HAGEL SAYS DEEP DIVISIONS THREATEN U.S. LEADERSHIP

OMAHA- Former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel said Thursday that today's deep divisions in the United States and the polarization of its politics threaten its unity and future role as world leader.

"This country is going to have to come together," the former U.S. secretary of defense said during a virtual speaking appearance before members of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, the Omaha Chamber of Commerce and the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"It's up to us," Hagel said. "We're so much better than what we're showing today."

Hagel said "we're in for a rough few months and probably beyond" as the nation gears up for a presidential election showdown between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

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PRESTON LOVE JR. ANNOUNCES WRITE-IN CANDIDACY AGAINST SEN. Ben Sasse

OMAHA- The North Omaha activist Preston Love Jr. made history with his campaign bid. He is the first black Senate candidate backed by a major political party in state history.

The Nebraska Democratic Party announced its full support of his write-in candidacy. Preston Love Jr. is a Black Studies professor at UNO and was a campaign manager for Jessie Jackson's presidential campaign in 1984. He has always been a public activist for social justice in his Omaha community. 

Love as well as the Democratic Party wanted Alisha Shelton to be on the November ballot, however Chris Janicek defeated her in the primary so she is unable to be a write-in candidate according to state law. Janicek ignored repeated calls by the Nebraskan Democrats to drop out of the race after lewd texts came to light about his campaign's finance director. Love wants voters to know that his candidacy is about more than his race. He and the Democratic Party are aware that his candidacy gives even more favor to Sasse because of the huge difference in registered voters. 

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NEBRASKA'S SENATE DEBATE: SASSE PARRIES HEALTH CARE BARBS FROM JANICEK

OMAHA- The only Senate debate of 2020 offered voters a look at Senator Ben Sasse and his competitor, Chris Janicek. Janicek has recently been disavowed by the Democratic Party after inappropriate messages he sent came to light. 

Nebraska has close to 200,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats and Sasse is enjoying a $5.5 million fundraising advantage over Janicek. Janicek focused on Sasse's failure to pass health care reform and his opposition of certain unemployment benefits during the pandemic. Sasse told the World-Herald that he too was disappointed that the GOP could not get the reform passed. Both of Sasse's bills on healthcare have not advanced in the Senate. 

Following the debate, the Nebraska Democratic Party announced its backing of Preston Love as a write-in candidate following Janicek's refusal to leave the race following offensive comments to campaign staff.

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SASSE PROPOSES ENDING DIRECT ELECTION OF U.S. SENATORS

WASHINGTON- Senator Ben Sasse proposed a major change to the Senate this week. His proposal would repeal the Constitutional amendment that provided for direct election of its members, instead having members appointed by state legislators for a single 12 year term. He recognizes that this could take many years to implement if ever passed. Sasse first spoke about his opinion in the Wall Street Journal, where he said the founding fathers would be shocked at the current state of affairs.

Sasse continued saying that the functionality of the Senate as it is now consists of pointless exercises for the cameras. 

His plan includes removing cameras from hearings, dissolving standing committees and doubling the term from six to twelve years without ability for reelection. He believes if the Senator is not focused on being reelected, they will be more concerned with real challenges, not short-term popularity. The standing committees would be replaced by temporary panels that focus on specific issues. 

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THE BATTLE OVER BISCUITS AND GRAVY AT THE 11-WORTH CAFE

OMAHA- Omaha's 11-Worth Cafe closed its doors after protestors over the summer began to call out the restaurant for an item on the menu named after Robert E. Lee. Activists in the Omaha area say the name of the breakfast was another reminder of Omaha's history such as the lynching of a black men in 1919 and the KKK attacks on Malcolm X. The activists say without bringing attention to the name would be allowing and normalizing hate. 

The majority of the backlash against the cafe came after the fatal shooting of James Scurlock. Jake Gardner, an Old Market bar owner, shot Scurlock in what the court has determined as self defense. After multiple Facebook posts by owners and employees of the cafe came to light praising Gardner, protests against the restaurant really kicked in. After a few weeks of the protests, the 40 year old cafe closed. 

The family who owned the restaurant claim they have received death threats and ever ending verbal abuse. Omaha City Council Member, Brinker Harding believes this is a case of a disagreement going too far. Other city representatives have not made any statements. The closure of 11-Worth Cafe is a symbol of the changing times in both Omaha and the country. 

