COURT HEARING IN HERBSTER V. SLAMA LAWSUIT POSTPONED FOR SECOND TIME

LINCOLN- The ongoing story of dueling lawsuits between former gubernatorial candidate Charles W. Herbster and State Sen. Julie Slama has been postponed for a second time.

The next hearing in the case, which had been scheduled for September 6th, is now scheduled for Oct. 3 after Slama’s team filed for the postponement. The hearing was initially scheduled for Aug. 15, before it was pushed for the first time.

Judge Rick Schreiner said the hearing will consider arguments on a motion by Slama’s legal team, which would require Herbster’s team to hand over information relevant to the case.

Herbster filed a defamation lawsuit against the Dunbar senator in April after the Nebraska Examiner reported allegations from eight women who said Herbster — a Republican mega-donor and then-candidate for governor — had groped them in recent years. Slama was the only named accuser in that report.

Since the first hearing, Schreiner also quashed Herbster’s request for a protective order against Slama’s attorneys for, in the words of Herbster’s attorney, attempting to try the case in the press.

Both sides have yet to comment on the latest postponement.

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AFTER BORDER TRIP, FLOOD WANTS TO REVIVE 'REMAIN IN MEXICO' AND DETAIN ASYLUM SEEKERS

LINCOLN- Border Patrol agents and people in southern Arizona told U.S. Rep. Mike Flood this week that the status quo along the border with Mexico is not safe for Americans or migrants, the congressman announced upon his return from the border.

Flood said seeing the situation himself convinced him that the Biden administration and Congress need to rethink their approach to border enforcement and people seeking asylum.

“One of the agents said at 4 a.m. there are 500 people waiting to be taken in custody,” he said. “If people in the City of Lincoln were dealing with this, they’d want the military out.”

Flood said he would like to see the federal government stop releasing people detained by Border Patrol into the U.S. while they await a court date that might be years later.

He said he’d like President Joe Biden to revive the Trump-era policy of releasing migrants back into Mexico or detaining asylum seekers until they can see a judge.

Rebecca Gonzales, an advocate for immigrants in Nebraska, said Flood’s idea is not practical or affordable. It would cost billions of dollars and would take years to implement, she said.

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KAUTH, ROYERS SAY THEY HAVE MET THE PETITION GOAL TO RUN FOR THE MILLARD LEGISLATIVE SEAT

MILLARD- State Sen. Kathleen Kauth, and Millard Education Association President Tim Royers both say they've turned in more than the required number of signatures to appear on the ballot in November in the race for Millard's District 31 legislative seat.

Kauth was appointed to the Millard-area seat by Gov. Pete Ricketts in June after the passing of State Senator Rich Pahls.

In a statement, Kauth says she turned in 3,429 signatures to the Nebraska Election Commission. Millard Education Association President Tim Royers submitted 2,575 signatures to enter the race.

The required amount of signatures is 2,000. Considering both candidates turned in more than enough signatures, it is safe to presume both will be on the ballot in November.

"We could not have achieved this goal without the work of our incredible campaign team and dozens of volunteers," said Royers in a statement.

Kauth also thanked her volunteers saying, "I am both humbled and grateful for their committed support. Our volunteers include Republicans and Democrats, parents and students, and people from all walks of life who believe in my message of unity for Nebraskans."

Tim Royers ran for the seat in 2020, coming in second to Rich Pahls who Kathleen Kauth replaced.

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FORMER REPUBLICAN DAVID WRIGHT COULD JOIN NEBRASKA GOVERNOR'S RACE AS NONPARTISAN

LINCOLN- Nebraska voters looking beyond the two major political parties and a Libertarian could have a fourth choice on November’s general election ballot for governor.

Long-odds candidate David Wright of Ewing is trying to get on — as a nonpartisan candidate.

Wright is awaiting an answer concerning if he turned in enough valid signatures to appear on the ballot.

Wright spoke at a Kearney event organized in July by the Nebraska Freedom Coalition to help topple the former leaders of the Nebraska Republican Party. He is a long-time conservative who advocates replacing income and property taxes with a sales tax on goods and services called a consumption tax.

His campaign declined to comment about the signatures they collected. Wright is a former rancher who helped found the Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska. He owned weekly newspapers in Neligh, Ewing and Clearwater, which his campaign website said he sold in 2019.

His pick for lieutenant governor on a potential nonpartisan ticket is still registered as a Republican. Tom Dierks, a social worker and a former legislative candidate in Lincoln, is the son of former State Sen. Cap Dierks.

