RICKETTS' ORDER ON 30-BY-30 CONSERVATION EFFORT IS SHORT ON ACTUAL ROADBLOCKS

LINCOLN — In his battle against the federal government, Gov. Pete Ricketts has directed state agencies to take “any necessary step” to resist a federal initiative to conserve 30% of American land and waters by 2030.

He signed the executive order last month, in the leafy shade of the garden at the Governor’s Mansion, flanked by allies from rural county governments and agricultural organizations.

“Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers are the original conservationists and they have a long tradition of being great stewards of our state’s land and water,” he said. “Supporting their conservation efforts is the best way to ensure that we can grow the food we need to feed the world and pass along the land to the next generation of ag producers.”

Ricketts said his order is aimed at stopping implementation of what he calls “the 30x30 land grab.” But a closer look at the order shows it to be long on education and information-gathering and short on steps that would block the expansion of conservation efforts.

The Republican governor’s target is a goal that Democratic President Joe Biden included in a January executive order intended to bring attention to climate issues. A follow-up federal report called for the 30% by 2030 initiative to be voluntary, locally led and respect private property rights.

But Ricketts argues that the federal government will have to use strong-arm tactics to reach its goal. He raises particular concern about conservation easements, especially permanent ones.

“It could be the federal government already knows exactly what they want to do and they’re just not telling us,” he said. “It could be devastating to rural Nebraska.”

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SHOTS FIRED, FORCING REP. FORTENBERRY, OTHERS TO DEPART FUNERAL FOR HAITIAN LEADER

LINCOLN — U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry and a delegation of American officials were forced to abruptly exit a funeral service for assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse on Friday after shots were fired nearby.

Fortenberry and a group that included United Nations Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield and U.S. Rep. Greg Meeks, D-N.Y., were hustled to an airplane and returned to the U.S. safely Friday afternoon, according to Andy Braner, Fortenberry’s chief of staff.

In a video shot before the delegation boarded their plane, Fortenberry sounded shook up but expressed regret that the Americans had to leave the funeral service so hastily.

“Circumstances on the ground here are very tense. The situation is volatile. There’s a lot of anger,” he said.

Fortenberry, who serves on the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee on Appropriations, said he was invited to attend as part of a White House delegation for the funeral for Moïse, who was assassinated on July 7.

The Associated Press reported that hundreds of protesters gathered outside the private compound where Moïse’s funeral was held. Some mourners inside shouted, “Justice for Jovenel!” and others jeered and threatened the national chief of police when he arrived, accusing him of contributing to the attack.

U.S. and United Nations delegations left about 10 to 15 minutes after arriving. Gunshots were heard, and tear gas cannisters were fired at protesters. 

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NEBRASKA'S CROPS DOING BETTER THAN NEIGHBORS', BUT DROUGHT COULD 'INTENSIFY VERY QUICKLY'

NEBRASKA- Compared with its neighboring states plagued by drought, Nebraska has fared well — so far, anyway. But that could change with the heat wave set to hit the state this week. And that could potentially affect Nebraska’s crops.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, parts of North and South Dakota, Colorado and Wyoming are dealing with extreme drought conditions.

According to Bloomberg News, in North Dakota, where the entire state is in a drought, hay crops are only 10% to 25% of normal, while cattle ranchers already are reducing herds by boosting animal sales at auction, Jeff Schafer, president of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association, said during a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration webinar.

In Nebraska, severe drought has crept over the South Dakota border into parts of five counties in the northeast corner of the state. Pockets of moderate drought have been recorded in central and southern Nebraska and the Panhandle, according to the Drought Monitor.

Mark Svoboda, director of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said almost 22% of the state is experiencing some form of drought. The counties experiencing severe drought make up just about 2% of the state.

“In Nebraska, we’re holding the drought at bay right now,” he said. “But our fear is that these droughts can intensify very quickly.”

Right now, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the condition of Nebraska’s crops is quite strong.

A report from Monday shows that 76% of the 9.7 million acres of corn planted are in good or excellent condition. Ditto for the 5.4 million acres of soybeans planted, with 82% of that crop considered in good or excellent condition.

