NEBRASKA AG: DOCS PRESCRIBING IVERMECTIN, HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE WILL NOT FACE DISCIPLINE

LINCOLN - Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson has issued an opinion saying that doctors won't be disciplined for prescribing unproven or controversial treatments for COVID-19, as long as they have the informed consent of patients.

Peterson's opinion will likely cover other potential "off-label" treatments for COVID-19 as well.

Not only did the opinion say there would not be disciple for prescribing unproven or controversial treatments, but it actively defended doctors and health professionals freedom to prescribe such drugs. "Allowing physicians to consider these early treatments will free them to evaluate additional tools that could save lives, keep patients out of the hospital and provide relief for our already strained health care system."

The opinion's 48 pages included mentions of the controversy surrounding these alternative treatments. Specifically, it cites an article form a British medical journal which claimed there was no benefit from hydroxychloroquine. This was later retracted due to alleged fraud committed by the main authors of the article.

"We find that the available data does not justify filing disciplinary actions against physicians simply because they prescribe ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine to prevent or treat COVID-19" due to conflicting data on treatments, the opinion stated.

In her letter requesting an attorney general's opinion, Health and Human Services CEO, Dannette Smith, said "it may become difficult to discern the quality or validity of the information." While the state Board of Health can recommend disciple of a physician or other health professional in Nebraska, the Attorney General has the final say in the matter.

Many are uncertain as to why Smith requested the attorney general's opinion given that it does not appear either of the drugs are in wide use in Nebraska.

Dr. Les Spry, a Lincoln kidney specialist who is on the Lancaster County Medical Society board, said he has heard of local doctors prescribing one or both drugs to patients, but also said he was not aware of any formal complaints against the doctors who have done so.

LARGE RESERVOIR BETWEEN OMAHA AND LINCOLN EYED FOR POSSIBLE PANDEMIC FUNDING

LINCOLN - A large reservoir between Omaha and Lincoln funded by federal coronavirus recovery assistance is on the table for possible consideration.

The potential project could benefit recreation, tourism, flood control, economic development and water sustainability. Other potential projects, including Lake McConaughy, Niobrara State Park, and Lewis and Clark Lake, are on the legislative study committee's project list as well.

"It's a concept now, not a proposal," Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers of Lincoln, chairman of the Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resources Sustainability, or STAR WARS, Committee, emphasized during an interview in his Capitol office.

Hilgers also noted that Governor Pete Ricketts has been kept closely informed on the developing concept.

However, many questions regarding the impact of the reservoir have yet to be answered. The potential impact on water supply or the environment could prevent a great idea from coming to fruition, said Hilgers.

Multiple proposals have been made for a lake between Lincoln and Omaha in the past 50 years. Multiple of these would have done so by constructing a dam on the Platte River and rivers nearby, which would have resulted in flooding Ashland.

This time is different. "Absolutely no impact on Ashland or other areas that are being developed around Ashland," he said. "No flooding and no dams."

The committee would ideally meet again before November's end and have a finished proposal by mid-December before the 2022 Legislature convenes, but Hilgers recognizes that "it could take longer."

$1 billion of federal pandemic recovery funding, accompanied by Governor Ricketts and senators finishing out their terms, is a recipe for action within the state, says Hilgers.

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MORE PEOPLE APPLYING TO WORK FOR HHS AFTER BONUSES AND RAISES, STATE SAYS

LINCOLN- More people have been applying for nursing jobs at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, the CEO said, but still not as many as she would like.

Among the 17 goals in the department’s business plan for the fiscal year 2022 — July 2021 through June 2022 — is recruitment and retention in positions with high turnover rates. CEO Dannette Smith said many of those targeted positions are in benefit support areas, child welfare areas, and 24-hour facilities. She and Gov. Pete Ricketts unveiled the business plan at a press conference early this week.

