RICKETTS DECLINES REQUEST TO HELP HOUSE MIGRANT CHILDREN

LINCOLN- Gov. Pete Ricketts on Tuesday declined a request from the Biden Administration asking Nebraska to house displaced migrant children who have crossed the border into the United States. Ricketts says he declined so that resources are used for serving 'our' kids. 

"The Biden administration should focus on working with Central American governments to reunite the children with their families in their home countries instead of pursuing the risky strategy of scattering them across the United States," Ricketts said. 

The governor went on to say that President Biden has created an immigration crisis. During the Trump presidency, Ricketts had urged President Trump to keep children and families together during the discussion of separating children from their families after crossing the border. Nearly 35,000 unaccompanied children need to find care by June according to the New York Times. 20,000 of those children are teenagers in federal custody.

Read the Governor’s Press Release by clicking HERE

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GOV. RICKETTS DESIGNATES NEBRASKA AS 'SANCTUARY STATE' FOR GUN RIGHTS

LINCOLN- Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a symbolic proclamation Wednesday designating Nebraska as a "Second Amendment Sanctuary State". This announcement comes after President Joe Biden announced a plan to address gun violence. A bill in the Nebraska Legislature is pending and would allow counties to opt out of the state requirement that gun owners register and take a gun safety course to carry concealed carry weapons. 

“The White House and U.S. Congress have announced their intention to pursue measures that would infringe on the right to keep and bear arms,” Ricketts stated in the proclamation. “Nebraska will stand up against federal overreach and attempts to regulate gun ownership and use in the Good Life.”

This proclamation means that Nebraska will not enforce federal gun laws they consider to be too restrictive. Kansas and Wyoming have also declared themselves "sanctuary states". 

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DON WALTON: HEINEMAN NEWEST BIG NAME IN GUBERNATORIAL CHATTER

LINCOLN- Dave Heineman has told associates he is thinking of a possible gubernatorial bid in 2022, which could raise the prospect of a very high-profile Republican primary a year from now. His decision though is not final and Gov. Ricketts has not yet endorsed a candidate. But, the governor's 2018 reelection team are aboard Jim Pillen's campaign. 

If Pillen and Heineman go toe to toe, the race could get ugly. Heineman rose to the governorship in 2005 after Mike Johanns resigned to become U.S. secretary of agriculture and again after defeating Tom Osborne in the Republican primary election in 2006. He then garnered 74% of the vote in 2010 for his second four-year term. The Nebraska Republican Party is Pete Ricketts' party today, with the two governors going toe-to-toe in last year’s match up of Senator Julie Slama, who was heavily backed by Governor Ricketts, and challenger Janet Palmtag who was backed by Governor Heineman. 

The gubernatorial race becomes even more complex as many key senators will be term-limited in the legislature, some of whom have considered a run for the state’s top seat.

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'FACTORS OTHER THAN MAKING MONEY' TO BE CONSIDERED IN HOW NU INVESTS FUNDS

LINCOLN- The Board of Regents at the University of Nebraska approved a policy change saying it will consider the environmental and social impacts of their investments. This decision came after 15 months of talks between regents, administrators and students pushing for the university to pull investments from fossil fuel companies. This policy change though will only apply to the $370 million managed by the regents in Fund N. The remaining $1.7 billion endowment held in Fund A will continue to be managed by the University of Nebraska Foundation. Through this policy, the goal is to only invest in companies with a sustainability fund in place by 2025.

NU President Ted Carter said the university system does not have any direct investments in fossil fuel companies and has reduced its exposure to energy companies form 6.5% to 2%. 1% of Fund N endowment is invested in the Carbon Underground 200. 

“What it does do is create flexibility for you to consider factors other than making money,” Carter said. “I think we can all agree that there is value in flexibility, and that responsible investing is a best practice that aligns with the priorities of our students, faculty and staff.”

Speaker Hilgers told the Board of Regents that he is hopeful this policy will lead to a great future of the state and university. "You have a Nebraska Legislature that is ready, willing and able to drive through those headwinds and work toward transformational change," said Hilgers of Lincoln.

