FORTENBERRY WILL RUN FOR RE-ELECTION

LINCOLN - Nebraska’s First District Congressman, Jeff Fortenberry, announced today, January 10, that he will run for re-election.  A video sent to supporters contained the announcement: 

Hi, this is Jeff Fortenberry and I’m out for a drive in my 1963 Ford F-150 pick-up truck with my wife,  Celeste, and our dog, Pippin. I’m here to announce to you first, our friends, that I am seeking re-election to the United States House of Representatives.

Fortenberry did not directly address his ongoing legal battle where he is accused of concealing campaign finance information and making false statements to federal authorities after allegedly receiving illegal campaign funds. 

His trial is set for February in California. The longest-serving congressman in Nebraska has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Fortenberry, a Republican, serves Nebraska's 1st Congressional District which includes Lincoln. State Senator Patty Pansing Brooks is running for the Democratic nomination for the 1st District.

Political activist Jazari Kual will also challenge the incumbent. 

For the video and full transcript click HERE

ATTORNEY GENERAL FILES SUIT AGAINST DOUGLAS COUNTY HEALTH DIRECTOR OVER OMAHA MASK MANDATE

LINCOLN- Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson has filed a lawsuit against Douglas County Health Director Lindsay Huse and other county and city officials challenging Huse's indoor mask mandate for Omaha. 

Peterson, along with plaintiffs Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and Director of Public Health Dr. Gary Anthone, wrote in the suit that Huse's authority to issue a mask mandate under Omaha's municipal code "conflicts with applicable state law."

The matter has been assigned to Douglas County District Court Judge Shelly Stratman, who has scheduled a hearing for Monday, Jan. 24, at 10 a.m. It initially was scheduled for this coming Tuesday.

The mandate will remain in effect until the judge rules otherwise or until Huse deems it no longer necessary. 

Huse has said that as she considered issuing a temporary mandate, she conferred with the county attorney who advises the health department and the city attorney, both of whom told her she was on solid legal ground. 

Huse's order, which she announced Tuesday, took effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday for schools and other public indoor spaces within the city limits of Omaha. There are several exceptions where the mandate does not apply. 

For more on this article click HERE

RICKETTS DECLARES STATE 'STRONG,' NAMES TAX RELIEF, PRISON, WATER AS PRIORITIES

LINCOLN- Gov. Pete Ricketts launched his final State of the State speech Thursday with reflections on his last seven years in office, a period in which the state faced historic floods, fires, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In the face of unprecedented challenges, the State of the State is strong,” he said, lauding the state’s handling of the pandemic, its unemployment rate, manufacturing sector, workers, legislators’ work last session, and problem-solving efforts across the state.

And he set the tone for the session ahead, highlighting initiatives and causes that would receive funding under the spending proposals he delivered to state lawmakers and laying out his top priorities. 

Ricketts delivered his budget proposals during a year when the state is flush with cash. There’s expected to be $1.5 billion in its cash reserve by the end of the budget period, $412 in unanticipated state general fund revenues, and $1.04 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds.

Given those numbers, he argued that lawmakers needed to return tax money to Nebraskans. He proposed reductions worth around $85 million for the current two-year budget period. Through the next budget biennium, the total would exceed $460 million. 

For the areas of focus and suggested appropriated amounts, click HERE

HEIRS WOULD PAY LESS IN NEBRASKA TAXES UNDER COMPROMISE MEASURE

LINCOLN - Death would become a little less costly in Nebraska under a compromise measure given first-round approval in the Legislature on Tuesday.

As advanced, the bill (LB310) would help people inheriting property in the state by increasing the amount exempt from inheritance taxes, reducing the tax rates, and eliminating the tax on heirs age 21 or younger. The measure cleared first-round consideration on a 41-4 vote.

Senator Rob Clements of Elmwood introduced LB310 which seeks to eliminate or drastically reduce the tax. The original version of the bill would cut the tax in half.

Nebraska's tax has been in place since 1901 and is one of only six states that levy inheritance tax. Clements argued this puts us at a significant competitive disadvantage. 

"People are finding out that Nebraska is a bad place to die," he said, adding that, as a community banker, he said he has seen cases where heirs have to sell their inheritance to pay the taxes on it. "I think we can do better than to treat families this way." 

Opponents, however, argue that discontinuing this tax would force county governments to turn to their other main source of revenue to make up the difference - property taxes. 

