CASINO BILL ADVANCES WITH ON NEW 'RACINOS'

LINCOLN- Nebraska gambling enthusiasts would have to make do with only six casinos at existing horse racing tracks, at least initially, under a bill advanced Tuesday to debate by the full Legislature.

Legislative Bill 876 was advanced by the Legislature’s General Affairs Committee on a 7-0 vote, with one member not voting, after weeks of wrangling over several issues, including how many casinos to allow, given voter approval of expanded gambling in November.

Proponents of locating new racinos in Bellevue, Norfolk, North Platte, Gering and Ogallala would be required to do an extensive study to answer several questions, including whether new locations would help or hurt the existing casinos and whether they would help or hurt the horse racing industry.

Briese said it would be up to the State Racing Commission to decide whether new racinos should be added. Under LB 876, the commission would have to conduct a “statewide market analysis” on horse racing and complete its work “as soon as practicable” but not later than Jan. 1, 2025.

Briese called that a “de facto moratorium” on new racinos because it would take some time — he wouldn’t predict how long — before the commission and an applicant for a new racino could complete the required studies.

The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce had called for no limit on the number of racinos allowed. State horse racing officials, meanwhile, had recommended that casinos be allowed only existing racetracks in Omaha, Lincoln, Columbus, Grand Island, South Sioux City and Hastings.

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PERKINS COUNTY CANAL PROJECT MOVES FORWARD AMID QUESTIONS ABOUT FINAL COST

LINCOLN — After an afternoon-long debate, state lawmakers advanced a controversial proposal to begin designing a $500-million canal to divert water from the South Platte River. Legislative Bill 1015, introduced on behalf of Gov. Pete Ricketts, advanced from the first round of debate on a 36-3 vote.The canal, which was originally proposed in the 1920s, has drawn questions from state senators regarding the sudden urgency of the project.

"This thing's one hundred years old. All of a sudden, we have this urgency," said State Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha.

Ricketts and the supporters of the canal project argue that unless it is built, Colorado will suck up the flows of the South Platte River that were granted to Nebraska in the water compact made in 1923. Supporters claim the canal is the only way to capture the off-season flows that Colorado will instead use for development projects on the Front Range.

The Appropriations Committee, which writes the state budget, has instead recommended about $53 million to do design work on the canal project. The chairman of the committee, State Sen. John Stinner, said it would be fiscally irresponsible to allocate $500 million to the canal without more study.

Lathrop questioned whether $500 million would even be enough to complete the project. Regardless of whether it is or not, he is also concerned about the possibility of the Legislature abandoning other state priorities in favor of the canal. Defendants of the bill, such as Sen. Mike Flood, argue the canal would signal to Colorado "how serious we are about water."

State Sen. Dan Hughes said, "If we don't build this canal, that water will go away. It will be lost to use forever." He also claimed that the Front Range is projected to double in population in the next 30 years.

The bill still has two rounds of debate to endure and will likely be brought up when the Legislature debates the state budget.

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RICKETTS TOUTS PROGRESS IN REDUCING STAFF SHORTAGES IN NEBRASKA PRISONS

LINCOLN- Hefty pay increases for state corrections workers have already reduced staff vacancies by half and should soon cut into forced overtime for prison guards and required weekend lockdowns for many prisoners, state officials said Monday.

Overall, the raises of up to 40% announced in November have helped the state attract more than 1,000 new applicants and make 267 new hires, said Nebraska Department of Correctional Services Director Scott Frakes. The new pay is so attractive, he said, that 50 of the new hires are staffers who previously left and are now returning to the agency, and 118 are coming from out of state.

“We are very pleased with that agreement and the impact it has had on our staffing,” said Gov. Pete Ricketts, who joined Frakes at a press conference Monday.

The State Corrections Department has been dogged by chronic staffing shortages for years. Late last year, about a third of the agency’s "protective services" positions — corrections corporals, sergeants, and caseworkers — were vacant.

The sparse staffing has spurred myriad problems, including record overtime costs, limits on inmates' activities and safety issues.

