CENSUS BUREAU ANNOUNCES DELAY IN DATA NEEDED FOR REDISTRICTING

ATLANTA- The redrawing of seats will be delayed several months as the Census Bureau announced September 30th as its new goal for releasing census date. This means, the once-a-decade task of redrawing congressional districts will be put off. Redistricting numbers are usually released by April 1. Some states require redistricting officials to complete the redrawing by summer, which will obviously be impossible now. 

The worry is that the delay will directly effect 2022 campaigns even more than the already partisan redistricting years do. 

Rumors have been swirling about a possible special session in the fall to address redistricting in Nebraska, however it is not known what this delay could mean for the scheduling of such a session. 

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FROZEN PIPE BURST CAUSES WASTEWATER LEAK AT ETHANOL PLANT NEAR MEAD

LINCOLN- A week after the AltEn ethanol plant was ordered to shut down, they reported an accidental leak from its facility after a frozen pipe burst that contained stillage and cattle manure. State environmental officials are monitoring the situation as concerns about wastewater discharge and pollution of air, water and land. The spill is just the most recent problem with the plant, but all leftovers from AltEn will be disposed of by March 1st. 

All the bees in colonies on a UNL campus have died, which can show connections to insecticides which would have been released by the plant. 

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NEBRASKA SEN. SASSE BETS POLITICAL FUTURE ON OPPOSING TRUMP

LINCOLN- Junior Senator Ben Sasse is cultivating anti-Trumpism as his brand perhaps more than any other rising Republican leader. He is among the small group of members of the GOP who voted to convict Trump on the charge of inciting insurrection. His criticisms are angering many members of the Nebraska Republican Party but on the other hand is gaining respect from others. 

Sasse is aspiring to a higher office and in effect is betting there's a political future in trying to fight for the comeback of the establishment GOP. The senator won 27,000 more votes than Trump in Nebraska, showing he has a better holding on moderate voters in the state. Many voters believe Sasse speaks his mind rather than following the party lines. 

County GOP committees have voted to censure Sasse and and others are waiting to reach full censorship at the state Republican central committee meeting next month. 

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YELLEN IS CREATING A NEW SENIOR TREASURY POST FOR CLIMATE CZAR

WASHINGTON- Janet Yellen plans to tackle the potential risks to the financial system posed by climate change by pushing tax incentives to reduce carbon emissions. Yellen is looking at Sarah Bloom Raskin, a veteran of the Obama Administration, to head a climate 'hub'. The Biden Administration has already taken steps to address climate change by rejoining the Paris Climate Accord and suspended oil and gas leases on federal land. Yellen calls climate change "an existential threat" to the U.S. economy. 

Officials have yet to reach a consensus on whether climate change can be mitigated through regulation. Republican members of Congress worry banks will use 'climate stress tests' to deny loans to the oil and gas industry. 

Stress will begin to be put on the economy as mortgages in coastal areas become more vulnerable to sea level rise. Another example of this stress could include people and companies beginning to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, creating a more widespread use of electric cars which could reduce the value of assets owned by oil and gas leaders. 

“There is opportunity in pre-emptive, early and bold actions by federal economic policy makers looking to avoid catastrophe,” Ms. Raskin wrote in the report’s foreword. “The tools exist. They are available now, and ready to be picked up and deployed.”

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EDITORIAL: LAWMAKERS MUST CREATE POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY IN ADDRESSING RACIAL CONCERNS

OMAHA- After a summer of passionate discourse following George Floyd's death, the Nebraska Legislature was determined to hear and address questions Nebraskans had about police oversight. This Legislative session, eight bills have been introduced to address those concerns. 

Senator Justin Wayne and Senator Terrell McKinney, both from Omaha, asked opposers to the bill why the public can see disciplinary actions taken against doctors, lawyers and firefighters but can't for police officers. 

“So we can do that for child care workers but not someone who can shoot and kill? How does that make sense?” Wayne asked.

If an officer is disciplined, most of the time that is hidden and allows the officer to make his or her way to any other agency to get another job as a police officer. Police registries in some form exist in 27 states and show suspensions and other discipline, which holds them accountable. Nebraska needs to, at least, make proven incidents of misconduct publicly available. 

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EDITORIAL: LARGE-SCALE ACCOUNTING PROBLEM, CHILD WELFARE MESS STIR CONCERN OVER NEBRASKA GOVERNMENT

OMAHA- Nebraska governors seem to be management stewards rather than policy innovators according to political scientists. But, the Ricketts administration has made troubling mistakes on the fundamentals of government management. 

