SEN. GROENE, A FORMER FOE, INTRODUCES MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL IN NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- A previously outspoken opponent of medical marijuana is now proposing to legalize its use in Nebraska under strict regulations.

State Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte introduced Legislative Bill 1275 on Thursday, the last day for bill introductions this year. It was among 593 bills and nine proposed constitutional amendments tossed into the hopper.

His proposal would establish a system under which people with specific medical conditions could obtain limited amounts of marijuana. The marijuana would have to be supplied by state-regulated dispensaries, which would be limited to five per congressional district.

Only patients with stage 4 cancer, uncontrolled seizures, severe or persistent muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis or muscular dystrophy or a terminal illness with a life expectancy under one year could qualify to obtain medical marijuana. Those patients would not be allowed to grow marijuana, and they couldn’t ingest it by smoking.

The bill is similar to one introduced last year by Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln, who has been the Legislature’s leading advocate of medical marijuana. Her proposal was blocked by a filibuster, after which she turned her attention to an initiative petition drive aimed at putting the issue before voters in November.

For the full article click HERE

OMAHA BUSINESS OWNERS SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR ROLE IN DEADLY 2015 RAILCAR EXPLOSION

OMAHA - Two Omaha business owners were sentenced to prison on Friday for violating worker safety standards before a 2015 explosion that left two of their employees dead.

Brothers Steven and Adam Braithwaite and their company, Nebraska Railcar Cleaning Services, pleaded guilty in July to a litany of federal charges.

Former president of NRCS, Steven Braithwaite, pleaded guilty to two counts of violating a workers safety standard causing a worker death and one county of knowingly endangering others by violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. He will serve 30 months in prison and pay $100,000 in restitution.

Adam Braithwaite, vice president of the company, pleaded guilty to two counts of violating a worker safety standard causing death, two counts of falsification of records in a federal investigation, and one count of perjury. He will serve one year and one day in prison in addition to paying $100,000 in resitution as well.

NRCS pleaded guilty to all 21 of the charged counts.

The federal indictment stated that on April 14, 2015, workers were removing petroleum residue from inside a rail tanker car when a spark ignited and caused a deadly explosion.

Petroleum residue, which was known to be in the car, is both highly flammable and contains benzene; a known carcinogen. Despite this information, workers were sent into the car without testing for benzene levels.

In addition, the tanker car had tested positively for explosive gas levels prior to the employees being told to enter. In fact, the test showed that explosive gas levels "greatly exceeded" the acceptable levels established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Roughly an hour into the removal process, the contents exploded, killing Adrian LPour, 44, and Dallas Foulk, 40.

For the full article click HERE

THREE OMAHA CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS JOIN LAWSUIT AGAINST DOUGLAS COUNTY HEALTH DIRECTOR

OMAHA - Three Omaha City Council members have joined a lawsuit launched by the Nebraska Attorney General in an attempt to stop the enforcement of the city’s mask mandate.

Council members Brinker Harding, Aimee Melton, and Don Rowe announced their participation in the legal action against Douglas County Health Director Lindsay Huse in a press release Friday.

Nebraska's Attorney General, Doug Peterson, filed a lawsuit against Huse earlier in the week in response to the indoor mask mandate in Omaha.

The council members stated that "By unilaterally decreeing a mask mandate, Dr. Huse has levied a substantial and invasive burden on the citizens of Omaha without the consideration and approval of their democratically-accountable representatives on the Council and in the Mayor’s office.”

In addition, the council members allege that Huse "has assumed for herself a legislative function and usurped the City Council's legislative power."

Douglas County District Judge Shelly Stratman has scheduled a hearing on the lawsuit for 10 a.m. Jan. 24.

The mandate will remain in place until either Huse deems it no longer necessary or the judge overrules it.

Huse said that, in anticipation of push back, she conferred with the county attorney and city attorney; both of which said she was on solid legal ground.

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said the city’s Law Department will take the lead in defending the order because Huse issued the mandate in her role as the city’s health director.

Peterson is seeking a temporary and permanent injunction declaring the mandate “void and unlawful.” He argues that Huse did not have “jurisdiction or authority” to issue the mandate.

For the full article click HERE

'TRIGGER BILL' WOULD BAN ALL ABORTIONS IN NEBRASKA IF ROE V. WADE IS OVERTURNED

LINCOLN — All abortions would be banned in Nebraska if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade under a bill introduced Monday in the Legislature.

Legislative Bill 933, introduced by State Sens. Joni Albrecht of Thurston and Mike Flood of Norfolk is a “trigger bill.”

Like similar laws passed in a dozen other states, it would take effect only if a ruling by the nation’s high court, adoption of a U.S. constitutional amendment, or passage of a federal law gives states full power to regulate abortions.

