BIDEN TAPS FORMER STATE SEN. BOLZ TO LEAD NEBRASKA USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT

LINCOLN - Kate Bolz, a former state senator who lost a 2020 bid for Congress, will join the Biden administration as Nebraska’s USDA rural development director.

President Joe Biden named Bolz, an aide to Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, to the position Friday, December 17. She will transition to her new job, which will be based in Lincoln, at the beginning of the year, she said.

Gaylor Baird named Bolz her aide for economic development in December 2020, after the two-term state senator was defeated by U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry in the 1st District House race last year.

Before Election Day, Bolz, a Democrat, was viewed as a serious challenger to Fortenberry, a Republican who has represented the 1st District since 2005. She raised more money than the previous Democratic challengers and garnered high-profile endorsements.

Still, she ended up losing the race by more than 20 percentage points, which led one political observer to conclude that Nebraska’s 1st District — which includes Lincoln and much of eastern Nebraska outside of Douglas County — was not as competitive as Democrats had hoped.

In her new role, Bolz, who grew up on a family farm near Palmyra, will work to improve the quality of life in small Nebraska towns, working on affordable housing, energy programs, and supporting businesses and community facilities through grant and loan programs.

“I’ve genuinely enjoyed working with Leirion Gaylor Baird and serving the Lincoln administration,” she said.

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PLATTSMOUTH NATIVE NAMED COAST GUARDSMAN OF THE YEAR

MORRO BAY, CALIFORNIA - Gerrod Britton has always been a hero to friends and family members for his service in the United States Coast Guard.

Earlier this month, though, the Plattsmouth native was recognized as a national hero during a ceremony in Morro Bay, California.

Britton accepted the United Service Organizations (USO) Coast Guardsman of the Year Award on Dec. 10. He received a commemorative plaque with special patches and insignias in front of fellow Coast Guard members in the oceanside ceremony.

Britton said he was humbled to receive the national award. He was surprised when Benjamin Snider, the officer in charge of U.S. Coast Guard Station Morro Bay, told him that he had been selected.

“When I found out that I was going to be receiving this award I was completely caught off guard and honored at the same time,” Britton said. “My officer in charge nominated me for the award before I knew anything about it, so a huge thank you to Senior Chief Snider, and of course the USO!” 

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'HISTORIC' INITIAL RULES APPROVED FOR NEBRASKA CASINOS

LINCOLN - In a move that one commissioner called “historic,” the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission on Friday, December 17 voted unanimously to approve rules for casinos at the state’s horse tracks.

The 6-0 vote moves the package of rules on to Attorney General Doug Peterson and Gov. Pete Ricketts, who must sign off on them. Once they do, the rules will go to Secretary of State Bob Evnen and become effective about a week later.

That opens the door to allowing casinos at the state’s horse tracks almost 90 years after Nebraska authorized betting on horse racing.

“This is kind of a very historic moment today in the history of Nebraska racing,” said Dennis Lee, chairman of the commission.

It’s taken more than a year to get to this point, after voters in November 2020 overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment allowing casinos at the state’s licensed tracks.

Despite the long process, racetrack and casino operators have had nothing but praise for how the commission has approached the issue.

Global Gaming Nebraska’s Boyd said earlier this month that he believes that the state can support eight to 10 casinos.

It’s possible that the Legislature may limit the number of casinos in the state. Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, chairman of the Legislature’s General Affairs Committee, plans to introduce legislation next month that could require casinos to be at least 50 miles apart and have a minimum number of annual live race days. That could limit further casino development, especially in eastern Nebraska.

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$768 BILLION DEFENSE BILL INCLUDES RAISES FOR MILITARY, FUNDING FOR OFFUTT PROJECTS

BELLEVUE - The record-busting $768.2 billion defense authorization bill that cleared Congress last week contains a little sugar for Nebraska, courtesy of the state’s congressional delegation.

The bill, which passed the Senate 88-11, includes a 2.7% pay increase for military personnel while making landmark changes to the way the military handles sexual assaults, keeping women out of the draft, and laying the groundwork for a new war on terror memorial on the National Mall.

The House passed the bill 363-70 in September and is now awaiting President Joe Biden’s signature.

Sen. Deb Fischer and Rep. Don Bacon, who serve on the Armed Services Committees in their respective houses, claimed credit for steering some of that money to benefit military personnel and commands in Nebraska.