Employees in some health care and food service positions at 24-hour facilities in HHS were slated to receive retention and sign-on bonuses as part of a state incentive program Ricketts announced in July.

Last month, Ricketts announced a tentative labor agreement with the Nebraska Association of Public Employees that includes pay raises for employees in 24-hour facilities. The Governor’s Office said that deal, when finalized, will result in over 7,500 employees receiving $47 million in new compensation. Within HHS, the tentative deal includes some employees in the Divisions of Children and Family Services, Behavioral Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Public Health, according to spokeswoman Khalilah LeGrand.

Smith said that the department is starting to see nursing applications roll in and that more people are interviewing for jobs in youth programs and child welfare programs.

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RAISE THE WAGE IS CIRCULATING PETITION TO INCREASE MINIMUM PAY IN NEBRASKA TO $15 PER HOUR

LINCOLN - Supporters of a petition drive to raise the minimum wage in the state to $15 say the effort would improve lives and boost economic security for Nebraskans.

The group Raise the Wage Nebraska began collecting signatures to put the wage increase in front of voters come November 2022.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, roughly 195,000 Nebraskans would benefit from the increase.

Omaha Senator Terrell McKinney said the pandemic has highlighted than many Nebraskans "are not paid adequately." He went on to say "We rave about a low unemployment rate, but forget that many people are working multiple jobs and not being paid very much."

Many of the workers deemed "essential" during the COVID-19 pandemic are those who could most benefit from the increase, said McKinney.

Raise the Wage Nebraska, consisting of ACLU Nebraska, Nebraska Appleseed, the Nebraska State AFL-CIO and the NAACP Lincoln Branch, has already collected a few thousand of the 87,000 signatures needed by July 2022.

If the petition were to receive the signatures needed and succeeded in November 2022, wages would increase $1.50 annually upon reaching $15 in 2026.

Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, noted that employers have already increased many starting hourly wages in response to the lack of workers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially making the initiative a moot point. Other opposition stems from those defending small-businesses who have already had trouble filling open positions.

Governor Pete Ricketts has defended small-businesses as well, saying "The $15-per-hour campaign benefits big businesses at the expense of Main Street job creators."

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NEBRASKA WILL RELEASE MORE COVID DATA AS HOSPITALIZATIONS RISE, RICKETTS SAYS

LINCOLN- Nebraska will immediately return to daily releases of more extensive COVID-19 data as hospitalizations have crossed a key threshold, according to Gov. Pete Ricketts.

The state averaged 400 people hospitalized with COVID last week, up from 386 the week before, according to a World-Herald analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. That is at or close to 10% of the state’s staffed beds — a number the state has used as a trigger for how much data it releases on its public dashboard and how often.

The dashboard had been scaled down for the last 2½ weeks. The pared-down version has been updated weekly rather than daily and has not included county-specific or demographic data.

At a press conference, Ricketts looked to Dr. Gary Anthone, the state director of public health, who confirmed that Nebraska would return to daily data releases effective November 8th.

Ricketts said the state was not, however, planning to reinstate the pause on elective surgeries.

“We think the hospitals have been able to manage it, with regard to their personnel and so forth,” he said. “So, we’re not planning on doing that. But we will be going back to … updating the dashboard daily.”

The dashboard will include the same data on COVID-19 as was included before the latest scaling back, he said, plus data related to flu and RSV in the state.

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ELKHORN SCHOOL BOARD OKs BUYING LAND FOR A POSSIBLE NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

ELKHORN- The Elkhorn Public Schools board has approved an agreement for the district to buy land for more than $900,000 for a possible future elementary school.

With the board's OK, Superintendent Bary Habrock has the authority to move forward with closing the sale and finalizing the purchase.

The land is west of Nebraska Highway 31 between Fort and Ida Streets, according to Kara Perchal, a district spokeswoman. The agreement approved by the board is for 13.9 acres at a cost of $65,000 per acre.

