NEBRASKANS REACT TO THE ROE V. WADE RULING

LINCOLN - Reaction from Nebraska officials has come in swiftly to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. Here’s a sampling: 

• Jim Pillen, Republican candidate for governor: “Nebraska is a pro-life state because our citizens understand that life is the most precious gift of God’s grace. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed what we have long known to be true: Our Constitution contains no right to murder an unborn child. I will do all I can to ensure that no more unborn babies are killed.”

• State Sen. Carol Blood, Democratic candidate for governor: “Reproductive justice is on the minds of many women here in Nebraska today. The trigger bill that will ultimately follow will cause Nebraskans to live in a police state. We will become a police state where doctors will live in fear when they need to provide necessary patient care. It will endanger the jobs of medical specialists who may be trying to protect a woman’s health, disallow women from making decisions on IVF with their doctors never allowing them to experience parenthood, mandate what types of birth control a woman may use instead of allowing the woman and her doctor to make that decision. … It’s terrifying that we are choosing to not protect the victims of sexual assault, especially our children.”

• Gov. Pete Ricketts: “Roe v. Wade took away the states’ right to regulate abortion and cost millions of babies their lives. Today’s Supreme Court decision restores the rights of the people, and as a result our future generations will have a chance at life. The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe is an answer to millions of prayers on behalf of the unborn and a victory for human life. I will be working with our legislative leaders to determine what more we can do to protect our preborn babies.”

• Nebraska Legislative Speaker Mike Hilgers: “After nearly 50 years, the Supreme Court has rightfully overturned Roe and Casey and returned the question of abortion to the elected representatives of the states. I anticipate that Nebraskans’ elected representatives in the Legislature will be in special session this summer to pass legislation to protect pre-born babies. I will work with Governor Ricketts on the timing of a special session. And, after reviewing the Supreme Court’s opinion in detail, I will work closely with the Governor and my legislative colleagues on the scope of such protections.”

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LINCOLN AIRPORT APPROVES BUDGET THAT IS LIKELY LARGEST IN HISTORY

LINCOLN - The Lincoln Airport Authority adopted what is likely the largest budget in the airport's history.

2023's fiscal year budget, which begins July 1, is $78.3 million, up from $63 million last year.

Renovating terminals and the expansion project are the main contributors to the increased budget, with $45.6 million in bond proceeds for the project included in the coming year's budget.

The 2022 fiscal year budget had included $33.6 million in bond proceeds for the roughly $55 million project, which will add about 35,000 square feet to the 58,000 square-foot building, consolidate its two security checkpoints into one and add airline gates. Much of that spending was delayed and shifted into the new budget, officials said.

For the second year in a row, the airport will collect revenue from a property tax it levied last year to help pay for the terminal project. The projected revenue is about $3.4 million.

An additional projected $17 million in operating revenue is expected to be brought in during 2023, which is a significant increase from the $15.6 million budgeted amount for 2022, although it is only slightly higher than the $16.8 million the airport projects it will bring in once the fiscal year has ended on June 30.

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CYBERATTACK DOWNS SYSTEM NEBRASKANS USE TO FILE FOR JOBLESS BENEFITS

LINCOLN- The NEworks website — used by Nebraskans to file for unemployment benefits — has been shut down as a result of a cyberattack.

The Nebraska Department of Labor issued a statement saying the website is unavailable due to a national outage involving the department’s web vendor, Geographic Solutions Inc. GSI reportedly discovered a cyberattack that required its state labor exchange and unemployment claims systems to be taken offline.

GSI has not provided a projection for when the problem will be resolved but indicated the site will be down for at least two more days, Labor Department spokeswoman Grace Johnson said in the statement.

She said that once access to the site has been restored, the state will issue instructions to ensure that all eligible users have an opportunity to file their unemployment claims.

The vendor has indicated that the attack affected only access to GSI online systems and that there was no evidence of user data being compromised.

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FIRST NEBRASKA CASE OF MONKEYPOX IDENTIFIED IN DOUGLAS COUNTY

OMAHA- Nebraska has identified its first case of monkeypox, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and Douglas County Health Department reported.