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GOV. CANDIDATE THIBODEAU: KEEP NEBRASKA BOARD OF EDUCATION ELECTED, ACCOUNTABLE

OMAHA — Former State Sen. Theresa Thibodeau of Omaha, a Republican running for governor, said last week that she wants Nebraska to keep its elected state Board of Education.

A recent proposal to amend the state's constitution in order to eliminate the state Board of Education and transfer the state Department of Education under the governor's jurisdiction drew criticism from the gubernatorial candidate. Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha, the introducer of Legislative Resolution 278CA, said she introduced the resolution to benefit conservative parents who are frustrated by the education board's proposal to change health education standards.

Thibodeau, however, said Linehan's resolution would actually make it more difficult to hold state board members accountable. She said Nebraskans can currently campaign and vote against those education board members that they disagree with. Under LR278CA, Nebraskans would have to pressure governors to create any change in this regard.

LR278CA would put the authority to hire and fire the state's education commissioner in the governor's hands instead of the eight-member Board of Education.

“I’m angry about the heavy-handed way the State Board of Education tried to force inappropriate sex education standards on our children,” Thibodeau said in a press release. “The solution, however, is at the ballot box.”

Another proposal that Thibodeau does not agree with is the motion by voter initiative to eliminate the state Department of Education and education commissioner's post. An "Office of Education" would instead be created under the governor. Thibodeau said this proposal would still strengthen the educational bureaucracy. She wants an elected board that is accountable to the people.

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PILLEN SAYS NO TO GOP PRIMARY DEBATES WITH REPORTERS

LINCOLN - Nebraska Republicans might not see all their top governor candidates on the same debate stage before the May 10 primary election. University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen has continued to turn down debates, including one this week on NTV News.

His campaign told the Axtell, Nebraska-based TV station that he would not be a participant, according to an email from the station's leadership to the other candidates. Pillen's campaign manager Kenny Zoeller described debates as "often just political theater."

“We are going to continue to manage our outreach in a way that serves the interests of Republican voters, not the ratings of media outlets,” he said.

Zoeller went on to say that the media uses debates to pit GOP candidates against one another and hijack Republican voters' agenda.

Pillen also rejected an invitation to a debate hosted by online news outlet Nebraska Sunrise News, citing Theresa Thibodeau and Breland Ridenour's absence as the reason for not attending. The Pillen campaign said Charles Herbster, a competing candidate, had worked to exclude them. Sunrise News publisher Fletcher Reel called the claim made by Pillen's campaign "complete nonsense." Reel said his organization chose who to include in the debates based on "viability," including the amount of money each candidate had raised.

GOP governor candidates Herbster, Thibodeau, and State Sen. Brett Lindstrom have agreed to participate in the first debate of the race, scheduled for March 24 in Lincoln. That event will be hosted by Nebraska Public Media. Pillen declined to participate.

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MORE THAN $130,000 IN DARK MONEY TARGETS FLOOD IN GOP RACE WITH FORTENBERRY

LINCOLN — Dark money is filling in the TV advertising gap between indicted U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry and his top primary election opponent, State Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk.

Flood’s campaign had spent nearly $240,000 on TV ads by late February, based on purchase agreements with TV stations. The Fortenberry campaign, over the same span, spent nearly $180,000 on TV ads. American Future Fund, an outside group, has deployed $130,000 worth of anti-Flood TV ads and mailers.

Fortenberry's campaign had seen a recent decrease in campaign funds after he was charged with lying to federal investigators, which is a felony. The Fortenberry campaign had raised roughly $100,000 in each of the three quarters of 2021. Fortenberry was indicted in October, leading to just $70,000 from donors in the final quarter of 2021.

American Future Fund is a pass-through organization based in Iowa and Virginia that has been the medium for anonymous donors to funnel money to the Fortenberry campaign. Nebraska's GOP governor primary election was the last time that the group spent this much money when they contributed more than $600,000 to help Beau McCoy and hurt Jon Bruning.

State Sen. Flood's campaign spokesperson criticized Fortenberry's embrace of the dark money, saying "With Fortenberry’s criminal trial looming, a donor hiding their identity is using this rent-a-PAC front group to try to help Fortenberry hold on to his title at the cost of what’s best for Nebraska."

