EDITORIAL: STATE SENATORS ARE EAGER TO CUT TAXES AND SPEND MONEY; DON'T OVERDO IT

LINCOLN- For the first time in years, revenue projections are providing the Legislature with considerable room for tax cuts and spending projects-- about $210 million. The coming days of debate in the legislature will bring scenes of tax-cut and spending proposals. The lawmakers are not obligated to spend the cash, but it does not seem there will be any restraint on spending. The body may even exceed the $210 million.The projected tax-cut proposals add up to much more than $210 million. 

Senators should have the responsible sense of balance that will ensure individual bills do not add to the total. After the past years of tight budgets, lawmakers are eager to spend but have already placed more revenue-affecting proposals for consideration than the upcoming budget can sustain. Two bills that highlight the spending disconnect are LB64 and LR11CA. 

"This situation shows how the legislative process is harmed when lawmakers casually indulge in so much vote-trading that faulty legislation is irresponsibly voted out of committee. Serving in the Legislature is a privilege, and it must be taken seriously."

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FORTENBERRY, CAPITOL POLICE IN SNAFU OVER EMERGENCY CALLS

LINCOLN- Rep. Jeff Fortenberry made two calls to Capitol Police in Washington with his emergency office button last week to see how long it would take officers to arrive. Fortenberry had told the police that he would be doing the test. Officers expressed annoyance with this 'drill' as it took them away from their regular duties.

The officers believed Fortenberry just wanted to push the button to see if it worked and did not respond to the call until he called again. Capitol police say this is infuriating, especially after the Capitol Riot in the past few months. 

The congressman repeatedly said to the police: 'I know you have better things to do than this.' But, given the violent mob insurrection at the Capitol, we thought it wise to test our systems.’

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RICKETTS, OTHER GOP GOVERNORS ATTACK BIDEN CLIMATE INITIATIVE

LINCOLN- Ricketts and 14 other governors submitted a letter to President Joe Biden showing their opposition to his executive order pleading to put the United States on the path to protecting 30% of land and ocean waters by 2030 to combat climate change. 

"Nowhere in the laws of our nation is the authority delegated by Congress to the president or executive agencies to unilaterally change the policies governing land use in America," the governors wrote.

The letter signed by the governors went on to say Biden's plan would violate property rights and would damage the economy. 

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RADIO PERSONALITY CHRIS BAKER FIRED AFTER OFFENSIVE TWEET, CALLS IT A 'BOOMER TWITTER MOMENT'

OMAHA- Omaha conservative radio personality Chris Baker was fired after posting an offensive tweet about the Derek Chauvin verdict. The tweet showed a GIF of Black men with body paint and dancing, with spears in front of them. Above the picture he tweeted, "Guilty!" Baker tweeted this just one hour after the verdict was read. 

When asked about the tweet, Baker said it was a "boomer Twitter moment" following with "That’s not me, that’s not who I really am". He further noted that he knows it was horrible and said his intentions were not to be racist. 

The calls for Baker to be fired and for his advertisers to pull away rolled in immediately and continued after the tweet was deleted. A long time guest of the show, local activist, Preston Love Jr. said all he felt was disgust. He was also shocked to see Baker be fired so swiftly. 

Sen. John McCollister, a frequent critic of members of his own Republican Party, tweeted a screenshot of Baker's post saying, "Racism like this is a FEATURE of conservative talk radio but they usually mask it with dog whistles. But not this time.”

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GOV. RICKETTS CALLS NEW PRESS CREDENTIALING SYSTEM 'PROCESS IMPROVEMENT'

LINCOLN- Gov. Ricketts described his new application process for credentialing news organizations as "process improvement". He had no further comments after the news entities present asked about the application. Media of Nebraska which represents the state's print and broadcast news organizations responded to the governor and called the process a 'red flag' for First Amendment rights. 

A pair of reporters from NOISE Omaha, the news outlet recently barred from the governor's press conferences, asked Ricketts a handful of questions after a horseback ride with NU President Ted Carter. NOISE was reportedly banned because it is “an advocacy organization funded by liberal donors” and not a mainstream news outlet."

