NEBRASKA MOTORISTS EXPECTED TO BENEFIT FROM NEWLY MERGED COMMAND HUB

OMAHA- A state transportation team now monitors nearly 380 cameras and updates 330 message boards along state roadways to help get Nebraska motorists to their destinations safely and efficiently.

A new State Operations Center, at 4411 S. 108th St., has been formed to create one centralized command center that monitors the state highway network. Previously, those functions were split between offices in Lincoln and Omaha.

Hours will be expanded to create an around-the-clock system in which a team of about 10 workers watch roadways as they are reflected through the network of cameras and onto a wall of video screens. Those same workers receive and dispatch relevant information from and to partner agencies to help smooth traffic flow and avert or control catastrophes.

Ricketts and Nebraska Director of Transportation Tom Selmer said the enhancements for travelers and motorists will come mostly through streamlining, and without any added cost to taxpayers.

Selmer said his goal for the Nebraska Department of Transportation and the operations center is to provide even more predictive information. for both motorists and agencies.

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UNMC SCIENTISTS: MEAD RESIDENTS HAVE REASON TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT ALTEN WASTE

MEAD — Deb Virgl said the pile of “wet cake” waste from the local ethanol plant, deposited near her rural home, reeked so horribly that she stopped walking the dog.

The plant gained notoriety for using pesticide-coated seed corn to produce ethanol, unlike other ethanol plants that use field corn. 

After repeatedly ignoring orders by state environmental regulators to clean up the piles of contaminated grain sixteen months ago, the plant was shut down. 

Dr. Ali Khan of the University of Nebraska Medical Center now says "There are good reasons to suspect that there could be adverse impacts... that's why we're here. You see enough dead bees to know that isn't a good thing."

UNMC students have sampled frogs, tadpoles, and probing red-winged blackbird nests to determine whether such "sentinel" species with traces of pesticide contamination are declining in population or are having difficulties reproducing. 

Khan added that the results of many of the tests are three to six months away. What is known currently is that many of the 21 chemicals of concern are being found in soil and in streams leading from the plant, as well as in swabs in one home.

Officials say a medical registry of local residents will begin to track medical issues to see if they differ from those experienced elsewhere.

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SLAMA-HERBSTER ATTORNEYS ARGUE ABOUT PATH FORWARD IN DISCOVERY

BEATRICE- The long-awaited courtroom battle between Charles Herbster and State Senator Julie Slama finally took place.

Johnson County District Judge Rick Schreiner heard lawyers argue parts of five motions concerning the discovery process that lawyers use to gather information for civil cases. Four of the filings came from lawyers for unsuccessful governor candidate Charles Herbster, who did not attend the hearing. One came from lawyers for State Sen. Julie Slama, who attended.

The day’s most meaningful progress came during an hour-plus discussion that Schreiner pressed the lawyers to participate in privately at the courthouse. Schreiner paused the proceedings after Slama’s lawyers told him they had gotten no response from Herbster’s team about negotiating on the timing and possible limits to subpoenas.

Slama’s attorneys have already notified Herbster’s attorneys that they intend to depose Herbster on July 20.

Herbster’s legal team had filed motions seeking to limit the scope of several subpoenas that Slama’s legal team is pursuing involving Herbster and his political staff.

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BACON-VARGAS RACE RUNS INTO INFLATION, ABORTION, GUNS, TRUMP

OMAHA — U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., beat an incumbent Democrat in 2016. He survived a “blue wave” election in 2018. He outpolled former President Donald Trump locally in 2020. And he drew no top-tier GOP challenger in this year’s primary race, despite Trump seeking one.

Bacon, a retired Air Force brigadier general, faces his most formidable opponent yet in State Sen. Tony Vargas, a South Omaha Democrat with a legislative record.

Vargas, a former teacher and nonprofit employee, just wrapped up a legislative session where he helped pass a $1 billion tax relief package, 43-0. Income tax cuts, property tax offsets, and faster tax cuts on Social Security income were included.

Bacon considers himself a conservative with a record of bipartisan votes, including one that got Trump's attention: the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package that President Joe Biden sought. Bacon noted that Nebraska will receive billions in funding from the measure. Bacon voted with Trump about 89% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight.com.

Abortion is the clear line between the two candidates. Vargas voted against Legislative Bill 933, a "trigger" bill that would have banned abortion in Nebraska if Roe v. Wade were overturned. Bacon, however, is unapologetically anti-abortion and said he prefers decisions about abortion to be made at the state level.

