RACETRACK, CASINO IN NORTH PLATTE COULD MEAN $115M IN TAX REVENUE, ORGANIZERS SAY

NORTH PLATTE - A proposed horse racetrack and casino in North Platte could mean about $115 million in tax revenues for the city, county and state over a decade, a representative for the organization behind the project says. Those were the findings of a regional market analysis that Sean Boyd, the president of Global Gaming Nebraska, shared Thursday.

Global Gaming Nebraska is a subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation’s Global Gaming Solutions, a commercial business that oversees more than 26 casinos in Oklahoma and Texas.Brian Becker and his daughter, Breanne, who operate a one-day-a-year quarter horse racing operation in Hastings, have partnered with Global Gaming for the racetrack/casino proposals in North Platte and Gering.

The proposed five-eighths-mile oval dirt horse track and roughly 40,000-square-foot casino with more than 600 electronic games would be constructed on a 73.58-acre tract of land in North Platte

Boyd said the marketing study showed that the project could draw from a population of roughly 260,000 within a 125-mile radius that includes out-of-area visitors from Wyoming, Kansas and Colorado. He said the economic impacts over the decade would be:

» $84 million to the Nebraska Property Tax Credit cash fund.

» $15 million to the city of North Platte.

» $15 million to Lincoln County.

» $6 million to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission and general fund.

More than 180 jobs would be created with about a $5.5 million annual payroll, according to the analysis. He said the benefits would be similar for a casino in Gering, which is about 175 miles from North Platte.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

NEBRASKA ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST HIRES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KARL ELMSHAEUSER

LINCOLN - The troubled Nebraska Environmental Trust turned Thursday night to someone with extensive experience in economic development and grants to bring calm to an agency that awards $20 million in grants a year for environmental and conservation projects.

The trust board voted 12-0 to hire Karl Elmshaeuser, the former head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development program in Nebraska, as the new executive director. He will be paid $111,900 a year and was selected from a field of 61 applicants. Elmshaeuser, 60, is a former Ogallala City Council member who ran unsuccessfully for the Nebraska Legislature in 2016. His current job is legislative liaison with the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.

Two performance audits this fall detailed several recommendations to improve the agency, and he said he has experience in "process improvement."

The trust, which awards grants using state lottery proceeds, has been in turmoil since February 2020, when the board voted to defund a handful of conservation, habitat and wetland projects and instead award more than $1 million to install ethanol blender pumps at service stations. The move spawned a lawsuit against the trust board, as well as the formation of a watchdog group, the Friends of the Environmental Trust, who felt that the trust was straying from its original mission.

"The team at Kissel Kohout ES Associates is very excited about the appointment of Mr. Elmshaeuser! We worked closely with him during his tenure at the West Central Economic Development District and supported his campaign for the Nebraska Legislature. He will be a great asset to the Environmental Trust!" - Joe Kohout

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

NEBRASKA GETS MILLIONS IN EPA WATER IMPROVEMENT FUNDS

LINCOLN - Nebraska is getting $63.4 million from the federal government to upgrade water systems and improve water quality, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday.

EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan informed states of $7.4 billion in new funding, saying the allocation for next year is the first of five years of payments totaling nearly $44 billion. The EPA funding comes through a $1 trillion infrastructure bill approved by Congress and signed into law last month by President Joe Biden.

Some of the funding would be focused on removing lead and PFAS compounds, widely known as “forever chemicals” linked to health problems including cancer, liver damage and decreased fertility. Some of the funding would be focused on removing lead and PFAS compounds, widely known as “forever chemicals” linked to health problems including cancer, liver damage and decreased fertilit

Iowa is set to receive $110.7 million In funding.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

NEBRASKA ECONOMY IS EXPECTED TO KEEP GROWING

LINCOLN - Despite a number of risks and some general uncertainty, Nebraska's economy should continue to grow over the next three years. That's the conclusion of the latest three-year forecast from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Bureau of Business Research and the Nebraska Business Forecast Council

Eric Thompson, director of the Bureau of Business Research at UNL's College of Business, said the state faces two main threats to its economy over the next few years: The potential that the Federal Reserve Bank may need to increase interest rates rapidly in order to reduce the rate of inflation, and the possibility that the COVID-19 pandemic could worsen significantly next year.