The agencies said the state public health laboratory identified a positive orthopoxvirus test taken by a state resident, a male in his 30s with recent international travel.

DHHS is working with the county and the CDC to investigate potential exposures and is to notify those individuals if any exposures are identified.

Symptoms include a rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appear on the genitals, anus, face, inside of the mouth and on other parts of the body like hands, feet or chest. The rash goes through different stages before healing, the release said. Other symptoms include fever, headache, backache, muscle aches, chills and, exhaustion.

Nebraska Medicine calls monkeypox a very rare disease that’s normally linked to travel in West and Central Africa. It’s called monkeypox because it was first discovered in 1958 when colonies of monkeys kept for research developed a pox- like disease.

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OMAHA CITY COUNCIL APPROVES AGREEMENT FOR $354 MILLION TIF TO FUND STREETCAR

OMAHA- Omaha moved another step closer to the construction of a streetcar system with the City Council's approval of a funding proposal for the project.

Council members approved a redevelopment agreement that establishes guidelines for the project, including the use of up to $354 million in tax-increment financing. Approval came despite the lack of a final analysis of the proposed streetcar financial plan.

As announced by Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert in January, the proposed streetcar will operate along a 3-mile route using 5.5 track miles. The line will travel along Farnam and Harney Streets from 10th Street to 42nd Street and along 10th Street between Harney and Cass Streets.

Approval of the agreement is far from the final step needed before the city can break ground on the massive project. But it was an important step.

The agreement creates the TIF district that will generate the estimated $306 million needed to pay back the bonds that will cover the cost of constructing and launching the streetcar system.

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KEARNEY POLICE DEPARTMENT TESTING AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS

KEARNEY- The Kearney Police Department is the first in Nebraska to test out automated license plate reading cameras.

Kearney is working with Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based company that offers the technology — known as ALPR — aimed at helping law enforcement agencies with crime prevention and investigation.

Kearney Police Chief Bryan Waugh said he came across the company while at an FBI National Academy conference in Omaha, and had heard from other law enforcement officers that the technology had aided their investigation capabilities.

Through a pilot program, Kearney is testing out 25 of Flock’s ALPR cameras for 60 days at no cost, said Holly Beilin, public relations specialist for Flock.

“We’re OK with doing these pilots, because we know that citizens and the Police Department are going to see it works pretty quickly, and are going to see the value of the technology,” she said.

The cameras only take still photos, never any video, Beilin said, and do not capture speed or information that can be used for traffic violations.

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LINCOLN LEADERS LAUNCH 'LARGEST AND MOST IMPORTANT' PROJECT TO FIND A SECOND WATER SOURCE

LINCOLN- In a major step toward finding a second water source for Lincoln, city officials announced they've secured a contract with Olsson, a civil engineering firm that will analyze two potential sites and make a recommendation to the city.

A newly created advisory council led by Susan Seacrest, founder of the Nebraska Groundwater Foundation and recently appointed to the Lower Platte Natural Resources District, will review the recommendations and advise city officials on a process that will likely take decades to complete.

“We stand on the shoulders of previous generations of Lincoln leaders who were committed to this work of ensuring a safe, clean and adequate water supply,” Gaylor Baird said. “They dug in, literally and figuratively, to secure our future. Today, 92 years later, it's our turn.”

Olsson will analyze two potential options already identified by the city: a link to the Metropolitan Utilities District’s connection to the Missouri River; and building a direct connection to the Missouri River.

City officials have estimated the cost of connecting to Omaha’s water utility or directly to the Missouri River could cost anywhere from $350 million to $750 million and will take decades to complete.

The first step, hiring Olsson to analyze the feasibility of the two alternatives, will cost $3.1 million.

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LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS PROPOSES 5.8% INCREASE IN SPENDING

LINCOLN- After two years of relatively stagnant budgets, Lincoln Public Schools is proposing a 5.8% increase in spending for the upcoming school year to account for two new schools opening, salary hikes for teachers and restoring past reductions.

The proposed $489.8 million general fund budget for the 2022-23 school year is a $26.9 million increase from last year, representing "modest growth".

