ACLU OF NEBRASKA JOINS FIGHT TO UPHOLD INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT

LINCOLN- The ACLU of Nebraska is joining its national office and 11 other ACLU state affiliates this week in supporting an amicus brief with U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act. 

The act was challenged in a case last November, titled Brackeen v. Haaland, and the Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments to hear testimony for the case.

The Welfare Act was adopted in 1978 to reverse family separation policies, and it requires courts to make efforts to keep Native families together.

Misty Flowers, executive director of the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition and member of the Santee Sioux Nation, stated, “All Native children should know who they are and be connected to their families and tribal communities.”

The State of Texas is leading the arguments against the act, arguing that states should have more power over foster child placement. They claim the act is unconstitutional. 

The ACLU has fired back at these claims, urging the Supreme Court to uphold centuries of legal precedent regarding tribal sovereignty. They want to retain each Tribe’s right to “preserve their cultures, raise their own children, and govern themselves.”

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NEBRASKA SCHOOL OFFICIALS CLOSE NEWSPAPER AFTER EDITION INCLUDES ARTICLES, EDITORIALS ON LGBTQ ISSUES

GRAND ISLAND- School administrators at Grand Island's Northwest Public School closed a student-driven, award-winning newspaper after the group published articles discussing LGBTQ issues.

The group, which publishes stories in the student-driven 'Saga Newspaper', were notified of its cancellation on May 19th, mere days after the newspaper published its June edition celebrating Pride Month. The edition was released on May 16th. 

Grand Island Public School Officials did not say why the decision was made to shut down the newspaper, but a school employee's email stated that it was "because the school board and superintendent [were] unhappy with the last issue's editorial content."

Advocates arguing for freedom of the press stated that the decision to cancel 'Sage Newspaper' was an act of censorship.

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RICKETTS MEETS WITH BRITISH INSURERS DURING TRADE MISSION PRIOR TO NU FOOTBALL GAME IN DUBLIN

LINCOLN- Gov. Pete Ricketts and representatives of Nebraska’s insurance industry met with their insurance counterparts in the United Kingdom. 

The meeting with the Association of British Insurers in London is part of a trade mission led by the governor that will culminate with attending the Nebraska Cornhusker football game in Dublin.

The insurance meeting was designed to strengthen ties between Nebraska’s insurance industry and insurance companies in the United Kingdom, according to a press release from the governor’s office. The UK is rebuilding its trade relationships after exiting the European Union in 2020.

Ricketts has said that the trade mission will also focus on increasing opportunities for Nebraska agriculture, especially for beef, ethanol and distillers grains.

Nebraska has more than 120 domestic insurers and ranks first nationally in total capital, according to the governor’s office. Domestic insurers in the Cornhusker State employ 16,000 Nebraskans. 

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NEBRASKA GOP POSTED EXPLICIT IMAGES OF YOUTH SEX ACTS FROM GRAPHIC NOVEL

OMAHA- The newly reformed Nebraska Republican Party took 10 hours of online fire from Democrats and Republicans for sharing explicit, comic-book-style images from its official Twitter account that depicted young people performing oral sex and another sex act.

By the time the party deleted two explicit tweets, it was after 8 p.m., and the images had been captured and shared online repeatedly.

Nebraska law prohibits publishing, creating or providing images showing minors having sex, but that typically targets recordings or pictures, not drawings. Several Republicans said the shared images came from “Gender Queer,” a graphic novel that some Iowa and Texas parents have objected to after finding it in high school libraries. 

State GOP Chairman Eric Underwood, who helped lead an organized takeover of the party in July, said that neither he nor party leadership had authorized either post on the state party’s Twitter account. He said he learned of the tweet on that afternoon. 

He said, “The person responsible for the tweet, the outgoing communication director, has been removed from the account and is no longer responsible for any NEGOP communication.”

The chairman of the York County GOP, Stephen Postier, tweeted that the state party’s new leaders should “do the honorable thing and resign immediately” if any of them thought the tweets and images shared were appropriate. 