Employment is expected to rise with 1.4% job growth in 2022 as the state economy continues to recover jobs lost in the 2020 recession. Employment growth should then “normalize” to a 0.9% rate in 2023 and a 0.8% rate in 2024, according to the forecast.

Job growth will be stronger in 2022 as the leisure and hospitality sector and local government employment bounce back toward pre-pandemic levels. Job growth will then return to the long-term pattern of rising employment in services, finance, construction and non-durable goods manufacturing, and falling employment in retail and wholesale trade and durable goods manufacturing.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

NEBRASKA GOVERNMENTS PAY MORE THAN $10 MILLION FOR HELP ALLOCATING FEDERAL COVID RELIEF

NEBRASKA - Tasked with spending an unprecedented windfall of federal COVID-19 relief, some of Nebraska’s largest political jurisdictions, primarily the state, are on track to spend more than a combined $10 million of the federal dollars on consultants to help them allocate the money.

Nebraska is not unique in using coronavirus relief for guidance and oversight on spending. The expenditures are necessary for ensuring that local officials' jurisdictions do not run afoul of guidelines that dictate how the money must be used.

The City of Omaha is one of the most recent entities to contract with Deloitte after approval by the City Council in late October. The global consulting firm will provide services related to the development, review, and reporting of the city's American Rescue Plan funds.

The $1.9 trillion act was passed by Congress in March with the aim of thwarting economic damage caused by COVID-19. Eligible state, local, territorial, and tribal governments could receive up to $350 billion.

Jurisdictions that are eligible and accept the money have until 2026 to spend it and are required to regularly report how they have spent it to the Treasury Department. Any money spent outside of the guidelines must be returned to the federal government.

Roughly $56 million was allocated to the City of Omaha in May with another $56 million expected in early spring of 2022. Payment to Deloitte of $250,000 will come out of these allocated funds.

The City of Lincoln went a different way as they are looking to resources from the Biden administration and national organizations for guidance.

“The City of Lincoln has dedicated appropriate policy, legal, and financial staff members to ensuring appropriate compliance with the American Rescue Plan State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds as well as drawing on technical assistance provided from the administration and national organizations,” Kate Bolz, a mayoral aide for economic development, told The World-Herald. “(The city) will develop additional resources if and when necessary.”

For the full article click HERE

KEARNEY CANCER CLINIC TO JOIN NEBRASKA MEDICINE NEXT MONTH

NEBRASKA - Cancer patients in the center of Nebraska have historically had to travel long distances for access to specialized cancer care. Those trips can be especially hard not only on patients but on family members as well.

Patients in Kearney, Hastings, and Grand Island will now have access to the Nebraska Medicine cancer care closer to home. Heartland Hematology and Oncology in Kearney will join the Nebraska Medicine Health Network on Thursday, Dec. 16.

Cynthia Lewis, MD, and Nick Hartl, MD, lead Heartland Hematology and Oncology which is known as a place of hope, healing, and comfort. These characteristics will not change and they will continue to provide the best care possible for their patients and families.

Support from the entire Nebraska Medicine Health Network, including its team of disease-specific cancer specialists, will better allow them to provide care to existing patients and a wider range of potential patients.

Included in this expansion of care from the Nebraska Medicine Health Network are access to peer-reviewed tumor boards, opportunities for virtual care, and connections to the most advanced treatments available.

Signs reflecting the name change to "Nebraska Medicine Heartland Hematology and Oncology" will be going up in the coming weeks.

"We wanted a way to provide specialized cancer care to our patients in central Nebraska without having to send them three hours to Omaha. We believe our patients do best when they receive care close to home, family, and friends," said Dr. Lewis, hematologist/oncologist with the Kearney facility.

The facility will be the westernmost member of the Nebraska Medicine Health Network.

For the full article click HERE

FORTENBERRY SPOKESMAN BLASTS FEDERAL PROSECUTORS FOR THEIR HANDLING OF CRIMINAL CASE

LINCOLN - A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry blasted federal prosecutors, saying they had "crossed a line" by not revealing "the whole truth" about why the congressman had not returned illegal campaign contributions that originated from a Nigerian billionaire.

Earlier this month, federal prosecutors posited that Fortenberry failed to turn over the contributions despite being told they were illegal in a 2018 phone call. Instead, he asked the organizer of the 2016 fundraiser to host another fundraiser in 2018 during his re-election year.