Salary and benefit increases for teachers account for the majority of the growth, in addition to costs for opening Robinson Elementary School and Lincoln Northwest High School this fall.

On the revenue side, LPS is expecting to bring in $487.6 million — an increase of $9.6 million — based on an estimated 3.4% growth in property values across the district. An additional $2.1 million will come from the district's cash reserves.

LPS asked departments to slash their budgets by 5% over the past two years and relied on its cash reserve to manage revenue swings with state aid dropping by 23% from 2018-19 to 2020-21.

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NORFOLK CELEBRATES COMPLETION OF NEBRASKA'S LARGEST SOLAR POWER FARM

NORFOLK- Norfolk’s new community solar power farm can produce 8.5 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 1,250 homes, city officials explained in a press release.

A new Nebraska Public Power District battery system will store up to 2 megawatt-hours of power, enough to help local NPPD customers during peak-usage times, including hot days.

The City of Norfolk worked with NPPD and developers at N Solar — including Sol Systems, GenPro Energy Solutions and Mesner Development — on the solar project.

The average residential customer who signed up for the city’s community solar program will save about $15 to $20 a month by participating, city officials said.

Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning said he was pleased to see local interest in community solar survive the five-year wait for the project to be completed.

“Having local electricity generation helps balance our system,” Moenning said. “We’re using our own natural resources, in which the fuel is free.”

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54 OMAHA NONPROFITS SELECTED TO GET A PIECE OF FEDERAL ARPA PANDEMIC RECOVERY FUNDS

OMAHA- The city of Omaha has announced an additional 54 local nonprofits that will receive a piece of the ARPA funding.

The organizations that collectively will get $15 million were selected for their direct response to negative economic impacts of COVID-19. A total of 244 applications were received.

“We have the opportunity to provide direct aid to organizations that support individuals and families,” said Mayor Jean Stothert.

The United Way of the Midlands and the Omaha Community Foundation were tapped earlier by the city to select worthy nonprofits. The two organizations chose programs that address basic needs, including access to food, shelter, health care and financial literacy. They chose programs also that focus on youth, mental health and employment services.

Shawna Forsberg, president and CEO of the local United Way, said the pandemic exposed barriers and widened gaps but also highlighted the resiliency of nonprofits and the populations they serve.

“This unique and impactful funding will strengthen our collective ability to respond and recover from the challenges presented by COVID,” she said.

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RICKETTS SAYS NEBRASKA SCHOOLS SHOULD CONSIDER ALLOWING 'RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION'

LINCOLN- Gov. Pete Ricketts voiced support for allowing more faith-based practices in Nebraska schools during an event celebrating Religious Freedom Week.

Ricketts’ comments came in response to a question regarding a tweet by Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen, a University of Nebraska regent and Columbus hog producer. Ricketts, who cannot run for reelection because of term limits, has strongly supported Pillen’s campaign for governor.

“We need to put God back into our schools,” Pillen tweeted. “I strongly support efforts to put prayer back into our K-12 schools. We should be teaching the next generation to love God and our great country.”

The tweet referenced news about the U.S. Supreme Court decision that determined a Washington high school football coach was within his rights to pray at midfield following football games. Pillen’s comments fueled strong backlash online, with more than 600 replies, many of them critical.

Ricketts said he had not seen Pillen’s tweet, but he believes the Supreme Court’s ruling establishes the rights of students and school employees to pray on school property.

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NEBRASKA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION WILL CONDUCT REVERSE AUCTION TO EXPAND BROADBAND

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Public Service Commission will conduct a reverse auction to fund $13 million of broadband expansion in certain areas of the state.

Broadband companies can apply to take part in the auction through July 15, with the reverse auction set to take place Aug. 8.

In the reverse auction, each census block will receive a starting price, and through successive rounds, companies will lower their bid until a winner is determined.

Winners will be required to demonstrate they can provide broadband speeds of 100 Mbps download and upload to a certain number of areas within the census block.

The funds to pay for expanding high-speed internet access come from redistribution of the Nebraska Universal Service Fund.

The targeted areas are mainly in south-central and northeast Nebraska.