Perchal said the money to build the elementary school on the land would be part of a bond issue that will happen in 2022.

In the 2020-2021 school year, Elkhorn Public Schools had 10,642 students, according to information from the Nebraska Department of Education. The district already has 12 elementary schools.

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CUBS CO-OWNER TODD RICKETTS STEPS DOWN AS FINANCE CHAIR OF THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE

CHICAGO- Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts has stepped down after nearly four years as the finance chair of the Republican National Committee.

Ricketts, who also was finance chair of former President Donald Trump’s reelection committee, was replaced by Trump’s ambassador to Spain, Richard “Duke” Buchan III, at a meeting of RNC members.

Ricketts, who lives in Wilmette, Illinois, and is part of his family’s ownership of the Cubs, said he was “privileged” to serve as national finance chair and having been entrusted “to advance our party’s values and promote our pro-growth, conservative agenda.”

“I’m excited by all the Republican candidates we helped elect during my tenure as well as the investments we made and the infrastructure we developed as a party,” Ricketts said in a statement. “I’m confident the RNC will continue to be an outstanding organization to serve Republicans across the country and I look forward to continuing to help the cause.”

Ricketts took on the party finance role after withdrawing as a potential deputy commerce secretary in the Trump administration because he was unable to unwind his family’s complex finances enough to satisfy the federal Office of Government Ethics.

In February, Ricketts was reappointed to the party post he held since January 2018. He has often been mentioned as a potential GOP candidate for office in Illinois, though he has previously denied any interest in that.

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NEBRASKA RECORDS SECOND WEEK OF INCREASING COVID CASES

NEBRASKA- Nebraska recorded the nation’s fifth-highest percentage increase in COVID-19 cases last week, part of a surge of infections occurring in the upper Great Plains.

For this week, the state recorded 5,104 new cases, up from 4,177 the previous week, according to a World-Herald analysis of federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

That tally marked the second straight week of increased cases for the state, following weeks of flat and slightly falling cases.

Also last week, families began lining up for the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, days after it cleared the last federal regulatory hurdle for emergency use.

Adding the nation’s 28 million children — including 186,000 in Nebraska — to the list of those eligible to get the shots has been hailed by medical experts as another way of slowing the pandemic.

Nebraska’s case growth over the past week and the past two weeks both rank fifth-highest in the country. Minnesota ranks second for both of those time periods; Iowa is 10th. All of the states in the upper Great Plains, including the Dakotas, now rank in the top 20 nationally in weekly per-capita cases. Per-capita cases in Nebraska are running about 65% higher than the U.S. average.

Nationally, cases were up 5% last week — the first weekly increase in the United States after two months of falling cases. Increases in the upper Great Plains and some Western states, including Colorado, California, and New Mexico, appear to be offsetting ongoing declines in some Southern states hit hard by the delta variant over the summer.

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'TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY' IN NEBRASKA: NEXT YEAR SERIOUS POLICE MISCONDUCT WILL BE PUBLIC

OMAHA - Next year, Nebraskans will be able to find a list of some trouble officers online.

Governor Pete Ricketts signed Legislative Bill 51 this spring that includes several police reform measures; one of which is a requirement for a public list of officers who have been decertified, have a serious misconduct on their record, or were found guilty of a felony or Class I misdemeanor.

The list will include the officer's name, rank, agency, reason for being on the list, how they were disciplined, and a signature from the chief of police or sheriff that affirms the accuracy.

Currently, if one were to request misconduct records from Omaha Police, they would be denied due to exemptions in public records law. Exemptions in public records law allow the Omaha Police to deny the request, but their contract with the police union forbids it unless the officer specifically allows it or it is appealed beyond Human Resources.

State Senator Terrell McKinney of Omaha said, "Police misconduct shouldn't be a secret."

The serious misconduct that must be listed are actions that "have a rational connection to the person's fitness or capacity to serve." Specifically, fabrication of evidence, repeated excessive force, bribery, fraud, perjury, and sexual assault.

