'REAL WORK' BEGINS ON $335 MILLION INVESTMENT TO REVIVE AREAS INCLUDING NORTH AND SOUTH OMAHA

OMAHA- With session now complete, Nebraska lawmakers and Gov. Pete Ricketts gathered in North Omaha where a $335 million recovery plan was turned into action.

LB1024 initially focused on North Omaha, then added South Omaha, and ultimately included other low-income census tracts in the state that were disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Ricketts called the package “historic landmark legislation” and said Nebraska can’t be healthy if certain ZIP codes aren’t reaping the same success as others.

“That bill will have a generational impact,” said Ricketts. “It will invest in affordable housing, infrastructure, crime prevention, financial literacy, job training, education — all the things that go into making sure we are developing the full talent of all of our people here in the state of Nebraska.”

State Sen. Justin Wayne, who led the push for the legislation along with State Sen. Terrell McKinney, also of North Omaha, called Thursday a time to reflect on decades of neglect and also to recognize past leaders who paved the way.

State Sens. Tony Vargas and Mike McDonnell, both of South Omaha, also were recognized as co-sponsors of the legislation and were among the public officials greeting about 50 community representatives.

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RICKETTS HAS REJECTED MILLIONS IN FEDERAL PANDEMIC AID ON ARGUMENT THAT EMERGENCY IS OVER

LINCOLN- Gov. Pete Ricketts’ recent denial of federal rental assistance is the latest instance of the governor denying pandemic relief offered by the federal government.

From supplemental food assistance to expanded unemployment benefits, the governor has turned away millions of dollars in federal funding meant for Nebraskans in need, often based on the argument that it is time to return to pre-pandemic order, and often over the objections of some state lawmakers and advocates.

The latest example of Ricketts’ resistance to federal aid came Friday when the governor reaffirmed his decision not to apply for $120 million in rental assistance, after receiving pressure from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Though a majority of that funding, about $72 million, will likely be distributed across Nebraska’s most populous counties, that still leaves about $48 million unavailable to renters.

Nebraska is the only state in the country that does not plan to apply for any of its second-round funding through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

“We have not been in a pandemic emergency since the summer of 2021,” said Ricketts.

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GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER BRINGS IN ST. LOUIS COUNTY CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER VETA JEFFERY AS NEW PRESIDENT

OMAHA — The Greater Omaha Chamber named Veta Jeffery as its new President and CEO on Friday, April 29.

Jeffery will follow David Brown, who announced his intentions to retire this year after leading the Omaha Chamber for the last two decades.

"I'm excited to be able to follow the work he's [Brown] done, but also bring my own individualistic experience as well," Jeffery said. 

Jeffery's most recently worked as the county Chief Diversity Officer for St. Louis. Other leadership roles have included Manager of Community Economic Development. She was appointed to the position by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon after the Ferguson protests. 

"I think the heart of any community rests on the businesses it's made of," Jeffery said during Friday's announcement. 

“I’m excited to work with Veta on her smooth transition into the President and CEO role,” said Brown. “I’m proud of what the Chamber and our partners have accomplished over the past 18 years, and I look forward to supporting her and the Chamber team to reach new heights.”

A series of listening sessions will be held as she transitions into the role beginning in May. Her husband and daughter will relocate to Omaha later this year. 

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THREE CANDIDATES LOOKING TO FILL DISTRICT 18 SEAT

OMAHA- A race full of new candidates ready to make their mark in politics.

Clarice Jackson is a mother of two, running a screening and teaching program for people struggling with dyslexia.

"Some children learn differently, I learned that with my daughter, one of my children, my son, Mekhi, he thrived in the traditional public school, but my daughter did not. And sometimes they need a different setting," Jackson said.

Jackson has received endorsements from Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, Congressman Don Bacon, former Mayor Hal Daub and State Senator Louis Linehan.

Jackson's opponent, Christy Armendariz agrees, saying taxes are a top priority when it comes to District 18, and so is growth.

"Economic development is going to be key to try to keep costs under control for the constituents of the area," Armendariz said.

She said she's focused on creating unity within the state, inspiring her to run for a seat in the legislature while setting an example for her kids. "I've always told my kids who are grown now that there is a process in place that we can take advantage of, and to do that, if they are not happy with something, take advantage of the process," she said.

