'THE FUND JUST KEEPS GETTING BIGGER': NEBRASKANS DENIED HELP AS STATE STOCKPILES $108M IN FEDERAL FUNDS

OMAHA - In 2010, Melinda Jacobs was a 20-year-old single mom struggling to make ends meet as a certified nursing assistant. Working night shifts to boost her wages wasn’t enough to support her family, said Jacobs, so she applied for Aid to Dependent Children (ADC), a public benefit program providing cash assistance to low-income families with kids. 

Jacobs was denied because her income, $741 per month, or $8,892 per year, was above the state cutoff level for a family of two. 

Despite inflation, that amount has increased by a total of $74 over the past six years. More than a decade later, Jacobs learned she had been permanently disqualified from ADC because she'd been to prison on drug offenses.

According to state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, it is not uncommon for public benefit denials to perpetuate poverty and crime as people turn to crime to support their, and their children's, basic needs.

Stories of this nature are common in Nebraska, where being denied ADC is the norm for families that apply. Around 90% of families that applied for ADC in 2020 were denied. This denial rate surpasses that of all but three states in the nation. 

The high denial rate is not due, however, to Nebraska's lack of ADC cash to distribute. ADC money comes from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), an annual federal block grant given to each state to support low-income families. The state can use the cash for direct cash assistance via ADC — or the state can decide to allocate the money to a rainy day fund. 

Nebraska's rainy day fund was more than $108 million as of September 2021. As of 2020, Nebraska is one of just 11 states with a TANF rainy day fund that contains more money than its annual TANF grant amount, which is roughly $57 million. 

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NEBRASKA DEMOCRATS MIFFED THAT PLUM POLITCAL POSITIONS HAVE NOT BEEN FILLED

LINCOLN- Prominent Nebraska Democrats are expressing dismay that the Biden administration hasn’t taken steps — 18 months after taking office — to appoint Democrats to two, plum political jobs: U.S. attorney and U.S. marshal.

Former U.S. Sen. and Gov. Bob Kerrey said he has heard nothing but “radio silence” from the administration after he and others pushed the candidacy of former State Sen. Burke Harr for the U.S. attorney’s post shortly after Biden’s election in November 2020.

Kerrey had also advocated for the appointment of Greg Gonzalez, a former deputy Omaha police chief, to the U.S. marshal’s post. But Gonzalez, after hearing nothing about his application for the job, opted instead to run for Douglas County sheriff.

Kerrey called the lack of appointments “a failure.”

A check of a website of U.S. attorneys shows that at least 41 U.S. attorney posts, out of 94 judicial districts across the country, have not been permanently filled. That includes the Nebraska and northern Iowa districts with “acting” U.S. attorneys. 

“It’s very important if you want to build a political party that you don’t ignore these positions,” said Vince Powers, a former state chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party.

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NEBRASKA MEDICINE EXPANDS NUMBER OF NURSES TRAINED IN SEXUAL ASSAULT CARE

OMAHA- Nebraska Medicine is expanding its corps of nurses specially trained to care for sexual assault victims and collect evidence — if patients consent — for potential prosecution. 

The program used to have 11 employed examiners, that number recently increased to 18 with a goal of 30 in the near future. 

Dr. Cynthia Hernandez, the program’s medical director said, “It’s been in the works for a while, but now we have a lot of momentum, so it’s exciting.”

These special nurses are trained to be able to provide both care and emotional support, as well as provide insight into their reporting options. 

If patients consent, the nurses also collect evidence for potential prosecutions, including taking photographs and conducting an interview. If the person who was assaulted chooses that option, the information must be collected in a standardized way in order to be admitted in court. 

Since the program began, more and more people have approached Nebraska Medicine for the service, sparking growth.

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BARBARA DERIESE PASSES AWAY AT THE AGE OF 75

LINCOLN - Barbara Jean DeRiese, 75, passed away July 5, 2022. 

DeRiese was born July 17, 1946, in Minden, NE to Herman F. and Lucille Hadan. 

She attended St. Mark's United Methodist Church, was a member of Order of Eastern Star, P.E.O., Nebraska Realtor's Association, and held an office with the Phelps County Board of Realtors.

Barbara served as a Legislative Aide for District #38 at the State Capitol.

The memorial service was held Tuesday, July 12 at Roper and Sons South Lincoln Chapel.