"If I could get rid of the inheritance tax, I would," said Sen. Curt Friesen of Henderson. "But this is a tax shift. This is going to raise property taxes."

With counties receiving money from the federal pandemic relief legislation, Clements argued this is a good time to reduce the tax. Opponents point out, however, that these funds are a one-time influx of money and cannot adequately replace the inheritance taxes of the future.

Currently, spouses are exempt from inheritance taxes. Immediate family, children, parents, grandparents, and siblings, pay a 1% rate on inherited property, with a $40,000 exemption. LB310 would raise the exemption for immediate family to $100,000 but leave the rate unchanged. 

For more on this article click HERE

OPPONENTS AGAIN BLOCK BILL GRANTING TAX CREDITS FOR DONATIONS TO PRIVATE SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS

LINCOLN- Senators who oppose giving a tax credit to Nebraskans who donate to scholarship-granting organizations mounted a successful filibuster of the bill Wednesday, blocking it from advancing for the second time in nine months.

The Opportunity Scholarships Act (LB364) would have allowed taxpayers to receive a credit on up to half of their annual income tax liability if they donated to programs providing tuition and fees for low-income students attending a private school.

Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn — who gave the bill a priority designation this year, allowing it to return for debate — said the program would have allowed more than 1,000 families to find the “right educational fit” for their children.

She was again backed by Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne, who argued the program could help students from his North Omaha legislative district afford a private school education instead of waiting for improvement in the public schools serving the area.

“We are not saying this is the silver bullet,” Wayne said, “but we are saying give this a chance.”

Opponents, echoing debate on the same bill that took place last April, said creating tax benefits to incentivize philanthropy was unnecessary and said the program would take away state funding designated for public schools.

Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Bennington said nothing in the bill guaranteed the scholarships would reach students who needed them. What was certain, DeBoer said, is that a handful of wealthy donors would quickly collect the $5 million in tax credits each year.

The cloture vote fell five short of the 33 needed to break the filibuster. 

For more on this bill and article click HERE

NEBRASKA MEDICINE ENACTS CRISIS PLAN AMID COVID SURGE

OMAHA - Nebraska Medicine activated its crisis plan Thursday for the first time in the health system's history in the face of a growing demand for health care and a shortage of staff to provide it.

In an effort to combat the anticipated continued surge of COVID cases, Dr. James Linder, Nebraska Medicine's CEO, has enacted crisis standards. This best allows the Omaha-based health system to accommodate the additional health care needs expected to accompany the latest wave of cases.

Nebraska Medicine is among a number of health systems across the county to enact a similar plan. To make matters worse, roughly 24% of U.S. hospitals report a "critical staffing shortage," according to data reported Saturday to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

"We’ve not yet reached the COVID-19 spike in our community, and (the crisis plan) positions us to respond to any spikes in the number of cases we have to care for in the community and do so in a safe manner," Linder said. 

Activation of the crisis plan allows the health system increased flexibility to redeploy staff, limit non-urgent services, and modify how resources are distributed.

Nebraska is tallying its highest coronavirus case counts of the pandemic. While omicron appears to be less severe than the delta variant, the sheer number of people it is infecting is expected to lead to higher rates of hospitalization. 

A total of 662 Nebraskans were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Wednesday, fueled by the easily transmitted omicron. By Thursday, 399 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in the Omaha metro area, a figure approaching the pandemic peak of 445 in November 2020.

In November 2020, health care leaders put together what is now referred to as a "health care crisis protocol" for the state. Health care leaders looked ahead to a time when COVID-19 patients might overwhelm the state's health care system in an effort to create the protocol.

Jeannette Wojtalewicz, CHI Health's interim CEO, said "We are entering into a critical phase."

For more on this article click HERE

FIRST ROUND OF BROADBAND FUNDING TO CONNECT 12,000 NEBRASKA HOMES TO HIGH-SPEED INTERNET

LINCOLN - The Nebraska Public Service Commission awarded $17.8 million in grants to internet providers through the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program to connect nearly 12,400 homes across the state to high-speed internet.

The commission approved 60 grant applications from 19 companies after a 4-1 vote due to Commissioner Crystal Rhoades' dissent. The program, created by the Legislature in 2021, is two years in duration.

Per Governor Pete Ricketts's request, Senator Curt Friesen of Henderson sponsored the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Act (LB388) which appropriated $40 million over two years to increase access to broadband with capabilities of uploading/downloading at 100/100 megabits per second (Mbps).

