NEBRASKA GOP BLASTED FOR ATTACKING DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE OVER GUN BILL VOTE AFTER SCHOOL SHOOTING

LINCOLN- Jane Kleeb, Chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, blasted Nebraska Republicans for sending out an email within hours of the Texas elementary school shooting that attacked Democratic gubernatorial candidate Carol Blood over a gun bill vote.

“Their subject line was ‘Carol Blood wants us defenseless,’” party Chair Jane Kleeb said in a tweet. “You mean like the kids and their teacher that was killed? Totally disgusting.”

Blood called the email “hateful and meant to generate fear” and said it was “not an appropriate response” to the killing of 19 children and two adults at a school in Uvalde, Texas.

Blood then spoke on opponent Jim Pillen saying, “Mr. Pillen who claims he will not participate in dirty campaigning continues to show us with his silence he will only keep his head down and pretend that his silence does not make him complicit".

Taylor Gage, the state GOP executive director, said the email was a planned communication “and obviously not a response” to the shooting. He said the party’s actual response was a tweet sent out Wednesday morning that said: “Grieving and praying for everyone impacted by the shooting.”

For the full article click HERE

OMAHA CITY COUNCIL APPROVES NEARLY $11 MILLION FOR NEW AMBULANCES AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES

OMAHA- Through a nearly $10.98 million purchase agreement unanimously approved by the Omaha City Council this week, 11 new emergency vehicles and seven ambulances will be purchased beginning this year.

The purchases are a part of a plan developed by Fire Chief Dan Olsen that looks to replace the Omaha Fire Department’s entire fleet of emergency vehicles over the next eight years.

By the end of 2024, 18 new vehicles will be purchased for nearly $10.98 million to be paid from the Capital Improvement Program, the City Capital Improvement Fund and the Contingent Liability Fund.

The equipment includes seven ambulances, five pumper trucks, four ladder trucks, one hazmat vehicle and one rescue pumper.

OFD expects to purchase a total of 54 new vehicles through 2029, completely replacing the current fleet. The total cost of the eight-year replacement program is $29.35 million. Those additional purchases will require City Council approval.

For the full article click HERE

DAVE PTAK OUT AS HASTINGS CITY ADMINISTRATOR, SEARCH FOR REPLACEMENT STARTS

HASTINGS- The City of Hastings is searching for a new city administrator.

Mayor Corey Stutte says Dave Ptak no longer works for the city. Ptak had served as city administrator since 2019 and was city attorney before that. A city email from April 11 said Ptak was going on leave for an unspecified personnel issue.

Stutte said he couldn’t comment on any details because it was a personnel matter.

Manager of Hastings Utilities Kevin Johnson has been acting as city administrator since Ptak went on leave and will continue in that role until a new administrator is hired. Stutte says the city will engage with a recruiter in the hiring process and expects it to take two-three months to make a hire.

For the full article click HERE

SENATOR, FORMER LAWMAKER SAY SOME VOTER ID PETITION CIRCULATORS CLAIM TO BE STATE EMPLOYEES

LINCOLN- Some petition circulators seeking signatures for a voter ID initiative are falsely claiming they are state employees, a current and a former state senator said earlier this week.

Impersonating someone else to gain something of value — in this case, payment for collecting a petition signature - is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine. The crime would rise to a felony if repeated more than twice.

State Sen. Julie Slama, the director of Citizens for Voter ID, which is seeking to place a voter identification initiative on the November ballot, said in a text that her organization is looking into the complaints.

If they proved to be true, Slama said, it would result in “corrective action up to and including termination of the circulators.”

The voter ID initiative is using a company, Vanguard Field Strategies of Kansas City, Missouri, to collect signatures using paid circulators.

One came from former State Sen. Shelley Kiel, who lives in the Dundee area of Omaha. Kiel said a young woman came to her door and began the conversation by claiming, “I’m from the State of Nebraska,” and asking Kiel to sign the vote ID petition.

For the full article click HERE

CENTRAL CITY CELEBRATES ITS NEW $27M HOSPITAL

CENTRAL CITY- A larger operating room, a cafeteria, and more spacious patient rooms are some of the advantages the new health care facility in Central City will offer Merrick County residents.

Officials marked the completion of the new Merrick Medical Center, located on the west side of Central City on May 25th.

The new facility, part of Bryan Health, will open June 13. The $27 million structure totals 51,307 square feet, and replaces the current Merrick Medical Center, which was built in 1959.