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SMITH, DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER, DIFFER ON SOLUTIONS IN WAKE OF MASS SHOOTINGS

LINCOLN — U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith has rejected a congressional proposal to raise the age at which a person can buy a high-powered, semi-automatic weapon, instead calling for “real solutions” that don’t infringe on the rights of law-abiding gun owners.

Last week Smith said that he opposes a House proposal to raise the age at which a person can buy a semi-automatic rifle despite acknowledging that Americans are "understandably outraged and concerned" about gun violence in the wake of mass shootings.

Smith, a Republican who has represented western Nebraska's 3rd Congressional District since 2007, also said he opposes a "red flag" law that would allow federal judges to seize firearms and ammunition from anyone "on the wrong side of an accusation without due process."

Smith’s Democratic opponent in November, David Else, recently questioned the need for high-powered, assault-style rifles like the AR-15-style weapons used in the Uvalde and Buffalo shootings.

“Why not pass the red-flag law? And raise the age from 18 to 21. What the hell does that have to do with the 2nd Amendment?” Else added.

Smith, in his column, said Democrats had “rushed forward with misguided proposals” without seeking bipartisan solutions that “actually have a chance of passing.”

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DEMOCRAT PANSING BROOKS TOUTS ABILITY TO WORK ACROSS THE AISLE AFTER PARTY SWITCH

LINCOLN — The Democratic candidate for Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District spent most of her life as a rock-ribbed Republican.

State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks, a former co-chair of the Lancaster County Republican Party, grew up in a "very conservative" Republican household in Lincoln. She joined the GOP herself due to the party's traditional focus on the economy and fiscal responsibility.

Over time, Pansing Brooks found herself increasingly out of place in GOP politics, particularly in regard to social issues. Newer party positions clashed with her position on the Planned Parenthood board, her support for abortion rights, and her defense of a nephew who came out as gay in 1989.

Now, at 63, she is a democrat with a record of working across the aisle to find common ground.

“To me, it’s not about party,” she said. “It’s about doing the right thing. I vote for people. I vote for concerns. I don’t look at some sort of agenda from this party or that party.”

Being a Democrat now puts Pansing Brooks at a disadvantage in her attempt to represent the Republican-leaning 1st District. Republicans make up 46% of registered voters in the district, with Democrats at 29% and nonpartisan voters at 23%, according to the Secretary of State's Office.

The district encompasses all or parts of 12 counties in eastern Nebraska, including Lancaster and Sarpy counties. Additionally, the district includes Bellevue, Offutt Air Force Base, La Vista, most of Papillion, Fremont, Columbus, and Norfolk.

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REPUBLICAN FLOOD SAYS HIS CONNECTIONS, EXPERIENCE NEEDED IN CONGRESS

LINCOLN - Late nights talking shop in their Lincoln apartments. Shooting the breeze over meals at the Capitol.

That's how State Sen. Mike Flood and former veteran Nebraska legislators Ed Schrock and Jim Cudaback recall Flood's first years, 2005 and 2006, in the Legislature.

Flood, a Norfolk civic leader, businessman, broadcaster, and attorney, went on to become Nebraska's longest-serving speaker of the Legislature and one of the youngest.

Now, is the Republican candidate in the Juen 28 special election to fill out the remainder of Jeff Fortenberry's term representing Nebraska's 1st Congressional District. Early voting is already underway in the race.

Flood says the hours he spent listening to the stories of experienced lawmakers like Schrock and Cudaback helped him understand the Legislature and, in turn, become more effective at his job. He plans to bring the same approach to the U.S. House of Representatives.

“To be successful in the Legislature, it’s about relationships and earning people’s trust,” Flood said.

Key players in the Nebraska Republican Party, including Gov. Pete Ricketts and former Gov. Dave Heineman, added their names to a list of supporters even before Fortenberry was found guilty.

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'RED FLAG' LAW, ARMING TEACHERS EMERGE AS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN 1ST DISTRICT CANDIDATES

LINCOLN — The candidates in a special election to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry differed on the need for “red-flag” laws, arming school teachers, and what’s wrong with Washington, D.C., in a televised debate Sunday, June 12.

State Sen. Mike Flood, the Republican candidate in the June 28 special election, said he supports better fortification of public schools and would support arming teachers, if a local school board agreed.

Flood said he supports the Second Amendment and is seeking "common sense" solutions in the wake of mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.

His Democratic opponent, State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks, said more needs to be done. She instead supports "red-flag" laws that allow judges, after a court hearing, to confiscate the guns of a person having a mental breakdown or making threatening statements.