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METRO COMMUNITY COLLEGE OFFERING FREE COLLEGE CREDIT TO NEBRASKA HIGH SCHOOLERS

OMAHA- Metropolitan Community College will offer free college credit to Nebraska high school students for the next three school years.

Starting with the current school year and lasting through the 2024-2025 school year, tuition and facility fees for the college’s high school enrollment programs will be covered by federal funding, according to a press release from the college.

The federal funding for the programs comes from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act and will be directed by the State of Nebraska and the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, said Emma Stokely, media relations manager at the college.

High school students would normally have to pay $65, plus a $5 facility fee per credit hour, Stokely said.

Students will still be responsible for the cost of textbooks, equipment and other fees associated with the programs, according to the college’s website.

Metro has offered free classes to high school students for the last few summers, Stokely said, but those programs used different funding sources.

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NEW HERBSTER-BACKED 'NEBRASKA FIRST' PAC AIMS TO BOLSTER STATE, LOCAL CONSERVATIVES

OMAHA- After losing Nebraska's gubernatorial primary, Charles Herbster is shifting gear to focus on conservative mega-donations. On Thursday, Herbster announced that he would be creating a new conservative political action committee, titled 'Nebraska First', which will be used to steer conservatives candidates in Nebraska. 

Herbster said, "While I came up short in my bid to be our next Governor, I fully intend to remain active in fighting for the traditional Christian Conservative values our state and country were founded on. During my campaign, I talked about a lot of issues and ideas that resonated with voters. With Nebraska First, we want to make sure those voters have a voice in their government.” 

Rod Edwards, one of the key members in Herbster's former gubernatorial team, will lead the new PAC. Edwards stated that the PAC's main focus will be local and state politics.

The group also announced that one of the key issues they will attempt to tackle is the Nebraska's legislatures method of electing committee chairs, which is done with a secret ballot. In the past, Herbster has argued that these votes should be public.

The second issue the PAC will focus on is the "constitutional carry" measure, which they believe should be law. This measure would allow citizens of Nebraska to carry a concealed handgun without a permit.

The PAC's website lists several other issues it will focus on, including Critical Race Theory.

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NONPROFIT LAUNCHES PROCESS TO AWARD MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO EXPAND AFFORDABLE HOUSING

OMAHA- Front Porch Investments, a nonprofit housing development company, has partnered with the City of Omaha to find real estate developers that will accept $40 million specifically set aside for affordable housing to build just that. Companies are allowed to turn in proposals for the money until Sept. 13th, and will be "vetted through a strategic priorities lens" to make sure they will appropriately spend the funds. The recipient will be announced in November. 

The $40 million in funds came to Front Porch Investments through the federal American Rescue Plan Act, and was awarded to the nonprofit by the City of Omaha. 

The first round of proposals are focusing on grants, short-term loans, and property development that will increase affordable housing in the city. The projects that win the money, whether they are for-profit or nonprofit, will be required to target areas of the city that earn "less than 120% of area median income."

As per the rules set up by the Federal government, the ARPA funds must be spent by December 2026, but the city and Front Porch Investments plan to use most of the funds in the next two years, with an initial round focused on short-term loans, and then a second round which will grant money to specifically housing-focused nonprofits. 

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MAJOR NEBRASKA DEMOCRATIC PARTY FUNDRAISER RENAMED IN HONOR OF KERREY, NELSON

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Democratic Party is renaming one of its biggest fundraisers after Bob Kerrey and Ben Nelson. Both men served in the Senate and held positions as Governor of Nebraska. 

Previously, the event was known as the Morrison-Exon Dinner, after Govs. Frank Morrison and Jim Exon. The newly-named fundraiser will be held on October 14th.

A few new awards were also added to the event, including the Preston Love Jr. Award, the DiAnna Schimek Award, the Deb Quirk Award, the Mike Fahey Award, and the Brad Ashford Award.

Bob Kerrey was honored by the name change, but also reportedly "uncomfortable" because of his great admiration for the two men who the event used to be named after, Morrison and Exon. Kerrey was Governor of Nebraska from 1983-1987.

Nelson was also honored and humbled by the change, stating, "I've always been a proud Democrat serving our state and nation with pride." Nelson was Governor from 1991-1999.