Recently, a report came out about the State Department of Administrative Services and their $21 billion in accounting errors. The errors seemed to come from documentation and assigning funds incorrectly. Although those mistakes seem minuscule, if a private company did the same it would be considered a glaring failure. 

The State Department of Health and Human Services also signed another contract with St. Francis Ministries. This time, Nebraska signed an emergency 25-month contract with the ministry after they ran out of the money to handle child welfare services. This problem seems to have come from the governor's acceptance of an oddly low bid, which was 40% lower than what the state had been paying to previous contractor, PromiseShip. The article notes, "Accounting, after all, is famous for its rigorous reliance on standards — universally adopted financial procedures to ensure professionally managed accounts."

The Legislature is fully justified to investigate St. Francis Ministries and find out why the administration OKed a contract that was such a dramatic underbid. 

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CDC TO INVESTIGATE CLAIM OF NEBRASKA DEATH RELATED TO COVID-19 VACCINE

OMAHA- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a death which listed the vaccine as one of his several causes of death. The man was in his late 40s and resided at a long-term care facility. He died between one and two weeks after receiving one dose of the vaccine, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. The death was entered into a reporting system which tracks national vaccine safety, run by the CDC and FDA. 

Dr. Gary Anthone, Nebraska's chief medical officer, says COVID-19 vaccine deaths are attributed to anaphylaxis and occur shortly after the vaccine is given. Although he did not want to speculate, Dr. Anthone believes this death was caused by other underling factors. He urges high-risk Nebraskans to speak with their physician before getting vaccinated.

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SENATORS ADVANCE PROPOSAL TO LET NEBRASKANS DECIDE ON REMOVING SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BAN

LINCOLN- Senators on the Judiciary Committee took an initial step Thursday toward removing Nebraska’s unenforceable ban on same-sex marriage. On a 5-2 vote, the committee advanced a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow voters to decide whether to remove the ban, which Nebraskans enshrined in the state Constitution in 2000 by a 70% to 30% vote.

In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court rendered the ban unenforceable, ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges that such prohibitions violated the due process and equal protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution. State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, who introduced Legislative Resolution 20CA earlier this year, has said that opinions have changed and that the measure would allow Nebraskans to show that.

Voting to advance LR 20CA from committee, besides Pansing Brooks, were State Sens. Steve Lathrop and Terrell McKinney of Omaha, Adam Morfeld of Lincoln, and Wendy DeBoer of Bennington. Voting against advancement were Sens. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln and Tom Brandt of Plymouth. Sen. Julie Slama of Peru was absent when the vote was taken.

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LINCOLN APPEARS TO BE LEFT OUT OF PHARMACY VACCINE PROGRAM FOR NOW

LINCOLN- It is unclear if Lincoln pharmacies will offer COVID-19 vaccines as a part of the federal program. None of the state's three dozen locations that will be participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program will be in Lincoln. Three locations are in Omaha and the other 11 are in smaller cities and towns. 

Governor Ricketts has been critical of the federal vaccine rollout programs, however he is happy more vaccines are making their way into the state. He went on to say that pharmacies in Lincoln have applied but they just might not have been announced yet. He hopes to see the state return to normalcy 'maybe late this summer'. 

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RICKETTS DISAGREES WITH SASSE'S VOTE TO PROCEED WITH TRIAL AGAINST TRUMP

LINCOLN- Governor Ricketts announced Wednesday he disagrees with Senator Ben Sasse's decision to vote to proceed with the Senate impeachment trial of former President Trump. Ricketts said he believes going through an impeachment procedure against a former president is unconstitutional. This comes after a meeting that was scheduled by the Nebraska GOP to discuss censorship of Sasse. 

Ricketts urged Nebraskan’s who feel strongly against Sasse’s actions to reach out to the senator. Opposition to Sasse‘s position has been building with loyalists to the former president who are moving for local county GOP party organizations to pass censorship motions against the junior U.S. Senator. 

A Republican state central committee meeting that was set this coming weekend to consider county party resolutions seeking censure of Sasse, who was re-elected to a second term by a landslide margin last November, has been postponed.