Armendariz said as a negotiator in the health care field, she has the skills to get things done.

The third candidate, Michael Young owns a technology business while running his own art gallery, working as a professor and being a dad. As someone who has experienced homelessness and poverty as a child, Young said he wants his past to create change for future laws.

"To really engage and give voice to my district. I'm a huge community advocate from education, to transportation, to lowering taxes to teachers and to unions," Young said.

The seat is currently held by Senator Brett Lindstrom who is unable to see another term due to term limits. He is currently running for Governor

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TWO CHALLENGERS SEEK DISTRICT 22 SEAT HELD BY SENATOR MIKE MOSER

COLUMBUS - Incumbent Senator Mike Moser faces two challengers to represent District 22 in the Nebraska Legislature.Roy Zach of rural Genoa and Mike Goos of Columbus join Moser on the ballot with the top two vote getters moving on to November’s general election.

Moser seeks to return to the Legislature to focus on jobs and taxes.

“Creating jobs by growing our economy, solving the budget shortfall and reducing property taxes are the most important issues and will be my priorities if elected,” said Moser, a former Columbus mayor who is seeking a second term as a state senator. “Property taxes are too high. With increased valuation, property taxes have soared and have become a big burden for property owners.”

Moser said his endorsers include former Gov. Dave Heinemann, Sen. Mike Flood, Jim Pillen and Columbus Mayor Jim Bulkley.

Zach hasn’t held any previous political offices but was also a candidate to represent District 22 in 2010.

“My various work experiences have given me multiple perspectives and viewpoints on a wide range of issues in the agricultural, industrial and service sectors of the economy,” he said. “I am running for office to protect the fundamental liberties of the citizens of the State of Nebraska.”

Goos has not responded to a questionnaire provided by the Norfolk Daily News.

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IN ENDORSEMENT, FORMER U.S. SENATOR NELSON SAYS HE SEES 'MOMENT' FOR PANSING-BROOKS TO WIN HOUSE SEAT

LA VISTA — Former U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., typically waits until after Nebraska Democrats select a nominee before deciding whether to endorse a candidate for Congress.

But Nelson said Thursday he sees a “moment” for State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks headed into the state’s May 10 primary election and the June 28 special election in Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District.Nelson endorsed Pansing Brooks on Thursday during a news conference at the La Vista Conference Center. He said Democrats and all Nebraskans want someone who can do the work, and “she can.”

“I have been reluctant to endorse in primaries, and I haven’t given a lot of endorsements since I left the Senate,” said Nelson, who served in the Senate from 2001 to 2013. “This is a special situation with a special election.”

Eastern Nebraska has a rare open U.S. House seat, representing the district that encompasses Lincoln, Bellevue, Fremont, Norfolk and more. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry resigned March 31 after being convicted of three felonies.

The unusual situation of holding three elections for the same race in the same year means Pansing Brooks needs to motivate Democrats to vote all three times, Nelson said. She faces photographer Jazari Kual in the Democratic primary race and former Speaker of the Legislature Mike Flood, a Republican, in the special election. The winners of the May 10 primary will advance to November’s general election.

The last time Nebraska had an open-seat race in the 1st District was 2004, when Fortenberry beat then-State Sen. Matt Connealy 54% to 43%. Fortenberry went on to serve nine terms.Nebraska’s last special election for the House was in 1951, according to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office. Third District Rep. Karl Stefan died Oct. 2, 1951, in Washington. Robert D. Harrison won a special election Dec. 4, 1951.

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FOUR STATE SENATORS RAISING MONEY FOR WOMEN'S DEFENSE IN WAKE OF ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HERBSTER

LA VISTA — Four Nebraska state senators announced a fundraising effort Tuesday to cover potential legal costs for any women or witnesses who might come forward with credible allegations of sexual impropriety by gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster. State Sens. Lou Ann Linehan, Joni Albrecht, Suzanne Geist and Rita Sanders emphasized their support for their colleague, Sen. Julie Slama. Each reiterated her belief that Slama was telling the truth when she said Herbster groped her in 2019.

“Julie is not here, but the five of us are often together on issues,” Linehan said. “We’re the only five Republican women on the floor. It makes this kind of a small but important little club. … We have each others’ backs.”