At least $150 million is slated for construction at Offutt Air Force Base near Bellevue. Of that, $100 million is for the reconstruction of parts of the base damaged in the 2019 flood.

That’s on top of more than $400 million for cleanup and repairs in previous years, and $234 million to replace RC-135 flight simulators destroyed in the flood.

The bill also authorized $50 million for the rehabilitation of family housing at Offutt.

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TD AMERITRADE PARK, HOME OF CWS, TO BE RENAMED 'CHARLES SCHWAB FIELD OMAHA'

OMAHA - The new year will bring a new name for Omaha's TD Ameritrade Park.

The home of the College World Series will be renamed Charles Schwab Field Omaha after the Charles Schwab Corp. obtained naming rights to the baseball stadium located in north downtown Omaha, the company announced in a press release Monday, December 20.

The words “TD Ameritrade Park” have hung on the baseball stadium since its grand opening in 2011. The Omaha-based financial company obtained naming rights to the stadium for 20 years beginning in 2009.

In 2020, TD Ameritrade was acquired by Charles Schwab, transferring the rights to the financial services firm.

TD Ameritrade paid $750,000 for the naming rights in 2009, a cost to increase by 3% each year, for a total of $20,152,782 paid out over the course of 20 years, with the agreement's expiration in 2029, according to a naming rights agreement between the company and the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority.

New signage and branding revealed by the financial services company Monday, December 20 showed that TD Ameritrade’s green and white lettering will be replaced by Charles Schwab’s blue and white in the coming months. 

The costs of the rebranding will be covered by Charles Schwab, said Kristyna Engdahl, a MECA spokesperson.

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RICKETTS, TOP DOCTORS URGE NEBRASKANS TO GET COVID VACCINES, TESTS

LINCOLN — Gov. Pete Ricketts issued a pre-holiday warning to Nebraskans on Monday, December 20 urging them to get vaccinated, tested, and, if necessary, seek monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 as the state sees a spike in cases.

But Ricketts and Dr. Gary Anthone, the state’s chief medical officer, stopped short of joining one of the state’s top infectious disease experts, who said the state is facing its most dangerous scenario since the coronavirus arrived.

Dr. James Lawler, a co-executive director of the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Global Center for Health Security, said omicron has an explosive growth rate in the communities where it has been introduced — faster than any previous COVID-19 variant.

The omicron variant appears to pass more easily from person to person, Lawler said, and it seems to cause disease more quickly. Its incubation time also appears to be shorter.

“The math catches up to you very quickly,” he said. “So even if omicron is half as lethal or a third as lethal as delta, if the transmission data hold up, we’ll get far more hospitalizations and deaths from omicron than delta.”

Ricketts, who has opposed vaccine and mask mandates, said he called the press briefing on COVID-19 as a pre-holiday reminder to get vaccinated, not because he expects a big surge ahead.

He said the “primary line of defense” against the pandemic remains vaccination. Nine out of 10 people in hospitals are not vaccinated, said Ricketts, who has been vaccinated and received a booster.

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COURT SUSPENDS BIDEN VACCINE MANDATE FOR FEDERAL CONTRACTORS IN NEBRASKA, 9 OTHER STATES

LINCOLN - A federal court in Missouri on Monday, December 20 temporarily blocked President Joe Biden’s administration from mandating vaccines for federal contractors in 10 states, including Nebraska.

Two months ago, Nebraska was a co-leader in a coalition that filed suit to stop the mandate.

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said the preliminary injunction issued by the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Missouri is significant for federal contractors and their employees.

The court ruled that the Biden administration lacked the authority to issue the mandate. An appeal of the ruling is expected.

“This means that employees of federal contractors will not need to be vaccinated in order to keep their jobs and that federal contractors will not need to implement the federal government’s vaccine policies,” Peterson said in a press release.

The ruling applies to 10 states: Nebraska, Missouri, Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The lawsuit was filed on Oct. 29.

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UNION MEMBERS APPROVE CONTRACT WITH KELLOGG, ENDING STRIKE

OMAHA - The union representing Kellogg’s striking workers announced Tuesday, December 21 that its members have ratified a new five-year labor contract, thus ending the strike.

In a statement, Anthony Shelton, president of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union, thanked striking union members for holding their ground until they achieved a fair contract.

According to the union, highlights of the contract include a clear path to regular full-time employment, no permanent two-tiered system, maintenance of cost of living raises, and no cereal production plant shutdowns through October 2026.