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OMAHA'S BLACKSTONE DISTRICT PROPOSES WIDER SIDEWALKS, NEW LIGHTS

OMAHA- The Blackstone District has revealed plans for a streetscape makeover expected to boost pedestrian safety and commerce by widening sidewalks and narrowing driving lanes along the trendy midtown Omaha strip.

A burst of sparkle — in the form of light strands across a stretch of Farnam Street — also is part of the $4.4 million package. The plan comes on the heels of a Blackstone apartment dweller getting struck and seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver in June as she crossed Farnam between 39th and 40th Streets.

Blackstone leaders say proposed changes have been in the making a few years, though, dating back to a merchant’s search for signature lighting for the area. They describe the streetscape proposal as the next major infrastructure upgrade since car flow through the district turned from one way to two way in 2014.

Funds have yet to be raised, but leaders from three Blackstone groups supporting the plan are optimistic the district can be sporting its new look in 2023.

The focus of the redesign is Farnam Street, the spine of the business district that’s also been buoyed by growth of its bookends: the University of Nebraska Medical Center to the west; Mutual of Omaha’s Midtown Crossing and downtown to the east.

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NEBRASKA BEGINS BUDGET PERIOD WITH A $101 MILLION DEFICIT. WHY OFFICIALS AREN'T WORRIED

LINCOLN — Despite coming off a year of record tax revenue, Nebraska looks to be starting its current two-year budget period in the red, according to a report released Thursday.

The report from the Legislative Fiscal Office points to the state’s new property tax relief program, along with other tax cuts and a drop in federal coronavirus relief, as the reasons for a newly opened $101 million budget gap.

But a key state lawmaker expressed confidence about closing that gap without cutting the state’s $9.8 billion budget for the two-year period ending June 30, 2023.

“There’s a good betting chance” that revenue projections will improve when the numbers are reviewed again, said State Sen. John Stinner of Gering, the Appropriations Committee chairman. The state’s economic forecasting board will meet to update those projections in October.

“I will almost guarantee the forecasting board will take care of the deficit,” he said.

Legislative Fiscal Analyst Tom Bergquist sounded a similarly optimistic note in delivering the report to the Tax Rate Review Committee, a group that includes four top legislative leaders and State Tax Commissioner Tony Fulton. The group meets between legislative sessions to review the state’s fiscal status.

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JOSLYN ART MUSEUM BREAKS GROUND ON $100 MILLION ADDITION

OMAHA- Construction will begin soon on a pavilion that will add 42,000 square feet to the Joslyn Art Museum, dramatically altering the museum’s profile and creating space for an important collection of modern art, museum officials and the pavilion’s designer said Tuesday.

“It will be really great for the city for decades and decades to come,” said Jack Becker, Joslyn's executive director and CEO.

The pavilion will be named for Omaha philanthropists Rhonda and Howard Hawks of the Hawks Foundation. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday on the museum grounds.

Becker declined to reveal the cost of the project, but a public application for a Nebraska COVID-19 relief grant listed it at $100 million. The project so far has been financed by specified private funds, he said.

The Rhonda and Howard Hawks Pavilion is scheduled to open in 2024, though Becker said no date has been set. The museum, at 22nd and Dodge Streets, will close from spring 2022 until the pavilion is completed. Becker said that’s common for museum projects as a safety measure for staff, visitors and valuable art.

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HERBSTER'S RUNNING MATE IN GUBERNATORIAL RACE STEPS ASIDE

OMAHA- Former State Senator Theresa Thibodeau, announced that she would be stepping aside as Charles Herbster's running mate in the gubernatorial race due to what she described as "potential opportunities that would conflict with the campaign."

“At this time, I do not feel I will be able to devote the needed time to the campaign," Thibodeau said in a press release. "In fairness to Charles and his wonderful team, I want to thank them for their support, and wish them the best for a successful election. I look forward to the continuation of conservative leadership in Nebraska.” 

“I greatly respect Theresa’s decision as well as her devotion to her community," Herbster said in the same press release. "She is a great steward of conservative values, and I look forward to working with her in the future.” 