Health care has changed a lot in that time, said Patrick Avila, the facility’s chief executive officer, including how staff focuses on patients, how a patient moves through a facility and in the type of equipment hospitals use.

The focus of Merrick Medical Center and Bryan Health “is to keep health care local,” Avila said. “So we want to do as much as we can here for our community.”

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA POLITICAL LEADERS CALL FOR SEMI-AUTOMATIC GUN BANAND CREATE TASK FORCE TO REVIEW STATE PRACTICES

LINCOLN- Nebraska political leaders called for everything from a semi-automatic weapons ban to the restoration of prayer in schools after this week's shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen called for action on “unaddressed mental health and school safety challenges” and promised to work with current Gov. Pete Ricketts, law enforcement and the Legislature to keep children safe in their classrooms.

State Sen. Carol Blood, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, called for federal action on gun laws, rather than a patchwork of state laws. She said there are changes most Americans can agree upon that would improve safety without taking away guns from responsible gun owners.

Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, who was among the leaders in blocking permitless concealed carry this year, said Nebraska needs laws to regulate and restrict the sale of semi-automatic weapons.

Nebraska education leaders announced they are forming a task force to review best practices and identify ways that classrooms throughout the state can have access to the highest standard of safety possible.

State Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt said he expects that proposed legislation could come from the task force, although the scope of the group and its work is still being finalized. The task force was prompted by Senator Lynne Walz and leaders have already convened to begin the work.

For the full article click HERE and HERE

PROSECUTORS URGE JUDGE TO REJECT APPEAL BY FORMER REP. JEFF FORTENBERRY

LINCOLN- Federal prosecutors urged a judge this week to reject the latest appeal by former U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, saying that it “largely raises previously rejected” arguments and raises claims that are improper.

A month ago, Fortenberry’s lawyers asked that the congressman’s convictions following a seven-day trial be thrown out, arguing that his false statements were not “material” to the overall federal investigation into illegal “conduit” political contributions.

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California, in their response brief, said two FBI agents testified “extensively” during the trial about how Fortenberry’s false statements impacted their investigation.

Fortenberry, who was convicted of three felonies, faces up to five years in prison on each of the counts. He would be the only person caught up in the investigation, called “Operation Titan’s Grip,” who would serve time in behind bars if he is sentenced to prison.

A special election has been set for June 28 to fill the vacancy. That is the same day that Fortenberry is scheduled to be sentenced in Los Angeles.

For the full article click HERE

SHORTAGE OF EXAMINERS MEANS CLOSURE, CUTBACKS AT NEBRASKA DMV'S

LINCOLN- Due to a shortage of driver examiners at the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles, about 30 DMV offices across the state, mostly in rural areas, have closed temporarily or seen hours cut back. The closures have prompted frustration and disappointment and have forced customers to drive to other counties to take tests.

The state employee’s union thinks the problem is low pay, and the Nebraska Association of Public Employees recently asked the state to renegotiate the starting wage for driver's license examiners, which is now $16.48 an hour.

Rhonda Lahm, the director of DMV, said it’s more complicated than just salary.

To deal with the staff shortages, Lahm said the DMV has tried to maintain normal hours at its five-day-a-week locations, which are in larger counties like Douglas and Lancaster. Closing of rural offices, she said, is rotated so there is some availability of the tests.

According to the DMV website, no driving tests were scheduled in Antelope, Knox and Cedar Counties during the months of April and May.

For the full article click HERE

TRANSITION FROM PRIVATIZATION OF OMAHA-AREA CHILD WELFARE GOING SMOOTHLY

OMAHA — Only a few back-office details remain before Nebraska wraps up its last contract with a private agency to oversee the care of abused and neglected children in the Omaha area.

Nebraska's previous contract with the Kansas-based Saint Francis Ministries finishes June 30. The date signifies both the end of the contract and the conclusion of Nebraska's 12-year experiment with having private entities manage child welfare cases.

The transition back to the Department of Health and Human Services' management of child welfare cases has reportedly gone smoothly. Sen. John Arch, who chairs the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee and an investigative committee looking into the Saint Francis contact, said he has been hearing good reports.

Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, who led the push for the legislative investigation, said she has not received any update about the transition but considers that a good sign when it comes to HHS.

“No news is usually good news,” she said, contrasting the silence to the flood of calls, emails, and other contacts about problems during the contract.

All of the cases handled by Saint Francis made the switch been Jan. 1 and the end of March, but some of the problems that plagued the private contractor will take time to correct.