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JIM MCKEE: OMAHA HAS HAD ITS SHARE OF BEER

OMAHA- With Omaha being on the Missouri River and being the central location for any connection in the country, the city has been home to every kind of manufacturing. Willow Springs, the first distillery in the state, was once the third largest in the country. Even before craft brewing became popular, Omaha became home to over a dozen beer makers. Krug Brewery became the first commercial brewer in Omaha and in the state in 1859 on Farnam and 10th street. Quite quickly, many other brewers began popping up. 

Then, McCombe's on about Sixth and Leavenworth was bought out by brothers Frederick and Phillip Metz in 1864 for $6,500. There were three Metz brothers, one of which was elected to the Nebraska Senate and later was elected to the Legislature's upper house in 1885. The Metz slowly became leaders in the brewery industry as they continued to buy out many different saloons and others. They eventually employed twenty people with the annual payroll of $14,400 and was worth around $125,000. 

The Metz brothers operation then became a part of Willow Springs which was sold in 1900 at the beginning of prohibition to a real estate company. As alcohol emerged again as a big business in 1933, the name was changed to Fontenelle Brewing Co. and was a huge business during WWII. In 1961, Metz beer, then owned by My Beer Co. closed but reemerged in 2018. The Metz Brothers mansions still stand on Dewey Street. 

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NEBRASKA AQUIFERS CONTINUE TO BOUNCE BACK THANKS TO SERIES OF WET YEARS

OMAHA- Nebraska'a aquifers are incredibly important for Nebraska's economy through as a vital resource to irrigation, industry and drinking water. Now, after a few wet years and the extraordinary rains of 2019, the state's aquifers are returning to what is considered healthy levels. Central Nebraska saw jumps in rain levels as large as 14 feet. The aquifers were incredibly dry after the 2012 flash drought that left the state the driest it had ever been. 

Experts from the University of Nebraska Lincoln geology department say it is too early to know if the dry year of 2020 will have a huge impact on the aquifers. The same can be said about the effects of global warming on the aquifers-- it's too soon to know. A Nebraska state climatologist, believes rain levels will only continue to increase in the state as global warming continues to raise questions.

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PFIZER SAYS DONATION TO ELECTION OBJECTOR WAS MISTAKE

LINCOLN- Following the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Pfizer pledged not to make any campaign contributions to Republican members of Congress who voted not to certify the results of the election. Then, the pharmaceutical giants gave Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) $2,500 on March 17 according to election filings released Thursday. The company issued a mea culpa and canceled the donation. The statement said that the donation was an error and that Pfizer will continue to pause PAC contributions to those representatives.

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NO DISSENTING VOTES! NEBRASKA'S $9.7 BILLION BIENNIAL BUDGET PROPOSAL MOVES ON FIRST ROUND OF DEBATE

LINCOLN- Senators debated well into the evening Thursday before giving first-round approval to a $9.7 billion, two-year state budget. Senators advanced the main budget bills with no dissenting votes after making only one $900,000-per-year change in the Appropriations Committee proposal. The vote came after a intense day of conversation about legislative priorities and politics.

The package leaves about $210 million for other legislative priorities, while beefing up the state’s rainy day fund by transferring $100 million into the fund. The infusion of money would put the cash reserve fund at an estimated $763 million by June 30, 2023, or about 14.2% of state revenue.

Major items in the budget include almost $90 million allocated over the two years to give 2% annual increases in payment rates for health and human services providers, and about $37 million for a 2% annual boost in support of the University of Nebraska. In the only change to the budget, Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk convinced lawmakers to boost the amount of grant funding available to creative districts to $1 million a year. The committee had included $100,000 a year for such grants.

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Read the budget proposal in its entirety by clicking HERE

CHILD WELFARE INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS LIGHT FIRE DURING BUDGET DEBATE

LINCOLN-  The Legislature's executive board Thursday appointed nine members of a special investigative committee to probe the state's troubled child welfare services in eastern Nebraska, but left Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, sponsor of the investigation, on the sidelines. That omission sparked a fiery discussion on the floor of the Legislature once senators were informed of the decision.