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LARA TRUMP STOPS IN OMAHA, SAYS FATHER-IN-LAW PRESIDENT TRUMP DELIVERED RESULTS

OMAHA- President Donald Trump confirmed Omaha’s status as a presidential swing district Thursday by sending his second surrogate in less than a month to Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.  Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara rallied the Omaha crowd of 75 to 100 supporters, who included Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and former Bellevue Mayor Rita Sanders.

Lara Trump’s Nebraska stop focused on reminding Republicans in Douglas County and western Sarpy County what’s at stake and why the campaign needs them to get their neighbors to vote.

The president won the Omaha area congressional district by 2 percentage points in 2016. Nebraska awards an electoral vote to the winner of the popular vote in each congressional district. But since 2016, Douglas County has added registered Democrats to the voting rolls at a faster pace than Republicans in Douglas and Sarpy County’s slice of the 2nd District. That’s why the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia now lists Biden as a slight favorite to win the 2nd District, as President Barack Obama did in 2008.

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SUPREME COURT CLEARS THE WAY FOR PAYDAY LENDING INITIATIVE ON NOVEMBER BALLOT

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Supreme Court has cleared the way for Nebraska voters to decide if payday lenders should have caps on interest and fees they can charge to customers. On Thursday the court affirmed an earlier decision by Lancaster District court which ruled the language used as "sufficient" and "fair" to appear on the ballot. 

Trina Thomas of Lincoln had sued the state to stop the measure from appearing in November following its successful signature gathering drive. Thomas said by referring to “payday lenders” instead of “delayed deposit services licensees,” which appears in state statute, voters would be prejudiced to support the initiative capping annual percentage rates at 36% instead of the 400% currently allowed. 

“We further agree with the district court that the Attorney General’s decision to use ‘payday lenders’ clarifies the measure, because no evidence was presented that the general public knows the meaning of the term ‘delayed deposit services licensees,’” the court concluded. 

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NEBRASKA VOTERS WILL DECIDE ON CASINO GAMBLING AT HORSE RACING TRACKS FOLLOWING SUPREME COURT RULING

LINCOLN- On Thursday the Supreme Court ruled Nebraska voters will get to weigh in on a set of three ballot initiatives that would permit and regulate casino gambling at Nebraska horse racing tracks, the State Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

The court ruled 4-3 in favor of several pro-gambling groups and ordered Secretary of State Bob Evnen to place the three initiatives on the Nov. 3 ballot. Under the ballot questions will be allowing casino gambling at horse tracks, establishment of regulations and tax, and directing tax collections towards the offset of property taxes. 

Gov. Pete Ricketts, a gambling opponent, said in a statement, “While I respect the judgment of the Court on the gambling initiatives, I urge Nebraskans to keep gambling out of the Good Life when they head to the polls in November.” 

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MEDICAL MARIJUANA WILL NOT BE ON NEBRASKA GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT SUPREME COURT RULES

LINCOLN- Medical marijuana backers vowed not to give up Thursday after being dealt a death blow for 2020 by the Nebraska Supreme Court, who tossed the proposed constitutional amendment from the ballot.

The Supreme Court decision means that Nebraska voters will not have a chance to decide about legalizing medical uses of cannabis this year, despite a petition drive that collected more than 182,000 signatures to put the issue on the ballot. With two judges dissenting, the court ruled that the proposal by Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana violated the Nebraska Constitution’s requirement that ballot initiatives stick to a single subject.

Leaders of the drive expressed deep disappointment at the ruling but said they would keep fighting for the cause. The next step will be a new attempt at getting legislation passed in the 2021 session.

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FORMER NEBRASKA GOP CHAIR CHUCK SIGERSON REMEMBERED FOR PASSION HE BROUGHT TO POLITICS

OMAHA- A longtime leader for the Nebraska Republican Party passed away Sunday. He led the party from 1995-2001, which was a resurgence period for Nebraska Republicans. He was elected to Omaha City Council in 2001 in which Democrats and Republicans alike respected his work and applauded his ability to start fights and win them. 

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NEBRASKA STATE SENATORS EXAMINE SOCIAL JUSTICE, POLICE REFORM BILLS FOR 2021

LINCOLN- In June, Ruben Cano, Principal of Omaha South Magnet High School called on the Legislature's Judiciary Committee to not stop once the protests are over. He says for his students, the American Dream is something they strive for but because of varying societal factors, it is harder for them. Cano encouraged the senators to work on legislation that will finally end the systemic racism his students and others experience. However, the senators were not able to get much done. Now, Cano along with activist groups would like to see a special session so the senators can focus on specific issues. 

Senators have started to file interim study resolutions that specifically target racial justice issues. 