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DEB, JIM SUTTLE SAY THEIR DAUGHTER WAS A PASSIONATE TEACHER, DEVOTED MOTHER OF FOUR

OMAHA- Former Nebraska State Senator Deb Suttle  and former Omaha Mayor  Jim Suttle's daughter, Amber Tjaden, was found this week having passed away after she had been missing since late January. The Suttle family remembers Amber as a great teacher and mother. She was a devoted teacher at Metro Community College's 'Gateway to College program', where she helped kids who had lost their way. Tjaden began this passion after she had been a special education teacher in the Omaha Public School system for two decades. 

“Her whole life was around her children, her students,” said Deb Suttle, a former Nebraska state senator. 

Foul play is not considered a factor in the passing of Tjaden.

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LONGTIME IOWA OFFICIAL HIRED TO LEAD NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

LINCOLN- John Selmer, a division director in the Iowa Department of Transportation, has been picked as the new head of Nebraska's transportation agency. Selmer, of Story City, Iowa, replaces Kyle Schneweis, who resigned in October to take a job with a private firm.

Selmer has been director of the Strategic Performance Division in the Iowa DOT since August 2012.  Before that, he served as the director of the agency's Statewide Operations Bureau for two years and as a district engineer for a decade. He has more than 31 years of experience in the Iowa DOT. Selmer, who holds a civil engineering degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said his career has focused on "continuous improvement, innovation, and strategizing for the future."

“John will build upon the strong foundation the NDOT has and take it to the next level,” said Gov. Pete Ricketts, who announced the appointment Thursday. Selmer will begin his new role on March 15th.

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NEBRASKA STATE SENATOR CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION OF OMAHA-AREA CHILD WELFARE CONTRACT

INCOLN- State Senator Machaela Cavanaugh is proposing a special investigative committee that will include members from legislative committees. This committee will have the power to subpoena documents and testimony. The group will be tasked with looking into why and how the state signed another contract with St. Francis Ministries. During a hearing on the measure in the Health and Human Services Committee it was reported that three key measures of child welfare have worsened since the ministry took over management of Douglas and Sarpy Cases. These measures include 'children being reunited with their parents in a timely and permanent manner, children getting adopted in a timely manner and children leaving foster care for permanent homes.

A spokeswoman for St. Francis Ministries says the non-profit has had success. She also said that many issues the organization is being blamed for were happening before they took over. St. Francis has failed to meet federal expectations on many different issues. HHS officials have held back almost $2 million in payments to the non-profit for failing to meet contract goals. The original Nebraska and St. Francis contract was negotiated by two St. Francis executives who were removed following the whistleblower report from months ago. 

Despite these clear issues, Nebraska officials signed another contract with the ministry at the end of last month. The contract is wroth an estimated $147.3 million and will continue through February 2023. The new agreement boosts payment to St. Francis by 72%.

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PROHIBITIVE OR PROTECTIVE? LANCASTER COUNTY’S WIND TURBINE RULES SPUR DEBATE

LINCOLN-  Proponents of renewable energy development said Lancaster County shouldn't let its rules stand in the way of wind farms that could bring tax revenue, valuable jobs and aid in the local fight to address climate change.

However, Several dozen predominantly southern Lancaster County residents called on county commissioners Thursday to leave the rules governing wind turbines alone as the board weighs loosening regulations amid a renewable energy push. During a nearly five-hour public hearing, opponents of wind farm development in the county told board members that Lancaster County could support renewable energy without risking disruptions for rural families.

The County Board is considering changes that would reduce the minimum setback from a property that has not signed onto a project from 5 times the height of the turbines to 3½ times the height, effectively a change from one-half mile to one-third mile, as well as increasing the allowable noise threshold. 

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JOE KELLY RESIGNS AS TOP FEDERAL PROSECUTOR IN NEBRASKA

OMAHA- U.S. Attorney Joe Kelly has submitted his resignation as the top federal prosecutor in the state. Kelly was appointed by former President Donald Trump and was confirmed to the Senate over three years ago. This comes after the Biden Administration asked for all resignations by the end of February so the President can begin the process to find and vet possible replacements

U.S. attorneys are the chief prosecutors in their respective districts. They are also involved in civil litigation where the United States is a party.  There are 93 U.S. Attorneys throughout the United States and its territories.  Despite its large geographic size, the state of Nebraska is served by only one presidentially appointed U.S. Attorney.

Until President Biden nominates a successor and that person is confirmed by the Senate, an Acting United States Attorney designated by the Department of Justice will lead the office. Kelly was named to the role 3 years ago by then President Donald Trump, and previously served as the Lancaster County Attorney.