Cavanaugh suggested that she had been "stabbed in the back" by supporters of Gov. Pete Ricketts for challenging actions taken by his administration. 

"Does anyone think this is right?" Cavanaugh asked during an emotional exchange that extended state budget debate.

Members of four designated legislative committees were named to the special committee that will investigate a five-year state contract with Saint Francis Ministries of Salina, Kansas, which originally appeared to have been substantially underbid, along with its accompanying negative impact on child welfare services in the Omaha area. 

Members of the committee include John Arch of La Vista and Dave Murman of Glenvil, Health and Human Services Committee; Matt Hansen of Lincoln and Rita Sanders of Bellevue, Government and Military Affairs Committee; Mark Kolterman of Seward and Robert Clements of Elmwood, Appropriations Committee; Suzanne Geist of Lincoln and Terrell McKinney of Omaha, Judiciary Committee; at-large, Justin Wayne of Omaha.

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REVENUE COMMITTEE CHAIR SAYS PLENTY OF MONEY FOR TAX CUTS, BUDGET PRIORITIES

LINCOLN- Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn says there should be plenty of revenue to fund a slate of tax cuts and finance new spending priorities during the 2021 session. She and some members of the Legislature’s Revenue Committee, of which Senator Linehan is Chair, held a press conference to tout the proposals for tax cuts which voted out for debate by the full Legislature. Included is a long-discussed phase out of state income taxes on Social Security income. Other bills include exemptions for military retirement pay from income taxes, end taxation of residential water bills and lower the state's inheritance tax and corporate tax rates.

Just before, the Appropriations Committee released its proposed $9.7 billion, two-year budget which includes an extra $211 million for state lawmakers to devote to tax cuts or spending initiatives.

The Open Sky Policy Institute stated in a release that these proposals could cause "delayed-onset fiscal problems", depleting state revenue by $300 million over the next two years. “The combined impact of all of these measures would likely necessitate major cuts to schools, health programs and other services that are essential to our state, our residents and our economy,” Open Sky stated in a press release.

The full floor debate on this issue should come in the next few weeks, following conclusion of the state’s biennium budget debate.

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BILL TO HIKE COURT FEES FOR JUDGES RETIREMENT PLAN REACHES SECOND ROUND

LINCOLN- Under a bill advanced by the legislature, Nebraskans filing for divorce, going to court over land disputes, as well as people convicted of crimes would pay more to the judges retirement plan. The more controversial amendment to the bill doubles a court fee to support the fund.

LB17 by Senator Mark Kolterman of Seward, Chair of the Retirement Committee, would increase the fee from $6 per case to $8 by July and would slowly continue increasing until it hits $12 in 2025. The bill also requires the state to make a fixed contribution to the judges retirement plan equal to 5% of the judges' compensation.  The state does not currently match for money taken out of judges' salaries for their retirement. 

Opposition to the measure highlighted the worry that the fee increase would fall on people least able to afford it. 

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NEBRASKA LEGISLATORS ADVANCE BILL TO REQUIRE POSTCARDS OF LOCAL POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS

LINCOLN- Sen. Ben Hansen's LB644 was discussed at length over a two day period with the body hoping to answer the question if a postcard could prevent further property tax increases or at least better inform taxpayers when taxes might be going up. Sen. Hansen believes government boards enact budgets and increase taxes without getting input from taxpayers. 

The amended LB644 would apply to cities, counties, school districts and community colleges. 

Hansen called this an 'informed consent' bill that would increase government to constituent transparency. Opposition came from senators who call this an 'unfunded mandate' on local governments, further stating the state should pay for it if this postcard is necessary. For example, this legislation would cost counties - whose primary source of revenue is the property tax - over $560,000. “It’s not lowering taxes, it’s increasing the cost of doing business at our counties,” said Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt.

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UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA REGENT JIM PILLEN ANNOUNCES RUN FOR GOVERNOR IN 2022

COLUMBUS- University Regent Jim Pillen announced that he will seek the Republican nomination for governor in 2022. He was elected as regent in 2012 and re-elected in 2018.