“Our striking members at Kellogg’s ready-to-eat cereal production facilities courageously stood their ground and sacrificed so much in order to achieve a fair contract. This agreement makes gains and does not include any concessions,” Shelton said.

In a statement posted online, Kellogg Co. Chairman and CEO Steve Cahillane said: “We are pleased that we have reached an agreement that brings our cereal employees back to work. We look forward to their return and continuing to produce our beloved cereal brands for our customers and consumers.”

Dan Osborn, president of the local union, said last week that striking workers would return to work on Dec. 27 following the ratification of the contract.

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RICKETTS SAYS HE ASKED TRUMP NOT TO ENDORSE ANYONE IN NEBRASKA PRIMARY

LINCOLN - Gov. Pete Ricketts confirmed Monday, December 20 he asked former President Donald Trump to "stay out of the race" and not endorse anyone in the Nebraska primary.

He also used it as an opportunity to take a shot at Charles Herbster who has been endorsed by Trump.

"When it comes to the candidate that he ultimately endorsed, that I don't believe if you put your company headquarters in a different state that you're going to be able to be effective with regard to economic development here in the state," Ricketts said referring to Herbster, a Falls City businessman who runs Herbster Angus Farms. 

Currently, there are six Republican candidates: Charles Herbster, NU Regent Jim Pillen, State Senator Brett Lindstrom, Omaha IT manager Breland Ridenour, Lincoln military veteran Micahel Connely, and Herbster's former running-mate, Theresa Thibodeau.

So far, State Senator Carol Blood is the lone Democrat candidate.

Despite former Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman's announcement to not run, he intends to make his voice and concerns heard in the race. He has not yet endorsed anyone, however.

Ricketts said he wants to wait until everybody who is running has announced their intention to do so before he endorses any candidate. Although, it has been widely speculated that he will support Jim Pillen.

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'WE ARE REALLY FACING A CRISIS': SEVERAL RURAL NEBRASKA NURSING HOMES SHUTTING DOWN

ARAPAHOE, NE - Rural Nebraska nursing homes are facing troubles as some shut down portions of their care or close altogether. 

Residents and their families are left scrambling to find care because of the nursing shortage and Medicaid reimbursements that can't keep up. 

The president and CEO of Nebraska's Health Care Association, Jalene Carpenter, said that at least 6 nursing home facilities closed or partially closed this year.

The Westside Regency Assisted Living wing closed in Stanton, Nebraska, as well as the assisted living wing at Parkside Manor in Stuart, Nebraska.

Closures of this kind are forcing families to travel up to 100 miles for the care their loved ones require.

Many families mention the benefits of being around a community of people with who they are familiar and comfortable with and this has become increasingly difficult for those who are located in rural areas.

Arapahoe Mayor John Kollar is urging state lawmakers to act on the coming closure of their local nursing home, Good Samaritan Society, on December 31.

Medicaid patients currently make up roughly 60 percent of nursing home patients. This comes at the detriment of the care facilities as they report losing between $20-40 on each Medicaid patient.

In an effort to combat this growing issue, Governor Pete Ricketts said on Monday, December 20 that he would increase the Medicaid reimbursement figure by $20 per day for patients at long-term residential facilities, beginning January 1.

“If you do the math of $30 per day for one resident over the course of a month, and then you have a facility that potentially has anywhere from 20 to 40 residents on Medicaid, that adds up very quickly,” Carpenter said.

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REP. JEFF FORTENBERRY'S LAWYERS SAY HE IS A VICTIM OF 'POLITICAL PROSECUTION"

LINCOLN — Indicted Rep. Jeff Fortenberry is the victim of a “political prosecution,” lawyers for the Republican lawmaker said.

“This prosecution was brought not because it was material to any investigation. It was brought because (lead prosecutor) Mack Jenkins was offended,” attorney John Littrell told a federal judge.

Jenkins’ fellow prosecutors disputed that claim during a one-hour hearing before U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld. Lawyers argued a trio of defense motions seeking to dismiss three felony charges against Fortenberry.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Har said that as more evidence was collected amid a five-year investigation into illegal political contributions from a Nigerian billionaire, it got to the point that “you cannot not charge” the Nebraska lawmaker.

“(This case) boils down to you cannot lie to a federal officer,” Har said.

Blumenfeld took the motion to disqualify the prosecutor, as well as others filed by Fortenberry’s lawyers, under advisement.