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SHERIFF'S OFFICE PULLS PROPOSAL TO PLACE LICENSE PLATE READERS ON OMAHA STREETS

OMAHA- Last week, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office proposed to add license plate readers to Omaha's streets, a new technology that they believed would help deter crime and capture stolen vehicles. Only a week after the proposal was made to the city council and debate was had over the matter, the Sheriff's Office made the decision to pull the proposal. 

Previously, the Sheriff's Office was allowed a 12-month trial period with the license plate readers, and was given 15 devices by Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based company that develops such technology. 

Prior to pulling the proposal from the City Council, Will Niemack, a captain with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, stated, "We do believe the cameras will have a positive effect in catching criminals." Niemack reportedly agreed to enter into the trial period because of Omaha's recent rise in crime rates. 

Spike Eickholt, a representative of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, claimed that the technology would be used for "systemic surveillance of the people of Omaha." He went on to say, "We encourage the City Council not to approve this ordinance. Alternatively, we should ask that you wait and see. It's a trial period, wait and see how it works for them."

The Sheriff's Office did not respond to questions regarding why they pulled the proposal.

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OMAHA ARCHDIOCESE GENDER IDENTITY POLICY REVEALS RIFT AMONG PARENTS AND ADVOCATES

OMAHA- Catholic schools under the jurisdiction of the Omaha Archdiocese are under fire for their new gender identity policies. Some are calling the schools “anti-Catholic” and “closed-minded.”

The policies cover the use of pronouns, dress codes and participation in sports, saying those should be determined by biological sex at birth. They also ban “gender-affirming psychotherapy,” use of hormone medications or surgery that runs counter to Catholic tenets on human sexuality.

The archdiocese schools enroll about 19,000 students.

Endorsed by Archbishop George Lucas, the policies address how schools should respond to children experiencing gender dysphoria.

The policy covering employees and volunteers says they shall “not publicly promote, endorse, or condone gender ideology, transgenderism, or any other belief that is contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church.”

“If I as a parent go to the gay pride parade — which I did, in support, because that’s just a human thing to do — and I post about that, then I can be barred from volunteering at the school, from volunteering in the parish, and potentially my children banned from things,” said Candace Towey, who is a member of the St. Cecilia's school board.

Others agree with the new policy. Jesse Scott, a father of two students at Saint Robert Bellarmine Catholic School in Omaha, said he thinks the policy change is a no-brainer.

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NEBRASKA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION CONDEMNS BIDENS STUDENT LOAN PLAN

LINCOLN- Nebraska’s congressional delegation denounced Biden’s debt forgiveness plan, saying in statements, among other things, it would worsen inflation and shift the burden onto taxpayers. Rep. Don Bacon called the plan “‘robin-hood’ in reverse” while Sen. Deb Fischer called the policy “economically backwards.”

“The President can spin it however he wants with Pell window dressing, but at the end of the day his debt forgiveness scheme forces blue-collar workers to subsidize white-collar graduate students,” Sen. Ben Sasse said. “Instead of demanding accountability from an underperforming higher education sector that pushes so many young Americans into massive debt, the Administration’s unilateral plan baptizes a broken system.”

Jim Pillen, a University of Nebraska regent and the GOP nominee for governor, called Biden’s plan “Big Government Socialism.”

“This decision will hurt everyday Nebraskans by raising our debt, increasing inflation, and incentivizing colleges and universities to raise tuition,” he said.

Under Biden’s plan, borrowers who earn less than $125,000 per year, or families earning less than $250,000, would be eligible for the $10,000 loan forgiveness. Pell Grant recipients would be eligible for loan forgiveness amounts up to $20,000.

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SIGNATURES ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA INITIATIVE PETITIONS TO GET A SECOND LOOK

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office has agreed to take another look at signatures submitted by a group seeking legalization of medical marijuana to determine if they should have been counted.

But the office says that even with a second look, its declaration remains that the initiative petition drive by Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana fell short of the requirements to qualify for a spot on the November ballot.