Neither of Herbster's leading Republican primary opponents, University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen or State Sen. Brett Lindstrom, have named running mates at this point.

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PFIZER OUTLINES A CASE FOR BOOSTER SHOTS, BUT THERE'S A DEBATE OVER WHETHER THEY'RE NEEDED

GLOBAL- Pfizer reported on Wednesday that the power of its two-dose Covid vaccine wanes slightly over time, but nonetheless offers lasting and robust protection against serious disease. The company suggested that a third shot could improve immunity, but whether boosters will be widely needed is far from settled, the subject of heated debate among scientists.

So far, federal health officials have said boosters for the general population are unnecessary. And experts questioned whether vaccinated people should get more doses when so many people have yet to be immunized at all.

“There’s not enough evidence right now to support that that is somehow the best use of resources,” said Natalie Dean, a biostatician at Emory University in Atlanta.

Still, the findings raise questions about how much the Pfizer vaccine will prevent infection in the months to come. And with coronavirus cases surging again in many states, the data may influence the Biden administration’s deliberations about delivering boosters for older people.

In a study posted online but not yet peer-reviewed or published in a scientific journal, Pfizer and BioNTech scientists reported that the vaccine had a sky-high efficacy rate of about 96 percent against symptomatic Covid-19 for the first two months following the second dose. But the figure declined by about 6 percent every two months after that, falling to 83.7 percent after about four to six months.

Against severe disease, however, the vaccine’s efficacy held steady at about 97 percent.

“It’s not a big drop, but it is noteworthy,” Dr. Dean said. “Overall, they find that the vaccine is still performing very well, at very high efficacy.”

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OMAHA CITY COUNCIL BLOCKS APPOINTMENT OF BEN GRAY TO LAND BANK BOARD

OMAHA- The Omaha City Council rejected Mayor Jean Stothert’s appointment of Ben Gray to the Omaha Municipal Land Bank Board of Directors on Tuesday.

Stothert had sought to appoint Gray, who lost his City Council District 2 seat in May, to be the District 2 resident representative on the board. But council member Juanita Johnson, who defeated Gray in the May election, opposed his appointment. So did a number of District 2 residents who testified at a public hearing on the appointment earlier this month.

Council members Vinny Palermo and Danny Begley joined Johnson in voting “no” on Tuesday. The vote was 4-3 in favor of appointing Gray, but that fell one vote short of the supermajority required by city code.

“My reason for opposing it is because land banking can be used as a tool to help those in underserved communities have a leg up in purchasing property in the area,” Johnson said. “In order for that tool to be effective, we have to be very mindful with who we choose to manage that.”

The land bank board has seven voting members, one from each council district. The City Council recently appointed Johnson to the land bank board as a nonvoting representative of the council.

Gray had extensive experience with the land bank, including working on state legislation that enabled its creation and on the city ordinance that created the land bank.

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OMAHA'S EXECUTIVE DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF WILL FILL IN FOR SCHMADERER WHEN HE'S UNAVAILABLE

OMAHA- Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer will handpick one of his five deputy chiefs to serve as chief when he’s unavailable thanks to a newly created position that was approved last week by the City Council.

But the executive deputy chief position — which comes with a 6% raise for whoever gets it — raised questions from two council members about the selection process and whether the appointment is essentially a succession plan.

The municipal code addition reads that the police chief has the “authority to designate” a second in command from among anyone who holds the rank of deputy chief.

The language outlining the new position doesn’t list a specific job description. It says, however, that the person will “perform the administrative and supervisory duties determined by the Chief” and will be acting police chief when the chief is away.

At the July 13 City Council meeting, Schmaderer said he thinks the position would have helped during Omaha’s protests last summer and for other large events.

“... (A) clearly identified No. 2 will streamline operations in my absence and provide an extra layer of accountability to the department,” he said. “Just like when the council president is gone, we know who the vice president is, it’s not a guessing game.”

The ordinance was approved July 20 on a 7-0 vote. But no one has yet been named to the post, and Schmaderer has not announced a timeline for when he will fill it, Lt. Neal Bonacci, a police spokesman, said Tuesday.