Memorials can be made out to the Capital Humane Society or Cause for Paws.

Condolences can be sent at https://www.roperandsons.com/

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OLD-GUARD CONSERVATIVES AND TRUMP POPULISTS TAKE NEBRASKA GOP FROM RICKETTS

KEARNEY- A motivated group of old-guard conservatives and Trump-era populists took over the Nebraska Republican Party on this past weekend, ousting and replacing state GOP Chairman Dan Welch. The move sparked at least a dozen resignations from GOP leaders.

The state’s dominant political party lost its chairman, executive director, two of three district chairs, national committeewoman, three assistant state party chairs, secretary, treasurer and lawyer, among others.

Some Republicans have complained for years that the governor and state GOP had taken sides in open races with Republicans running against Republicans.

Nebraska’s troubles with Republican Party conflicts are not unique. GOP activists also took over the Arizona Republican Party in 2019, and the Nevada Democratic Party lost its leadership to a similar revolt by progressives in 2021.

Delegates chose Lancaster County Republican Party Chairman Eric Underwood as the GOP’s next chairman. Underwood said he wants to bring the party together to support Republican candidates, including GOP gubernatorial nominee Jim Pillen and GOP House candidates.

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PANSING BROOKS TELLS VICE PRESIDENT SHE'LL FIGHT TO PROTECT ABORTION RIGHTS

WASHINGTON D.C.- Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, the Democratic nominee in November's rematch with Republican Congressman-elect Mike Flood of Norfolk, told Vice President Kamala Harris that she and other supporters of women's abortion rights will continue to "fight with passion and determination" to protect them. 

Harris met with legislators from Indiana, Florida, South Dakota, Nebraska and Montana in a session live-streamed online.

Harris described the court's decision as "unthinkable" and said it "took a constitutional right away from the women of America." 

Although it is still uncertain, the Nebraska Legislature may be called into special session by Gov. Pete Ricketts later this year to consider legislation to ban abortion in the state as a result of the court decision.

Pansing Brooks, who will be term-limited out of office at the end of the year, would be a participant in the special session.

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PETITION TO GIVE NEBRASKA GOVERNOR MORE AUTHORITY OVER EDUCATION FAILS

LINCOLN- A petition drive that sought to give the Nebraska governor substantial oversight of K-12 education failed last week.

Michael Connely of York, one of the sponsors, said the effort fell short of the signatures needed to put the proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot. 

The organizers had sought to replace the Nebraska State Board of Education, education commissioner and Nebraska Department of Education with a new Office of Education accountable to the governor. 

Under the proposal, the governor would have had authority to appoint the director of the office, subject to confirmation by a majority of state senators.

The petition sponsors had argued the change would make the department more accountable and return some of the department’s responsibilities back to local districts.

Critics, however, said the petition would have had the opposite effect, eliminating an elected board and concentrating power in the Governor’s Office.

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VIRGINIA GOVERNOR TELLS NEBRASKA GOP THAT A 'RED WAVE' WILL PUT PARTY IN CHARGE

KEARNEY, Neb. — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin told Nebraska Republicans Saturday that his victory last year in what he described as a “dark blue” state was the beginning of a “red wave” that he suspects will sweep across the U.S. and will land in “Nancy Pelosi’s California.”

Youngkin defeated his Democratic opponent, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, in a state where Republicans had won only one of the past five elections for governor.

His recent success has spurred rumors that he might run for president in 2024. Saturday, Youngkin was the keynote speaker at the Nebraska Republican Party's state convention - a gathering that later turned contentious with the ouster of the party chairman. 

Youngkin believes the political tide began to shift during the COVID-19 pandemic because Democratic leaders had shut down local small businesses and schools.

On Saturday, he raised those issues again, claiming that Virginia public schools were teaching “politics” and telling students to judge others based on the color of their skin. 

Youngkin said a big reason why he won his election is that he drew support from Democrats and independents who had never voted Republican before, including members of the Black and Latino communities. 

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FLOOD SWORN IN AS NEBRASKA'S NEWEST U.S. CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

LINCOLN- Now former State Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk was sworn on July 12th as the 24th representative of Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District in Washington, D.C.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi administered the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol in a brief ceremony with Flood and his family members.

“Our team is already hitting the ground running,” he said. “In everything we do, we will be tireless advocates for the interests and conservative values of the district.”