Geist and Albrecht said they have received a letter from Herbster’s legal team telling them to preserve documents in preparation for a possible lawsuit, after they and the 11 other women in the Nebraska Legislature signed a letter calling on Herbster to quit the governor’s race. Geist said any time the justice system is used to secure silence from people for telling the truth, it hurts sexual assault survivors and, in turn, the entire state.

“I won’t be intimidated into silence, and I won’t stand for any attempt to silence survivors and witnesses of this sexual assault,” Geist said. “It’s reprehensible.”

All four senators acknowledged they have endorsed Herbster rival Jim Pillen for governor. They stressed that their action in establishing a defense fund is “not about politics.”

“It’s about sending a message loud and clear that survivors and witnesses won’t be bullied or intimidated into silence in our state,” Sanders said.

Geist said Herbster’s actions could have a chilling effect on victims of any sexual assault.

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THREE GOP CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR DEBATE TAXES, WATER, BROADBAND

HOLDREGE— Three of Nebraska’s top four GOP candidates for governor visited this agricultural hub Monday to debate taxes, water, broadband and more.

State Sen. Brett Lindstrom, former Sen. Theresa Thibodeau and Conklin Co. CEO Charles Herbster debated questions for an hour from reporters based in Kearney, Lexington and Axtell. University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen held a telephone town hall during Monday’s debate, the last before the May 10 primary election. Pillen has avoided debates with his fellow candidates. Instead, he attended candidate forums.

About 200 people attended the Holdrege debate, hosted by NTV News at the Phelps County Agricultural Center. Each candidate spent significant time talking about plans to address property taxes.

Lindstrom got specific about state aid for schools, saying he wants to make sure every K-12 school district in Nebraska gets equalization aid. Right now, he said, 157 districts don’t. His idea to change that: Work with the Legislature to redirect a portion of existing sales tax dollars over several years toward a goal of reducing property taxes by 20%.

Thibodeau said she wants to audit and cut spending on ineffective state programs and services so that every child in Nebraska can get the same amount of state aid to schools.

“If we grew food as much as we grow government, heck, nobody would ever go hungry,” Thibodeau said.

Herbster said he wants to rebuild Nebraska’s tax system from the bottom up, hoping to model what South Dakota does, with no income tax, or what Iowa does with a blended approach.

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THREE CANDIDATES SEEK DISTRICT 20 LEGISLATIVE SEAT

OMAHA —Political newcomer John Fredrickson is a social worker and seeking the District 20 legislative seat. He said politics was something he never thought about getting into prior to running.

The husband and father understands what it's like to have a young family living in Nebraska. He said he's running after hearing how policies were affecting people's lived experiences. The social worker who has a mental health practice said he plans to focus on mental health and keeping people in the state.

The second candidate in the race is Stu Dornan who sat on the West Side school board and currently sits as a member of the Nebraska Educational Service Unit.He said the state needs to be able to compete with other states and on the campaign trail, he’s hearing older residents say that they simply can't afford property taxes.

The political veteran, former Douglas County Attorney and former FBI agent plans to focus on property taxes, public safety and mental health.

Julie Fredrickson is the third candidate in the race and says her platform is about freedom.The real estate agent said she’s against mandates, specifically mandated vaccines and masks, vowing to protect parental rights for kids in school. The pro-life advocate plans to tackle abortion, property taxes and be transparent.

The seat is currently held by Senator John McCollister who is unable to run again due to term limits.

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FOUR CANDIDATES SEEK 4OTH DISTRICT SEAT AS SENATOR GRAGERT CHOOSES NOT TO SEEK ANOTHER TERM

NIOBRARA - State Sen. Tim Gragert did not file to run for reelection this year. Four candidates — Mark Patefield of Laurel, Keith Kube of Crofton, Barry DeKay of Niobrara and Robert E. Johnston of Clearwater — are vying for the open seat Gragert will leave in Nebraska Legislative District 40.

Patefield said he would focus on reducing taxes, controlling spending and emphasizing economic development to grow the state’s rural communities. He also said his focus would be to bring a conservative, commonsense approach to protecting resources and reducing regulations to allow more cooperation between rural areas, as well as working to improve access to broadband and health care and standing against federal overreach.