The Secretary of State’s Office announced earlier this week that the two petitions submitted by the marijuana group had each fallen about 9,000 signatures short of submitting the required 86,776 signatures of registered voters. They were declared to have failed another requirement — to submit signatures from at least 5% of registered voters in 38 of the state’s 93 counties.

Meetings and discussions over the next couple of days led to an agreement that another look would be given to some signatures that had been disqualified, according to Crista Eggers, the campaign coordinator for Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana.

“After analyzing the data from the Secretary of State’s Office, it came to our attention that not all the signatures have been put through the complete validation process.” Eggers said. “We believe that it’s essential that every signature from every Nebraskan be counted.”

She was less sure that the reconsideration would reverse the failure of the petition drive.

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NEBRASKA'S COVID CASE NUMBERS DROP AGAIN

LINCOLN- COVID-19 case numbers dropped in Nebraska for the third straight week, suggesting a new downward trend in the ups and downs of the 2½-year pandemic.

The state reported 2,680 new cases for the week ending August 19th, down about 8.5% from 2,907 the previous week. Cases also were down more than a third from their recent peak of about 4,100 three weeks before, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cases nationally are showing a similar trend, with cases down 12% last week. Only half a dozen states are showing rising numbers.

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 also are coming down. A daily average of 196 Nebraskans were hospitalized last week, down from 199 the previous week.

What’s not yet known is how the start of the school year and the continued emergence of new variants will play out in the coming weeks. Experts predict a rise in COVID-related illness, particularly as people spend more time indoors.

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USDA PLANS 'HISTORIC' FUNDING TO HELP STRUGGLING FARMERS AND DEVELOP NEW AG LEADERS

LINCOLN- The Department of Agriculture has announced that they will distribute $550 million to increase access to land, money, and markets. The money will also help fund educational opportunities for students of higher education institutions that will specifically cater to racial and ethnic minorities.

“The idea here obviously is to enlarge the number of people that are engaged in this very important occupation and calling,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said.

Vilsack noted that the farming community is aging and the time to make a resilient system for the future is now.

The money is coming from a combination of ARPA money and the Inflation Reduction Act. The money will go to underserved farmers, new farmers, low-income farmers, and those of racial and ethnic minorities.

The USDA seeks proposals for projects that are “innovative and help move underserved producers from surviving to thriving.” The application deadline is Oct. 28.

Tom Vilsack also touched on debt relief, university program funding, and internship programs.

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NEBRASKA UNEMPLOYMENT TICKS UP AS SEPARATE REPORT RANKS HUSKERS IN TOP 10 STATES FOR LABOR PRODUCTIVITY

OMAHA- According to a preliminary report from the department of labor, Nebraska’s unemployment rate has increased to just above 2%, but still remains the second lowest state in unemployment. 

Another report placed Nebraska within the top 10 states for improved labor productivity over the past decade, with a 17% increase since 2012. 

The manufacturing sector in Nebraska has been especially productive in the past ten years, adding almost 2,800 jobs in that time. In other sectors, almost one million people have been employed since August of last year. 

Nationally, unemployment has been down since last year, but still hasn’t been able to revert to pre-pandemic levels. This July, national unemployment was sitting at 3.5%, while last summer’s number was closer to 5.4%. 

Nebraska’s efforts to bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic have been rather incredible considering the circumstances, and our rankings in unemployment and productivity reflect this.

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AFTER FAILED INITIATIVE, SENATOR PLEDGES TO INTRODUCE BILL TO LEGALIZE MEDICAL MARIJUANA

LINCOLN- State Sen. Jen Day pledged to introduce a bill in the 2023 legislative session to legalize medical marijuana.

The senator said the failure of the petition drive will leave many families without an effective way to treat chronic pain and epileptic seizures.

“We will exhaust every measure possible to get Nebraskans the medical freedom they deserve and want,” said Day, who represents a district in Gretna and suburban Sarpy County.

Past efforts in the Nebraska Legislature to legalize medical marijuana have failed, which has convinced advocates to seek another route via the initiative petition process. Advocates have said they will launch another petition drive after validating the failure of this year’s effort.

The 2023 legislative session begins on January 4th, 2023.