Shortly after being sworn in, Flood gave his first-floor speech, noting that July 12th would have been the 79th birthday of his mother, Ann, who died in January.

“And although she’s a Democrat, I know she is smiling from Heaven as I took my oath tonight,” the congressman said.

Gov. Pete Ricketts already has asked for applications from people interested in the legislature seat, but has not announced his choice yet.

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NEW GOP LEADERS DECLARE SUPPORT FOR PILLEN, OTHER NOMINEES

LINCOLN- Newly elected Nebraska Republican State Chairman Eric Underwood of Lincoln and his leadership team said they are committed to securing the election in November of GOP primary election nominees, specifically Jim Pillen.

"Make no mistake, the NEGOP remains committed to our Republican primary winners," the new party leaders stated in a news release.

In an interview on KFAB-AM, Underwood specifically declared "100% support for Jim Pillen as our next governor."

In the news release, the new party leaders declared that "the top-down approach which has been successful is not as nimble or representative of all conservative Nebraskans from Omaha to Scottsbluff" as the new leadership model intends to be.

The party's new leadership "is here to elect conservative Republicans in November at all levels and well into the future and fight the radical left agenda growing in our state and in our nation," a news statement declared.

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BALLOT INITIATIVES TO RAISE NEBRASKA'S MINIMUM WAGE, REQUIRE VOTER ID APPEAR HEADED TO NOVEMBER BALLOT. MEDICAL CANNABIS UNSURE

LINCOLN — Two well-funded initiative petition drives appear to be headed for a vote in November, while a third — to legalize medical cannabis - looks iffy to gain a place on the ballot.

“We’ll know in the next couple of months if we qualify or not,” said State Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln, who co-chaired the signature drive conducted by Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana.

Wishart said the predominantly volunteer effort submitted 93,000 signatures for one of its two petitions, and 91,000 for the other. About 87,000 valid signatures of registered voters are needed to qualify for the ballot. Election officials say that, typically, between 10% and 15% of signatures submitted for such petition drives are deemed invalid after checking. So that makes it uncertain if the marijuana petition drive will qualify.

Meanwhile supporters of the move to increase the minimum wage 'Raise the Wage Nebraska' estimated Thursday that about 150,000 Nebraskans would benefit from raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. That is about 20% of the state’s workforce, they said.

State Sen. Julie Slama and other backers of the initiative to require voters to provide ID at the polling place said Thursday they submitted 172,000 signatures to qualify the issue for the November ballot. 

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APPEALS COURT REINSTATES NEBRASKA'S 38-COUNTY SIGNATURE REQUIREMENT

OMAHA — Petition circulators turning in signatures Thursday to get on Nebraska’s general election ballot this fall will need signatures from 5% of registered voters in 38 of the state’s 93 counties.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday temporarily lifted a lower court’s injunction that briefly prohibited the State of Nebraska from enforcing its 38-county signature requirement. 

Attorney General Doug Peterson's office said that organizers of this year's highest-profile petition drives — for medical marijuana, a higher minimum wage and voter ID — have to make sure their signatures meet the reinstated requirement.

Previously, U.S. District Judge John Gerrard issued an injunction siding with a lawsuit by Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, which put into question the constitutionality of assigning different values to voter signatures from different parts of the state.

The appeals court's decision means the original requirement stays in place while the lawsuit proceeds. It is still possible the court rules against the requirement and qualifies a petition that fails to meet the geographic requirement.

Crista Eggers, one of the medical marijuana petition drive leaders, has argued the state's geographic signature requirement values people in the state's urban and suburban counties less than Nebraskans who live in rural counties. 

“We are continuing to pull signatures in from all across the state,” Eggers said, declining to share details about where and about whether the petition drive might come up short. “It is so fluid right now.” 

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FILLMORE COUNTY TO CLOSES 10-BED INPATIENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH UNIT

GENEVA - Following a decision at the April County Board meeting, Fillmore Supervisors along with the Fillmore County Hospital closed the doors to their 10-bed inpatient behavioral health unit on June 30th. 

The Unit served primarily geriatric patients with psychiatric needs, often combined with dementia symptoms and diagnoses, a press release states. It has served patients in Nebraska since opening July 1, 2015. By June 30, it will have served over 900 patients from 83 counties in Nebraska and in three surrounding states.