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CANDIDATES BAR PRESS & REFUSE TO DEBATE DURING MIDTERM CAMPAIGNS

WASHINGTON- With two months left of the 2022 campaign season, a majority of Republican candidates are continuing to skirt away from not only talking to local and national media outlets about their policy issues, but their own constituents, leaving voters with little information on their policy positions.

In Iowa, Republicans such as Gov. Kim Reynolds, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley and U.S. Reps. Randy Feenstra, Ashley Hinson and Mariannette Miller-Meeks skipped an Iowa State Fair tradition.

Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine refused to debate Republican challengers in the primary and now has said he will not debate his Democratic challenger.

In Nebraska, GOP governor candidate Jim Pillen also refuses to debate his Democratic challenger, State Sen. Carol Blood. If elected, Pillen would become Nebraska’s first governor since at least the 1970s to be elected without facing his opponents on a debate stage.

Rep. Don Bacon, on the other hand, will participate in two debates and recently tweeted “I love debates.”

When political candidates refuse to step on the debate stage to either defend or explain their policy position, it makes it difficult for voters to be informed on what their representatives are doing, multiple news outlets have said.

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BACON, VARGAS AGREE TO TWO DEBATES IN 2ND DISTRICT SHOWDOWN

OMAHA- Rep. Don Bacon and State Sen. Tony Vargas have agreed to two debates in October as the two compete to represent Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.

Baco and Vargas will first meet on October 13 at a debate by WOWT and the League of Women Voters. The second debate, sponsored by KETV, will be on Oct. 16.

Bacon is seeking his fourth term in Congress. Vargas has served on the Omaha Public Schools board and has twice been elected to the Nebraska Legislature.

The 2nd District includes all of Douglas County, including Omaha, as well as Saunders County and western Sarpy County.

“Voters have a clear choice in this election, and I look forward to pointing out the stark differences between me and my opponent in the upcoming debates,” Vargas said in a statement.

In a press release, Bacon thanked the hosts for sponsoring the debates and said he looked forward to highlighting his accomplishments “and why I will fight for Nebraskans to keep more of their hard-earned money.”

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MINIMUM WAGE, VOTER ID PETITIONS QUALIFY FOR NEBRASKA'S NOVEMBER BALLOT

OMAHA- The Nebraska Secretary of State's Office announced Tuesday that two petitions have secured enough valid signatures to be placed on the November ballot. The first of these petitions seeks to raise the Nebraska minimum wage from $9 to $15 by 2026, while the second will allow voting stops to ID voters in future Nebraska elections. 

Raise the Wage, the campaign that worked to collect the signatures necessary to place their petition on the ballot, was ecstatic to hear the news. Ford years now, Raise the Wage and similar groups have been working to increase the minimum wage in Nebraska, arguing that inflation has been especially taxing on low-income Nebraskans. The group estimates that around 95,000 Nebraskans will be positively affected by the change. 

Nancy Williams, CEO of No More Empty Pots, stated, "The reality is that the cost of groceries, housing, and basics have gone up for years, and the minimum wage hasn't kept up." The minimum wage petition turned in over 97,000 signatures, including the required 5% from voters in at least 38 counties. 

The voter ID petition required signatures from 10% of voters in Nebraska since its aim is to change the state's constitution. Citizens for Voter ID collected over 136,000 signatures, far exceeding the required 5% in 76 counties. 

State Sen. Julie Slama, a voter ID proponent, stated, "It is very clear, as evidenced by the enthusiasm we countered as Nebraskans signed this petition, that voters care about election security and they want voter ID in Nebraska."

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DOUGLAS COUNTY PLANS TOWN HALL MEETINGS ABOUT POTENTIAL NEW MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY

OMAHA- The Douglas County Board announced it will be holding a string of town hall meetings pertaining to a new mental health facility in the area. The funding would come from COVID recovery money with a cap of $55 million.

At the meetings, the board will present findings from the first phase of a consultant’s study for such a facility, and ask for public input on those findings.

The board has not actually voted on building a facility, but they did vote to hire another consultant to begin phase 2 of the study.

“The board has agreed to move forward on to Phase Two to determine which option we want to potentially look at,” Douglas County Board Chair Mary Ann Borgeson said.

The initial phase of the study suggested the County Board could consider two options to address needs of the county’s Corrections Department and Community Mental Health Center.

One option is a combined mental health facility, with a secure area for jail inmates and an unsecured portion for people from the general public. The other option is two separate, stand-alone facilities: one for the Community Mental Health Center, and one for the Corrections Department. Both options would include outpatient treatment and other services.