Fortenberry, who has represented eastern Nebraska’s 1st District since 2005, is charged with three felonies — two counts of making false statements to federal agents and one count of seeking to conceal the source of $30,000 in “conduit” political contributions from a 2016 California fundraiser.

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FREIGHT RAILS TRYING OTHER LOCOMOTIVE FUELS TO CUT EMISSIONS

OMAHA, Neb. — The major freight railroads across North America continue to experiment with alternative locomotive fuels as a way to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

BNSF railroad said that it plans to test out a hydrogen-powered locomotive along its lines, joining Canadian Pacific in experimenting with that technology. Canadian National railroad recently announced plans to test out a battery-powered locomotive to haul freight across Pennsylvania, and Union Pacific has said it would like to try using battery-powered locomotives in some of its railyards once they are more widely available in a few years.

Several other past tests at other railroads have looked at natural gas-powered locomotives and battery-powered options. Using some combination of these new fuel options will be key to helping the railroads achieve their goals to significantly cut their emissions in the coming years.

Both of the major locomotive manufacturers, Wabtec and Caterpillar's Progress Rail unit, are working on developing locomotives that use other fuels.

But the railroads all caution that these are only pilot tests at this stage, and the new technology won't be ready to start replacing the diesel workhorses that have been pulling freight across the continent since World War II for at least several more years.

"This technology could one day be a lower-carbon solution for line-haul service, as it has the potential to reduce carbon emissions and remain cost-competitive," said John Lovenburg, BNSF's vice president of environmental.

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RICKETTS, 4 OTHER GOVERNORS CALL ON DEPT. OF DEFENSE TO SCRAP NATIONAL GUARD VACCINE

LINCOLN- Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds have joined three other governors in asking the Department of Defense to withdraw its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for National Guard members who have not been called up for federal service.

The letter addressed to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III, asked Austin to withdraw the mandate for Guard soldiers and airmen in Title 32, or “state active duty” status.

At the direction of President Joe Biden, Austin ordered all service branches on Aug. 24 to set deadlines for all service members to receive the COVID-19 vaccinations.

The deadlines have passed for active-duty members of the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force, as well as Air National Guard and reserves. December 15th was the deadline for active-duty Army soldiers.

The active-duty branches have all achieved vaccination rates of 95% or higher, and only a small percentage have refused the vaccine.

Guard officials say 94% of Nebraska Air National Guard airmen have fully complied with the vaccination order (with 1% more having received the first of two doses). In the Iowa Air National Guard, 91% of airmen have complied.

In both states, all Air National Guard members who haven’t gotten the vaccine have requested exemptions on religious or medical grounds.

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OPS WORKERS SAY 'EPIC' STAFF SHORTAGE JEOPARDIZES STUDENT SAFETY AND LEARNING

OMAHA - Four Omaha Public Schools staff members stood before the school board and said they are worried about the safety of their students.

Already facing what one teacher described as an “epic” staff shortage, the staff members said student behavior problems have increased, leaving teachers to break up fights and deal with bullying and other student behaviors that should be handled by a counselor or a social worker.

"When teachers say, ‘I don’t feel safe at work, nor do I feel those children are safe,’ I take that very seriously,” science teacher Michelle Settlemyer told the school board. “As should you.”

Only four staff members spoke at the meeting last month but their co-workers sat behind them and wore red in solidarity, seemingly demonstrating that they spoke for everybody.

Their words are in line with what the Nebraska State Education Association found in a recently released survey of its members: Student behavior problems are on the rise across the state. Teacher stress is up. And staffing shortages are compounding the problem.

Staff absences and unfilled positions cause an unpredictable rotation of instructors who are having to teach subjects they are not certified to teach. Class sizes have also increased due to staff shortages. This has led to large numbers of students being put into a room, or even the cafeteria, with one or two adults.

It is not difficult to see how staff shortages can negatively impact the students they are trying to serve.

The World-Herald was granted an interview with Chief Talent Officer Cecil Hicks, Student and Community Services Chief Officer Lisa Utterback, and Chief Strategy Officer Fateama Fulmore.

Fulmore said that despite seeing teachers have a difficult time, she does not see them as ready to quit; they are looking for resources and support.

“What you saw at the board meeting that night is what we do as educators,” Fulmore said. “We advocate for our children. We advocate for what we need to be best for our children.”