“We haven’t seen any kind of miraculous turnaround in the cases,” said Monika Gross, director of the state Foster Care Review Office. “I guess the good news is there’s nothing horrible, but there’s still significant struggles going on.”

For the full article click HERE

ELEVEN INDICTED IN NEBRASKA IN SCHEME TO DEFUND FEDERAL COVID-19 AID PROGRAM

LINCOLN- Eleven people were indicted this week by a federal grand jury in Nebraska in a scheme to fraudulently claim $7.6 million in benefits from the federal Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans program.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Omaha said in a press release that one of those indicted, Ramel Thompson, had coached the others on how to file fraudulent applications on behalf of 14 businesses.

None of the businesses had the employees claimed on the applications, the indictment alleged, and none of the money was used for expenses allowed under the programs, such as payroll, rent, utilities and mortgage interest.

The 11 were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.

In addition to Thompson, those indicted were: Carl Estwick, Jackie Harper, Tarysh G. Hogue, Richard L. Kelly, Lenfield Kendrick, Henry T. Lewis, Trevor A. McNeil, Michael A. Perkins, Michael A. Perkins Jr. and Shawn Prater.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HITS ALL-TIME LOW FOR SECOND STRAIGHT MONTH

LINCOLN - Nebraska’s latest unemployment rate of 1.9% represented an all-time low for the second straight month, and that April level remains tied for the lowest reached by any state in history according to the report released Friday, May 20.

The State Department of Labor's preliminary and seasonally adjusted report showed the April rate decreasing from the March 2022 rate of 2.0%.

Utah is the only other state to drop to such a level, tying Nebraska at the 1.9% record low, state officials said.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the county was 3.6% in April. That figure is unchanged from the month before and down 2.4% from the 6.0% in April the year prior.

Additionally, Nebraska's State Labor Department announced the preliminary employment for April reached an all-time high of 1.04 million people working.

“The number of employed workers in the labor force has been at historically high levels since July of 2021,” Labor Commissioner John Albin said. “The Omaha metro reached a record high employment level at nearly half a million in April, and the Lincoln metro has seen record highs for two straight months.”

For the full article click HERE

STATE AUDIT FINDS MILLIONS IN DOLLARS OF MISTAKEN PAYMENTS BY DOUGLAS COUNTY TREASURER

LINCOLN — A new state audit says the Douglas County Treasurer’s Office has wrongly calculated the amount of tax revenue due to several local taxing entities, overpaying the Omaha Public Schools by nearly $6 million but underpaying the Elkhorn School District by $4 million.

Douglas County and the City of Omaha were also among those losing out on millions in tax revenue, said the audit, released earlier this week.

Instead of paying property taxes, the Omaha Public Power District pays “in-lieu” of tax payments based on 5% of its annual revenue from electric sales. Last year, that amounted to $26 million, which was then distributed to the county, cities and school districts in the county.

Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing, when contacted Monday, May 20, said the method for calculating the in-lieu-of tax distribution has remained the same since the 1960s. The office had continue its practice following a review in 2019 that included consultation with the State Auditor's Office.

“This is not a case of money being misappropriated, it’s really a case of a mistaken interpretation of the state statute that had continued up until this year’s distribution,” Ewing said.

He added that it will likely be a decision among the various taxing entities, along with the County Treasurer's Office, on how to reconcile the under- and overpayments from the past several years. Ewing said he has spoken with several of the entities involved and doesn't expect a lawsuit.

“Everyone makes mistakes,” he said, adding. “It’s a mistake versus a knowing, wrong distribution.”

For the full article click HERE

LACK OF CONSERVATIVE BUY-IN, TIME HELPED DOOM NEBRASKA PRISON REFORM EFFORTS

LINCOLN - The prison reform movement that has helped send U.S. inmate numbers plummeting was born in deep-red Texas, offering a new criminal justice vision that appealed to both Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives.

In the new “justice reinvestment” model, prisons aren’t simply warehouses where inmates are kept as long as possible before being released to offend again. Instead, they are places of rehabilitation and redemption that can help make communities safer while saving money, too.

Nebraska, home to the nation's fastest-growing and most-overcrowded prison system, failed to pass a justice reinvestment proposal in the last month of the Legislative session amid bitterness and distrust.

Gov. Pete Ricketts initially welcomed the initiative and was an active participant in it, but ultimately referred to the proposed reductions in criminal penalties as "soft on crime."