During this 2018 call, Fortenberry was unaware that the fundraiser organizer had been working with the FBI and the call was recording. Fortenberry did not express concern or surprise upon hearing that the funds came from illegal foreign cash; he proceeded to request another fundraiser despite the information.

However, Fortenberry's spokesman Chad Kolton said that federal authorities told them not to return the funds due to possibly interfering with their investigation.

"Rep. Fortenberry agreed to help prosecutors and the FBI, as he did at every stage of this investigation, by following their directions" which "crossed a line when they intentionally distorted key facts to present a misleading narrative to the judge," said Kolton.

The initial federal investigation of Chagoury began in 2015 due to his potential influence over American elected officials as a result of the foreign national's donations.

Chagoury, it ultimately was discovered, contributed $180,000 in conduit contributions to four elected officials, including Fortenberry and former U.S. Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., and provided a $50,000 loan to the then-U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Chagoury, who lives in Paris, agreed to cooperate with FBI investigators and pay a $1.8 million fine in connection with the gifts. Two of his associates also were fined.

For the full article click HERE

OMAHA METRO AREA WILL DRAFT CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

OMAHA - From flash flooding to rolling blackouts, from potholes to smoky skies, Omahans have had a bitter taste this past year of the effects that extreme weather has on their lives.

The City of Omaha will join several hundred other U.S. cities with strategies for confronting climate change as other metro entities, such as the Omaha Public Power District, are ramping up efforts to address climate change as well.

Despite these efforts, the Nebraska Legislature has rejected calls for a statewide plan.

In regard to the timing of the plan, Mayor Jean Stothert said, “Omaha has been implementing sustainability measures for some time now without the need for a formal plan. The current timeline gives us the opportunity to maximize the results of more coordination for climate-related practices.”

The course of action has received both praise and frustration from those who had been working towards this goal for years.

David Corbin, chairman of the Missouri Valley Sierra Club's energy committee, disagreed with Stothert's claims that the metro area had no need for such a plan until now.

“I hope the city doesn’t approach other public responsibilities with the same laissez-faire attitude,” he said. “Not having a plan is a type of inaction.”

Most projects of this nature entail the identification of a community's most vulnerable areas to severe weather, the contribution to global warming, and what needs to be done to stop it.

Some of the impetus for the plan comes from Omaha’s desire to remain competitive in drawing new employers and talented workers, said Kevin Andersen, Stothert’s deputy chief of staff for economic development.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA'S COVID CASES, HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS HIT HIGHEST LEVELS SINCE JANUARY

NEBRASKA- Nebraska’s tally of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths last week hit their highest levels since January.

In light of that, public health directors in the state urged residents to get vaccinated against COVID — and if vaccinated, boosted — to help combat the region’s ongoing delta variant surge.

The state posted 6,461 new cases for the week ending Friday, November 19th, up from 6,137 the previous week. That marked the fourth straight weekly increase for the state, according to a World-Herald analysis of federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Hospitalizations were up sharply, with a daily average of 448 COVID patients occupying beds. That’s up from 417 from the week before.

An average of 64 patients a day were admitted to the state’s hospitals with COVID, up from 48 the week before. On Saturday, 493 Nebraskans were hospitalized with COVID-19, according to the state’s hospital capacity dashboard. That also was the highest figure since early January.

Nebraska also reported 60 more deaths, up from 47 the previous week. Last week’s total was the largest weekly tally since mid-January when the nation’s vaccination campaign was just getting off the ground.

For the full article click HERE

PETITION DRIVE AIMS TO ELIMINATE NEBRASKA BOARD OF EDUCATION, GIVE GOVERNOR K-12 OVERSIGHT

NEBRASKA- A petition drive is underway that would give the governor substantial oversight of K-12 schools in Nebraska.

The sponsors aim to replace the Nebraska State Board of Education, education commissioner and Nebraska Department of Education with a new Office of Education accountable to the governor.

The governor would appoint the director of the office, subject to confirmation by a majority of state senators.

Kelli Brady, a sponsor of the petition, said the intent is to move “major functions” of the department to the new office and return some of the department’s responsibilities to local school boards.

“Give the power back to the people that are dealing directly with the children,” she said.

Critics, however, say that petition would have the opposite effect, eliminating an elected board and concentrating power in the Governor’s Office. A rift grew this year between the board and the governor.

Board members this year faced a firestorm of opposition when they proposed new health education standards for Nebraska schools that incorporated teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation.