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NU TO HERBSTER, LINDSTROM, AND PILLEN: STOP, NOW

LINCOLN- The GOP race for governor has a new player and this one isn’t looking for votes but is telling the top three campaigns to, in effect, pull some key commercials.

The player is the University of Nebraska which has sent 2-page, legal-letters to the Herbster, Lindstrom and Pillen forces “respectfully” asking them to keep their hands off NU’s logos and other “marks” arguing that all have used the copyrighted materials in an “unauthorized” manner.

At least one of the three, Charles Herbster’s campaign, is fighting back trying to keep its recent TV attack against Pillen, an NU Regent, alive. The ad accuses Pillen of supporting critical race theory—charges Pillen denies.

According to the NU letter: “The University has recently become aware of advertisements on behalf of your campaign that includes the use of University Marks. There is also a recent ad challenging Jim Pillen’s stance on critical race theory, which specifically mentions the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion and has been released on television. In addition to the requirement that the University remain neutral in the matter of politics, the University also has a right and obligation to prohibit unauthorized uses of its marks.”

Herbster’s campaign complains NU is trying to protect one of its own, telling NCN, “The University does not want to be exposed in its support of Critical Race Theory and all the other terrible liberal policies that Jim Pillen has supported.”

At the same time though a Pillen ad is being challenged by NU as well.

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SEN. HUNT WANTS GROENE INVESTIGATED AND BETTER HANDLING OF HARASSMENT COMPLAINTS

LINCOLN- Former State Senator Mike Groene's choice of photographing a female staffer may spur a criminal investigation. Senators Megan Hunt and Machaela Cavanaugh called for a criminal investigation into Mike Groene.

Sen. Hunt wrote to the Attorney General’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol.

“The morality and ethics of this is one question,” Hunt told the Nebraska Examiner on Saturday. “The legality is another. My real question is, did anything illegal happen?”

The focus of her letter fell upon concerns of misuse of state property in relation to the computer. The second concern is the sharing of the photos without consent.

“I don’t know that Groene needs to be made an example of or anything,” Hunt said. “Sometimes there’s a straw that breaks the camel’s back. I think a lot of people are done with this pattern of harassment within the institution.”

Hunt and Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha said Saturday that Groene’s actions show the need for the Legislature to improve how it handles human resources complaints from employees.

State Sen. Dan Hughes, chairman of the Legislature’s Executive Board, confirmed Friday that a formal complaint had been lodged against Groene. He said it was being taken “very seriously.” Speaker Mike Hilgers, who is running for Nebraska attorney general, referred questions to Friday’s statement from Hughes.

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FORMER NEBRASKA CONGRESSMAN BRAD ASHFORD OPTIMISTIC AFTER BRAIN CANCER DIAGNOSIS

OMAHA- Former Congressman Brad Ashford confirmed that he has been diagnosed with brain cancer, but said he feels confident he can overcome it. Ashford, 72, underwent a biopsy at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha on Friday, and his wife, Ann, said they are waiting for the results to determine the specific type of cancer and treatment plan going forward. In a phone interview on Saturday, Ashford said he was feeling good and would be returning home as soon as possible.

“It’s brain cancer, but I’ve got a lot of work to do so I’m gonna get out of here and keep doing what I do,” he said.

Ashford, who first disclosed the diagnosis in a Facebook post Friday, said he felt grateful to be in the care of Nebraska Medicine.

“The health care here at Nebraska Medicine is beyond anything one could imagine, it’s so incredible,” he said. “I’ve been proud to work on many projects here, including the cancer center, interestingly. There’s nobody better.”

Ashford said he would like to see State Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha win the Republican primary for governor, and Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue represent the Democrats. In an interview Friday, he said he was impressed with Lindstrom when he got to know him about eight years ago. Ashford said he’s been pleased with Lindstrom approach in the Legislature.

“He is a doer, someone who has not been particularly political, a worker,” Ashford said.

Blood, he said, has done a strong job in the Legislature and as a Democrat running for governor trying to “carve out a lane for centrist solutions” in our polarized politics.

“I think they are both doers,” Ashford said. “They both would be good governors because they’re problem solvers.”