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40 COUNTIES IN NEBRASKA HAVE SUBSTANTIAL OR HIGH COVID TRANSMISSION

NEBRASKA- Forty of Nebraska’s 93 counties, including Douglas County, are considered communities with substantial or high rates of transmission of COVID-19.

Under the revised recommendations from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that means even vaccinated people in those communities should mask up in indoor public places.

And, yes, it’s a recommendation, not a mandate. While school districts and governmental entities in some states have rushed to require masks, what appears to have been Nebraska’s last mask mandate — the one enacted by the Omaha City Council — expired in late May.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said Tuesday that the state will not be adopting the CDC’s recommendation. Ricketts repeatedly has opposed mandates for masks or vaccines.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC’s director, said some counties and states now have 300 cases per 100,000 residents, an “extraordinary amount.”

Some of the Nebraska counties with substantial or high transmission, however, actually may not have a large number of COVID cases. In counties with smaller numbers of residents, even a relatively small cluster of cases can skew the numbers. Rates also can fluctuate from week to week.

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OMAHA-AREA SCHOOL DISTIRCTS REVIEWING NEW COVID GUIDANCE FROM CDC, UNMC

OMAHA- Officials with Omaha-area school districts are reviewing new federal and local COVID-19 guidance as they prepare for the upcoming school year.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, experts from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the American Academy of Pediatrics all have recommended that students and staff wear masks in school, regardless of their vaccination status.

With the highly contagious delta variant on the rise, the CDC on Tuesday recommended that even some vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in areas of the U.S. where the virus is surging.

The indoor spaces include schools, the agency said, meaning the agency is recommending that all teachers, staff and students wear masks in buildings this fall.

Some metro-area school districts already had released their COVID-19 safety protocols for the upcoming school year, but school officials on Wednesday said they are closely monitoring conditions. District officials have said plans could change.

Wednesday evening, OPS sent staff and families specifics on health and safety protocols for the upcoming school year. The district said many safety protocols from the 2020-21 school year will continue, such as frequent handwashing and enhanced disinfecting of high-touch surfaces, classrooms and shared materials. 

OPS is recommending that everyone who is eligible be vaccinated against COVID-19. The district also is recommending that anyone who has not been vaccinated wear a mask while on district property. 

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SARPY COUNTY BOARD ASKS PUBLIC DEFENDER TO RESIGN AMID ALLEGATIONS HE HAD SEX WITH SUBORDINATE

SARPY- County Board members have asked another elected official to step aside amid allegations of misconduct.

Tuesday, the board voted 4-0, with one member abstaining, to pass a resolution objecting to Sarpy County Public Defender Tom Strigenz’s behavior, which, they say, included having sex with a subordinate on county property.

“Strigenz is having a sexual relationship with a subordinate employee, engaging in sexual conduct on County property, and his conduct is causing discontent in the Public (Defender’s) Office,” said the resolution, introduced by Board Chairman Don Kelly.

The board has “asked Strigenz to voluntarily resign, which he declined to do,” according to the resolution.

Kelly wrote that the County Board has no authority to force an elected official to resign. However, the board “encourages employees to promptly report any additional information or concerns to Human Resources.”

The board said it received three anonymous complaints about Strigenz and his relationship with an employee.

The World-Herald received a copy of one of those anonymous complaints. In it, the unnamed writer complained that Strigenz had a sexual relationship with an employee that included “sex in the office.” It also alleged that Strigenz gave the woman a higher salary and job duties.

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DON WALTON: GROENE OFFERS A CRITICAL LOOK AT A NON-PARTISAN LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte has written a highly critical, inside assessment of Nebraska's nonpartisan Legislature and its current power structure. Even if you may not agree with it, or all of it, it's interesting reading.

Groene suggests there are 22 conservatives in the current Legislature and 17 who he defines as "progressive-liberal."

"There are 10 who I consider Unicameralist; although registered Republicans, they are truly non-partisan independents," Groene writes.  

"They have the power in the Legislature, unbound by political ideologies or loyalty to the members of a political party who elected them; they are free to roam free from issue to issue."

