district having its voice in the process," he said.

The Rules Committee was told that this year, legislatures in at least 23 states changed their rules or statutes to allow for remote participation of some kind during the COVID-19 emergency. Those states included Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Crawford said Wednesday's conversation was more about whether the Rules Committee should debate and discuss rules changes for January or future sessions. The speaker and clerk have worked hard to make this month's session safe, she said, although rules could be changed, if needed and feasible, she said

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LINEHAN SAYS PROPERTY TAX RELIEF DEPENDS ON PACKAGE DEAL

LINCOLN - It's going to be "something done for everybody," or nothing gets done when the Legislature reconvenes later this month and confronts a trio of major issues, including proposed property tax relief, Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn said Wednesday.

LB1106 would provide $520 million in local property tax relief by lowering valuations and increasing state aid to schools. LB720 would enact a new business investment tax incentive program to replace the Nebraska Advantage Act, which expires at the end of the year. LB1084 would commit the state to provide $300 million in funding to help build a blockbuster $2.6 billion center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center to respond to national health threats and crises if the federal government chooses UNMC to perform that task.

Linehan said a group of 10 senators has been meeting quietly to seek a property tax compromise agreement.

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HAS RICKETTS OVERSTEPPED HIS AUTHORITY IN ALLOCATING $1 BILLION OF CORONAVIRUS RELIEF

LINCOLN - Gov. Pete Ricketts has already outlined his plan for distributing $1 billion in emergency aid provided by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help struggling Nebraskans. However, did he have the authority to do that?

That’s a question being raised around the State Capitol and it has prompted a request for a legal opinion from the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office about whether the governor’s decisions should be subject to approval by the Nebraska Legislature.

State Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha cited several conflicting clauses in state law and in the Nebraska Constitution in his request for the legal opinion. Others raising questions include James Goddard, a lawyer with the Lincoln-based Nebraska Appleseed, and University of Nebraska-Lincoln law professor Anthony Schutz.

Among the conflicting legal guidance being cited: The Nebraska Constitution requires that the Legislature approve any specific appropriations, but a budget bill passed last year gives the governor the authority to direct the spending of any federal dollars not specifically sent to a state agency.

Gering Sen. John Stinner, who heads the legislative committee that draws up the state budget, said he believes that the governor has the power to spend the CARES Act money but that it’s not a bad idea to get an attorney general’s opinion based on the questions being raised.

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$70 MILLION EXPANSION WILL HELP NEBRASAKA FACILITIES PLAY A KEY ROLE IN COVID-19 VACCINE

OMAHA - A company with manufacturing sites in Nebraska will play an important role in producing millions of needles and syringes needed to deliver vaccines for the coronavirus.

Medical technology company Becton Dickinson & Co. announced Wednesday that a partnership between the company and the federal government will pour $70 million into expanding operations and production lines at the company’s Nebraska facilities to make injection devices — the syringes, needles, cannulas and other components used for vaccines and other shots.

It’s still unclear how many new jobs, if any, the expansion will create. The arrangement will give the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, a direct and steady supply of the needles and syringes needed to carry out widespread vaccination programs.

BARDA has entered into similar contracts with vaccine makers and other companies as part of Operation Warp Speed, a Trump administration initiative designed to ramp up the manufacturing and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, treatments and medical supplies.

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NEBRASKA IS ONE OF BIGGEST RECIPIENTS OF THIS FEDERAL LOAN PROGRAM. BUT WHO’S GETTING THE MONEY?

OMAHA - The Paycheck Protection Program enacted by Congress has been a lifesaver for thousands of small businesses slammed economically by COVID-19.

But in Nebraska, some of the biggest beneficiaries of the forgivable loan program aren’t traditional small businesses at all.

Corn growers, cattle ranchers and churches have received the largest number of loans. And the largest single recipient appears to be the business arm of the Winnebago Tribe, which received more than $14 million in loans aiding a conglomeration of small companies it operates out of the tribe’s northeast Nebraska reservation.