Nebraska Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts was vocal in his opposition to the sex ed topics in the standards. He also called for removing the 1619 Project and another curriculum resource, the Zinn Education Project, from a list of educational resources posted on the Nebraska Department of Education’s website.

For the full article click HERE

LINCOLN COUNCIL APPROVES 2050 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DESPITE SOME CONCERNS OVER FLOOD PLAIN POLICIES

LINCOLN- The Lincoln City Council approved a 10-year update to its comprehensive plan — a document that guides the city’s land use to 2050 — but made clear members see it as a “living plan” that can be updated or modified.

“This is a plan,” said Councilman Bennie Shobe. “It’s always changeable if we have new information. It’s kind of written in sandstone, not real stone.”

Several developers, or those representing them, testified about policies related to the Salt Creek flood plain resiliency study, an extensive study of flood plain management of the Salt Creek basin.

Developers are concerned that changes in floodplain policies could negatively impact future or existing development and result in increased housing costs.

City Planner David Cary told the council the resiliency study was not part of the comprehensive plan. The planning department will be part of a collaborative effort to review the study and what changes should result from it, he said.

Several council members said they appreciated the efforts to get input from the community on the plan.

The council unanimously approved the comprehensive plan — called Plan Forward 2050. It is largely a land-use document but also includes sections focusing on early child care and education.

The document is based on a few assumptions: That over the next 30 years Lincoln will need 48,000 new housing units to handle city growth; that 25% of Lincoln’s households will be built inside existing city limits; new growth will require 7 square miles of new land; and that Lincoln’s population will get older and more diverse.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA AG JOINS PROBE OF INSTAGRAM'S MAREKTING TO CHILDREN, YOUNG ADULTS

LINCOLN- Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson has joined a bipartisan group of attorneys general investigating Instagram over efforts to market the social media app to children and young adults.

The probe comes amid ongoing fallout for Instagram and its parent company, Meta Platforms, after a whistleblower leaked documents to news outlets and provided high-profile testimony to Congress. Meta was previously known as Facebook before rebranding in October.

According to a news release from Peterson’s office, the attorneys general are working to determine if the company violated state consumer protection laws and put the public at risk.

The group intends to investigate Meta’s techniques for increasing young users’ engagement on Instagram, and the resulting harms.

In addition to Nebraska, the investigation includes attorneys general from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont.

Meta has repeatedly denied the characterizations stemming from whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former Facebook data scientist who leaked the documents.

For the full article click HERE

ALL THREE NEBRASKA CONGRESSMEN VOTE AGAINST BIDEN'S SPENDING PLAN

NEBRASKA - Nebraska’s three Republican congressmen voted against President Joe Biden’s expansive social and environmental package, dubbed the “Build Back Better” plan.

The House approved the plan by a slim margin of 220-213 which sent the bill to the Senate. There, it will undoubtedly face changes as a result of criticism from the all-Republican congressional delegation.

Nebraska's Republican representatives mostly take issue with the increased federal control embedded into the proposed bill, which includes far-reaching changes in taxation, health care, energy, climate change, family services, education, and housing.

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry said, “Americans are about to have a new form of governance, concentrated in D.C.”

These concerns were echoed by Rep. Don Bacon, who said, “Our nation does not desire to be a giant welfare state with ‘cradle to grave’ government oversight controlling our lives.”

Included in the bill's 2,100 pages are initiatives to bolster child care assistance, create free preschool, curb seniors' prescription drugs costs, and increase efforts to slow climate change. Also included are tax credits to spur clean energy development, bolstered child care assistance, and extended tax breaks for millions of families with children, lower-earning workers, and people buying private health insurance.

Tax increases on the wealthy, big corporations and companies doing business abroad would be used to pay for the initiative.

For the full article click HERE

STATE SENATOR PATTY PANSING BROOKS OFFICIALLY RUNNING FOR JEFF FORTENBERRY'S HOUSE SEAT

LINCOLN- State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln officially announced a bid for U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry’s seat representing Nebraska’s 1st District in the U.S. House.

Fortenberry will be tasked with trying to hold onto the seat he’s held for over a dozen years while facing federal charges.

Pansing Brooks didn’t take any jabs at the sitting congressman for his current legal situation — but she did take aim at his recent vote against major infrastructure legislation.