States’ authority is currently limited by past court rulings that declared abortion to be a constitutional right.

If triggered, LB 933 would make it a felony for anyone to provide any medication or undertake any procedure with the intent of ending the life of an unborn child, defined as an “individual living member of the species homo sapiens ... from fertilization to full gestation and childbirth.”

The woman undergoing an abortion would not be considered in violation of the law.

The bill would not provide exemptions but would allow licensed physicians charged under the law to use as a defense that the abortion was necessary to prevent the woman’s death or serious, permanent impairment of a life-sustaining organ.

The measure is the second proposal aimed at ending or sharply curtailing abortions in Nebraska. LB 781, introduced by Sen. Julie Slama of Sterling, would ban abortions after a so-called fetal heartbeat can be detected. That usually occurs at about six weeks gestation, before most women are aware that they are pregnant.

The Supreme Court is expected to announce a ruling on abortion in June.

For more on this article click HERE

PILLEN HAS RAISED $5.4 MILLION FOR EXPENSIVE GOP GOVERNOR CONTEST

LINCOLN - Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen already has raised $5.4 million in contributions to his campaign, a figure that dwarfs the amount of money that previous Republican candidates for governor reported in their initial campaign finance reports.

Pillen had cash on hand for his campaign totaling $4.1 million moving into 2022.

His figures include 18 donors contributing $100,000 to the Columbus pork producer, who is a member of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

The Pillen numbers compare with about $1.4 million raised by Gov. Pete Ricketts in 2013 as he prepared for his initial gubernatorial race eight years ago.

Pillen counts 1,328 Nebraska contributors and has contributed $1 million of his own money to his campaign.

The multi-candidate Republican gubernatorial primary contest appears likely to feature a costly battle with Pillen and Charles Herbster, a Falls City cattle producer, leading the campaign finance charts.

The Pillen campaign's estimate of Herbster expenditures thus far approaches $3 million, with nearly $1.5 million in television and radio outlays already in the books. 

Herbster, who was an agricultural adviser to former President Donald Trump, has received Trump's endorsement. Pillen is expected to garner Ricketts' endorsement, but the governor has been silent so far.

For more on this article click HERE

CITY OFFICIALS: TECH COMPANY EXPANSION WOULD HELP CONNECT FUTURE PARK TO THE SOUTH HAYMARKET

LINCOLN - A major expansion of a longtime high-tech company in the Haymarket would help connect a future downtown park to the area, officials told the City Council during a public hearing Monday. 

A local company that makes light-measuring instruments called spectroscopic ellipsometers, J. A. Woollam Co., plans to double the size of its existing facility at Seventh and M streets. 

The planned expansion is some of the first since the city announced a master plan to draw more people to Haymarket South and increase the connection to the South Salt Creek neighborhoods, said City Urban Development Director Dan Marvin.

Currently, the Cotswold Building, which was built in 1894, sits at the edge of the planned South Haymarket Park and houses J. A. Woollam Co. A $1 million donation to the park project was made by the company in 2019. 

35 parking stalls on the north side of the building are expected to be added in an effort to help integrate the area with the future park, planned to sit at Seventh and N streets.

Park patrons will be able to use the stalls at night and on weekends after employees leave. There are also plans to include pedestrian access to the park.

Along with the park, the company hopes to add a three-story addition to the west side of the Cotswold Building at 311 S. Seventh St. This addition is estimated to cost $20 million and will add 57,000 square feet of space. 

Marvin said the expansion is consistent with the downtown master plan's goal of trying to create a "talent pipeline" that encourages young people who graduate from the university to remain and work in Lincoln, specifically the downtown area.

The City Council will vote on January 24, 2022, for a zoning change and whether the project conforms to the downtown redevelopment plan. 

For more on this article click HERE

LAWMAKERS PROPOSE 4,000 ACRE LAKE BETWEEN OMAHA AND LINCOLN

LINCOLN — A reservoir bigger than Iowa’s Lake Okoboji could be bound for eastern Nebraska, under a proposal unveiled Monday by state lawmakers.

The lake would span 4,000 acres, reach 30 feet or so deep, and stretch 7 miles, according to Sen. Mike Hilgers of Lincoln, speaker of the Legislature. And it would be dredged near the Platte River in a location roughly equidistant from Omaha and Lincoln.

Hilgers announced the proposal along with a list of other water-related projects Monday, the result of a half-year process undertaken by the Legislature’s Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability (STAR WARS) special committee, which was created by Legislative Bill 406. 

The committee will request $200 million from the state to support the projects, Hilgers said.