The restaurant industry also benefited significantly, with almost 1,000 such businesses receiving loans to help them retain almost 27,000 workers. Big-dollar loans also went to large medical centers and other health care offices, law firms, farm cooperatives, some of the state’s fastest-growing startup firms and a pair of fast-food chain operators.

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AS DOUGLAS COUNTY REPORTS 100TH COVID-19 VICTIM, CASES CONTINUE GROWING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE

OMAHA - As the coronavirus pandemic claimed its 100th victim in Douglas County, the county’s health director says new cases are growing among young people. The Douglas County Health Department says it has tracked cases among three high school teams: One each in basketball, baseball and softball. More adolescents are testing positive for COVID-19, although some are asymptomatic, said Adi Pour, Douglas County’s health director. Pour also expressed concern about transmission in bars packed with patrons.

Throughout the pandemic, 43% of the county’s cases are from people in the under-34 age bracket, according to the county’s latest numbers. But more recently, 56% of cases are from people that age, Pour said.

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NATIONAL GUARD TRANSITIONING VIRUS TESTING TO CIVILIAN WORKERS

LINCOLN - he Nebraska National Guard is transitioning COVID-19 testing responsibilities over to civilian health care workers after deploying testing teams throughout the state since late March.

As of July 1, full National Guard testing teams are no longer activated to provide testing throughout Nebraska, the Guard announced Wednesday.

A small group of soldiers and airmen continue to be activated to provide training and knowledge to hospitals for the Test Nebraska campaign, and one small National Guard team is continuing to provide support in the Omaha area.

Several hundred Nebraska National Guard soldiers and airmen were activated in late March to support testing teams that traveled across the state for weeks.

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LINCOLN WILL RECEIVE $4 MILLION IN CARES ACT FUNDING FOR FOOD, HOUSING ASSISTANCE

LINCOLN - Lincoln will receive $4 million in federal CARES Act funding to help individuals affected by the coronavirus put food on the table, make rent or mortgage payments, and pay utilities, Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said Tuesday.

The funds to offset some of the hardships created by COVID-19 come as the Nebraska Department of Labor announced it would once again establish more strict guidelines for those seeking unemployment payments starting next week.

"For individuals and families already struggling with basic needs, the pandemic has exacerbated the situation," Gaylor Baird said at her daily news conference. "Others are experiencing hardships for the first time.

A total of $450,000 will be given to the Lincoln Food Bank to purchase food for individuals who are living through a crisis, according to executive director Scott Young.

"The impact of this $4 million in aid will go beyond those directly receiving this assistance," Gaylor Baird said. "As these dollars ripple throughout our economy, will see a positive impact on the entire community."

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CHI HEALTH GOOD SAMARITAN HOSTING DRIVE-THRU HIRING FAIR JULY 22

KEARNEY - CHI Health Good Samaritan will host a drive-thru hiring fair 10 a.m.-noon July 22 at the hospital at 10 E. 31st St. It will be held in a blue tent in parking lots M and N north of the hospital, off A Avenue.

This event will allow for social distancing while connecting job seekers with part-time and full-time career opportunities.

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BACK TO SCHOOL FIGHT

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has chosen a side in the debate over reopening schools, forcefully pushing school systems to completely reopen this fall, On a call with governors today, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos blasted districts with partial reopening plans and said schools need to be fully operational this fall. And during a day of programming at the White House, HHS Secretary Alex Azar said “nobody should hide behind our CDC’s guidance as a way to not reopen schools.”

Later in the afternoon, Trump insisted that “everybody” wants schools to reopen. “The moms want it. The dads want it. The kids want it. It’s time to do it,” the president said before touting the economy, mortality rates and testing in the U.S. “We’re very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools,” the president said.

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MEDICAL MARIJUANA BACKERS TURN IN 60,000 MORE SIGNATURES THAN NEEDED ON BALLOT PETITION

LINCOLN - Nebraskans who have worked on a long-running initiative petition campaign to get medical cannabis on the November ballot turned in more than 182,000 signatures Thursday. "Every one of these petition sheets that we're turning in today, and every one of the signatures that we're turning in, it has a story about it, about a Nebraskan who had the courage to help us collect and patients who need access across our state," said Lincoln Sen. Anna Wishart, who with Lincoln Sen. Adam Morfeld led the petition campaign.