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FORTENBERRY SENTENCED TO PROBATION, NOT PRISON, FOR LYING TO FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS

LINCOLN- Former U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry will not go to prison for lying and misleading federal investigators, a California federal judge announced this week.

U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld sentenced the 61-year-old Republican to two years’ probation, a $25,000 fine and 320 hours of community service.

Blumenfeld said he didn’t agree with prosecutors — who had suggested a six-month prison term — that spending time behind bars would provide a significant deterrent to future crimes involving politicians lying to investigators.

The judge said he read and took into consideration the 64 letters submitted to the court asking for leniency, letters that came from family, friends, Bishop James Conley of the Lincoln Catholic Diocese, and Lt. Gov. Mike Foley. Blumenfeld also noted that three others indicted in “Operation Titan’s Grip” did not get prison time.

Fortenberry betrayed no emotion when the sentence was finally announced and declined to address the court.

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ADVOCATES, PARENTS 'BEG' NEBRASKANS TO SEEK OUT AND SIGN PETITION TO LEGALIZE MEDICAL CANNABIS

LINCOLN- Advocates for legalizing medical marijuana switched from urging Nebraskans to sign their petition to begging them as a July 7 deadline looms closer to submit signatures to qualify for the ballot in November.

“Do it for the suffering people in this state who are pleading with you,” said Crista Eggers of Omaha, as she held up a photograph of her 7-year-old son, Colton, who suffers from up to 100 epileptic seizures a day.

The petition drive has collected about 60,000 signatures for each of its two initiatives but needs another 50,000 signatures per petition by the July 7 deadline to ensure there are enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.

The 2022 petition drive was necessitated after a successful petition effort two years ago was tossed off the ballot. The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that the single petition violated the legal requirement that such petitions contain only a single subject. This year, the initiative is passing two petitions to address that issue.

Thirty-seven states have legalized cannabis for medical use by qualified individuals.

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NEBRASKA VOTER ID PETITION DRIVE ENLISTS HELP OF GOV. RICKETTS FOR LAST MINUTE PUSH

LINCOLN- The group seeking to place a voter ID initiative on the November ballot announced that it has enlisted Gov. Pete Ricketts to help round up last-minute signatures for the effort.

Citizens for Voter ID announced that Governor Ricketts will appear in multiple town hall meetings in eastern Nebraska in the coming weeks.

“These town halls will be a great opportunity not only to hear how the petition effort for voter ID is going, but how voter ID will enhance, secure, and protect election integrity,” said State Sen. Julie Slama, who is a named sponsor of the petition drive.

The group will need to submit valid signatures of 10% of the registered voters in the state — about 124,000 — by the July 7 deadline to qualify the proposed constitutional amendment for the November ballot.

The proposal would require voters to present “valid photographic identification” in order to vote. Thirty-five states currently have laws requiring voters to show some form of ID at the polls.

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GOP OPENS OUTREACH OFFICE IN LATINO-RICH SOUTH OMAHA

OUTH OMAHA- Republicans opened an outreach office in South Omaha aimed at helping Nebraska’s top political party grow in a Latino-rich part of Omaha.

Omaha’s office is the first “Hispanic Community Center” the Republican National Committee has opened in a Great Plains state, RNC spokeswoman Preya Samsundar said.

Others have opened in Texas, Florida and Wisconsin, in swing states and swing districts where helping with key races in 2022 could help the party prepare for 2024.

The offices help the party connect with potential voters and volunteers. Party leaders said they hope neighbors will use the South Omaha office as a gathering space.

Virgil Patlan, a frequent GOP candidate in South Omaha, said he and his wife, Rebecca Barrientos-Patlan, had sometimes felt lonely as Republicans in “South O.”

“I’ve been a proud Republican since Ronald Reagan,” he said. “Because we stand for faith, family and freedom … I’m glad the party is down here.”

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DOUGLAS COUNTY BOARD APPROVES $130,000 FOR VOTING DROP BOX VIDEO SURVEILLANCE

DOUGLAS COUNTY- Praising the county election commissioner for running fair and accurate elections, the Douglas County Board granted his request for $130,000 in federal funds for video surveillance of voting drop boxes.