"I'm really happy with what we ended up doing and how the process worked for the time we had," said Commissioner Dan Watermeier, who represents eight counties in Southeast Nebraska. 

A review of the 76 applications, totaling $31 million, began in November according to Watermeier.

Some providers who claimed to already be providing internet service, or already had a plan to provide high-speed internet service in the near future, criticized the commission. 

A total of seven projects were challenged due to their overlapping with another company's existing service area where fiber is being installed, or where a fiber project was planned.

Despite the 4-1 vote, both those who supported it and the commissioner who voted against it agreed that changes will need to be made for future grant cycles.

Specifically, Rhoades said the commission denied too many grants as a result of relying on incomplete information.

Instead of showing which locations in a project area were served by what download and upload speeds, the challenging companies submitted maps that showed the route the high-speed fiber line took through a community, she said.

By not showing which homes had access to 100/20 Mbps, Rhoades said the challengers' maps often supported the application more than their own appeal and urged the commission to re-review all of the challenges.

For more on this article click HERE

WORLD'S LARGEST CARBON CAPTURE PIPELINE PROPOSED TO LINK NEBRASKA ETHANOL PLANTS

WOOD RIVER, NE - The world's largest carbon capture pipeline may get its start here in central Nebraska.

The proposed project would link several Nebraska ethanol plants and could make a green fuel even greener by capturing carbon dioxide.

Trucks are consistently hauling corn to be turned into ethanol at the Green Plains plant in Wood River.

“Each local producer produces a lot of corn, most of which goes straight to that plant so it is very important,” said Hall County Commissioner Scott Sorensen who represents most of rural Hall County.

In an effort to ensure ethanol's long-term viability, plants like Green Plains want to decrease their carbon footprint as the focus on carbon output intensifies. 

“It's starting to become real,” said Chris Peterson of Summit Carbon Solutions when discussing the shift from merely talking about carbon reduction to acting on carbon reduction.

The firm has proposed what Peterson said would likely be the longest carbon capture pipeline in the world. 

Summit is working with 31 plants in five states, six of which are in Nebraska. The CO2 would be captured at each plant, pressurized, and sent to North Dakota to be stored deep underground.

Hall County commissioners, with questions of their own, say that they have started to hear from farmers as well.

“Big question is land use, putting pipe in itself,” Sorensen said. “They're going to remove a foot of soil before trenching and landowners wonder if it'll get put back and in as good of condition as they say it will.”

When faced with questions about the scrapped Keystone XL pipeline, Peterson emphasized that it is not an oil pipeline and that nothing flammable would be transported, only CO2. Peterson equated the reduction in CO2 to taking 2.6 million cars off of the road while positioning ethanol to be competitive in states that are looking for low carbon fuel. 

“A project like this will help give a premium in terms of pricing and demand for ethanol in markets around the country, California, in particular, today that has a low carbon standard,” he said.

The Summit pipeline is estimated to cost $4.5 billion and create thousands of construction jobs and dozens of permanent Nebraska jobs.

For more on this article click HERE

NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS KICK OFF SESSION OF BIG IDEAS, POLITICAL GRANDSTANDING

LINCOLN - Nebraska lawmakers launched a session Wednesday, January 5th that some predict could be transformative for the state, but others suspect it could devolve into a forum for grandstanding and political theater.

During the next 60 legislative days, state senators will weigh proposals to allocate more than $1 billion in federal COVID-19 relief money, along with deciding what to do with flush state coffers.

They will consider legislation regarding criminal justice reform, tax relief, and education funding. Hot-button issues like abortion, vaccine mandates, and whether to call for a convention of states to amend the U.S. Constitution will also be discussed.

With the latest COVID-19 variant cases on the rise, 12 term-limited senators facing the end of their legislative careers, eight running for other political offices, and as many as a dozen others seeking reelection, John Stinner said, "That will add a little bit of intrigue. It should be really interesting, and it might even be entertaining."

Stinner is one of the aforementioned senators who will leave the Legislature at the end of the year.

While there have been talks of extending term limits, legislators are currently limited to two consecutive four-year terms but can return after sitting out at least one term.  

Heading into this session, each of Nebraska's 49 lawmakers averages just over five years of experience. The loss of those 12 senators' wealth of institutional knowledge causes concern for some.