DeKay said he is running to address four major priorities: Reform the state’s broken tax structure; invest in roads and infrastructure; deliver much-needed broadband access across the state; and spur economic development in the district.

“I have spent my entire lifetime helping the people of District 40 in many areas,” DeKay said. “I believe my commonsense approach to working to achieve the best for the district is second to none.”

Kube, a native of Nebraska who sought the seat 4 years ago, said he has had the opportunity to work throughout North American for nearly a thousand different businesses, helping them to successfully navigate the task of ownership by “stress testing” them to find problems before they became an issue. He is motivated to run because he feels his experience in agriculture, business and consulting would allow him to best serve the district and state.

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TRUMP TO HOLD RALLY FOR HERBSTER ON FRIDAY IN GREENWOOD

OMAHA — Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster is getting the Nebraska visit he sought for months from former President Donald Trump late in a tightening GOP race.

Trump’s team announced Tuesday that Trump would appear at an April 29 rally at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Nebraska, less than two weeks before the May 10 primary election.

The invitation to the Trump rally lists Herbster as Trump’s special guest speaker.

Herbster had been the clear favorite in the Republican governor’s primary for months since securing Trump’s endorsement in October. Polling in recent months shows a tightening three-way race between Herbster, University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen and State Sen. Brett Lindstrom.

This will be Trump’s first political rally in Nebraska since Oct. 27, 2020, when the president said he had rallied more than 29,000 people on the private side of Eppley Airfield in Omaha.

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LINDSTROM LEADING, BUT HE, HERBSTER, PILLEN HAVE PATHS TO WIN POLL FINDS

LINCOLN — Nebraska’s Republican race for governor is a tangle at the top, with three candidates essentially tied and a distant fourth perhaps positioned to play spoiler.

State Sen. Brett Lindstrom, Conklin Co. CEO Charles Herbster and University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen each registered between 24% and 28% support in a new third-party poll.

A Neilan Strategy Group poll indicated 28% support for Lindstrom, 26% for Herbster, 24% for Pillen and 6% for former State Sen. Theresa Thibodeau. The poll indicated 16% of voters were undecided. That puts the top three candidates within the poll’s 4.9% margin of error. It surveyed 858 likely Nebraska GOP primary voters on April 19-20 via text and telephone.

Because support for the top three fell within the margin of error, it’s hard to say for certain who’s leading. The poll’s results roughly mirrored a Lindstrom campaign poll from mid-April. That poll also found all three candidates within the margin of error. It indicated that Lindstrom and Pillen were tied at 27%, with Herbster at 23%. The Herbster and Pillen campaigns, when asked for comment after the Lindstrom poll, said they have seen the race tighten in internal polling, with different leaders, depending on the poll.

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THE CURRENT AFTERMATH OF GROPING CLAIMS AGAINST GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE CHARLES HERBSTER

LINCOLN- On Monday, April 18 state senators Tom Brewer, Steve Halloran, and Steve Erdman signed a letter that asked Nebraskans for their continued support of Herbster in the race for governor.

Nineteen others signed the letter as well, including various county GOP Chairs and former Omaha Mayor Hal Daub.

The letter remarked the timing of the allegations is "very curious," and ask why some women waited nearly three years to publicly accuse Herbster.

Gov. Pete Ricketts pushed back Monday against claims that the Republican “establishment” was to blame for allegations by eight women that they had been groped by gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster.

Herbster, a Falls City businessman endorsed by former President Donald Trump, fired back, calling the allegations “100% false” and an “unfounded, dirty political trick” inspired by the political “establishment,” carried out by Ricketts and the GOP candidate he has endorsed, University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen.

Ricketts was asked to respond during a press conference on a different subject, and said people should “read the story.”

The governor repeated his comments from last week that Herbster needs to apologize to the eight women, “seek help” and step out of the race for governor.

Two men and a woman put their names behind what they said they either saw directly or were told immediately afterward about Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster groping young women at political events.

All three said they were upset by Herbster’s denials of the behavior. They said they were also upset by how Herbster and some of his political allies have treated State Sen. Julie Slama since the Nebraska Examiner last week reported the allegations against Herbster.