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NEBRASKA VIRUS CASES AND HOSPITALIZATIONS CONTINUE FALLING

LINCOLN- Following a long January of Covid, cases, and hospitalizations continue to decline in February.

The state said 387 people were hospitalized with the virus Feb. 20th, that number has been falling since its peak at 767 on Jan. 28.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska fell over the past two weeks from 1,490.71 new cases per day on Feb. 5 to 277.14 new cases per day on Feb. 19th. From mid-January until Jan. 26, that number was regularly above 4,000 during the peak of the surge of the omicron variant of the virus.

The number of virus cases the state reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also fell again last week. The state reported 1,940 cases, down from 4,868 cases the previous week and 10,435 the week before that. The number of cases has been falling since the state set a record of 29,141 cases in the week that began Jan. 16.

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RESIDENTS AT SITE OF PROPOSED BIG LAKE NEAR GRETNA HAVE PLENTY OF QUESTIONS

GRETNA - Nestled amid the cottonwoods and cedar trees along the Platte River, Riverside Acres offers a secluded refuge for a cluster of 25 homes and cabins midway between Omaha and Lincoln.

There are lakes for fishing, trails for walkers and four-wheelers, and scenic views of the river that settlers described as a mile wide and an inch deep. It’s only a short walk to prime deer-hunting spots and blinds for goose hunting. What was once paradise has recently been stricken with turbulence.

State legislators are contemplating the expansion of the Platte River floodplain, just across the road from Riverside Acres, for a massive sandpit lake. The proposed lake would be 4,000 acres and 7 miles long and is projected to attract $1 billion in private investment. At these proposed figures, it would be the same size as Lake Okoboji in Iowa. This size would allow for boating, marinas, and condos. Boosters claim it might be impressive enough to keep young people from moving away to places with more exciting landscapes. Despite increased momentum in the State Legislature, the residents of the area have a much different opinion.

“I think it’s a joke,” said Don Brudny Jr., from his home in Riverside Acres. “It’s a way for real estate developers and people with money to try and make some more money." Brudny's family farm would be mostly inundated by the proposed lake site. “I have serious doubts that they can legitimately make it work,” Bundy said. “(But) how can you be for or against anything if you don’t know anything?”

Legislative Bill 1023, the Lake Development Act, and the Water Recreation Enhancement Act, LB1023 propses a total of $200 million in recreation enhancements. Within the bill, $20 million would be spent on a study of the lake idea and $26 million would be added to a fund for the costs of the lake.

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LAWMAKERS DECRY HANDLING OF GROENE CASE AS STATE PATROL OPENS INVESTIGATION

LINCOLN - Voices rose and painful stories were recounted Tuesday, February 22 as senators debated whether the allegations of inappropriate conduct by now-former State Sen. Mike Groene were handled appropriately in the State Legislature.

The Nebraska State Patrol also announced that it was opening an investigation into whether any laws were broken when Groene, 66, of North Platte, took photographs of a former aide, who described them as “objectifying and demeaning.”

State Sen. Dan Hughes, chairman of the Legislature's Executive Board which handles such complaints, said he followed the guidelines in first seeking an "informal resolution" of the complaints made by Groene's legislative staffer. He also said he was required to keep the issue confidential.

Kristina Konecko, the aide, made the decision that the informal resolution was insufficient on Friday. She instead asked for an investigation.

Three state senators, Tom Briese, John Arch, and Anna Wishart, have been appointed to a special committee to handle the probe. If evidence of a criminal act is found, Hughes said the committee will hand it over to the Patrol and the Nebraska Attorney General's Office.

Groene announced his decision to resign Friday afternoon soon after the allegations were reported that he took inappropriate photos of Konecko.

He has denied that the photos were sexual in nature but has apologized for taking them without Konecko's permission. She had worked as a legislative aide to Groene on and off for six years.

Several female senators took to the microphone Tuesday to question the handling of the case.

Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh said the only recourse women have when confronting superiors is to go to the press.

She went on to take aim at Hughes and Speaker Mike Hilgers for their handling of the matter, saying "You tow men, men in the body, have failed."

Sen. Megan Hunt said "We need to have a conversation. But above all, we need action."