Police agencies did not have to report serious misconduct to a state agency up until recently.

Incidents having taken place after January 1 of this year will be included and must be online before July 1, 2022.

"It's important for the public to know who the good and bad officers are in the community, to create a level of transparency and accountability," McKinney said.

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NEBRASKA SENATORS COME UP SHORT IN CALL FOR SPECIAL SESSION TO BAN VACCINE MANDATES

LINCOLN- Nebraska legislators aren’t headed back to Lincoln to consider a prohibition on vaccine mandates — at least not yet.

An effort to convene the Legislature for a special session failed to garner enough support from state senators to move forward.

State Sens. Ben Hansen of Blair and Rob Clements of Elmwood led the push. They delivered a letter, signed by 26 state senators, to the Secretary of State’s Office on Oct. 19.

The letter requested a session to consider “legislation to prohibit employers from mandating COVID-19 vaccines,” according to a press release from Hansen’s office, as well as legislation to bar government or educational entities from mandating the vaccines “as a condition of receiving services.”

At least 33 (two-thirds) of the state’s 49 senators have to join the call to trigger a special session under state law — that’s also the number of senators needed to overcome a filibuster by opponents.

Secretary of State Bob Evnen notified the senators who hadn’t signed the letter and two additional senators ultimately did sign on, according to the Secretary of State’s Office: Sens. Rich Pahls of Omaha and Matt Williams of Gothenburg. The deadline was Novemebr 1st.

The effort fell five senators short.

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NAVY VETERAN SEEKING SARPY COUNTY SEAT IN NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN - A 28-year Navy veteran and retired aerospace executive has jumped into the race for a legislative seat newly added to Sarpy County.

Rick Holdcroft announced his campaign for the District 36 seat. The district encompasses the rural southern and western parts of Sarpy County, including Gretna and Springfield, and a small section of Millard.

The district was moved from central Nebraska to the metro area this year to accommodate the rapid population growth. It is currently represented by State Senator Matt Williams of Gothenburg, who is term-limited.

Holdcroft is a registered Republican who has backing from Governor Pete Ricketts and several sitting senators. Holdcroft plans to focus on gun rights, quality education, health care, lowering taxes on retirees, homeowners, and small businesses, as well as opposing abortion.

During his 28 years in the Navy, Holdcroft was assigned to U.S. Strategic Command as well as the command of Spruance-class destroyer. He then went on to become an aerospace executive after retiring from the military. Since then, he has been named the 2019 Knight of the Year for the Nebraska Knights of Columbus and received the 2019 Distinguished Service Award from the University of Nebraska Alumni Association.

This is not Holdcroft's first campaign; he ran an unsuccessful campaign against State Senator Carol Blood of Bellevue two years ago. So far, his only competition for the District 26 seat is Democrat Angie Lauritsen, a former Gretna City Council member, and small-business owner.

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ROSY REVENUE FORECAST BRINGS CALLS FOR TAX RELIEF, NEW PRISON IN NEBRASKA

LINCOLN - Nebraska policymakers got sunny news from the state’s economic forecasting board — $902 million worth of sunny news, to be exact.

That’s how much the board raised its projections of state tax revenues for the two-year budget period that ends June 30, 2023.

The new projected increase means that $313 million will be available for spending or tax cuts in the second year of the budget period, as opposed to the previously predicted shortcoming. The increase is also significant because $475 million will be put towards the state's rainy day fund, making the projected total $1.47 billion, a record-high.

Governor Ricketts commented on the new projection, saying "Nebraska's big economic momentum continues to translate into stronger and stronger tax receipts. Today's news means that there is even more room to work on tax relief and important projects, including replacing the aging Nebraska State Penitentiary."

The Nebraska State Penitentiary referenced is a 1,512 bed facility that Ricketts has been pushing for. In 2020, it was estimated to cost $230 million. Lawmakers approved nearly $15 million to design the facility but made no commitments to building the prison.