Similar credentialing processes exist in Congress, the Wisconsin's Governor's Office and the Texas Legislature. A lawsuit was made against the Wisconsin Governor's Office but the court ruled that the media-access criteria are reasonable and do not suppress expression. 

The form for credentialing includes a variety of questions including things such as asking if the outlet is engaged in lobbying, paid advocacy or a member of a trade organization. 

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MORE THAN HALF OF ADULT NEBRASKANS HAVE GOTTEN AT LEAST ONE DOSE OF COVID VACCINE

OMAHA- A significant milestone has been reached in the fight against COVID-19 as half of adult Nebraskans, 774,000 people, have received at least one dose of a vaccine. In addition to that, some 531,000 people in the state are now fully vaccinated. Nebraska's rollout is on par with the nation at large. 

More than 129 million people in the nation have received at least one shot as well. Health departments are changing how they reach people as traffic at vaccination clinics has slowed. Many clinics have started to offer walk-ins as no shows for appointments have also been on the rise. Officials are working to create Zoom meetings to reach people who are reluctant to take the vaccine as well. 

“The door is always open for someone who said they didn’t want to be vaccinated and (who) turns around and changes their mind," said Susan Bockrath. 

The state is also down by 13% in cases after being on the rise for the past couple weeks. 

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OUTLOOK FOR CROPS STRONGEST IN A DECADE, ECONOMIST SAYS

AMES, IA-  There is some reason to believe the present strong demand for both corn and soybeans will continue, says Iowa State University Extension ag economist Chad Hart. Right now the export market is great, Hart says. The feed market is good. Ethanol demand is still weak, although it holds some promise.

The overall demand for corn and soybeans is very strong, Hart says, and with more people getting vaccinated for COVID-19 it is likely that more will also be wanting to get out and travel this summer. Cruises and flights anywhere don’t look especially attractive yet, but national parks and car vacations look pretty inviting, he says. The soybean outlook is somewhat similar to that of corn.

There were weather problems in numerous grain-producing regions of the world, but the biggest reason for the surge in prices was strong demand. Corn prices at the ethanol plant down the road from Albers’ farm dropped down to $2.99 per bushel at the end of July of last year. Today they are in the $6 range. Weather and exports remain the biggest market concerns. But the supply is tight and the demand remains strong.

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REP. ADRIAN SMITH SEEKS LEADING GOP SLOT ON POWERFUL TAX-WRITING COMMITTEE

OMAHA- Rep. Adrian Smith is seeking the lead Republican position on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee after the current GOP committee leader, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas. Smith is serving his eighth term in the House and is well-positioned to win again in the overwhelmingly Republican district next year. If Republicans take control of the House in 2022, the leader of the Ways and Means Committee would hold jurisdiction over tax policy, Social Security, Medicare, trade and labor issues. 

There are currently two other representatives in the race to succeed Brady. Smith once served in the legislature and has been a member of the house since 2007. 

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STATE FINDS BIG DROP IN EVICTIONS IN NEBRASKA IN 2020, BUT THOUSANDS STILL LOST HOUSING

OMAHA- Moratoriums helped cut evictions in Nebraska by almost half during the pandemic, but thousands of Nebraskans still lost their rental homes. This includes about 60 people who should have been protected by federal pandemic law. 

“We found at least 60 cases where a property should have been covered by the CARES Act,” said Pierce Greenberg, a Creighton assistant professor. “That’s important because the purpose of that moratorium was to prevent that sort of thing from happening. ... It underscores some of the imbalances within eviction court.’”

There has been a 45% decrease in evictions in the state. This can be attributed to the federal restrictions on evictions and assistance from the government and nonprofit groups. However, the researchers warn that there could be a significant rise in evictions could occur when federal restrictions expire June 30. Eviction filings peaked in August after the federal moratorium expired and before the CDC imposed restrictions. 

The study of 2020 evictions also found that 74% of evictions occurred in Douglas and Lancaster Counties. 1/5 of all eviction filings in the state were in North Omaha while renters in North Omaha are still more likely to be evicted than anyone else in the state. Researchers in this study hope the studies will inform the Legislature and urge them to pass bills such as LB419. LB419 would create a right to publicly supported counsel for people facing eviction, paid for by county governments with a $50 filing fee. 