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WESTERN NEBRASKA CASINOS IN WAITING GAME AS STATE EXPLORES ADDING NEW LICENSED HORSE TRACKS

NORTH PLATTE- LB876, which won 38-3 final approval in the Legislature, effectively puts new racetracks and associated casinos — including proposals for North Platte, Ogallala, Gering and Kimball — on hold while market and socioeconomic studies take place.

The bill signed by Gov. Pete Ricketts directs the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission to complete the studies “as soon as practicable” but no later than Jan. 1, 2025. Similar studies would be required every five years.

Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte said he considers LB876 “a way to keep the process moving forward” while heading off calls for a five- to seven-year moratorium on any new tracks.

“I am still not completely satisfied with the provisions in LB876 and will continue to work to fast-track North Platte’s proposed project,” he said. “I think there is a way to grow the racing industry responsibly while shortening the timeline for western Nebraska applications.”

Nebraska’s six existing horse tracks, meanwhile, are able to seek casino licenses once the Racing and Gaming Commission gets long-awaited regulations in place.

At that point, the six tracks — in Lincoln, Omaha, Grand Island, Columbus, South Sioux City and Hastings — are expected in varying degrees to move forward with construction of new facilities for casino operations.

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LATEST POLL SHOWS DEAD HEAT IN NEBRASKA'S GOP GOVERNOR'S RACE

OMAHA- Even before a bombshell week of news, Nebraska’s GOP race for governor was rounding into a three-way statistical tie likely to be decided by voters still making up their minds.

The Republican race lacks a favorite between Conklin Co. CEO Charles Herbster, University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen, and State Sen. Brett Lindstrom, according to a new campaign poll obtained by the Nebraska Examiner.

The Lindstrom campaign’s latest poll lists Lindstrom and Pillen tied at 27%. Lindstrom polled 7 points above his March numbers, despite facing six figures’ worth of anti-Lindstrom TV ads purchased with dark money.

Pillen’s polling numbers climbed 4 points since March, even though the Herbster campaign spent six figures’ worth of attack ads, including a recent ad questioning the environmental record of Pillen’s hog operation.

Herbster, long the frontrunner in the race, polled at 23%, down 7 points since March. He has also faced six figures in third-party ads, including some funded by Gov. Pete Ricketts, who backs Pillen.

The next closest candidate was Herbster’s former running mate, former State Sen. Theresa Thibodeau. She polled at 6%, up from 3% in March.

The poll indicated that 12% of likely GOP voters remained undecided.

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VOTER REGISTRATIONS SHIFT FROM DEMOCRAT TO REPUBLICAN IN RECENT WEEKS

LINCOLN- Between March 1 and April 1, registered Republicans grew by 1,985 voters while Democrats lost 1,787.

That number could make a difference in a close primary race, said political consultant Perre Neilan, pointing out that Gov. Pete Ricketts won his first GOP gubernatorial primary, in a six-way race, by only 2,300 votes.

The University of Nebraska at Omaha political science professor Randy Adkins said that “savvy Democrats” probably realize that the race for governor will be decided in the GOP primary and that they may have the motivation to switch if there’s a clear difference between the candidates.

Former State Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha, who switched from Republican to Democrat to run for governor in 2018 against Ricketts, recently switched back to the GOP.

Krist said that statistically speaking, the winner of the GOP primary has become the governor in Nebraska, so changing parties was a way to have an influence on the race.

He said he’s voting for Lindstrom, with whom he served in the State Legislature because Lindstrom is a “consensus seeker” and the only qualified candidate.

He added that Lindstrom’s politics are more moderate than either of the other front-runners in the Republican race, Falls City businessman Charles Herbster and University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen.

Lancaster County Election Commissioner Dave Shively said it’s not unusual for voters to change party registrations ahead of a primary election.

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BRAD ASHFORD REMEMBERED FOR NONPARTISANSHIP, WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE

LINCOLN — It’s been said that Brad Ashford could have trouble finding his car in the parking lot at the State Capitol.

But when it came to finding solutions to some of the biggest issues confronting the state and his hometown of Omaha — from gun control, to immigration, to sales taxes and funding a new arena — Ashford often found a way.

The former state senator and U.S. congressional representative died Tuesday from complications of brain cancer. He was 72.