State Senator Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, chair of the Legislature's Revenue Committee, said “Now we are in a position to make our income taxes more competitive with neighboring states while we continue to provide significant property tax relief to all Nebraskans. We are in a fortunate fiscal position compared to most states. We need to continue to reduce the tax burden on Nebraska’s taxpayers.”

If tax revenues match the latest predictions, school property taxes could be offset by a state program that offers income tax credits. Legislative Bill 1107 established that $548 million would be set aside for credits in 2022 and 2023. In the program's first year, $125 million was set aside and future amounts are based on the growth of state tax revenue.

Despite the optimistic projections, OpenSky Policy Institute Executive Director, Renee Fry, urged lawmakers to proceed with caution. “While today’s increased revenue forecast is encouraging, the fact is federal dollars are propping up our economy considerably,” Fry said. “Eventually those funds will stop flowing and our economy will have to stand on its own. For this reason, we urge caution because enacting ongoing tax or spending proposals will force tough choices in the future when revenues fail to keep up with our state’s obligations.”

Senator John Stinner echoed Fry's comments, saying "We have to make sure we don't make long-term decisions with short-term increases in tax revenue."

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REPRESENTATIVE JEFF FORTENBERRY BARRED FROM HANDLING EVIDENCE IN WORKING ON HIS DEFENSE

LINCOLN - A federal judge has signed a pretrial order barring U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry from possessing or being left alone with evidence gathered by confidential informants in a case alleging the congressman lied to the FBI during an investigation into illegal campaign contributions.

While Fortenberry’s defense attorney said that such a protection order is “not an unusual step at all” in cases involving confidential informants, a Lincoln trial attorney — who is also a former state Democratic Party chair — said it didn’t look good in a case involving an elected official.

Vince Powers practices in federal courts in Nebraska and said that he has only seen one other protection order of its kind approved which was in the case of a drug dealer and fear of harm to a witness. Powers went on to say "It’s not a good sign when a judge doesn’t trust a United States congressman to follow the rules."

John Littrell, Fortenberry's defense attorney, disputed Powers' claim, saying that such motions are not "at all" unusual in California. “The prosecution proposes an order like this in any case involving the use of confidential informants,” Littrell said. “The protective order does not limit the Congressman’s access to information, and it will not inhibit our ability to defend this case.”

The order states that Fortenberry can only view evidence and statements in the presence of his defense attorneys. He is also barred from taking any of the materials with him, memorizing, or writing down any of the information.

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A NEBRASKA COUNTY GAVE EMPLOYEES UP TO $10K IN BONUSES USING FEDERAL COVID RELIEF FUNDS

LINCOLN - One rural Nebraska county is giving a generous ‘”thank you” to employees who worked through the COVID-19 pandemic: bonuses of up to $10,000 each, using federal coronavirus recovery funds.

The bonuses, which were approved in August, were described as hazard pay for the 50 or so employees of Morrill County in the Nebraska Panhandle.

The American Rescue Plan Act that was passed in March allows the money to be used for "premium pay." Morrill County is expecting roughly $902,000 from the federal program. Half of this arrived this spring and was used for the bonuses.

Jeff Metz of Angora, the chairman of the three-member Morrill County Board, said "There were a lot of things you could not use it for. We ran across that one of the allowable expenses was hazard pay. We felt that fit with what we were trying to do. It sent a nice message to the employees."

A majority of the state's 93 counties are still discussing how they should use their portion of the roughly $376 million ARPA funds. Douglas, Lancaster, and Sarpy Counties have created committees or task forces to decide how to allocate these funds.

Governor Pete Rickets says that he will introduce a proposal in January on how to spend the $1 billion they expect to receive.