"We know this stuff has been going on for a long time," Sen. Carol Blood said, but complaints about sexual harassment are still chalked up to "boys will be boys" or "that's how he is."

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LINCOLN GROUP WANTS TO FORCE BALLOT VOTE ON CITY'S GENDER IDENTITY ORDINANCE

LINCOLN - A Lincoln organization has started a campaign to try to force a ballot vote on a newly adopted Lincoln City Council ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The council’s “fairness ordinance,” which passed last week on a 5-0 vote, also broadens the city’s municipal code to add military personnel and veterans as a protected class, and it updates several other definitions.

Lincoln's Nebraska Family Alliance takes issue with the "sexual orientation and gender identity" provisions within the ordinance.

Following the council action, they are now seeking signatures for their "Let Us Vote" petition in hopes of collecting 4,137 names in just a 15-day window.

The figure is equivalent to 4% of the last gubernatorial election. If they succeed in obtaining the amount, the fairness ordinance would be rendered unenforceable and must be either rescinded or placed on the ballot for a vote.

A similar ordinance was approved in 2012 by the Lincoln City Council as well as the Omaha City Council. It would have prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. However, more than 10,000 Lincoln citizens signed a petition in opposition and the ordinance stalled.

In a recent news release, the Alliance said that its "volunteers believe every person should be treated with dignity and respect, and are energized and motivated to halt this dangerous ordinance that would allow biological men in women’s showers, locker rooms, and restrooms.”

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FORTENBERRY'S ATTORNEYS WANT JURORS TO HEAR ENTIRE INTERVIEW WITH INVESTIGATORS

LINCOLN — Attorneys battled last week over whether the jury in U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry’s criminal trial will be allowed to hear the entirety of interviews he gave to federal investigators.

Fortenberry, a Republican, is accused of three felony charges of lying or misleading investigators.

His lawyers want jurors to hear the full interview given at the representative's home in Lincoln. They believe it will show "the agents' interruption questioning and invitations to tangents."

Federal prosecutors proposed hearing 19 segments of a nearly 50-minute interview in March 2019. This was proposed, partially, in an effort to save time according to the pretrial motion.

Fortenberry's defense attorneys, however, argued the interview deserves to be heard in its entirety to "rebut the government's theory that Fortenberry 'dug himself a medium-sized hole' by willingly providing incomplete and inaccurate responses.

“Fortenberry tried in good faith to recall the events asked about to the best of his ability, but those efforts are not fully apparent without all his statements and the context of this entire interview,” his attorneys stated.

Prosecutors also gave notice that they want to submit clips from a later interview in July of 2019 that Fortenberry and his then-attorney, former U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy, gave to authorities. The proposed submission would include 27 clips from the interview, but the defense wants five more presented to jurors. Fortenberry is reportedly quoted in these clips as saying, "I'm just not recalling" and "I don't remember."

Last week, U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld rejected a proposal to move the trial to Nebraska. It will instead be held in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. That trial begins on March 15.

Fortenberry is also facing a tough challenge in the GOP primary election from State Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk. Flood has been endorsed by Gov. Ricketts and former Gov. Dave Heineman.

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NEBRASKA CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS REACT TO RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS

WASHINGTON D.C.- Members of Nebraska’s congressional delegation react to the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine tensions. Here are their statements:

Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb.- “Putin has been clear on his goals: reestablish the former Soviet Union. This was an invasion of a sovereign nation. Biden must show firm resolve, work with our allies, and immediately put in place strong sanctions.”

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb. -"Russia is now a pariah state and should be shut out of diplomatic and economic relations with the free world. Further, NATO and our Allies in the Far East must take the threat seriously, and significantly strengthen their defense capabilities. We have entered a new Cold War that could easily escalate if we do not take the Russian bully seriously. I call on President Biden and the United States to lead the immediate implementation of harsh economic sanctions on the Russian Federation, Mr. Putin, and his associates, and the Nordstream 2 gas pipeline.”

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb.- “Here are some answers that can make a difference: 1. Immediate return to American energy independence; 2. Europe ends its dependence on Russian natural gas; 3. Europe reestablishes its will to properly burden share with NATO; 4. Arms for, and support of reform within, Ukraine. Only by re-establishing strength do we have leverage for diplomacy.”