LR146 seeks to examine the feasibility of a prosecutor-transparency act to collect data and establish a process to report on city and county prosecutors. This was introduced by Senator Justin Wayne (District 13). 

LR347, also introduced by Sen. Wayne looks at the historic practices of redlining in Nebraska's cities. 

LR377, introduced by Senator Patty Pansing Brooks (District 28) focuses on reforming policing in Nebraska through independent government oversight of law enforcement agencies. It also looks at reforming chokeholding, electroshock weapons, irritants and high-impact mutations for crowd controlling practices. 

LR417 looks at policies about law enforcement's use of force. This study was filed by Senator Matt Hansen (District 26). 

LR421 takes a look at the racial and ethnic disproportionality in Nebraska's foster care and juvenile systems, specifically at Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers. Senators Sara Howard (District 9) and Steve Lathrop (District 12) introduced this study. 

LR449, introduced by Senator Tony Vargas (District 7) would examine systemic and institutional racism in Nebraska and make recommendations to improve systems to make them more equitable for those who are biracial, interracial and people of color. 

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NEBRASKA HOSPITALS HAVE TAKEN BIG FINANCIAL HIT DURING THE PANDEMIC, GROUP SAYS

OMAHA- Hospitals in the state have taken a huge economic hit during the pandemic. The Nebraska State Hospital Association is asking for additional federal funding for the state's hospitals. Directed health measures that temporarily stopped elective procedures greatly impacted hospital's revenue. 

In 80% of member hospitals, data shows emergency room visits were down 44% in April from the same month in the year prior. Outpatient surgeries took a hit by 70%. Numbers by June were better, but were still lower than 2019. This means operating margins were down by almost 34% since March. 

Andy Hale, the association's VP for advocacy say Nebraskan hospitals have benefited from the federal programs handed down during the pandemic. However, the cash has not covered the increased expenses coronavirus has brought to hospitals. Even without an influx in COVID-19 patients, hospitals have still been affected by the health measures to suspend certain procedures. The pandemic also warded off patients because they were worried about getting the virus from the hospitals. 

Before the pandemic even began 53% of Nebraska hospitals were distressed with operating margins of less than 2%. The hospital system in Nebraska still has a lot of recovering to do. 

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NEW GROUP FORMS TO PRESERVE NONPARTISANSHIP IN NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- There have been growing concerns about partisan influences growing in the Nebraska Legislature. This group has been formed to focus on maintaining the nonpartisan structure and tradition of the Legislature. The group's executive director, Nathan Leach, said the idea for a group like this came from his experience working in the Arizona State Legislature. Everything in Arizona was determined based on if the person was a Democrat or Republican, not if the idea actually served constituents. 

The group's board of directors includes former State Senator Al Davis (Hyannis) and Councilwoman Tami James Moore (Kearney). The group aims to educate the public about Nebraska's unique approach to civil discourse by putting Nebraskans first without worrying about party affiliation. 

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UNION PACIFIC TO LAY OFF EMPLOYEES; COMPANY TIES CUTS TO EFFICIENCY EFFORTS

OMAHA- Union Pacific will be laying off an unknown number of employees according to the Nebraska Department of Labor. The railroad system has seen a huge hit in finances due to the pandemic, but the company claims it is part of their efforts to streamline operations. In September of 2018, the company employed 44,531 people. This July, Union Pacific was employing 32,820 people. This is mostly due to shipping volume decreasing by 20% in the second quarter of 2019. 

Their net income decreased by $500 million quarter-to-quarter in the last year. With the layoffs, the company is hoping to lower their 'operating ratio', meaning the percentage of each dollar received that is spent running the railroad.  

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NEBRASKA STATE LEGISLATORS JOIN CHORUS OF VOICES ASKING FOR BIG TEN TO RECONSIDER POSTPONEMENT

LINCOLN- A bipartisan group of 28 state senators from Nebraska wrote a letter to Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren and other administrators to reconsider their decision to cancel the football season. The letter notes that there is full support from University of Nebraska's student athletes, coaches and administrators. It goes on to say that it puts the state's athletes at a disadvantage to their competitors who are playing this season. It also puts the Nebraska Athletic Department at a huge loss financially which will force scholarship and program cuts. The letter is signed by 25 Republicans and three Democrats. 

Six other states around the Big Ten Conference also sent a letter to Commissioner Warren. The Chicago Tribune reported that a vote could be happening this weekend at the absolute earliest. If the return to competition is approved, the restart date has not been discussed at all. An early October start has little to no support, however Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos said they could be considering a start at Thanksgiving, January or even February. The letter shows that everyone wants sports to continue in a safe manner. 