Pillen is expected to attract the support of key conservative elements in the Nebraska Republican Party, emerging immediately as a front-line contender for the GOP nomination to succeed Gov. Pete Ricketts when he completes his second term in office in January 2023. Pillen expressed strong support for gun rights, law enforcement, pro-life protections and a "demand (for) order on the southern border" in a statement posted on jimpillen.com. 

"We have to fix our broken property tax system and cut taxes," he said. "We need to modernize our tax structure, expand broadband access and improve infrastructure across our state." In a campaign video which can be viewed by clicking HERE, Pillen said he would "work to grow our economy and give every child the chance to pursue their dreams right here in Nebraska."

Pillen is a pork producer operating as Pillen Farms.

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FORMER GOV. DAVE HEINEMAN SAID TO BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING RUN FOR HIS OLD OFFICE IN 2022

LINCOLN- Sources in Nebraska say that Former Gov. Dave Heineman is in talks with major supporters to take back his former office. 

Heineman originally served as governor from 2005-2015, already making him the longest serving governor in state history. He took over as governor following the appointment of then Governor Mike Johanns as President George W. Bush’s Secretary of Agriculture. Heinman’s entry into the race would shake up the Republican primary race which has already garnered the candidacies of University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen, businessman Chuck Herbster and State Sen. Brett Lindstrom. His candidacy would like see him enter the race as the front runner.

Since leaving office, Heineman returned to his pre-governor home of Fremont, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Conklin Company Inc, which is owned by Herbster. 

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REP. DON BACON, DEALING WITH LINGERING EFFECTS OF COVID, ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO GET VACCINE

OMAHA-  U.S. Rep. Don Bacon is encouraging people to get the COVID-19 vaccine as he deals with lingering respiratory effects following his own bout with COVID in November.  Bacon, who is 57, is scheduled to get the vaccine Friday. He said he had to wait three months to get the shot because he had COVID.  

Bacon has seen doctors about lingering respiratory issues. He said Thursday that the doctors have determined that COVID exacerbated injuries from a 2018 Amtrak accident in which he was involved. He was on the train with Republican lawmakers heading to a policy retreat when the train collided with a garbage truck, and said at the time he felt a “clear impact.” 

“I encourage everyone to get the vaccine,” the Nebraska Republican said in a statement. “I got COVID in late 2020, and it was hard on my lungs. Several of my friends have died from COVID. The vaccine will save lives and heartbreak.”

Although some experts recommend waiting to get the vaccine until 90 days after a COVID infection, Dr. Richard Hankins, an infectious diseases physician at the Nebraska Medical Center, said you can get the vaccine any time after you have recovered from COVID — when you’re no longer testing positive.

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FOUR NEBRASKA SENATORS PLAN TO CLIMB MOUNT KILIMANJARO TOGETHER

LINCOLN- After the steep climb of a legislative session a group of state senators is going a lot further, and steeper. Sens. Tom Brewer, Anna Wishart, Justin Wayne and Ben Hansen are planning a trip to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, in September. The group includes two Republicans, two Democrats, one African American, one woman, two urban senators and two rural senators. They are even looking for some post-climb adventures such as seeing exotic animals while in Africa. 

Col. Tom Brewer had the trip planned with a military friend when Sen. Hansen asked if he could tag along. Soon enough both Sen. Wayne and Sen. Wishart were on board. The climb will begin on Sept. 7 and will end on Sept 12, including a 6 hour walk through a rain forest on the first day. By the last day, the group will have endured a 12 hour climb to the summit. The temperature will range from 70 to 80 degrees to 10 degrees below or colder.

"It will be fun to be there with some Nebraskans to experience a great adventure. To hold a Nebraska flag at the top."

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NU, CREIGHTON RESEARCHERS PREPARING FOR 'UNPRECEDENTED' STUDY OF CONTAMINATION FROM ALTEN

LINCOLN- The long-term effects pesticides have had on the environment around the AltEn ethanol plant south of Mead will begin to be studied by both the University of Nebraska system and Creighton University. 