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ACLU OF NEBRASKA CALLS ON STATE SENATORS TO MAKE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMS

LINCOLN - The ACLU of Nebraska called on state senators to make "meaningful smart justice reforms" in a new report released earlier this week.

The "Statehouse-to-Prison Pipeline" is an analysis of the state's criminal justice system and the actions taken by the legislature over the last five years since the ACLU's last report.

"Although this report identifies areas of progress," the report said, "too many concerns noted five years ago have either worsened or remained largely unchanged."

The new analysis came as a result of the Department of Correctional Services facing a staffing shortage while state leaders have talked of building a new state prison.

"The ACLU is driven by extremist policies that focus on letting criminals out of prison rather than ensuring Nebraskans are safe," Gov. Pete Ricketts said in a statement. "My focus as Governor of Nebraska is to protect public safety, not kowtow to out of touch liberal agendas."

The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services Director, Scott Frakes, cited that it would be more cost-effective to build a new $230 million prison than it would be to renovate the aging state penitentiary.

The ACLU, however, would prefer the state's leaders to instead combat the issues and policies that have led to the overpopulation of the prisons and the subsequent disproportional staff-to-inmate ratio.

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PROPOSED NEBRASKA MINE MIGHT PRODUCE MORE RARE ELEMENTS

OMAHA - The company working to build a mine in southeast Nebraska to extract a rare element used to make steel lighter and stronger said that it may also be able to produce some of the key ingredients needed to make the powerful magnets used in electric vehicles and other high-tech products.

NioCorp Developments released a new report shows those rare earth elements are present throughout the deposit it plans to mine if it can raise roughly $1 billion to build the project about 80 miles (128.75 kilometers) south of Omaha near the town of Elk Creek.

NioCorp plans to mine and produce other elements such as niobium, scandium, and titanium in an effort to make their project more attractive to investors. A several month-long analysis will be needed to determine if the company can economically produce the rare earth elements, however.

“If our rare-earth content is found to be high enough to economically justify extraction of individual rare earths as a byproduct of our planned niobium, scandium, and titanium production, the Elk Creek project could ultimately emerge as a U.S. producer of the magnetic rare earths,” NioCorp CEO Mark Smith said.

Analyst David Abraham believes that NioCorp will benefit if it can expand its ability to produce, but it is all contingent upon whether it is cost-effective or not.

“There’s a lot of minerals in the ore body,” said Abraham, who runs the Technology, Rare and Electronics Materials Center. “The question is what is actually economically feasible to recover and realistic to process.”

Currently, there is only one American mine that produces rare earths which is found in California. The U.S. imports all the niobium and scandium, and all the titanium and rare earths that manufacturers rely on now.

“Without getting too far ahead of ourselves I think there is some real economic potential here and boy, it sure would be nice to make some of this stuff in the United States along with the niobium, scandium, and titanium,” NioCorp’s Chief Operations Officer Scott Honan said.

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FORMER GOVERNOR DAVE HEINEMAN ANNOUNCED HE WILL NOT RUN FOR GOVERNOR IN 2022

LINCOLN — Former Gov. Dave Heineman, saying that spending time with his family is a higher priority right now, announced that he won't seek a return to the state's highest office.

Heineman, the longest-serving governor in state history, would have been the presumptive favorite in the Republican primary, but political observers said that at age 73, he might have lacked the "fire in the belly" for a contested primary in today's harsh and divisive political atmosphere.

"The landscape in the Republican Party just now is not particularly pleasant," said University of Nebraska-Lincoln political science professor John Hibbing.

Heineman, he said, likely believed he could raise enough money and win the primary, "but needing to negotiate that path amidst the sharp elbows of (current Gov. Pete) Ricketts, of fierce Trump supporters, and of those candidates already in the Republican primary race probably is not the most enticing of prospects."

Heineman's decision leaves Falls City businessman Charles W. Herbster and University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen as the front-runners for the GOP nomination. GOP contributors who had been sitting on the sideline will now be asked to donate to them, or others running, which includes State Sen. Brett Lindstrom and former State Sen. Theresa Thibodeau, both of Omaha.

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FORMER OPS BOARD MEMBER ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN - Two more candidates recently announced campaigns for seats in the Nebraska Legislature.

Lou Ann Goding, a former Omaha School Board member, said she will challenge incumbent State Sen. Wendy DeBoer in northwest Omaha’s District 10.