“I think it points out the problem with term limits,” said Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg, who is term-limited. “There’s a significant amount of leadership among those 12.” 

Others see the impending loss of these senators as an opportunity to step up. Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont said lawmakers need to take advantage of the departing senators' willingness to work across party lines to achieve common goals. 

For more on this article click HERE

REGENT SAYS HE OPPOSES MASKING, COVID TESTING POLICY AT UNL

LINCOLN - Regent Jim Pillen of Columbus, who is also running for governor, said in a statement he is "100% opposed to mask mandates, COVID-19 vaccination mandates, vaccine passports, and mandatory testing policies."

UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green announced Wednesday students will be required to take a COVID test upon their return to campus later this month and will be required to wear masks indoors.

The rapid spread of the omicron variant, which scientists say is more transmissible than other COVID strains, led to the decision to re-implement the public health guidelines, UNL said.

The flagship campus required masks to be worn indoors for most of the 2020-21 school year -- a policy developed in conjunction with the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department -- and required students to submit to random, weekly saliva testing.

With the widespread availability of vaccines, UNL relaxed those measures ahead of the fall 2021 semester, but a countywide mask mandate remained in place until just before Christmas.

While Pillen has announced his opposition to mask and vaccine requirements on social media, Wednesday's statement is the first time the candidate has publicly come out against the policy at UNL.

"My expectation, and that of Nebraska taxpayers, is full in-person learning without mandates that violate our personal freedoms," he said.

A campaign spokesman said previous requirements at UNL were in compliance with a directed health measure outside of the purview of the Board of Regents, while Wednesday's announcement that masks will be required when UNL starts classes later this month came at the direction of the administration.

Pillen's statement did not address mask mandates that are in place at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

For more on this article click HERE

CITY NOW EXPECTED TO PITCH IN STIMULUS MONEY TO HELP LURE AIR SERVICE TO LINCOLN

LINCOLN - The mayor’s office is reconsidering whether to earmark a portion of its $46 million in federal stimulus money to the Lincoln Airport to help lure new air service to the city.

Last month, Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said the city would not earmark additional federal stimulus money over the $1.5 million the Lancaster County board committed to the Lincoln Airport Authority to use as incentives to encourage more airline service.

City Council members have contacted the mayor’s office encouraging the mayor to change her mind — and had planned to introduce a resolution encouraging the mayor’s office to contribute money to the airport authority.

“Council members have communicated with the mayor's office that they are very interested in having American Rescue dollars allocated to the airport,” said Chief of Staff Jennifer Brinkman. “And we appreciate their point of view and work in partnership with them to allocate city resources.”

There are about 140 airports in cities about Lincoln’s size competing for air service, and Lincoln has the disadvantage of being just an hour away from Omaha’s larger airport.

Federal Aviation Administration restrictions prohibit airlines from using any airport-generated revenue for minimum revenue guarantees, and the state’s constitution prohibits the airport authority from levying property taxes for them. Airports in other states don’t face the same taxing prohibition, Cusick said.

The guarantees are a one-year agreement that typically ranges from $500,000 to $2 million depending on the airline and the route, he said.

The Lincoln Airport got a $750,000 grant that it used — with private matching funds — to offer minimum revenue guarantees for Delta’s Atlanta flights, which stopped during the pandemic.

For more on this article click HERE

NEBRASKA STATE SENATORS HONOR GEORGE NORRIS ON OPENING DAY OF 2022 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

LINCOLN- The Legislature’s 2022 session kicked off Wednesday with a brief visit from the ghost of a legendary Nebraska political figure: George W. Norris.

The opening day coincided with George W. Norris Day (as declared in state law) and the 85th anniversary of the first time Nebraska’s Legislature convened as a one-house, nonpartisan body.

Norris, widely considered the father of Nebraska’s system, served in the U.S. House of Representatives for five terms before serving in the U.S. Senate from 1913 to 1943. He is celebrated for several accomplishments, but his role in the creation of the unicameral was front-and-center Wednesday. It’s often said Norris wore out two sets of tires touring the state to campaign for the model over the traditional two-house system.

Sen. John McCollister of Omaha, who considers himself a “Republican in the George Norris tradition,” led the Legislature in honoring Norris in the legislative chamber — which is now named after Norris — and read excerpts of remarks the man-made 85 years prior.