One of the main grievances expressed by most of the county officials is that the ARPA funds cannot be used for normal expenses, such as maintaining roads, replacing bridges or buying equipment. This, however, is subject to change; the U.S. Senate recently advanced a proposal to allow ARPA funding for regular government services.

The funds have to be designated by December 31st, 2024 and have to be spent by the end of 2026. Until then, the funds can be used in four general ways: responding to public health emergency and the negative impacts of COVID-19, such as providing grants to impacted businesses; maintaining government services impacted by a reduction in tax revenue caused by the pandemic; water, sewer or broadband infrastructure; and premium pay for essential employees, such as the aforementioned bonuses given in Morrill County.

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MILLARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO BE CLOSED UNTIL NOV. 15 AFTER SPIKE IN COVID CASES

MILLARD- COVID-19 may have forced the closure of an entire elementary school in the Millard Public Schools, but Superintendent Jim Sutfin said he's not recommending any changes in the district's mask-optional plan.

Black Elk Elementary, with 576 students, closed earlier this week and won't reopen for two weeks.

Sutfin said a lack of substitute teachers willing to work at the school was a factor in the decision to close the school until Nov. 15.

"We can't get a workforce because substitute teachers do not want to come to Black Elk because there is a COVID problem," he said. "The only choice we have is to close that building and clear it out."

As of November 1st, Black Elk had 34 active cases, the highest among Millard's 35 schools, according to the district's dashboard.

Sutfin said that although Black Elk is closed, the district's other 24 elementary schools are still open.

"As of right now, I do not have a recommendation for the board to change the plan that we currently have because the plan has been effective," he said.

But Sutfin said that as activities move indoors this fall and winter, it will present a "dangerous" challenge for the district.

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DOZENS OF LANCASTER COUNTY CASES DISMISSED AFTER DRUGS STOLEN FROM EVIDENCE ROOM

LINCOLN — At least 66 criminal cases have been dismissed a month after authorities announced that more than $1.2 million worth of drugs had been stolen from a Nebraska State Patrol evidence room, and more dismissals are likely.

Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Bruce Prenda said his office has closed 66 cases and is still reviewing 43 more. Similar reviews are happening in 13 other counties served by the State Patrol evidence locker where the thefts occurred.

“Our office has dismissed several cases related to this issue, and we’ll continue to review cases and make decisions, as we are required to do,” Prenda told the Lincoln Journal Star.

Prenda declined to say how much of the stolen evidence was linked to active cases and how much of it was scheduled to be destroyed.

A former State Patrol evidence technician, Anna Idigima, and her boyfriend, George Weaver Jr., have been indicted on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute the drugs. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Authorities said more than 150 pounds of marijuana, 10 pounds of fentanyl, and 3 pounds of meth disappeared from the State Patrol evidence facility in Lincoln over the summer.

The patrol said it is reviewing its evidence handling and storage procedures.

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2 CANDIDATES PLAN TO CHALLENGE MACHAELA CAVANAUGH FOR NEBRASKA LEGISLATIVE SEAT

OMAHA — At least two candidates intend to challenge Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh when she runs for reelection in 2022.

Christian Mirch, a lawyer, and police officer, and Elizabeth Hallgren, a small-business adviser, and educator, have launched campaigns for Cavanaugh’s west-central Omaha district.

District 6 is bordered, roughly, to the north and south by Maple and Pacific streets and to the east and west by 72nd and 144th streets.

Mirch worked as an Omaha police officer for 10 years and left after finishing his law degree to clerk for Nebraska Chief Justice Mike Heavican, he said. He later worked in private practice at an Omaha law firm, he said, then opened his own practice and does some work for the State Department of Labor. He still works part-time as a police officer in Yutan.

Mirch is also on the board of the Set Me Free Project, which offers a curriculum aimed at preventing human trafficking. He was chair of the Douglas County Republican Party but said he stepped down this week in accordance with party guidelines related to running for office.