The closing was announced following an evaluation and recommendation made by Fillmore County Hospital CEO Chris Nicholas and his administrative team. This evaluation involved a financial analysis by internal as well as external entities, future forecasting, and a thorough cost/benefit analysis. The lingering effects of COVID played a major role, Nichols noted. Erratic referral patterns, difficulty discharges, staffing difficulty, and inflated costs including supplies, equipment, contracts, and wages were all heavy factors that changed significantly since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

The Unit became a statewide resource for inpatient geriatric psych needs, but less than 10 percent of the patients served were from Fillmore County and the immediate service area, according to the press release. The opening of Columbus Community Hospital’s 10-bed inpatient psych unit last summer will help fill the void, as will existing inpatient psychiatric beds in Fremont, Lincoln, Omaha, Hastings and North Platte.

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INITIATIVES TO RAISE NEBRASKA'S MINIMUM WAGE, REQUIRE VOTER ID APPEAR HEADED FOR VOTE IN NOVEMBER

LINCOLN — Two well-funded initiative petition drives appear to be headed for a vote in November, while a third — to legalize medical cannabis — looks iffy to gain a place on the ballot.

“We’ll know in the next couple of months if we qualify or not,” said State Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln, who co-chaired the signature drive conducted by Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana. 

Wishart said one petition received 93,000 signatures and the other received 91,000. Roughly 87,000 valid signatures of registered voters are required to qualify for the November ballot.

Election officials say that, on average, between 10% and 15% of signatures that are submitted for petition drives are deemed invalid after checking. This puts the marijuana petition in question for the November ballot.

“It’s going to be a photo finish,” said Omaha Sen. Wendy DeBoer, who was among those submitting petitions Thursday, July 7 at the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office in downtown Lincoln.

The group gathered more than enough signatures to qualify for the 2020 ballot, but it was removed from the ballot by the Nebraska Supreme Court after they ruled the initiative violated the state's "single subject" rule.

This year, after losing major donors, the medical marijuana effort had to rely primarily on volunteers to circulate its petitions. 

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SIX REJECTION LETTERS ADD FUEL TO WEEKEND FIGHT OVER FUTURE OF NEBRASKA GOP

LINCOLN — The Nebraska Republican Party has told six GOP activists who have agitated for changes in the party that they are not welcome at its annual convention Saturday in Kearney.

Half a dozen people received letters from the party this week saying it would not credential them due to them either changing political parties, starting new parties, or supporting candidates outside of the GOP.

These letters reignite a years-long fight over the party's future between populists, like these six, and those in the state's political power structure led by Gov. Pete Ricketts, according to several Nebraska Republicans. 

Three of the six people who received the letters challenged GOP incumbents in recent primaries. Two said incumbents lacked loyalty to former President Donald Trump and his claims about the 2020 election. 

One, Matt Innis, challenged U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse in the 2020 primary. His letter cited his "vocal criticism" of Ricketts as the reason he was turned away.

Innis has called Ricketts' top staffer a "dirty trickster" and questioned whether she and Ricketts started the groping allegations against former gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster. Innis regularly posts memes targeting political officials and staff.

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JUDGE RULES HEARING WAS ENOUGH TO REMOVE SARPY COUNTY TREASURER

OMAHA — The Sarpy County Board did not violate former Sarpy County Treasurer Brian Zuger’s due process rights when it removed him from office after a hearing that considered the quality of his work, a judge has ruled.

Sarpy County District Judge Geoffrey Hall on Tuesday dismissed Zuger’s attempt to overturn his 2021 removal from office. Hall dismissed the case with prejudice — meaning Zuger cannot refile the case — saying the county gave him “a fair and impartial hearing.” 

Evidence from the county's hearing supported Zuger's removal, according to Hall. The judge said Zuger acknowledged his own failures "to carry out and comply with the duties of his office."

Miscalculated tax dollars provided to school districts and other issues arose after the State Auditor's Office questioned how Zuger handled the county's books, ultimately leading to the county removing Zuger.

County leaders found these concerns persuasive and cited state law that allows them to remove a county treasurer if the treasurer neglects to carry out the office's legally required duties. 

Since Zuger's removal, Sarpy selected Trace Jones to be the new treasurer after a news release Wednesday.