Now, of course, that's exactly what George Norris had in mind.

Norris led the effort to create a one-house legislature with senators unbound by political party affiliation, allegiance and dictate. They are free to make their own informed and independent judgments on legislation.

Unlike the party-driven-and-divided U.S. Congress that you see in action today.

Inaction might be the better word as members of Congress respond to party discipline. There aren't many Liz Cheneys. 

Groene's assessment is contained in an op-ed in The North Platte Telegraph.

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FORMER WORKER SUES PORK PRODUCTION COMPANY OWNED BY GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE JIM PILLEN

LINCOLN- A former employee of the pork production company owned by gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen has alleged in a lawsuit that he was fired for refusing to participate in hiring workers without proper citizenship documents and falsifying documents so workers could avoid taxes. Luis Lucar filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Pillen Family Farms Inc., alleging he lost his job because he wouldn’t participate in company practices he claimed were illegal.

In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, Lucar said he  worked for Pillen Family Farms from 2012 until he was fired in 2019 for "inability to work with our team."

He alleged that he repeatedly complained and refused to participate in alleged illegal activities by the company, including hiring workers who lacked authorization to work in the U.S., changing names on government and company documents so workers could avoid paying taxes or child support payments, and misclassifying workers as "independent contractors" to avoid payment of taxes. Lucar also claimed that company executives failed to address his complaints about discriminatory conduct against some workers because of their immigration status or ethnicity. L

A representative of the Pillen campaign said Thursday that the candidate was aware of the lawsuit and would issue a statement in response.

Pillen is the founder of Pillen Family Farms and one of three Republicans, including State Senator Brett Lindstrom and businessman Charles Herbster, who have announced their candidacies for governor in 2022. Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts is term limited and cannot run for a third term.

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OMAHA CITY COUNCIL APPROVES $17.5 MILLION TIF PLAN FOR CASINO AT HORSEMEN'S PARK

OMAHA- Despite public concerns over allotting a tax subsidy to a casino developer, the City Council approved a multimillion-dollar financing plan for the proposed redevelopment of Omaha’s Horsemen’s Park on Tuesday.

Council members, on a 6-1 vote, authorized up to $17.5 million in tax increment financing for the Horsemen’s Park project, which envisions transforming the property into a casino, racing and entertainment complex, according to the proposal.

Don Rowe was the lone “no” vote on the resolution. The District 5 councilman said he has long been a proponent of TIF. Rowe also said he signed the petition to allow Nebraskans to vote on the legalization of casinos in the state, which voters overwhelmingly approved in 2020.

“When I talk to my constituents, they are OK with the project,” Rowe said. “They’d rather spend their entertainment money in Omaha than go to Council Bluffs, no question about it, but they are having trouble with understanding why we should rebate back tax dollars to pay for the infrastructure costs.”

Tax increment financing, known as TIF, is a frequently used but sometimes controversial redevelopment tool based in state law. It allows developers to take out a loan to help cover eligible redevelopment expenses in areas deemed blighted. 

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KAWASAKI LOOKS TO ADD 550 JOBS IN LINCOLN IN TIGHT JOBS MARKET

LINCOLN- Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing is planning a $200 million expansion of the company's operations in Lincoln that will add about 550 jobs.

The company, which is a subsidiary of Japan-based Kawasaki Heavy Industries, said it plans to invest in its consumer products division over the next 18 months to increase capacity to make Jet Skis, ATVs and other small vehicles. The $200 million will be used to add capacity to assembly, paint and welding lines, the company said, as well as increase automation.

Despite the increase in automation, which Kawasaki said is necessary due to the Lincoln area's low unemployment rate, the company said it still plans to add employees in both its consumer products division and its rail car operations.

Jason Hellbusch, director of administration for Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing, said there are a number of reasons driving the expansion, which is one of the largest in the company's history and one of the largest in the city overall in at least the past decade.

Kawasaki has been in Lincoln since 1974, when it opened its only North American manufacturing plant. However, most of its investment in the plant over the past couple of decades has been to support its growing rail car division as well as its new aerospace division, which opened in Lincoln in 2017.