Pansing Brooks opposes arming teachers, saying "good guys with guns" failed to stop the carnage at the elementary school in Uvalde "for whatever reason."

The debate is the only debate scheduled prior to the June 28 special election in easter Nebraska's 1st Congressional District. The winner will fill out the remainder of Fortneberry's term, which ends in January.

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REPUBLICAN PRIMARY RESULTS SUGGESTED SOMETHING IS STIRRING

LINCOLN - Bob Evnen is candid in discussing sensitive political challenges and issues over morning coffee at the Cornhusker, moving from on-the-record answers to off-the-record observations and conversations.

Nebraska's secretary of state won the Republican nomination for a second term in last month's primary, but two lesser-known challengers racked up a combined 125,778 votes compared to his 98,263.

"The manner in which I ran my race would have been different if I had had only one opponent," Evnen noted before stepping into off-the-record territory.

In a similar fashion, Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers won the GOP nomination for attorney general, but a little-known Republican challenger amassed 73,906 votes.

It happened to State Treasurer John Murante, too. His Republican primary challenger tallied 92,522 votes compared to the incumbent's 121,808.

The Washington Post pointed to the ongoing questions regarding the validity of the 2020 election results when taking note of the large vote for Evnen's GOP primary challengers in its story about Nebraska's primary election results.

Robert Borer, one of the Republican challengers who lost, says "our elections are rigged" and he is now a write-in candidate for governor in November.

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SEN. SUZANNE GEIST URGED TO RUN FOR LINCOLN MAYOR, NOT SURE SHE WILL

LINCOLN- State Senator Suzanne Geist has recently received calls for her to enter the 2023 race for Mayor of Lincoln. Geist still has two years remaining in her second term in the legislature and said she is not sure of the direction she wants to take.

Geist, a Republican, noted the decision is difficult and has other priorities that play a role, for example, her nine grandchildren who all reside in Lincoln.

With two years remaining before she would be term-limited out of the Legislature, Geist said she does not plan to seek the chairmanship of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee when the 2023 Legislature convenes in January and makes its organizational and leadership decisions.

Geist said she values her independence in Nebraska's uniquely nonpartisan Legislature. She also did note that her party is sometimes not thrilled with a couple of the votes she has previously taken.

Geist said she has talked with Republican gubernatorial nominee Jim Pillen and "I think he is open" to considering her perspective if he is elected in November.

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NEBRASKA EDUCATION COMMISSIONER EXPRESSES FRUSTRATION OVER BOARD'S HANDLING OF HIS CONTRACT

LINCOLN - Nebraska Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt publicly expressed frustration over the way the Nebraska State Board of Education was handling the renewal of his employment contract, telling board members that he felt he was excluded from the process.

“It’s uncomfortable for me to sit here while you talk about me without me,” Blomstedt said. “I will say, and I do feel, as if I’ve not been in the process at this point in time. So, you all are agreeing to an offer that I have yet to consider.”

Blomstedt, typically a self-deprecating consensus-builder with a steady demeanor, seemed out of character while making the comments.

Little more than an "atta-boy" or a "job well done" has been said during his contract renewals since taking the job in 2014, marking the most recent meeting as the most eventful.

Board members offered motions and countermotions over the proposed new contract that would have given him a pay raise and set performance goals. The consideration was postponed until later in the meeting due to their inability to reach an agreement when it was first brought up.

Eventually, a motion to adopt the contract changes failed, 3-5. His salary for the current fiscal year is $237,273, set to increase to $242,019 for the year starting July 1.

The proposed change would have raised it even more to $246,764. Money, however, did not appear to be the issue.

The disagreement stemmed more from the set of performance goals and a concern that the proposed contract terms were reached by a committee without input from other board members.

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FISCHER SAYS IMPROVED MENTAL HEALTH KEY TO ADDRESSING MASS SHOOTINGS

HASTINGS — Is there a way to keep guns out of the hands of those who could do harm? Recent acts of violence have some lawmakers asking if there are ways to accomplish this, but Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer says it's not the issue.

“I think we need to invest more in mental health,” she told NTV. “When I talk to law enforcement, when I talk to families, that's their big concern is mental health, and we have to look at hardening schools. Nebraska has done a good job at that. When I hear about other states I'm shocked by it.”

Of Nebraska's 93 counties, 88 have been identified as mental health shortage areas with many counties having no mental health practitioners.