Pansing Brooks, 63, is an attorney and was first elected in 2014 to represent the 28th District in the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature. She’s not eligible to run for reelection to her legislative seat due to term limits. Now, she’s running as a Democrat for the congressional seat that Fortenberry, a Republican, has held since 2005.

In an interview, Pansing Brooks offered a message of unity, collaboration, and change. Her official campaign kickoff was scheduled for the evening of the 15th in Lincoln.

Pansing Brooks said she’s part of the fourth generation of her family to live in the district, and her kids represent a fifth. Among her key issues are expanding access to broadband, economic and workforce development, infrastructure, and health care. She also has a fundraising track record, serving as co-chair for a $6 million campaign for an urban park in Lincoln, the $9.6 million Centennial Mall renovation, and a $250 million Lincoln Public Schools bond issue in 2007, according to her website.

Chad Kolton, Fortenberry’s campaign spokesperson, said in a statement issued soon after the announcement: “Jeff Fortenberry has faithfully and effectively served Nebraska and America in Congress and will ask the voters to re-elect him in 2022 to continue that work. The contrast will be very clear: Patty Pansing Brooks will faithfully advance Joe Biden’s agenda and have to explain a chaotic economy, overrun border and dangerous foreign policy.”

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKANS COULD SAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS DURING MEDICARE OPEN ENROLLMENT

NEBRASKA- Volunteers with a local nonprofit group have been able to help seniors save hundreds — or in some cases thousands — of dollars during Medicare open enrollment this year.

Volunteers Assisting Seniors helps seniors review Medicare plans and find the one that best fits their needs, often saving them lots of money on prescription drugs.

One Omaha man will save more than $2,300 by switching plans, said Sue Fredricks, executive director of Volunteers Assisting Seniors. The man, who is in his 80s, recently was prescribed a new — and expensive — eyedrop medication. His current plan wouldn’t cover it. But volunteers with the group found a plan that would.

Last year, the group helped 1,200 people save a total of nearly $1.1 million, averaging about $895 a person.

Medicare open enrollment, which runs through Dec. 7, gives beneficiaries the opportunity to review their Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans, also known as Part D.

If beneficiaries like what they have, they can keep those plans. But Fredricks said because plans change every year — changing premiums and copays and even dropping medications and pharmacies from their preferred lists — seniors should review their plans each year.

For the full article click HERE

GOP CANDIDATES HERBSTER, THIBODEAU GOT PANDEMIC RELIEF LOANS

LINCOLN- Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster, who has criticized government handouts, received a $1.55 million federal loan forgiven under a pandemic relief program last year.

The loan was provided to Conklin Company’s manufacturing operations and distribution warehouse in Shakopee, Minnesota, through the Paycheck Protection Program. Herbster is the owner and CEO of Conklin, as well as other farms and agriculture-related businesses.

The loan was forgiven under the terms of the pandemic relief program, which required businesses to keep employees on the payroll and spend the money for certain types of expenses.

But Herbster, who aligns himself with former President Donald Trump, denied any contradiction between taking the loan and his position on “government handouts.” He described that position in an April radio interview, saying that “every time we ask for a handout from the federal government or even the state level, we give up something.”

“President Trump’s Payroll Protection Program was not a government ‘handout,’” he told The World-Herald. “It was developed in response to a once-in-a-century pandemic that forced business to shut down and workers to be shut out.

Two other GOP gubernatorial contenders also received PPP loans.

University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen got pandemic loans totaling $7.8 million for 16 businesses affiliated with his Columbus-based Pillen Family Farms. Those loans also were forgiven; however, Sarah Pillen, co-CEO of Pillen Family Farms, said the businesses later returned $5.08 million of the loans.

Former Sen. Theresa Thibodeau, the newest entrant in the race, got two loans totaling $440,745 for her corporation, Anjoel. The company operated her daycare business, the Primrose School of La Vista. She has since sold the daycare.

For the full article click HERE

DRAFT RULES SET PRICE TAG FOR NEBRASKA CASINO LICENSE AT $1 MILLION

NEBRASKA- Companies that want to open a casino at a Nebraska horse racetrack will have to pony up $1 million for a license.

That’s one of the requirements of the rules released by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission.

The 67-page document lays out everything from license applications to how to handle money to how to deal with problem gambling and sex trafficking.

Included are two key provisions that are likely to make some people happy and others unhappy: All casinos will be smoke-free, and only law enforcement officers or licensed security guards will be allowed to carry firearms.