The board voted unanimously to approve the request from Election Commissioner Brian Kruse, a Republican appointed by GOP Gov. Pete Ricketts.

“I just want to congratulate you again on your excellent service to the voters of our community in providing free, fair and accurate elections to us,” County Board Member Jim Cavanaugh, a Democrat, told Kruse.

The money will come out of Douglas County’s $110 million allotment of American Rescue Plan Act pandemic recovery money.

Kruse said he hopes to have the surveillance system installed at the county’s 13 drop boxes in time for the November general election.

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REPUBLICAN MIKE FLOOD RIDES INFLATION, GOP VOTER EDGE TO 1ST DISTRICT WIN FOR SIX MONTHS

NORFOLK- State Sen. Mike Flood was elected to Nebraska's 1st Congressional District with the help of Republican-dominated voter registration in eastern Nebraska.

Flood defeated Patty Pansing Brooks, a Democrat active on the topic of abortion, winning 52% of the vote to Pansing Brooks's 48%.

“Today across the 1st Congressional District, Nebraskans made their voices heard, loud and clear, tonight,” Flood said. “They sent an unmistakable message to Washington that America is on the wrong track, and it’s time for a change in leadership. Under Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi’s one-party rule and reign of error, things have gone from bad to worse.”

Pansing Brooks will have another shot at the seat come November, so a close race was not a massive defeat for Pansing Brooks.

“We were supposed to lose by 10 points,” Pansing Brooks told supporters late in the evening.

Flood said the Supreme Court’s decision energized voters, but he’s not had the time to analyze who was more motivated, Republicans or Democrats. He said the decision’s timing may have played a factor in the closeness of the race.

Compared to 2020, registered voters were down over 11,000 from 2020s 419,669 voters. Both Republicans and Democrats saw a decrease in registered voters within their parties since 2020. Republicans lost around 8,600, Democrats lost around 6,300, and Nonpartisans saw the lone increase of 2,200 voters.

1st District voters have been changing, November will provide a better scope of what that direction is and what side benefits.

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GOVERNOR RICKETTS SEEKS APPLICANTS FOR LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 19 VACANCY

LINCOLN- Following the resignation of Mike Flood after a successful win in Nebraska 1st District, Governor Ricketts announced he will seek qualified applicants to fill the vacancy in Legislative District 19.

Applications for appointment to fill the vacancy in Legislative District 19 will be accepted immediately and until 5:00 pm CT on Friday, July 8, 2022. Applicants wishing to be considered for appointment must demonstrate that they have lived within the district for at least a full year, are registered to vote, and are at least 21 years old.

District 19 represents Madison County and the southern portion of Pierce County. Governor Ricketts may seek out additional qualified candidates if he feels that is necessary.

The appointee will serve the remainder of the unexpired term (until January 2025) for the District 19 legislative seat.

Interested in applying for this vacancy? Applications can be found at governor.nebraska.gov/board-comm-req, and questions can be directed to Kathleen Dolezal at 402-471-2256 or Kathleen.dolezal@nebraska.gov.

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INFLATION IS IMMEDIATE PRIORITY, CANDIDATES FLOOD, PANSING BROOKS SAY

LINCOLN - Both Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln and Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk pointed to inflation first in listing their immediate priorities if elected to Nebraska's 1st District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mike Flood edged out Patty Pansing Brooks, but the two will face off once again in the November general election to determine who will serve the next two-year term that begins in January.

"We have to address skyrocketing prices in the grocery store and at the gas pump," Flood said, "and that will be my top priority in Congress."

Flood, a Republican said "we need to stop the out-of-control federal spending that has fueled inflation," provide tax relief for American families and "reverse the anti-energy policies of the Biden administration and encourage domestic energy exploration."

Pansing Brooks, a Democrat, said "we need to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, lower premiums under the Affordable Care Act, boost Social Security, stop price gouging and offset the high price of gas" while also making child care more affordable and accessible.

"I believe the biggest challenge our country faces is a broken political system in Washington," Pansing Brooks said.

Flood said "we need to stop the out-of-control federal spending; we need to get government out of the way by slashing red tape and cutting taxes; we need to increase domestic energy production and get us closer to energy independence and bring down gas prices."

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