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb.- "We need to get the Ukrainians more weapons. We should be doing gun runs around the clock to arm the Ukrainian people to the teeth. Our goal should be pretty simple: Help the Ukrainian resistance hold on for as long as possible. Make Putin regret his flagrant disregard for the rule of law.”

Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb.- I support additional strong and swift sanctions to hold President Putin accountable. The U.S. must work alongside our allies when weighing our options. In the meantime, President Biden must take steps to ensure — should Russia further violate Ukraine’s sovereignty — no American is left stranded.”

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RICKETTS APPONTS NORTH PLATTE BANKER TO GROENE'S OPEN SEAT

LINCOLN- Gov. Pete Ricketts appointed North Platte banker Mike Jacobson to fill the open seat of former state Sen. Mike Groene, who resigned this week following allegations that he took inappropriate photos of a former female staff member.

Jacobson, founder and president of NebraskaLand National Bank, was sworn in as the District 42 senator on Wednesday morning after the governor's announcement at the state Capitol. He was joined by his wife, Julie. Jacobson will complete Groene's term, which ends in early January 2023, and stated that he will run for election to the seat for a full term

Jacobson has been active in the community, serving as Chair of the North Platte Redevelopment Authority, Chair of the North Platte Airport Authority, and on the Great Plains Health Board of Directors. He’s also a Past President of both the North Platte Development Corporation and North Platte Public Schools Foundation Board. He has also given leadership to numerous professional and statewide associations. He’s a Past Chairman of the Nebraska Bankers Association and Past President of the Agriculture Builders of Nebraska Inc.

He has been a board member of the Nebraska Independent Community Bankers and has served on various committees with the American Bankers Association. Additionally, he’s served on the Governor’s Agricultural Advisory Council; University of Nebraska President’s Advisory Council; and University of Nebraska Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET).

Jacobson is a graduate of Sutton High School and holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics/Agricultural Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Three North Platte residents had filed for the District 42 seat: Lincoln County Commissioner Chris Bruns, Brenda Fourtner, and retired Great Plains Health CEO Mel McNea. The district redrawn by the Legislature last year includes all of Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Thomas, and Hooker counties and a large part of Perkins County.

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BIDEN APPROVES NEBRASKA DISASTER DECLARATION FOR DECEMBER STORM

WASHINGTON D.C.- President Joe Biden approved federal disaster aid Wednesday for parts of Nebraska pummeled by an unprecedented December storm.

The declaration makes federal dollars available to certain entities, including the state and eligible local governments, for emergency work or to help them repair or replace facilities damaged during the storm, according to the White House. The declaration applies to 25 counties, including Sarpy County.

It also makes federal funding available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

The state did not qualify for a program that makes assistance available to individuals.

Nebraska saw more than 27 tornadoes within a three-hour time span and its first-ever winter derecho on Dec. 15. A derecho is a series of long-lived straight-line winds.

Biden’s declaration came a day after Nebraska’s congressional declaration submitted a letter requesting that the president approve the aid. Their letter pegged the damage estimate in the state at $6.79 million.

The White House noted that additional designations could be made at a later date if requested by the state and backed up by further damage assessments.

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BLUEPRINT NEBRASKA TAX PLAN LIKELY WON'T BE DEBATED THIS YEAR

LINCOLN - A comprehensive reworking of state taxes, proposed by a coalition of business groups called Blueprint Nebraska, will probably have to wait another year to get off the ground. Following a hearing that featured the CEO of Union Pacific Railroad and representatives from the Nebraska and Omaha chambers of commerce, the top tax senator for the State Legislature described the Blueprint proposal as needing more work.

State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn chairs the legislative committee that handles tax issues. Linehan said "pieces" of the Blueprint plan match current priorities, including reducing the tax rate for the top state income bracket, but the overall proposal could use more study.

Even the head developer of the Blueprint Nebraska tax plan, former Sen. Jim Smith, acknowledged it is probably too late to get such a comprehensive proposal prioritized, debated, and passed. As of February 25, there are 28 days left in the 60-da legislative session. 