“The constituents do not expect perfection, they know it is human to err,” he quoted in one excerpt. “But they do expect and have a right to expect absolute honesty, unlimited courage, and a reasonable degree of efficiency and wisdom.”

For more on this article click HERE

'BIG IDEAS' PROPOSED FOR NORTH OMAHA USING $432 MILLION OF FEDERAL COVID FUNDS

LINCOLN — Saying that “now is the time for big ideas and assertive leadership,” two North Omaha state senators unveiled a plan Tuesday to use nearly $440 million of federal COVID relief money to help their neighborhoods emerge stronger after the pandemic.

In a statement, State Sens. Terrell McKinney and Justin Wayne said their North Omaha 2022 Recovery Plan would take advantage of a “once-in-a-lifetime” funding opportunity to help North Omaha recover from the pandemic and improve the lives of all area residents.

“When we’re dealing with problems that started before my lifetime, we understand that change will not happen overnight, but we cannot wait any longer,” McKinney said. “This plan is a pro-wealth building recovery plan that ensures North Omaha emerges from this pandemic as a more vibrant and resilient community.”

Wayne said he looks forward to getting support from the City of Omaha and from Douglas County for “projects that will make tangible and measurable progress in North Omaha.”

“Now is the time to act decisively,” he said, adding that the federal American Rescue Plan Act offers “transformational” funding.

Nebraska is in line to get $1.04 billion from that federal legislation. Deciding how to use those funds will be a major focus of the 2022 legislative session.

For more on this article click HERE

NEBRASKA SENATOR INTORDUCES 'HEARTBEAT' ABORTION BAN, TEEING UP LEGISLATIVE FIGHT

LINCOLN- On the first day of the 2022 legislative session, Nebraska lawmakers wasted no time diving into one of the most contentious political mires of the moment: abortion.

State Sen. Julie Slama of Sterling introduced a bill that would ban abortions after a so-called fetal heartbeat is detected.

Meanwhile, Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, who has pledged to fight any bans, introduced two bills to expand abortion access.

Slama’s bill, Legislative Bill 781, would require physicians, before they perform an abortion, to do an ultrasound and see whether they can detect a fetal “heartbeat.” A fetal heartbeat is defined in the bill as “cardiac activity or the steady and repetitive rhythmic contraction of the fetal heart within the gestational sac.”

Physicians can usually detect cardiac activity at about six weeks before many women know they’re pregnant.

The bill would make it illegal to perform an abortion if it’s been determined the fetus has a detectable “fetal heartbeat.”

In addition to Slama, 20 senators have signed onto the bill as cosponsors.

While abortion opponents, including the Nebraska Family Alliance, cheered the bill’s introduction Wednesday, abortion rights advocates reacted swiftly and strongly.

The ACLU of Nebraska issued a statement calling on senators to reject the bill, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska also came out in opposition, calling it a “six-week ban.”

Scout Richters, legal and policy counsel at the ACLU of Nebraska, called LB 781 “one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the entire nation,” a “red alarm” and “just one step removed” from a law that passed last year in Texas. It “clearly violates” Roe v. Wade and U.S. Supreme Court precedent, she said.

For more on this article click HERE

REP. DON BACON OFFICIALLY FILES FOR REELECTION TO REPRESENT NEBRASKA'S 2ND DISTRICT

OMAHA -  Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon has officially filed for reelection to continue representing Omaha’s 2nd District.

The Republican tweeted photos of himself signing the necessary paperwork next to Nebraska Secretary of State Robert Evnen.

“Today we made it official that I am seeking to continue serving the constituents of the 2nd Congressional District of Nebraska,“ Bacon said in a statement. “We have a strong team and group of volunteers who are already connecting with people across all three counties in our district.”

Bacon will be seeking his fourth term in Congress. Bacon defeated one-term Democratic Rep. Brad Ashford in 2016 and has been reelected twice by narrow margins.

Two Democrats, State Sen. Tony Vargas and Alisha Shelton, have both jumped into the race.

Rep. Bacon received support from GOP figures as well as the community upon his announcement. 

His opposition came from former President Trump saying, "Anyone want to run for congress against Don Bacon in Nebraska?" 

Trump's disapproval comes as a result of Rep. Bacon voting for President Bidens Infrastructure Bill. 