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INITIATIVE TO RAISE NEBRASKA'S MINIMUM WAGE SAYS THEY'VE SUBMITTED 160,000 SIGNATURES

LINCOLN — Leaders for an initiative to raise Nebraska’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026 said Thursday they had submitted 160,000 signatures to qualify the issue for the November ballot. Thursday, July 7 is the deadline for submitting signatures for the fall ballot.

Roughly 87,500 signatures of registered voters are required to get the issue on the ballot, so 160,000 should be more than enough to qualify.

About 10% to 15% of signatures are typically thrown out on petition drives for various reasons, such as the signers not being registered to vote, election officials have said.

Advocates for raising the wage estimated that nearly 150,000 Nebraskans would benefit from the raise in the minimum wage, or about 20% of the state's workforce.

The last time Nebraska's minimum wage was increased was in 2014 after voters approved another ballot initiative to increase the wage to $9 an hour.

Amid rising costs of housing, food, and fuel, advocates believe that $9 an hour is too low to sustain a household and that raising the wage is "the right thing to do."

Opponents claim that raising the minimum wage would result in job losses and makes companies less competitive with states that don't have higher minimum wages.

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NEBRASKA STATE SENATOR SPENDS FOURTH OF JULY IN UKRAINE

OMAHA - While the U.S. celebrated its independence, a Nebraska State Senator was getting a closer look at a country fighting to retain that status.

Since June 26, State Sen. Tom Brewer has been in Ukraine on a mission trip where he has observed military actions. His first mission to Ukraine was purely for humanitarian assistance, but his second trip was intended to be about fielding equipment but was diverted. 

“Unfortunately, the equipment did not arrive in the Ukraine which causes (them) to divert to a third mission, which has been essentially trying to get the ground truth on what’s happening here,” he told 6 News on Wednesday. 

Brewer, a veteran who earned two Purple Hearts, said the destruction he has seen in Ukraine is unlike anything he saw during his six deployments in Afghanistan, where he was seriously wounded.

Brewer noted that Ukrainians are fighting Russians with weapons they haven't been trained to use after seeing U.S.-provided weapons on the ground there. Despite the U.S. assistance, Brewer hasn't been satisfied with the U.S. government. 

“I have been totally disappointed in the United States government and the State Department,” he said. “They have referenced me to a website where I did a form. I attempted to visit the embassy no one was available except a security guy who said we shouldn’t travel in Ukraine. So as far as I’m concerned, the United States State Department is useless to people traveling in the Ukraine.” 

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OMAHA WILL GAIN ABOUT 180 NEW RESIDENTS WITH APPROVAL OF LATEST ANNEXATION PACKAGE

OMAHA- The City of Omaha will add about 180 residents in mid-July with last week’s approval of an annexation package.

The Omaha City Council approved a proposal by Mayor Jean Stothert to annex three areas near the city limits that will add 177 acres to the city.

The areas include Methodist Women’s Hospital, northeast of 192nd Street and West Dodge Road; the Omaha Public Power District’s Elkhorn service center, southeast of Old Lincoln Highway and 180th Street; and Pacific Renaissance Addition, which includes a town house development called Ravello 192, northwest of 192nd and Pacific Streets.

Approval of the proposal came after some debate.

Council member Vinny Palermo spoke against the annexation package, citing a staffing shortage within the Omaha Police Department and concern that the additions could further strain officers.

The department is down about 60 officers departmentwide, said Deputy Police Chief Scott Gray. 

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LONGTIME PUBLIC SERVANT PAUL HARTNETT DIES AT 94

BELLEVUE - D. Paul Hartnett, a former member of the Nebraska Legislature and Bellevue school board, passed away on Sunday, June 27, at age 94.

Hartnett served on the school board from 1968 until 1984, when he was elected to the Unicameral. He was re-elected four times in the 45th district and stepped down in 2004.

"Bellevue has lost a great statesman,” Mayor Rusty Hike said in a statement. “I will miss Paul Hartnett dearly. Bellevue is a better place because of him.”

Harnett will be remembered as the driving force behind the construction of the Kennedy Freeway through Bellevue and working to bring a national veterans cemetery to Sarpy County. His philanthropic activity was extensive, including providing college scholarships to high school students in Bellevue and his childhood home of Dakota County. 

His visitation was held earlier this week at the Bellevue Memorial Funeral Chapel, and his funeral occurred at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Bellevue. 

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