Nearly every Democrat voted to advance Legislative Bill 920 while only a third of Republicans did. Ricketts' comments in a recent interview reflected the Republican Legislators' sentiment, saying he found the entire justice reinvestment model "flawed from the get-go," and "backwards."

State Sen. Steve Lathrop, the Democratic lawmaker from Omaha who partnered with Ricketts to bring justice reinvestment into Nebraska, said it’s the governor’s thinking that’s flawed.

For the full article click HERE

LINCOLN REFUSES TO RELEASE BODY-CAM FOOTAGE FROM 2020 PROTESTS, SHIELDED BY VAGUE STATE LAW

LINCOLN - Even after the city settled a federal lawsuit with a protester who was injured during racial justice protests in May 2020, the last pending litigation related to the demonstrations, Lincoln will not release body-worn camera footage from officers who policed the demonstrations.

The state denied the Journal Star's public record request for body-worn camera footage from the 2020 demonstrations under the state's open records statute. Law enforcement agencies are allowed to withhold records they deem "investigatory" in nature.

Elise Poole was struck by a rubber bullet during the 2020 demonstrations following George Floyd's murder in Minneapolis at the hands of police. The newspaper sought four nights' footage from the incident after the city's $497,500 settlement with Poole.

Body-worn camera footage is considered public record, but due to the aforementioned investigatory exception, "state law effectively prohibits disclosure of all body-worn camera footage to the public," said Max Kautsch, an attorney who focuses on First Amendment rights cases in Kansas and Nebraska.

City Attorney Yohance Christie said the requested footage "includes a time period where litigation is currently pending," adding that there are "other claims that are pending" from the same time period.

Lincoln Police Capt. Todd Kocian, a department spokesman, said the decision of whether to release the footage would be up to Chief Teresa Ewins. He added that "it's not likely to be released in the near future."

For the full article click HERE

UNCERTAINTIES AHEAD FOR ABORTION ISSUE IN NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN — Forces on both sides of the abortion issue are girding for a likely special session of the Nebraska Legislature later this summer if, as expected, the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade.

Many uncertainties lie ahead, however, including whether a special session will even be called if the high court removes the legal right to abortion. If a special session is called, it’s expected to happen in late August or early September.

A few key questions remain: Will Roe v. Wade be struck down? Are there enough votes in the Legislature to pass a ban on abortion? What kind of bill will be introduced?

The leaked draft of the Supreme Court opinion would remove the legal right to abortion. Commentators have noted that such drafts can change and it is possible the eventual Supreme Court ruling won't be as sweeping as the draft appeared to be.

If Roe v. Wade is struck down, the Legislature will likely filibuster an abortion ban in the state which requires 33 votes from the 49 members.

Sandy Danek, executive director of Nebraska Right to Life, said a bill is being planned that would not include certain exceptions for cases of rape or incest.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF A MEATPACKING WORKER FIRED DURING THE PANDEMIC

LINCOLN - The Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday, May 20 reversed a lower court’s opinion denying several weeks of unemployment benefits to a packinghouse worker who said he refused to take on additional duties of a colleague absent with COVID-19.

The ruling centered on whether Saied Badawi’s actions leading up to his termination from JBS Swift Beef amounted to misconduct, which could disqualify him from 14 weeks of unemployment payments.

"Competent evidence" to support the finding that Badawi had committed misconduct was not provided by the employer, according to the high court's 18-page decision.

“At best, this record shows only that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer employees were able to work at JBS. … Badawi refused the order to perform both jobs because he thought he was not physically capable of doing so. And the record shows that both before and after Badawi’s discharge, the two jobs were performed by two individuals rather than one.”

Director of the Nebraska Labor Department, John Albin, was listed as the defendant in the lawsuit because the department handles unemployment benefits.

Albin said the Labor Department was pleased with the high court's decision as it affirmed procedural matters the department favors; specifically that the burden of proof for misconduct lies with the employer in such cases of denied benefits.

“We really didn’t have a big stake in the determination of whether or not the individual was entitled to benefits,” Albin said.

For the full article click HERE

ARMENDARIZ EDGES JACKSON IN CLOSE PRIMARY RACE TO ADVANCE IN OMAHA'S DISTRICT 18

LINCOLN — After counting all remaining ballots, the Douglas County Election Office said Friday, May 20 that Christy Armendariz has unofficially won the right to face off with Michael Young in the November election in northwest Omaha’s 18th legislative district.