Kawasaki is Lincoln's largest manufacturing operation, with more than 2.4 million square feet of space at Northwest 27th Street and U.S. Highway 34. It also is one of the city's largest private employers, with more than 2,400 employees.

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DOUGLAS COUNTY SHERIFF CANDIDATE ENDORSED BY RICKETT'S, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS

OMAHA- Omaha Police Sgt. Aaron Hanson, who announced his intention to run for Douglas County sheriff last week, has picked up three prominent endorsements — including one from his boss.

Hanson, who is a Republican, received the backing of Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine and Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer.

Ricketts and Kleine are Republicans, and Schmaderer is registered as a nonpartisan. Schmaderer said he was endorsing Hanson as a private citizen. In a commercial posted to YouTube highlighting the endorsements, Schmaderer is wearing a suit jacket, not his police uniform. Hanson, who is 47, has worked for the Omaha Police Department for about 25 years and graduated from the academy seven months after Schmaderer did.

“I’ve watched him lead for 25 years,” Schmaderer said in a statement. “Now, it’s his time to lead as the Douglas County sheriff, and I fully support his candidacy.”

In a statement from Hanson’s campaign announcing the endorsements, Ricketts and Kleine lauded Hanson’s work history.

“He makes the right decisions, and he makes them for the right reasons,” Kleine said in the statement. “I consider him a good friend, and somebody that I think is a model police officer.”

Hanson currently serves as the supervisor of the Omaha Police Department’s fugitive unit and is on the Metro Area Fugitive Task Force.

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NEBRASKA AGREED TO PAY FOR STATE TROOPERS' TEXAS DEPLOYMENT; OMAHA WORLD HERALD CALLS IT POLITCAL SHOWBOATING

LINCOLN- The agreement under which Nebraska sent its state troopers to the Texas-Mexico border includes no provision for Texas to pay the estimated cost of $334,000, according to documents obtained by The World-Herald. A statement from Gov. Pete Ricketts and the Nebraska State Patrol said that it’s still possible that the state could be reimbursed. But it’s unclear how that would happen.

Ricketts is among several GOP governors who have sent law enforcement in response to requests from the governors of Arizona and Texas, who are also Republicans. The border-state governors sent a letter June 10 requesting other governors send all available law enforcement “in defense of our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” citing a “crisis” at the border.

An agreement related to the deployment states that Nebraska will not seek reimbursement from Texas. A patrol spokesperson previously has said the funding was not finalized and said the cost of previous deployments like this one, made through the interstate Emergency Management Assistance Compact, had been reimbursed. The compact is a mutual aid agreement that allows states to share resources in emergencies.

The bottom line is that Nebraska taxpayers are on the hook for probably half a million dollars, and the administration no doubt recognized that would draw significant criticism. The June 12 agreement estimates costs at $334,000 — before Gov. Pete Ricketts extended the deployment for 15 of the 25 officers sent to Texas.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, after similar rhetorical jive from her administration, also fessed up that her state would pay for sending about 25 troopers to Texas.

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NEBRASKA STATE SEN. TOM BREWER, A WAR VETERAN, SEES TRAGEDY AHEAD IN AFGHANISTAN

LINCOLN- Tom Brewer sees a tragedy unfolding. “People will understand how brutal the Taliban is,” Brewer says as he contemplates what lies ahead in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of U.S. military forces. Brewer has been there. He knows.

“There will be executions on polo fields in Kabul as a Saturday event if the capital falls, a systematic mass killing of the educated who accept the western way, anyone who has helped,” he said. “I feel sick about it.”

Brewer left his own blood in Afghanistan.

In 2002, he was there as a volunteer on a military mission to help train Afghan troops in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attack on targets in the United States that propelled the nation into major military involvement in the Middle East.

In 2003, Brewer was shot six times during a spontaneous firefight with the Taliban at a desolate site near Ghar Mountain in Kabul Province; in 2011, he was wounded again during his sixth tour in Afghanistan when shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade ripped through his body.

The retired Army colonel, a member of the Nebraska Legislature, is watching from afar now as President Joe Biden withdraws U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

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