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SPEAKER RELEASES TENTATIVE 2021 SESSION CALENDAR

This week Speaker Jim Scheer released his tentative schedule for the upcoming 2021 session which is scheduled to convene on Wednesday, January 6th. Of note is that this calendar is especially tentative given that Speaker Scheer will depart the body at the end of the year due to term limits, and a new speaker will be elected on the first day of the session. 

We are proud to represent you and your interests before Nebraska's government, and are looking forward to a successful 2021 session for all of our clients. Should you have any questions regarding this tentative calendar, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Should there be any adjustments to this calendar over the next few months leading up to session, we will include an update in our weekly interim updates. 

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NEBRASKA STATE SENATORS ASK RICKETTS TO EXTEND EMERGENCY FOOD AID

LINCOLN- Twenty state senators wrote letters to urge the governor to join the rest of the country in extending emergency food aid in the pandemic. Nebraska is the only state not taking additional federal dollars for those on food stamps. This would help 173,000 Nebraskans, which is mostly disabled people and the elderly. 

Senator John McCollister says there is no obvious reason as to why Nebraska is not asking for greater assistance. According to state figures, 60% of Nebraska food stamps recipients would receive more money. The U.S. Agriculture Department calculates that a five-person household would receive an extra $240 to buy food per month. 

This extended program manifests itself in SNAP which would allow for the maximum amount of benefits to be given to all recipients. The federal government would be paying the entire cost of the extra food aid as well as half of the administrative costs. Administrators at food banks say they could use all the help they could possibly get after seeing an influx of 61% of people  using their services. 

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AG SECRETARY VISITS OMAHA, ANNOUNCES SECOND ROUND OF THE CORONAVIRUS FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

OMAHA- Sonny Perdue, the Secretary of Agriculture toured the Food Bank for the Heartland warehouse on Friday. The agency is dealing with increased demand due to the coronavirus. Perdue was joined by Governor Ricketts, the State Agriculture Director Steve Wellman and Representative Don Bacon. 

From March 15 to June 30 the Food Bank for the Heartland distributed over eleven and a half million meals through the new SNAP incentives. This was a 61% jump from the average amount of meals distributed over that time period. 

Before COVID-19, the bank's mobile pantry program in Grand Island served around 400 houses per month, that figure is now closer to 1,000.

Perdue then announced the third round of the Farmers to Families Food Box Program, which is worth $4 million will roll out Tuesday without any delays. Ricketts' spokesman said the governor stands by his decision not to extend the emergency supplemental food assistance program past July. The federal coronavirus relief bill allowed the states to boost all SNAP benefits to the maximum level. Nebraska was the only state not to provide this additional aid for August. Thirteen other states have already applied to continue past September. 

Perdue said there will be a second round of the food assistance program coming in mid-September with the first round providing $16 billion to help farmers and ranchers through the pandemic. This round will mostly cover agricultural commodities. The Department of Agriculture's Forest Service and the state will also begin to work on grassland restoration with a focus on protecting at-risk communities from wildfire. 

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34 INMATES TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 AT THE NEBRASKA STATE PENITENTIARY

LINCOLN- Since testing at the facility began one week ago, thirty-four inmates tested positive for the virus. One inmate was tested after arrival at the hospital for another issue and remains hospitalized now. Testing began after one inmate tested positive, then expanded once the facility was placed on quarantine. Over 600 people agreed to get tested, as it is voluntary. Once a person tests positive, they are housed away from the general prison population. 

Thirteen inmates have tested positive at the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center. Fifty-seven inmates living in Nebraska correctional facilities have tested positive since the beginning of the pandemic. 

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NEBRASKA APPLIES FOR $300 A WEEK FEDERAL BOOST TO UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

LINCOLN- Nebraska is the last state to request the weekly $300 boost in federal unemployment benefits which President Trump made available through an executive order. 48 states announced plans to apply. State Labor Commissioner, John Albin said unemployed Nebraskans will state receiving checks in two weeks if all goes well. Nebraska did not apply earlier because the state had to find a way to pay administrative costs for this new benefit. 

Workers who were already receiving unemployment during specific weeks will not have to reapply for the funds. The department will send out emails for certification of the extra money. Jobless Nebraskans who receive less than $100 per week will not be eligible for the boost. This boost is similar to the original $600 payment plans that ended July 25th. Nebraska has opted to give the $300 federal dollars rather than adding in state funds to make it $400. 

The program will expire December 27th if it does not end sooner. Albin predicts it will expire by mid-September. 

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