For more on this campaign, announcement click HERE

'IT'S NOT OUR MONEY' - RICKETTS, LINEHAN SAY $400 MILLION STATE SURPLUS NEEDS TO GO BACK TO TAXPAYERS

LINCOLN - Gov. Pete Ricketts and Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, chairwoman of the Legislature's Revenue Committee, vowed Thursday to return $400 million in surplus state revenue back to taxpayers rather than use it to increase state spending.

Speaking at a joint news conference in the Capitol Rotunda, with five other members of the Revenue Committee at their side, Ricketts and Linehan slammed the door on spending hikes.

"Nobody should be coming into this (legislative) session thinking we will be spending a lot more money," Ricketts said.

"We will give the money back to the people. It's not our money; it's the people of Nebraska's money."

Linehan said the Legislature should focus on efforts to "control spending so we can cut taxes."

The surplus of revenue provides "significant funding over and above our needs," she said. "It's not normally acceptable to keep $400 million to $500 million of taxpayers' money that we do not need."

Working together as a committee, Linehan said, "we'll manage to bring tax relief to every Nebraskan across the state."

The Revenue Committee appears poised to consider a reduction in corporate and personal income taxes, perhaps with an eye toward proposing major tax reform that would shift more of the tax burden to the sales tax by eliminating exemptions for a wide range of services.  

Ricketts said he will continue to focus on controlling state spending during his final year as governor. He'll be term-limited out of office at the end of the year.

The governor said the Legislature needs to act now to establish a 3% limit on annual property tax increases imposed by local governments, including public schools. His earlier effort to win legislative approval of the proposed lid fell four votes short of advancement.

For more on this article click HERE

SLAMA BACKS NEBRASKA TAX RELIEF WITH SURPLUS DOLLARS

NEBRASKA CITY - Taxes and budget surpluses are at the forefront of the Nebraska Legislature's 2022 session.

Lawmakers returned to the Unicameral for the new session earlier this week. And, one of the first big issues on the docket involves how best to handle the state's $400 million budget surplus. That's in addition to federal money still kept in the state budget. 

Governor Pete Ricketts Thursday said he would like the money to be given back to taxpayers. Speaking on KMA's "Morning Line" program Friday morning, State Senator Julie Slama says she favors a two-pronged approach to returning the money back to residents. 

"I would like to see the Nebraska money go back to the Nebraska taxpayers," said Slama. "And, that federal money go towards one-time spending projects--investments that don't increase our year-over-year spending, because the feds have made it very clear this is one-off money." 

There is no shortage in Slama's mind of potential projects that the money could be used for.

"I know the 'Star Wars committee' is looking at expanding our outdoor recreational opportunities--I like that," she said. "I would also like to see those resources go towards rural economic development, expanding broadband access, investing in our main streets, and rural workforce housing." 

There is still a need for improved broadband services throughout rural parts of the state, Slama added.

"My new husband is an attorney," said Slama. "He works from our home in rural Sterling. He's learned firsthand just how difficult it can be to run and operate your own business when you don't have access to fast, reliable internet. And, that's just a microcosm of experiences across the board in rural Nebraska."

Other Nebraska lawmakers have proposed tackling property and income tax relief in tandem with a review of the state's tax exemption, but Slama is not convinced that a major overhaul of Nebraska's tax structure will take place this session. 

"I'd like to see a more structural overhaul of the tax system," she said. "However, I think in this session, we're going to look at more one-off tax relief reimbursements or other approaches that don't necessarily increase the spending lid and thus necessitate any kind of increase in balancing out." 

For more on this article click HERE

WITH COVID CASES SURGING, SOME LINCOLN RESIDENTS FACE LONG WAIT TO GET TESTED

LINCOLN - The closure Thursday of Lincoln's busiest COVID-19 testing site brought into sharp focus the difficulty many people have reported in getting a test as cases surge. 

The site referenced is Nomi Health, which temporarily shut down its drive-thru testing site at Gateway Mall due to frigid temperatures. 

Mario Cuartas, a product manager with the health care company, said Nomi had been averaging about 350-400 tests per day at the Gateway site in early November before seeing a spike before and after Thanksgiving that culminated in 722 tests on Nov. 29. 

Testing numbers returned into the 500s daily for most of December before rising to 960 on Dec. 23 and have remained close to that level since.

Because of that demand, Nomi Health has brought in additional staff and is planning to expand its parking lot testing site in Lincoln. 

In addition to increased staff, Cuartas said a second drive-thru tent should be up and running by the end of next week, or around January 14.