Goding describes herself as a "pro-family, pro-jobs, pro-education Republican. She plans on working on behalf of her constituents to lower property taxes and advocate for "strong, accountable public schools."

“In the Nebraska Legislature I’ll fight to make sure every student has a chance to be a productive and successful citizen, and for policies that will strengthen families,” Goding said in a press release.

In this press release, she announced that she has the support of Governor Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer, and U.S. Representative Don Bacon in her attempt to beat out the Democrat incumbent, DeBoer.

DeBoer recognizes reelection will be more difficult after the boundaries for political districts were redrawn earlier this year.

In the Panhandle, Gering businessman Brian Hardin announced that he will seek to replace the term-limited Senator John Stinner in District 48. Scotts Bluff, Kimball, and Banner Counties are located inside the district.

“I’m conservative and believe smaller government is better government,” Hardin, a Republican, said in a press release. “My priorities include job creation and economic growth.”

Hardin previously worked as a consultant in strategic planning, training insurance brokers, and advising state and local officials about changes caused by the Affordable Care Act.

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ESTIMATES ON NEBRASKA CASINO REVENUE 'ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE'

LINCOLN — New industry estimates show that casino gambling could give Nebraskans significantly more property tax relief than advocates touted during last year’s successful campaign to legalize expanded gambling.

One source put the amount at about $63 million annually from casinos planned at the state’s six existing horse racetracks. Another projects it at closer to $82 million for those casinos — or as much as $98 million if two more track/casino combinations were built.

All three figures top the $45.5 million that supporters estimated casino legalization would add to the state’s Property Tax Credit Fund each year.

Nebraska became the newest state to legalize casinos last year, when voters passed a trio of ballot initiatives. The measures included a constitutional amendment allowing casino gambling at licensed horse racetracks and laws regulating the casinos and earmarking tax revenue for property tax relief.

Under those laws, the casinos are to pay a 20% tax on gross gambling revenue.

The state’s long-standing Property Tax Credit Fund, which offsets a portion of property tax bills, will get 70% of those taxes. The fund will provide $300 million worth of credits this fiscal year, using money collected from sales, income and other taxes.

Lance Morgan, president, and CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., the economic development arm of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, said the revenue estimate used during the campaign focused primarily on the Omaha, Lincoln and South Sioux City areas. He said newer projections put the revenue closer to $450 million, bringing the property tax relief portion to about $63 million.

Sean Boyd, president of Global Gaming Nebraska, estimated that casinos at the six current tracks could produce almost $583 million in revenue and almost $82 million for property tax relief. Adding casinos to potential tracks in North Platte and Gering would push revenue to about $698 million and the property tax money to about $98 million.

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COULD NEW NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES HELP NEBRASKA UTILITIES REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS?

LINCOLN - Nebraska’s two largest utilities are closely watching the development of a new generation of smaller, simpler, and purportedly safer nuclear reactors to see how they might fit into plans for more carbon-free electricity.

Representatives of the Nebraska Public Power District and the Omaha Public Power District were among those attending an October seminar in Lincoln on “advanced” nuclear power, where advocates said new technologies will ensure that nuclear power is a player in America’s energy future.

“The next generation of advanced nuclear technology is something we’re following pretty closely,” said Tom Kent, president, and CEO of NPPD, which operates one of the 55 nuclear power plants in the U.S.

Kent is confident that nuclear power, whether it be extending the life of existing reactors or using new generation reactors, is going to be part of reducing carbon emissions.

OPPD has called the new nuclear technologies "intriguing."

Tim Uehling, a senior director in the decommissioning of the nuclear station at Fort Calhoun, said that nuclear technologies could become options to aid the process of OPPD achieving its goal of a net-zero carbon footprint by 2050 if they are commercially viable.

Last week, NPPD’s board also adopted a goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Even if new nuclear technologies allow power districts to reach this goal in a commercially viable way, there are still controversies regarding the disposal of spent fuel and low-level radioactive waste. Nebraska had to pay a $146 million court judgment after it refused to license a proposed low-level radioactive waste repository in Boyd County.

Advocates of nuclear power claim that a new generation of nuclear power would be cooled differently and safer as a result. They also note that the state gets roughly 24% of its total electricity from NPPD's Cooper Nuclear Station, which provides about 600 jobs.

Much of the work of advocates is centered on improving the public perception and connotation of nuclear energy, but a few polls indicate that support for it is rising and that younger people are more receptive to it than older generations.

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