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS VENT ABOUT HIGH PROPERTY TAXES; ADVANCE INCREASED CHILD-CARE AID

LINCOLN- The Legislature debated minor tax proposals on Tuesday while also speaking about the state's historically high taxes on property. 

LB2, discussed on Tuesday, would give farmers and ranchers a small property tax break when funding school bond issues and would increase the state's property tax credit program by 3% a year. The bill paved way for a larger debate over the fairness of property tax credits, especially about whether the state is just putting 'Band-Aids' on the issue. Rural senators argued that it is unfair for people in rural towns to approve a school bond issue that requires farmers and ranchers to pay most of the bill. Rural Nebraskans already pay the bulk of property taxes in rural school districts and are in a voting minority. Urban senators say it is unfair to give farmers a break but not those who live in cities. 

"Structurally, nothing is changing, because we are scared to do it," said Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne.

Nebraska currently ranks 48th in the nation for increasing state aid to fund local schools by replacing property tax. 

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WARREN BUFFETT ENDORSES JEAN STOTHERT FOR THIRD TERM AS OMAHA MAYOR

OMAHA- Warren Buffett signed a check for $10,000 to Mayor Jean Stothert’s campaign Thursday, but his words will mean a lot more to her than those dollars. The longtime Democrat offered a strong endorsement for the Republican’s election to a third term as Omaha’s mayor.

“I think it’s important that Omaha have a terrific mayor,” said the iconic investor, who is arguably the city’s most well-known citizen. “It’s an important job, and we have someone very good in that job.”

The Berkshire Hathaway chairman said in an interview that his endorsement was in part based on the positive trajectory of the city, which he said he’s proud to show off to the rest of the world during his shareholders meeting each year. He said Stothert has also helped the city keep moving forward during the past year despite the pandemic.

“I think Omaha has so much going for it — it’s got momentum in terms of business activity and civic engagement,” he said. “Omaha is doing well and is going to do better. ... (Stothert) is a proven quantity under testing circumstances.”

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RICKETTS PRAISES GEORGIA ELECTION LAW, BUT NEBRASKA UNLIKELY TO FOLLOW THAT STATE'S LEAD

LINCOLN- Gov. Ricketts made a statement saying, “Nebraska stands with Georgia and supports their work to promote integrity and access in voting.” The new controversial Georgia election law set tougher limits on voting than Nebraska. He went on to criticize the president, Coca-Cola and the MLB for their opposition to the law. However, Ricketts made no indication that he would like to see similar regulations in Nebraska. When asked about the state's election laws, he only endorsed changing to requiring voter identification. 

Other states have been focusing on this issue after some of former President Trump's supporters believe the election which saw President Biden's victory was rigged, especially through early voting and mail-in ballots. 

“The huge difference is that in Nebraska, we have a lot of autonomy for local election officials,” said John Cartier, director of voting rights for Civic Nebraska, a nonpartisan group based in Lincoln.

State Sen. Julie Slama introduced LR3CA in the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee this legislative session. LR3CA regulates election security and voter fraud through requiring identification. Opponents of the bill say this would prevent people from voting and would address a nonexistent problem. The committee remains deadlocked on the issue. LB590, introduced by Sen. Mike Groene would shorten the time period for mail-in voting to 20 days before the election date, down from the current 35. It would also shorten time for in-person only voting by 15 days. 

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STATE LAWMAKERS ADVANCE BILL TO ALLOW FOOD AID FOR MORE NEBRASKANS

LINCOLN- Supporters of LB108, a bill that would allow more Nebraska families to qualify for food aid, said the bill would feed children and give more support to struggling families. They also noted that this would put more money into the state's economy. The measure would raise income limits for SNAP benefits and would help 2,500 households. It cleared the first-round with a 29-18 vote. 

“I think we owe the people that can’t afford food the right to have their bellies full when they go to bed at night,” Sen. Mark Kolterman said.

The introducer of the bill, Sen. John McCollister, said the aid would be funded through federal dollars and the latest pandemic relief package would cover the cost of administering the aid. The limit on gross household income would increase to 165% of the federal poverty level, up from 130%. The current figure is net income of $34,450, and would raise to $43,725 under LB108. 