The study follows a pipe that burst on the plant in February which released 4 million gallons of contaminated wastewater and manure into nearby waterways and streams. The 10-year study will cost $1 million annually and will begin in the next few weeks. The team will study everything from the contaminated site to Mead residents health records to find patterns in newly diagnosed health conditions. AltEn has agreed to participate in the study. Preliminary results will start to be released in August. 

The contaminated plant is now being sought out by a Texas company that wants to take over operation of a feedlot adjacent to the plant. The owners of the Texas company deny any relationship with AltEn. The Planning and Zoning Commission just needs to approve a permit and send it to the Saunders County Board of Supervisors for official approval of the acquisition. 

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ARAMCO WEIGHS SELLING STAKE ON OIL PIPELINES FOR MORE THAN $10 BILLION

NEW YORK- Saudi Arabia’s energy giant is in advanced talks to sell up to a 49% stake in its oil pipelines to a consortium of U.S., Chinese and local investors for between $10 billion and $15 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. 

Saudi Arabian Oil Co. known as Aramco, is in talks to sell the minority stake to a group of investors that could include U.S. buyout giant Apollo Global Management Inc. energy investment firm EIG Global Energy Partners, Chinese infrastructure fund Silk Road Fund, and China Reform Fund Management Co., a Chinese private-equity fund, along with Saudi pension funds, the people said.

The talks represent another far-reaching attempt to monetize Saudi Arabia’s prodigious oil assets—once considered so strategic that even a minority stake sale seemed far fetched. With the ascension of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, however, the kingdom has been more willing to lure foreign investors and cede some control over its oil industry in exchange for cash.

By holding on to a majority stake in the pipeline business, Saudi Arabia assures it remains in operational control of the assets.

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CALLS GROW TO ABANDON REGULATIONS EASED UNDER COVID

LINCOLN- At the beginning of the pandemic, states across the country began to ease up alcohol related regulations. Selling to-go cocktails along with to-go orders became a way for restaurants to stay afloat. Now, people are starting a discussion about whether alcohol regulations really need to go back to how they used to be. 

The pandemic forced everything to move online faster than expected with everyone becoming more comfortable with the new normal. Telehealth boomed at the beginning of the pandemic, especially helping with the increase in mental health challenges during lockdown. So, many state agencies are starting to give funding to Medicaid to continue these services online. The worry with this is that doctors with poor records could fly under the radar and provide services to patients that they should not be allowed to see. 

Also an intense focus of those looking to return to normal are opponents to the widely adopted to-go cocktails, which they say could promote underage drinking and drunk driving. States however are moving to safely adopt some of the changes found in the pandemic through executive order and legislative actions permanently.

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RICKETTS OPPOSES CATHER NATIONAL HERITAGE LAND DESIGNATION, FOUNDATION RESPONDS

LINCOLN- Gov. Pete Ricketts expressed his opposition to the Willa Cather Foundation's plans to seek designation of portions of south-central and southwestern Nebraska as a protected National Heritage Area. 
"While we appreciate the important contributions of Willa Cather and her writings to that area and the State of Nebraska as a whole, this designation poses the risk of federal overreach in our communities," the governor said. Anthony Goins, director of the state Department of Economic Development and State Wellman, director of the Department of Agriculture co-signed the letter. 

On Thursday the foundation responded stating that they are not seeking the designation, instead "a bi-state group of volunteers in north-central Kansas and south-central Nebraska has been working to explore the merits of a National Heritage Area designation," Executive Director Ashley Olson said  That group plans "a feasibility study that would seek feedback from local stakeholders, landowners and residents in the region," she said. The organization is called the Kansas-Nebraska Heritage Area Partnership, and Olson is one of its 13 volunteer committee members.

Olson said she and the Cather Foundation "became intrigued with the idea of seeking a National Heritage Area designation after a group of University of Nebraska-Lincoln students completed a research project that sought to examine ways to increase economic development through a more regional approach to cultural heritage tourism."

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