Ashford, an Omaha native, served two eight-year stints in the Nebraska Legislature and two years in the House of Representatives.

He led an agency that worked on behalf of Omaha's poorest and most diverse populations and guided students in the art of public-private partnerships and collaboration.

Those who knew him to say he will be remembered for using his enthusiasm and nonpartisanship to bring political parties and opposing camps together on issues.

Ashford was a registered Republican, then a Democrat, then an independent, and in 2013 registered again as a Democrat.

Earlier this year, after being given his cancer diagnosis, Ashford said “one must never give up hope.’

“There is always hope,” he said. “We have work to do. We need a new attitude. Solutions over politics, our kids deserve that of us.”

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BATTLE OVER FEDERAL RENTAL AID TO NEBRASKA STIRS UP AGAIN

LINCOLN- The battle reignited Friday over whether Nebraska should accept more federal emergency rental aid, with the U.S. Treasury Department stepping into the fray.

Deputy Treasury Secretary Adewale Adeyemo wrote a letter to Gov. Pete Ricketts, expressing his disappointment and urging the governor to draw down on the $120 million accounts Congress had set aside for Nebraska on behalf of “tens of thousands” of households in need of assistance.

Adeyemo said many of Nebraska’s state legislators, leaders, and housing advocates have underscored the “significant need … especially in rural areas and small communities that do not have access to other rental assistance programs within the state.”

“That need clearly exists in Nebraska,” Adeyemo wrote. “According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, 21% of Nebraska renters are extremely low income, and 65% of this group are severely cost-burdened.”

A Ricketts spokeswoman said Friday afternoon that the governor had received the correspondence and planned to respond next week with his own letter “reiterating that this reckless federal spending is the cause of inflation, not the solution.”

The governor has stood firm for months on his refusal to accept the funds. He has said that the pandemic storm is over and that Nebraska should guard against becoming a “welfare state.”

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LOTS AT STAKE AS BIDS ARE SOUGHT FOR MEDICAID PROGRAM, BUT LAWMAKERS OPTIMISTIC

LINCOLN - The search began Monday, April 18 for entities that will best deliver health care benefits to hundreds of thousands of Nebraskans served by Medicaid.

Lawmakers say they appear to be on a better track this time after the recent costly bidding mistake involving the state's child welfare system contract.

“There is still a ways to go here,” said State Sen. John Arch of La Vista, chairman of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee. “But I think it is heading in the right direction.”

Arch, who headed the special legislative study on the St. Francis situation, said he was encouraged that DHHS officials spent time more recently on “listening sessions” that gathered feedback about Heritage Health.

State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha said lessons have been learned in the wake of the state's acceptance of an extremely low bid from St. Francis Ministries for child welfare services that ultimately cost the state.

Although Cavanaugh remains cautious, she said state senators received assurances from the administrators handling Medicaid that a contract would not "automatically" go to the lowest bidder.

“I don’t, at this point, have reason to think they won’t be diligent,” she said of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Administrative Services, which handles state contracts.

Nebraska Medicaid announced Monday that it began to solicit bids from entities interested in providing health care benefits for the 340,000 low-income and disabled Nebraskans enrolled in Medicaid. The contract would last at least five years.

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NEBRASKA GOP PICKS FLOOD TO FACE PANSING BROOKS IN JUNE 28TH SPECIAL ELECTION

LINCOLN- This June’s special election to finish out the last six months of former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry’s term has a Republican nominee: former Speaker of the Legislature Mike Flood.

The executive committee of the Nebraska Republican Party, about 30 Republicans from across the state, chose Flood Saturday to take on fellow State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks, a Democrat.

Flood handily beat Air Force retiree John Glen Weaver, 24-5.

Flood, in a letter and a brief speech to the committee members, watching in person and online, said the focus needs to be firing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat.

He highlighted his business experience and his work in the Legislature cutting taxes and fighting abortion, which he said is closer now to being made illegal than it has been in decades.

“It is urgent that we nominate a Republican candidate who can win the upcoming special election, win in May and November and help Republicans take back the House,” Flood wrote.

Flood challenged Fortenberry after federal prosecutors charged the nine-term GOP congressman with lying to the FBI about illegal foreign campaign funds raised for his campaign. 

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