The number needed was about 122,000 signatures, more than 10% of the voters in the state. The campaign had to be put on pause for a time because of the pandemic, but got 123,000 signatures in June, after signature collections began again. Those signatures will now be validated by the secretary of state.

The ballot initiative comes after several attempts to legalize medical cannabis fell short in the Legislature.

The latest bill (LB110) was sent to senators in 2019 after work on refining the measure. Wishart, who introduced the bill, got input from law enforcement, pharmacists, doctors, chambers of commerce, and patients.

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KERREY TELLS FORTENBERRY HE’S A NEBRASKA WHO SUPPORTS BOLZ

LINCOLN - n a letter responding to receipt of fundraising appeals from Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, former Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey cited the need for strong health care programs as a primary reason he is supporting Fortenberry's opponent, Democratic congressional nominee Kate Bolz.

Kerrey told Fortenberry he had received two of the congressman's campaign fundraising emails — one of which misspelled his last name — that referred to his own support of Bolz as an example of an appeal to "national activists and the wealthiest political class to quietly fund her campaign," implying in the process that Kerrey is no longer a Nebraskan because he lives in New York City now.

Kerrey said he also believes that Bolz would "not let her political party stop her" from vigorously opposing a Democratic president from securing power not granted under the Constitution, in contrast to what is happening in Washington today.

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DON WALTON: HAVING MARIJUANA, GAMBLING ON BALLOT SHOULD BOOST TURNOUT

LINCOLN - Nebraska's November general election lost a little luster when property tax reduction supporters and redistricting reform advocates abandoned petition drives to place high-profile issues on the ballot.

But casino gambling proponents and medical marijuana advocates rode to the rescue with proposals that will add clout to Nebraska's Nov. 3 general election. Both issues should spark voter turnout.

Medical marijuana is an understandably emotional issue, and the proposal to authorize casino gambling at racetracks in six Nebraska communities, including Lincoln, comes loaded with a provision to allocate 70% of the proceeds from an accompanying 20% gaming tax to the state's property tax credit fund.

So a November ballot that already should lure voters determined either to reelect President Donald Trump or abruptly end his presidency has some shiny new objects attached.

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RICKETTS SAYS HE SUPPORTS CAMPAIGN ADS THAT STATE GOP LEADER SAID ‘CROSSED THE LINE’

LINCOLN - Gov. Pete Ricketts made no apology last Thursday for negative attack mailings aimed at a Republican campaign opponent of one of his appointees, State Sen. Julie Slama of Peru. The mailings against candidate Janet Palmtag of Nebraska City — which a state GOP leader said “crossed the line” and former Govs. Dave Heineman and Bob Kerrey labeled racist — were “absolutely appropriate,” Ricketts said in response to reporter’s question.

The Governor went further, saying, “Janet Palmtag is not conservative and she is wrong on the issues on a number of different things,” he said, mentioning gun control and providing food stamp benefits for felons.”

Palmtag, when asked for a comment, said that “it’s a shame that Gov. Ricketts does not value an experienced, lifelong Republican and fellow Catholic. He supports religious-based attacks that have no place in Nebraska politics.” Paltag said, “the only thing liberal going on here is a liberal distortion of the truth.” She said she’s a fiscal conservative and a strong supporter of gun rights, and has been the victim of misleading attacks.

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RICKETTS ISSUES EXECUTIVE ORDER REINSTATING PRE-PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT REQUIREMENTS

LINCOLN — Gov. Pete Ricketts has brought back job search requirements for unemployed Nebraskans earlier than once planned.

The governor issued an executive order Monday reinstating pre-pandemic requirements for people claiming jobless benefits, effective next week.

He had suspended those and other unemployment insurance requirements in mid-March as part of the state’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. The suspension had been slated to cover unemployment claims filed through Aug. 1.

But in his new order, Ricketts said that Nebraska is in Phase 3 of reopening the economy and that employers are currently listing more than 30,000 available jobs. Reimposing the job search requirements, he said, “will facilitate the prosperity of Nebraskans and the economy.”

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