In the past, Senator Anna Wishart has led the medical marijuana movement in the Nebraska Legislature. Senator Wishart is no longer a part of the body, many believe Senator Day will assume the role of lead advocate for the initiative on the floor of the legislature.

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NEARLY $17.5 MILLION IN GRANTS AWARDED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS IN NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- The state of Nebraska will see more housing being built as the state will share $17.5 million in state housing grants. The Nebraska Department of Economic Development announced the news on August 24th.

The grants, which are annual awards from the 26-year-old Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund, will help develop 381 housing units, both rental and single-family owned, as well as aid housing rehabilitation and provide financial help for first-time homebuyers.

Lynn Kohout, DED’s director of housing, said that providing good housing is a “catalyst for business and community development” in rural and urban areas of the state.

The money has been awarded to over 40 companies and projects across the state. The money will be seen from Omaha to Scottsbluff and everywhere in between according to Lynn Kohout.

The programs that were awarded funds can be found by clicking HERE

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NEBRASKA VOTERS COULD WEIGH IN ON NEW VOTER ID LAWS THIS NOVEMBER

LINCOLN- Come November, Nebraska voters may be deciding whether the state will adopt newly proposed voter ID requirements.

Over the summer, groups supporting the initiative submitted about 170,000 signatures to the Nebraska secretary of state to get the constitutional question in front of voters.

The secretary of state is reviewing and verifying those signatures to ensure they meet the requirements. The state requires groups to gather signatures from 7% of all registered voters and from 5% of registered voters in at least 38 of Nebraska’s 93 counties.

If both requirements are met, Nebraskans will see the initiative on the November ballot.

"We are doing this to make sure that not only do elections in Nebraska stay free and fair, but to ensure voters have confidence in our election process," says Nebraska's Citizens for Voter ID.

If the amendment is on the ballot and is passed, Nebraska would join 35 other states that currently require some form of identification at the polls.

This is a conversation that has been had on the floor of the legislature but has been shot down multiple times.

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NEBRASKA REPUBLICAN PARTY EXCLUSIVELY ENDORSES CHRIS BRUNS FOR LEGISLATURE

NORTH PLATTE- Delegates of the State Central Committee for the Nebraska Republican Party overwhelmingly voted to exclusively endorse Chris Bruns’ race in District 42.

Both District 42 candidates requested the endorsement; however, after the ballot vote from delegates across the state was cast and counted, Bruns was the only candidate to receive the nod of support from the Party.

Chris Bruns is running against current state senator Mike Jacobson. Senator Jacobson was appointed to the legislature earlier this year by Governor Ricketts.

The primary was very close between the two candidates with Bruns polling at 45.44% and Jacobson at 43.79%.

In order to receive an endorsement from the NEGOP, a candidate must garner at least two-thirds of the delegate vote. Bruns received 88%, including 100% of those that represent the 42nd District in the state delegation.

Bruns said, “I was not able to attend the event as I was attending events here in the district, having fun while meeting so many great people, and working hard to earn their trust, respect, and vote. My proven record of controlling spending, lowering taxes, and fighting for our individual liberties and property rights aligns strongly with the NEGOP. I am honored to receive the Party’s endorsement, and grateful that they recognize that I best represent the hard-working people here in West Central Nebraska.

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ADVOCATES MIGHT PUSH FOR RECREATIONAL CANNABIS AFTER MEDICAL MARIJUANA DRIVE FAILS

LINCOLN- Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana announced that the next petition drive concerning marijuana may include permitting recreational marijuana.

After both medical marijuana petitions fell short of the November ballot, Christa Eggers, who is leading the project, said there will be discussions about pushing both recreational and medical marijuana.

Recreational marijuana would attract bigger donors and more support than just medical marijuana. Eggers noted that donations and support are vital to the success of the initiative.

“There is nothing off the table about how we get this done,” said Eggers, whose son suffers from up to 100 epileptic seizures a day. “I’m a parent, and I will do whatever it takes, and go to the ends of the Earth, to help my child.”

The Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office said Monday that two petitions submitted by Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana failed to collect the necessary, valid signatures of 86,776 voters and fell short of another requirement — gathering at least 5% of registered voters in 38 of the state’s 93 counties for its two petitions.

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