Opponents of the bill say this incentivizes people who choose not to work. “My question has been: Why would we be doing this at a time of low unemployment?” said Sen. John Arch of La Vista. The measure is likely to face a veto by Governor Ricketts.

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DEBATE ON STUDENT JOURNALISM TAKES A DETOUR WHEN GROENE CRITICIZES NU LAW SCHOOL; FAILS TO ADVANCED FROM SECOND ROUND OF DEBATE

LINCOLN-Sen. Adam Morfeld's priority bill, LB88, a bill extending free press protections to student journalists and media advisers failed to

advance on Wednesday. LB88 would have prohibited school districts from censoring student publications but fell three vote shorts of reaching the threshold needed to shut off debate, effectively killing the bill for this year. The opposition said the bill circumvented the school district's right as publisher and would turn school newspapers into social media.

The debate took an odd turn though after Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte dismissed Matt Hansen and other senators' understanding of constitutional law, along with the schools they attended. 

"I don't consider anyone having taken a constitutional law class unless they went to Hillsdale (College, a politically conservative private college) or the University of Chicago or George Washington (University)," Groene said. "Not some place that's ranked 87th in the country like UNL."

That led to several lawmakers, many of whom hold degrees from NU law to defend their alma mater. Sen. Mark Kolterman of Seward suggested Groene, a UNL graduate himself, return his degree to the school. 

Sen. Mike Flood, an owner of a broadcasting company, supported the bill by saying not allowing student journalists the full protections of the free press will not lead to any real learning. 

"While we came up short by three votes for a super majority to end debate, we elevated the need for basic protections of constitutional rights from government interference," Morfeld said.

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LEGISLATURE JUMP-STARTS CHILD WELFARE SERVICES INVESTIGATION

LINCOLN- The Legislature decided to jump-start its investigation of the state's welfare services by launching a probe within its Health and Human Services Committee. Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha initiated the investigation but was then was excluded from the special investigative committee that she had proposed. Speaker Hilgers said the board came to the decision to begin work under the Health and Human Services Committee, with inclusion of members of the special investigative committee, after conversations with Sen. Cavanaugh and Cavanaugh and Sen. John Arch, the HHS committee's chair. 

The probe into child welfare services provided by Saint Francis Ministries of Salina, Kansas within the Omaha area, along with the state's contract, which originally appeared to have been substantially underbid, will begin with a sense or urgency. 

"It's real life, and it happens now," Sen. Justin Wayne said. "We need to step on the gas pedal and get this going."

The state signed a $197 million, five-year contract that increased by 55% in terms of monthly payments. The original contract was 40% lower than the previous provider. The committee will begin its investigation by retaining outside counsel. 

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LAWMAKERS BLAST NORTH PLATTE SEN. GROENE FOR 'RACIST' COMMENTS DURING DEBATE

LINCOLN- A handful of state lawmakers criticized Sen. Mike Groene on Thursday for what they say was an offensive comment made by the senator. During debate, Sen. Groene called Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk, owner of a broadcasting company, a 'media Mongol', instead of a 'media mogul'.  Brought to his attention later, Groene said of Flood: “I think he’s got mixed heritage, so that qualifies him as a ... mongrel and he’s aggressive so that does qualify him sometimes as a Mongol.”

On Thursday, Sen. Matt Hansen said Groene should apologize on the floor for his deeply offensive and deeply impactful comments. Hansen said he was not criticizing slip of tongue, rather he wanted to clarify why using terms viewed as ableist or racist is wrong. 

“I want the body to stand up and show a bit of backbone and say, hey, at a minimum, you shouldn’t be racist on the microphone,” Hansen said.

Groene defended his actions by saying his intent did not match up with what Hansen was saying. Further saying he admires Mongols because that means they are aggressive and 'conquered half the earth'. 

This incident reminded some on the floor of last session when Sen. Ernie Chambers compared Sen. Julie Slama to Sally Hemings, a slave woman owned by Thomas Jefferson. His Republican colleagues then drew calls for Chambers' expulsion from the Legislature. Sen. Adam Morfeld said that with freedom of speech, individuals must accept they will be criticized for certain types of speech. 