Hallgren announced her campaign this week in a news release that emphasized similar issues. Her website includes four priorities: reducing taxes, supporting kids in the classroom, creating family-supporting jobs, and restoring civility.

She moved to Omaha in 2009 when her husband was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base. After he retired from the Air Force, they tried living in Colorado, she said, but came back to Nebraska to put down roots because of the community here.

“I think it’s really relevant to the conversation we’re having here in Nebraska about losing people,” she said.

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MUSEUM NAMED FOR ERNIE CHAMBERS PLANNED IN NORTH OMAHA

OMAHA — Ernie Chambers joined his daughter Gayla Lee-Chambers to cut the ribbon on a museum that will be named for him and see his name unveiled on a nearby street sign.

The commemorative street sign is at the corner of Florence Boulevard and Ames Avenue. It declares a portion of the boulevard as Ernie Chambers Sr. Drive in honor of the longest-serving state senator in Nebraska. The former lawmaker represented North Omaha in the Legislature for a total of 46 years.

The planned museum a block away at 4402 Florence Blvd. will tell the story of the firebrand senator, including his legislative history, art, and poems. It also will house other art and historical displays. Plans call for a reception area and ballroom, media center, and a theater, Lee-Chambers said. It will be called the Ernie Chambers History-Arts-Humanities Museum.

The Omaha City Council approved the street renaming last year.

Lee-Chambers, an entrepreneur and business owner, said at last week's ceremony that the street renaming and museum have been a long time coming.

“I wanted to do something very special for my father while he is still here and able to see it through his own eyes,” she said.

She pulled a rope to unveil the brown street sign, and Chambers wielded scissors to cut a red ribbon on the building.

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NEBRASKA REP. FORTENBERRY SEEKS DISMISSAL OF FEDERAL CHARGES

OMAHA— Attorneys for Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry asked a judge to dismiss federal charges accusing him of lying to FBI agents who were investigating illegal campaign contributions.

Attorney John Littrell argued in a court filing that the charges were incorrectly filed in California because the nine-term congressmen spoke to federal agents once in Nebraska and once in Washington, D.C.

Prosecutors say Fortenberry's statements affected their California-based investigation into illegal donations. Fortenberry received illegal contributions from a Nigerian billionaire, Gilbert Chagoury, using a middleman at a 2016 fundraiser in Los Angeles.

Chagoury is forbidden from donating to federal campaigns because he's a foreign national. Both men have close ties to the group In Defense of Christians, which seeks to protect Christianity in the Middle East.

Fortenberry has pleaded not guilty, saying he cooperated with federal agents but was misled and that he didn't know the campaign contribution originated with Chagoury. One of Chagoury's conduits was Toufic Baaklini, described by prosecutors as a U.S.-based businessman and consultant for Chagoury who later agreed to cooperate with federal officials.

“The Congressman will ultimately be victorious in this case," Jim Morrell, a spokesman for Fortenberry, said in a statement. He said the case was brought by a prosecutor "who wants to drag a Republican Congressman from Nebraska all the way across the country to face a California jury.”

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BRYAN HEALTH SAYS IT LOST 10 EMPLOYEES OVER VACCINE MANDATE

LINCOLN- Bryan Health announced this week that it had only 10 employees leave over a COVID-19 vaccination mandate that became effective November 5th.

The Lincoln-based health system said that of its 5,552 employees, five resigned rather than get vaccinated, and five were terminated for not complying with the mandate.

Nearly 300 people, or roughly 5% of Bryan's staff, were granted an approved exemption and will be subject to weekly COVID-19 testing.

Of the rest of the employees, all but 54 met the October 29th deadline to be fully vaccinated, the health system said. Those employees have had one dose and are in the process of getting their second dose.

Bryan also said that more than 97% of 901 credentialed physicians and advanced practice providers, including physician assistants and nurse practitioners, are fully vaccinated, and the 25 who are not vaccinated will be subject to weekly testing requirements.

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