“Whether it’s this year or ’23, we think that this approach is what’s needed if we want to compete,” Smith said. “This bill is what tax modernization looks like.” 

Legislative Bill 1264, introduced by Omaha Sen. Mike McDonnell, has been in development since 2018. Supporters believe this to be essential if Nebraska wants to become more competitive tax-wise, attract more workers, and increase its population. LB1264 combines state income tax cuts with a broadening of the sales tax base to include more services that are not currently taxed. It also contains programs to forgive student loans in an effort to attract highly skilled workers. Sales tax collections would rise by $2 billion over 10 years, which would allow for cuts in property taxes under the plan.

Nebraskans who earn less than $50,000 would no longer pay state income taxes under the plan in an effort supports say is to lure more workers to Nebraska.

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SEED CORN COMPANIES SUE TROUBLED ALTEN ETHANOL PLANT FOR DAMAGES

LINCOLN - AltEn, which has operated a troubled Nebraska ethanol plant that used pesticide-coated seed corn to produce biofuel, is facing more legal trouble.Six seed corn companies that have been cleaning up the AltEn ethanol plant site near Med, Nebraska, filed two separate federal lawsuits on Tuesday, February 22 seeking repayment for their work.

One of such lawsuits alleges that AltEn, its owner Tanner Shaw, and other companies under Shaw's control have mishandled the seed corn and contaminated byproducts in "violation of federal and state laws." They also allege that AltEn did not meet its commitments to the seed corn companies to dispose of the chemically treated seed properly.

Shaw allegedly abandoned the site and left millions of gallons of wastewater and thousands of tons of waste grain. This is in direct conflict with state orders to clean the site up.

“Environmental controls were lacking or nonexistent,” one lawsuit stated.

Another lawsuit claims that, in an effort to prevent creditors from getting reimbursed, Shaw sold off his assets. The seed corn companies also claim AltEn has refused to participate in stabilization efforts and instead hindered the response by the seed corn companies.The lawsuits filed Tuesday allege the "failures" of AltEn include the release of untreated wastewater onto neighboring parties, the stockpiling of thousands of tons of wet cake byproducts, and the mismanagement of millions of gallons of wastewater in lagoons "perilously close to failure."

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NEBRASKA MEDICAL PROVIDERS LINE UP FOR SLICES OF FEDERAL RELIEF FUNDS

LINCOLN - Nebraska’s nurses, nursing homes, assisted living centers, behavioral health providers, medical clinics, rural care providers, and people serving those with developmental disabilities all are seeking funding boosts,  a legislative committee heard Tuesday, February 22. 

Those seven bills seek to spend a combined $294.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds if they are approved. The Appropriations Committee heard different cases to ease staffing and funding challenges for Nebraska's health care system.

• Legislative Bill 1055, proposed by Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha, would spend $50 million in federal relief funds for hospitals and federally qualified medical providers to offer bonuses and increased pay to "front-line" nurses caring for patients. By implementing LB1055, 20,000 of Nebraska's nurses would receive about $2,000 each.

• Legislative Bill 1089, proposed by Sen. John Stinner, would set aside $60 million in federal relief funds to help nursing homes boost pay for direct-care employees. $45 million of those funds would be put towards Medicaid beds and would concentrate $15 million on nursing homes with the most residents funded by Medicaid.

• Legislative Bill 1269, proposed by Sen. Dave Murman, would allocate $10 million in federal relief funds to help benefit medical professionals repay their student loans in rural areas.

• Legislative Bill 1183, proposed by Sen. Ray Aguilar, would create $25 million in grants for the outpatient community clinics that serve Nebraska's neediest patients. The grants would be used on clinic-related construction projects.

• Legislative Bill 1066, proposed by Sen. John Stinner, would set aside $5 million in federal money for the addition of new mental health beds in rural Nebraska and $28 million for the University of Nebraska's Behavioral Health Education Center.

• Legislative Bill 1172, proposed by Sen. Robert Hilkemann of Omaha, would allocate $111 million in federal funds, or $37 million a year for three years, to help DHHS pay more to providers who serve people with developmental disabilities and would help offset COVID-19 related losses and cost increases.

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