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STATE SENATOR, ACTIVIST AMONG POSSIBLE CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES IN NEBRASKA'S 2ND DISTRICT

LINCOLN- The newest question for the 2022 congressional race in District 2 is, who will challenge Rep. Don Bacon? There are just as many candidates passing on challenging Bacon as there are willing to go up against the three-term incumbent. Last year's challenger, Kara Eastman, has decided to pass on this upcoming race. Other local names such as Sen. Megan Hunt, John Ewing Jr. and Crystal Rhoades have also said they will not be running. 

State Sen. Tony Vargas, though, is considering a run. Vargas is a native New Yorker and currently serves South Omaha in the Legislature. Princess McKesson, the first woman and first woman of color to cast a state electoral vote for a Democrat, is also seriously considering a run. McKesson serves as the finance director for the Nebraska Democratic Party and vows to serve the people, not a party. The executive director for the Nebraska Republican Party tagged Vargas as "the most liberal member of our state's Legislature". The American Conservative Union has given Vargas its worst ranking among the 49 members of the Legislature. 

The 2nd District in Omaha remains one of the most competitive districts in the country as both parties are well-funded and are evenly split in voters. Rep. Bacon says both Vargas and McKesson are 'too far left of center' for the 2nd District. “I’d look forward to running against either one of them,” Bacon said.

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OPPD INKS AGREEMENT WITH DEVELOPER FOR SOLAR FARM IN SAUNDERS COUNTY; IT WOULD BE NEBRASKA'S LARGEST

OMAHA- Nebraska's first utility-scale solar farm is a step closer to being built just south of Yutan. OPPD has announced that it signed a contract with Community Energy Inc. for a 500-acre solar farm to be built under lease of Saunders County. The construction for these solar panels will begin in 2022. The farm will be an 81-megawatt farm and will bring OPPD closer to the goal of 600 megawatts of solar power in the state. The farm will have the capacity to generate 14,000 homes, but the output will fluctuate. 

Yutan residents are weary of the farm as it could be an eyesore, is located next to a cemetery and will affect property values. The project developer vows to hide the farm with trees and will create a buffer between the panels and the adjacent properties. 

“We have abundant clean energy resources, and when we invest in energy generated here in Nebraska, we are investing in our own communities,” Eric Williams, OPPD board member said.

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NEBRASKA WOMAN WITH BLOOD CLOTS AFTER VACCINE IS STILL CRITICAL

OMAHA- The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is temporarily suspending the use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine in the wake of federal officials' call for a pause. In a joint statement, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration recommended the pause 'out of an abundance of caution'. The recommendation is based in six confirmed cases in the United States, including one in Nebraska, of a rare and severe type of blood clotting condition. The cases have occurred in women between 18 and 48 with symptoms appearing six to 13 days post vaccination. 

Gov. Ricketts said on Monday that he would not suspend the use of the J&J vaccine statewide even following the reports of a Douglas County resident developing those rare blood clots. However, on Tuesday the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services annouced they would be pausing the use of the vaccine statewide. 

Among the 40,000 people participating in the trials of the J&J vaccine, blood clots were reported in 14 vaccinated people, or .06% of those who got the vaccine. Among those who got a placebo, 10 reported blood clots, or a rate of .05%.

Governor Ricketts also announced that the state has also now passed its 1 millionth dose of COVID-19 vaccines.

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MEAD RESIDENTS DEMAND ANSWERS ABOUT EFFORTS TO CLEAN UP ALTEN AT TOWN HALL

MEAD- The troubled ethanol processor in Mead, Nebraska, hasn't paid property taxes to Saunders County since 2014. The delinquent taxes and interest is now at $1.14 million, although investors have settled some of that amount. Some say this figure further shows the state's lack of oversight on this company, along with the $210,084 given to them for COVID-19 relief. 

“We do want to reiterate that the purpose of the grant AltEn received was to stimulate the economy, supporting both the jobs at the plant and the local ag economy,” the department said in a statement Monday.

Ethanol producers have lost almost $14 million in revenue during the pandemic, so the goal of giving AltEn the grant, was to help the state. At the time, the company met all requirements for receiving the money. This is just the latest development in the very problematic state partnership with AltEn. Local residents of Mead are becoming increasingly worried about the amount of contamination their homes may have experienced while the plant was active. 

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