While the new location may increase testing capacity slightly, the main purpose is to decrease delays for the tests as waits have stretched to several hours. People have even been turned away at the end of the day as a result of the wait times.

These staggering numbers demonstrate the implications that closing, even for one day, can have on the local testing infrastructure.

Bryan Health said in a statement that it performed 1,569 tests in the week ending Saturday at its urgent care clinics and its two emergency rooms in Lincoln. 

CHI Health also offers walk-in testing at its three Priority Care locations in Lincoln; all of which have seen more traffic since around Christmas. 

States like Indiana, for example, have begun only administering rapid tests to children under age 18 and people over 50 with COVID-19 symptoms due to the lack of rapid antigen tests. 

But with cases hitting single-day records, even at-home tests have become difficult to find.

For more on this article click HERE.

SPEAKER HILGERS RELEASES MEMO OUTLINING PROCEDURES FOR 2022 SESSION

As Senators and staff prepare for the 2022 session to convene next Wednesday, January 5th, Speaker Mike Hilgers released his annual memo regarding certain procedural modifications and continuations for the 2022 session. A few items of highlight:

First, Senators will resume our regular afternoon committee schedules and will not have all-day committee hearings in 2022. Hilgers noted that he remains personally grateful for the work that senators and staff did to accommodate full-day schedules last year--it was critical to the functioning of the session.

In resuming normal committee hearing schedules, committees also will discontinue the temporary use of the "written submitted testimony" option. For next session, per our historical practice, for a person to have their name listed on the committee statement they will need to appear in person and provide oral testimony to a committee.

Second, the legislature is streamlining the method for submitting position letters for the public hearing record as an exhibit. The current process of submitting these comments through email has created confusion over the last couple of years, especially as the timing/recipient requirements have changed. There will now be an online database for submitting statements for the record; members of the public submitting comments will have the option to have his/her comments included as part of the public hearing record.

Senators access to the rotunda and lobbyists during the debate through the main entrance to the chamber will be reinstated.

Please view the full memo by clicking HERE

ABORTION, VACCINE MANDATES, CRT- HOW HOT BUTTON ISSUES COULD PLAY OUT IN THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- Abortion, voting rights, critical race theory, and vaccine mandates. In the upcoming legislative session, issues that have commanded national political conversations and highlighted party divisions this past year are likely to surface at Nebraska’s Capitol in Lincoln. In most cases, it’s unclear what form specific legislation might take.

But there’s little doubt among political observers that the issues will play some role in the 60-day session that starts Jan. 5 — a session that is already slated to be jam-packed with legislative action, including the allocation of $1 billion in federal COVID relief money. One policy area that states have been testing: restrictions on abortion. Anti-abortion advocates in Nebraska have been watching other states and court activity with interest. Meanwhile, proponents of abortion access have been preparing for a legislative struggle.

Scout Richters, legal and policy counsel at the ACLU of Nebraska, told The World-Herald earlier this month that the ACLU is “laser-focused” on the possibility of an attempt in the Legislature to pass a ban.

“No matter how it’s tailored, the bottom line is that we need to be ready for either the Texas-style bounty hunter model or some other kind of ban,” she said.

Access to voting has also been a subject of legislation in other states over the last year, following the 2020 presidential election and former President Donald Trump’s ongoing campaign to undermine its results. There doesn’t seem to be a single documented case in the state of the impersonation such a voter ID law would address, The World-Herald reported in August. But supporters have framed it as a prevention strategy. Opponents say it’s an unnecessary barrier, especially for people already at the margins of voting access.

While advocates for and against voter ID requirements largely tend to fall along party lines, with Republicans for and Democrats against, polls have found a majority of Americans support them.

Critical race theory is an academic framework that is decades old and views racism as systemic, embedded in systems and policies, rather than as an individual issue. University of Nebraska Regent and Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen introduced a resolution for the Board of Regents to ban “any imposition” of the theory at the university. After regents rejected that resolution, Pillen and Ricketts vowed to keep fighting on the issue. Regardless, the issue of who gets to decide what kids learn in school in Nebraska will undoubtedly be a topic of debate. State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston said she and other lawmakers will propose a policy in reaction to the State Board of Education and Department of Education’s failed attempt to write health and sex education standards for Nebraska schools earlier this year.

The Legislature has a lot to cover in the upcoming session, these issues and more will certainly become topics of debate over its 60-day course.

For more on this article click HERE