The idea of damming the Platte to create a lake along the Interstate 80 corridor has come up every so often in Nebraska. The earliest push was in 1896. In the past, residents of Ashland, which would have been left underwater in past proposals, have pushed back when the Legislature has proposed studying it.

But Hilgers said this proposal is different. First off, it doesn’t include a dam.

He said the group was mandated to not explore damming the Platte and to not affect Ashland or the communities and economic development in that area. And, he said, they’re trying not to negatively affect those that draw water from the Platte, such as Lincoln and the Metropolitan Utilities District.

“We believe that there is an opportunity to build a reservoir of this size that will do all of those things: that will add economic opportunity for our state and help us control more of our own water, sustain more of our own water while not in any way impacting Ashland and the surrounding communities,” Hilgers said.

For more on this article click HERE

ARCHITECTURE DEAN NAMED UNL'S CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER

LINCOLN - Katherine Ankerson was announced Monday as the next executive vice chancellor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The dean of the College of Architecture since 2016, Ankerson succeeds Elizabeth Spiller, who left UNL on Nov. 20.

In a news release, Ankerson said she was "honored, humbled and excited" by the opportunity.

"Our university is a place where every person and every interaction matters," Ankerson said. "I look forward to building upon our shared momentum, our unwavering belief in the transformational power of education, and our ability to effect positive change in this world."

Ankerson is an award-winning educator and was named the International Interior Design Association's 2020 Educator of the Year.

Before joining UNL, she was the head of interior architecture and product design at Kansas State University from 1996 to 2011 and has taught at Radford University in Virginia and Washington State University.

At UNL, she has overseen a rising six-year graduation rate among students, as well as an increase to 100% job placement for graduates.

She was also a member of UNL's N150 Commission and the N2025 Steering Committee, which created a five-year strategic plan for the state's flagship campus.

Chancellor Ronnie Green called Ankerson "the right leader at the right time for this very important role."

"She is a collaborative, inclusive, and strategic leader who will take a 'what if' approach into this vital role for our academic mission and help propel us forward," Green said in a statement.

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NEW FEDERAL RULE WILL IMPACT NEBRASKA CDL DRIVERS, TRAINERS

LINCOLN - The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles will begin enforcing a new federal rule in February 2022 that establishes new requirements for some commercial driver’s license (CDL) applicants and CDL training providers. 

Drivers seeking their first CDL will now be required to receive federally approved entry-level driver training by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This applies only to new applicants. Those holding a CDL issued before Feb. 7, 2022, will be exempt from this requirement. 

The FMCSA will have to approve a provider to train the new CDL applicants under this rule. Third-party training providers who charge for entry-level driver training will need to be approved by the Nebraska DMV as an official Driver Training School. 

Companies or "trainers" that do not charge for training are exempt from the state requirement but will still be subject to federal requirements.

The approval process for training providers could take up to one month, so it is recommended that training providers who are required to become an approved Driving Training School should apply as soon as possible.

“This new rule will make a significant impact on those who want to obtain a CDL as well as CDL training providers,” said Sara O’Rourke, Driver Licensing Services Division administrator. “It is important to remember that anyone who currently has a CDL will not be required to receive this training unless they someday apply for an upgraded CDL class or a passenger, school bus or hazardous materials endorsement.”

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AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN COULD PAY NEBRASKA ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL EMPLOYEES

LINCOLN - The state senator from Bellevue hopes her proposed bill can withstand three rounds of debate to give teachers and other education staff retention payments.

Sen. Carol Blood drafted Legislative Bill 696 to appropriate funds from the American Rescue Plan Act since education professionals are leaving schools.

"They are tired and they are worn out and they feel underappreciated," Sen. Blood said. "Many are suffering from PTSD and severe depression. If we can't do something to address those issues, we're going to have a much bigger problem than what we have now. And I fear it's going to be our children and their families that suffer." 

According to Jenni Benson, president of the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA), a small fraction of the more than $1 billion in ARPA funds could greatly contribute to keeping 50,000 state education employees on the job.

More than a thousand school teachers plan to exit the profession at the end of the coming school year according to an NSEA survey done December 2021 due to stress, increased mental health issues, and being overworked.

Even $1,000 to employees shows gratitude and demonstrates the state's appreciation of its education employees, said Benson.

As more school teachers leave the profession, the increased workload falls on the teachers that stay. 

"Ultimately, it is your child who suffers when there are more kids in a classroom than need be," Sen. Blood said. 

Blood also drafted LB690 which would allow teachers alternatives to taking an expensive and difficult certification called the "Praxis" exam.

"There are a lot of qualified teachers that can't work in Nebraska because they can't pass that exam," Senator Blood said. 

For more on this article click HERE

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