“It's hard to find those providers. There's a shortage in Omaha for behavioral health services, so you look at Hastings, Grand Island, look at smaller communities like Ainsworth, Bassett, what's available. I think something we can look at is telehealth to have services in communities where they live by medical providers who may be in Omaha,” she said.

Many are pushing for red flag laws to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat in the wake of gun violence throughout America. Fischer, however, says she's concerned that would undermine fundamental rights.

“I believe in due process, and that's across the board. It would be very difficult to be able to find what you could do to commit someone without due process,” she said, calling the Second Amendment a fundamental right.

She said her concern is upholding the Second Amendment and then investing in mental health.

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FEDERAL AUDITORS SAY AIR FORCE'S SPACECOM BASING DECISION DIDN'T FOLLOW 'BEST PRACTICES'

HUNTSVILLE, AL - The Air Force used a makeshift process that did not fully follow its own “best practices” when it selected Huntsville, Alabama, for the new U.S. Space Command headquarters over Offutt Air Force Base and four other sites in January 2021, according to a new report released by the Government Accountability Office.

Auditors of the Government Accountability Office found the Air Force had "fully or substantially" met only 7 of 21 best-practice standards for selecting the sites of strategic bases like the SpaceCom headquarters.

The Air Force only “minimally” met standards for making its selection credible and it only “partially” met standards for appearing unbiased because it failed to document the reasons it weighted various selection factors for the bids it analyzed. Key costs were also left out in the cost analysis.

GAO's report did say, however, that Huntsville's Redstone Arsenal seems to be the correct choice under the process used, even if that process was flawed.

SpaceCom is in charge of all of the military’s space operations. It is separate from the Space Force, which was created by President Donald Trump as a sixth branch of the armed forces in 2019.

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WORK BEGINS ON NEBRASKA MULTISPORT COMPLEX IN LA VISTA

LA VISTA - The Nebraska MultiSport Complex, a project in La Vista long in the planning stage, is close to hosting its first competitions.

In its first phase, the complex will have a dozen artificial turf fields with lighting that can be used for soccer, baseball, fast-pitch softball, lacrosse, rugby, and flag football. Many will be ready by fall, and all 12 will be available for use by spring 2023 for local, regional, and national competitions.

“Phase I is currently focused on the development of field sports (and) to create a championship complex,” Craig Scriven, executive director and vice president for the Nebraska MultiSport Complex, said at a press conference. “The Nebraska MultiSport board of directors listened intensely to the community and their needs. And their needs were for a regional sports facility.”

La Vista Mayor Doug Kindig, a longtime proponent of the complex, said area residents would take advantage of the state-of-the-art athletic amenities, noting its easy access.

$9.9 million are expected to be pulled in annually by the project, generating $401,000 in sales and lodging taxes. The estimation assumes over 32,000 overnight visitors and another 39,200 local visitors annually. It will also create jobs during and after construction.

“The out-of-town visitors will come in (and) not only will they stay in our hotels and eat in our restaurants, they’ll visit the SAC museum, they’ll go down to the Old Market,” Kindig said. “They’ll go down and catch a lot of the other amenities that we have in this area and that’s why it’s so exciting to us.”

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'PRO-CHOICE' IDENTIFICATION RISES TO NEAR RECORD HIGH IN U.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A Gallup poll conducted mostly after the draft of a Supreme Court decision addressing abortion rights was leaked finds a marked shift in public attitudes over the past year.

After a decade in which Americans' identification as "pro-choice" varied narrowly between 45% and 50%, the percentage has jumped six points to 55% in the latest poll, compared with the prior measure a year ago.

The pro-choice sentiment is now the highest it has been since 1995 when it was 56% while the 39% identifying as "pro-life" is the lowest since 1996.

A majority of Americans (52%) now also consider abortion morally acceptable, while a record-low 38% call it morally wrong.

The latest survey was conducted by telephone May 2-22 with a nationally representative sample of 1,007 U.S. adults. The poll came after a leaked draft of the Supreme Court's opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization was reported, sparking debate about abortion throughout the country.

The opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito provides the court's reasoning behind its preliminary decision to uphold a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. In this first draft, Alito argues that the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that affirmed a constitutional right to seek abortion was wrongly decided and must be overturned.

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NEBRASKA CATTLEMEN'S BALL HOPES TO BRING IN $2 MILLION FOR CANCER RESEARCH

WEEPING WATER — Dr. Scott Lubben was a proud Otoe County farm boy growing up, imprinting on him as he now works as a veterinarian in the Weeping Water area.