Tom Sage, executive director of the commission, said the proposed regulations are a “hodgepodge of best practices” from casino regulators across the Midwest.

The commission hired Gaming Labs International, an industry consultant that has worked with other states, including Ohio, to help it write rules for casino gambling.

“They basically took what worked in some of those other states and incorporated it into our rules,” Sage said.

The $1 million fee, to be paid upfront, would secure a license for 20 years. Casinos would also face an annual assessment to help fund the activities of the commission.

Sage said that details of the annual assessment still have to be worked out but that it would likely be based on how many gambling machines and table game spots a casino has.

For the full article click HERE

NEARLY $1 TRILLION IN WEALTH EXPECTED TO BE TRANSFERRED TO NEBRASKA GENERATIONS

NEBRASKA - Historic amounts of wealth will be transferred from one Nebraska generation to the next in the decades ahead, according to a study released this week by the Nebraska Community Foundation. And if families bequeath a small percentage to their communities, the effect could be transformational, according to the foundation.

Nebraska families are expected to transfer roughly $100 billion in assets to the next generation over the coming 10 years, said Nebraska Community Foundation CEO Jeff Yost. However, more than $950 billion is expected to be transferred over the next 50 years.

Assets expected to transfer consist of real estate, securities, retirement accounts and other assets.

This is a common theme across the United States as baby boomers and their parents continue to transfer wealth to the next generations.

It would be the largest transfer of wealth in Nebraska's history.

An estimated 5% of the expected transfer would be enough to place communities in a position to flourish, regardless of the current uncertainties, Yost said.

With that figure in mind, the Nebraska Community Foundation has launched a campaign entitled "Five to Thrive," which encourages people to bequeath 5% of their passed-along estates for their communities.

One of the main concerns for the foundation is the high proportion of younger generations that have moved out of their hometowns, which could benefit greatly from the influx in wealth. This is a driving factor in their latest campaign.

In 71 of Nebraska’s 93 counties, the transfer of wealth is expected to peak within the next 25 years, Yost said.

For the full article click HERE

LEADER OF NEBRASKA TEACHERS UNION STEPS DOWN CITING FAMILY HEALTH ISSUES

NEBRASKA- Maddie Fennell, executive director of the Nebraska State Education Association, is stepping down, the association anounced.

Fennell, who has held the post since 2017, cited family health reasons, the association said. The association board has named Trish Guinan as her replacement. Guinan was the association's director of advocacy.

In a statement, Fennell said she's grateful for the faith that the board and members placed in her during her time as director.

“Unfortunately, the continued health needs of my husband, my son, and other members of my family require more attention than I can give while also fully executing the responsibilities of executive director," she said.

Fennell, the 2007 Nebraska Teacher of the Year, has been a member of the NSEA since 1986. She said she "will continue my support of the important work done by the incredible members, leadership, and staff of the association.”

Guinan, a 43-year member of the NSEA, taught mathematics at the secondary and college levels, the association said. She began her association work as a field representative for members in 1996, becoming director of member rights in 2000, and director of advocacy in 2012.

For the full article click HERE

2022 NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE SESSION EYED AS RARE MOMENT OF OPPORTUNITY

LINCOLN - The approaching 2022 legislative session is emerging as a rare moment of challenge and opportunity for Nebraska, state senators and business leaders told a Lincoln Chamber of Commerce legislative breakfast audience.

A strong stream of state revenue accompanied with $1 billion in federal pandemic recovery assistance offers "some significant opportunities," Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers of Lincoln said.

Workforce development is atop of the list of the state's economic challenges, remarked Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 92% of employers now say that is the No. 1 challenge for Nebraska businesses.

Among strategies to combat economic challenges, Hilgers has his sights set on the potential water development project that could lead to long lasting benefits for recreation, tourism, flood control, economic development and water sustainability.

Hilgers is chairman of the Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resources Sustainability (STAR WARS) Committee that is considering projects throughout the state, including the possibility of constructing a large reservoir between Lincoln and Omaha.

Kristen Hassebrook, the Nebraska Chamber's executive vice president for legislation and policy, said the Chamber is "very excited" about the recently signed $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill as it provides funding for roads, ridges, and broadband. The Chamber is less excited about the proposed $2 trillion social spending package that could follow.

Senator Suzanne Geist is focused on small-business needs and was supportive of the Ricketts administration's action which negotiated a significant pay increase for state correctional officers.

For the full article click HERE