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PALMTAG, UNSUCCESSFUL DISTRICT 1 LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATE, SUES NEBRASKA GOP FOR DEFAMATION

LINCOLN- Janet Palmtag, a Nebraska City real estate agent, is accusing the party of running ads and robocalls that contained "intentional, reckless and false statements." The claim is that the party sent out campaign mailers claiming she broke laws to get her license. She has hired veteran litigator David Domina as her attorney. Domina is asking for damages for emotional distress, damage to her reputation and $500,000 in lost income from her business. 

Palmtag lost the race to incumbent State Sen. Julie Slama in a highly contested race between the two Republicans which ended up splitting the party. 

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ETHANOL PLANT NEAR MEAD ORDERED TO SHUT DOWN

MEAD- A troubled ethanol plant near Mead that uses chemically treated seed corn has been ordered to shut down until it can dispose of excess, contaminated wastewater generated by the facility. On Thursday, the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy issued an emergency order to AltEn, the operator of the plant, to immediately cease discharges into its wastewater lagoons, saying that the company was "likely to cause and may have already caused" pollution of the air, land and water.

The department's order said that inspections of the ethanol plant's three lagoons on Monday indicated that all were holding more wastewater than permitted, and that liners on two of the lagoons were badly damaged and had not been repaired, as required by a state order in 2019. The company, AltEn, have been given 30 days to develop a plan to dispose of the water, which had unsafe levels of pesticides and fungicides used to coat seed corn. AltEn was also ordered to cease more discharge into the lagoons, which normally averages 100,000 gallons per day. 

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LEGISLATURE DEBATES WHAT NEWLY LEGALIZED GAMING WILL LOOK LIKE IN NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- Members of the Legislature's General Affairs Committee dug into those details Monday in a public hearing focused on the soon-to-arrive casinos. Some of the proposals considered would prohibit casino visitors from using credit cards to gamble, allow misdemeanor charges for people who cheat and require casinos to set up a way for gambling addicts to voluntarily bar themselves from the facilities.

Lance Morgan, the president and CEO of Ho-Chunk, said the industry needs some regulations to clarify issues that couldn't be placed on the ballot measure, such as sports betting. He said the casinos will help Lincoln and Omaha by providing jobs for residents.Sen. Tom Briese, chairman of the General Affairs Committee, said it's important for lawmakers to move quickly to set up clear rules for the casinos, even though he personally opposes gambling.

“It's our responsibility to ensure that the will of the voters is respected,” said Briese of Albion.

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AUDITOR CITES $21 BILLION IN ERRORS, PUTS RARE DISCLAIMER ON NEBRASKA'S FINANCIAL REPORT

LINCOLN- The State Auditor's Office released a report on Tuesday that shows more than $21 billion in errors on the state's end-of-the-year financial report. Because of this, the office made an extremely rare decision to put a disclaimer on the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report as auditors could not verify the accuracy. The problem came from the state's accounting process, not a mismanagement of funds. 

“We didn’t see big issues with money missing or fraud,” Assistant Deputy Auditor Craig Kubicek said. “But when the state doesn’t get a clean audit opinion, it’s a big deal.”

The letter showed that the accounting division made 52 major errors including mostly errors in financial statement entries, footnote disclosures and others. The total is particularly concerning because the auditors only checked a sample of transactions, meaning the actual total is most likely much higher. Governmental accounting standards were not met whatsoever. Tax dollars were not a part of these errors.

Many of the people dealing with the $900 million from the federal government were very new and are taking this experience as a learning opportunity. The auditor's office is also concerned about the financial statements from the unemployment insurance fund and about DHHS accounts. 

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BILL SEEKS $75M MORE IN FUNDING, WHICH COULD GO TO FUTURE ARENA UPGRADES

LINCOLN- Omaha officials say the city's downtown convention center will need renovations and new parking options within the decade. With that, Omaha is advocating for the passage of LB181, a bill introduced by Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, which would partially fund facility improvements by doubling the amount of arena financing incentive money the city can receive. This would amend the Convention Center Facility Financing Assistance Act to raise the cap available turn back tax from $75 million to $150 million. 

The state turns back 70% of state sales tax from hotels and sales inside the facility to Omaha. The same tax has been used to fund the Pinnacle Bank Arena and the Ralston Arena. At the end of 2019, Omaha had received $38 million in state turnback taxes.

A hearing for this bill has not yet been scheduled. 

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