But his background in agriculture wasn’t the only reason Lubben decided to sign up to be one of two host families for this year’s Cattlemen’s Ball — an annual event that raises money for cancer research at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center in Omaha.

Lubben is now the same age as his father was when he passed away from stomach cancer. He also lost his mother-in-law to colon cancer. His wife has struggled with skin cancer in the past.

“It’s something that means a lot to us, to be able to help advance the treatments and find out more about it,” he said.

The Cattlemen’s Ball is staged in a different part of the state each year and is usually hosted on a private ranch. But organizers saw an opportunity to hold this year’s event at the fairgrounds situated almost perfectly between Lincoln and Omaha.

This year's Cattlemen's Ball consisted of concerts, art shows, golf, a 5K run, a silent auction, and, of course, events featuring beef.

Final numbers won’t be available until later, but Mark Rathe said organizers were hopeful of surpassing the $2 million mark and setting a fundraising record for the event.

They sold about 4,000 tickets, the most in several years, Rathe said.

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OLDER GENERATIONS OF WOMEN LIVED UNDER ABORTION BAN IN NEBRASKA

LINCOLN — Three generations of women have grown up with abortion being legal and available, even though restricted, in Nebraska.

Older women, however, lived during a time when Nebraska law, like most states, banned abortion except when necessary to preserve a woman's life or when advised by two physicians.

After a leaked decision that could overturn Roe v. Wade, the memories of the older generation could offer insight into what life could be like for women if the landmark ruling is overturned.

The high court is expected to rule by the end of June. Gov. Pete Ricketts has said he will work with Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers to call a special legislative session on abortion if Roe is overturned.

Both Ricketts and Hilgers supported a bill that would have banned all abortions with no exceptions. Affirmative defense for a doctor performing an abortion to save a woman's life would be provided if that bill were to pass, however. A filibuster-ending motion fell two votes short, killing the bill.

Marcia Kushner, 93, says she was careful to avoid any risk of pregnancy herself before getting married in 1949. That meant avoiding sex, even with her fiancé, because condoms were the only birth control available to unmarried couples at the time.

She said her mother didn’t talk about her own abortion until she reached her 90s. It happened in the early 1930s, during the depths of the Great Depression.

“It was not a real savory experience,” Kushner said. “They really put their lives on the line.”

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AIR FORCE GLOBAL STRIKE CHIEF TABBED TO BE NEXT STRATCOM LEADER

LINCOLN - A 36-year Air Force missile and space officer has been nominated as the next commander of Offutt-based U.S. Strategic Command, the Pentagon announced this week.

Gen. Anthony J. Cotton has served as head of Air Force Global Strike Command at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, since August of 2021.

Cotton, the North Carolina native, was commissioned in 1986 after graduating from North Carolina State University with a degree in political science.

On his first assignment, Cotton commanded a missile combat crew and has since commanded at the squadron, group, and wing levels. Additionally, he led the 341st Missile Wing in Montana and the 45th Space Wing in Florida.

Cotton also served two years as deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office in Virginia, and as commander and president of the Air University in Alabama.

StratCom is most well known for its role as the keeper of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Its additional duties include global strike, joint electronic warfare, missile defense, and ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance.).

Cotton would likely take over command from Adm. Charles Richard later this year. Richard began the role in November 2019.

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RICKETTS TALKS POLITICS AND FAMILY ON AXELROD PODCAST

LINCOLN - Pete Ricketts and David Axelrod engaged in a revealing and wide-ranging discussion while the governor was in Chicago a week ago for an appearance at the University of Chicago and you can listen in on their conversation on the latest Axe Files podcast online.

Axelrod, a guiding figure in President Barack Obama's historic 2008 election, his successful reelection bid in 2012, and as senior adviser to the Democratic president for eight years, and Ricketts, Nebraska's two-term conservative Republican governor.

A range of topics were discussed on the podcast, from the Ricketts family, the family-owned Chicago Cubs, the governor's unsuccessful bid for a 2006 Senate seat, his sister's same-sex marriage, and his pro-life views opposing abortion.

The two spoke in depth about the governor's support of the death penalty as a Catholic, despite Pope Francis' encyclical calling upon all Catholics to advocate for the abolition of capital punishment.

Additionally, they talked about Ricketts' Second Amendment defense of gun rights in the wake of the latest massacre of 19 elementary school students and two teachers in Texas.

Tough and sometimes uncomfortable questions were raised by Alexrod during their conversation.

"You can't buy a bazooka or a cannon," Axelrod said. "Why semi-automatic guns?"

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