Armendariz beat Clarice Jackson by 21 votes after provisional ballots were counted Friday, according to Election Commissioner Brian Kruse.

Young led with 2,498 votes. Armendariz received 2,397 votes, besting Jackson's 2,358.

“It appears that we’re headed for a recount,” Kruse said.

If the difference between candidates is less than 1% of the total votes for the top vote-getter, state law requires a recount. In this case, 1% is equivalent to 25 votes. Kruse added that a candidate can always refuse a recount.

The current representative in District 18, State Sen. Brett Lindstrom, endorsed Armendariz. Additionally, Kirk Penner of Aurora, a member of the State Board of Education, endorsed Armendariz. Jackson was endorsed by Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, and State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan.

Young, who runs an art gallery and tech company, was endorsed by the state teacher’s union, State Sen. John McCollister and the Omaha Federation of Labor.

Kruse said the vote totals are not official until the county and state canvassing boards certify them on June 6.

For the full article click HERE

PILLEN SAYS HIS CAMPAIGN FOR NEBRASKA GOVERNOR IS 'INVIGORATED'

LINCOLN - Jim Pillen, the hog producer and University of Nebraska regent who won a bitterly contested GOP primary for Nebraska governor, has been striking a different chord in ads lately — but he says the campaign’s strategy remains the same.

“We are very, very invigorated, and very humbled by the support of the Nebraskans across the state,” he said, adding that the campaign will be ramping up again soon and will work hard to “bring Nebraskans together.”

During the primary, much of the campaign's ads emphasized national, hot-button issues. He sounds noticeably different in his most recent ad: "I’m Jim Pillen, and I love Nebraska. I love Nebraska steaks and Dorothy Lynch dressing. I love football Saturdays, where we always sell out. Nebraskans don’t care about what you look like, we care about each other.”

His increased focus on a "we are Nebraska" attitude was on display during an interview Friday, May 20, as well.

“We need every single one of us, all together, so that we can grow Nebraska and that we can meet the challenges,” he said. “This is the best place in the world to live, I want to make sure it’s that way for our grandbabies and future generations.”

He said they will try to be more "measured" now in comparison to their campaign pace, but the grassroots strategy will remain.

For the full article click HERE

DON BACON, TONY VARGAS TURN ATTENTION TO FALL SHOWDOWN FOR NEBRASKA'S 2ND DISTRICT

OMAHA — Two men who have each won multiple elections in Nebraska will face off this fall in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District.

Republican Rep. Don Bacon is seeking his fourth term in Congress. His opponent, state Sen. Tony Vargas, has served on the Omaha Public Schools board and has been elected to the Nebraska Legislature twice.

Both candidates are touting their ability to reach across the aisle to pass legislation. The two lawmakers have long voting records for voters and each other to dissect and analyze in the coming months.

The May 10 primary election results have pitted the two against each other with both taking aim at one another in recent statements.

Bacon said Vargas would be "a rubber stamp for Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi and President (Joe) Biden."

Vargas said Congress isn't working for Nebraska families and votes from Bacon are making it harder for families to get by.

A Creighton University political science professor, Richard Witmer, said the 2nd District will likely be the most competitive race on Nebraska's general election ballot.

Many races in the 2nd District have been competitive despite Republicans having held the 2nd District for 34 of the past 42 years, giving Bacon an advantage.

For the full article click HERE

POLITICAL PARTIES' RULES CREATE CONFUSION OVER BALLOT OPTIONS FOR NEBRASKA NONPARTISANS

LINCOLN- A Nebraska state law with the intent of keeping poll workers from inappropriately steering nonpartisan voters has actually kept some voters from understanding their ballot options during elections.

In Nebraska, the Republican Party allows only party members to vote in its primary elections for state offices. The Democratic Party and third parties, by contrast, do allow nonpartisans to vote in their primary elections for state-level offices. But nonpartisans must request the party ballot they want.

If nonpartisans don’t request a specific ballot when they sign in to vote, they are handed a ballot that includes no competitive, partisan primary races.

It is up to the individual to select which ballot they will receive, this is mentioned in a notice with all the options. The notice explains that nonpartisan voters can request a ballot for the Democratic, Libertarian, or Legal Marijuana Now Parties, which include candidates for state and federal office. The nonpartisan Republican ballot includes only candidates for federal office.

State law bars poll workers from suggesting which ballot nonpartisans should request, for fear they might influence election outcomes.

For the full article click HERE