The upcoming town hall meetings can be found above in the "Upcoming Important Dates and Events" section.

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'THIS NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED,': DOCTOR ALLEGES PHARMACY DENIED WOMAN MEDICATION FOR MISCARRIAGE

OMAHA- A doctor in Omaha claimed that a pharmacy denied one of her patients medication during a miscarriage. The medicine, according to Nebraska doctors, is prescribed to women who have experienced a miscarriage, but who have not passed all fetal tissue from their body. 

Dr. Meghan Oakes stated that women should never be denied the drug and that she wants other patients to be aware. "I would say that two to three times a week, I am offering this medication to a patient," Oakes stated. 

The drug, misoprostol, is used to help women pass remaining fetal tissue after a miscarriage. Oakes stated that the main problem is that the "medical term for miscarriage is spontaneous abortion." The patient was denied the medication when she miscarried during her third trimester, even though Oakes prescribed the drug for a "medical miscarriage."

Oakes went on to say that "the pharmacist refused to dispense that medication, subsequently coming back and telling the provider that there was a Nebraska statute that necessitated that the provider be present for this medication to be dispensed."

Oakes believes that the pharmacist saw the words "spontaneous abortion," and denied the request for that reason. "In that scenario, the misoprostol is not the medicine that ends a pregnancy, that's a different medication. That medication must be dispensed by a physician," Oakes stated. 

Walmart, where the pharmacy is located, denied to comment on the issue, claiming that they don't discuss specific patient information. 

Oakes believes more providers need to be educated on the issue of abortion and miscarriages.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS DOUBTFUL ON CHANCES FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM

ASHLAND- At last Thursday's Federal Legislative Summit, held at Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, the topic of legal and illegal immigration was discussed by Nebraska Congress members. Reps. Don Bacon, Mike Flood, Adrian Smith, and Sen. Ben Sasse talked about business issues in Nebraska, including the democratic push to fill vacant positions with immigrant workers. 

The delegation of Congressmen stated that if businesses in Nebraska wanted to see any immigration reform to fill the thousands of vacant positions, they would have to take the lead in pushing for reform. However, the delegation also emphasized the difficulty in passing immigration reform, saying that legal immigration often gets lumped into illegal immigration when discussing the issue.

"I think it could be good for our constituents in our districts to hear what businesses are going through right now in trying to hire...I guarantee you, probably the No. 1 issue besides inflation right now is the southern border...If they knew your needs a little better and your hard work on it, I think that will help us do more," stated Rep. Don Bacon.

Despite this discussion of immigration reform, however, Rep. Mike Flood stated that he would prefer to "recruit from within," and emphasized the importance of sharing these opportunities first with Nebraska citizens. "There's a bigger national security issue wrapped around immigration. I do not see us making any major progress until we stop the flow of guns and drugs across the border," Flood stated. Rep. Flood will be visiting the U.S.-Mexico border on Monday this week. 

Sen. Sasse claimed that the past two presidents have done almost nothing to move legal immigration forward, and claimed it will take a large-scale push to obtain reform; much larger than has been done in the past. "We have had two administrations in a row that haven't in any serious way wanted to fix any of this. They wanted to maintain an issue they could use for politics rather than solving policy issues in front of the American people," Sasse stated. 

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NEBRASKA GETS $87.7 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR BROADBAND EXPANSION

LINCOLN- Nebraska is receiving an additional hefty sum of money for its Broadband Bridge Program, which seeks to improve high-speed internet and provide more access all over the state.

The U.S. Department of Treasury announced the award Tuesday, and the funds will come as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. The new funding is projected to provide high-speed internet to around 21,000 new households in Nebraska, or about 23% of households currently lacking broadband coverage.

Dan Watermeier, chairman of the Nebraska Public Service Commission, stated that work has already begun with the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to administer the new funds. 

Watermeier stated that "this new funding along with what is currently in place will make a big impact on helping provide broadband to the unserved and underserved areas of our state."

The Broadband Bridge Program is seeking to provide at least 100Mbps upload speeds to underserved and unserved regions of the state.

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STATE TEACHER UNION LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO HIGHLIGHT PUBLIC EDUCATION, PUSH BACK ON EFFORT TO FUND PRIVATE SCHOOLS

LINCOLN- This fall, the Nebraska Teachers Union will organize a public relations campaign, titled "Public School Proud," to push back against efforts to divert public funds to private schools.

A grant from the National Education Association will fund the five-week campaign, allowing the Union to spread its message on television, radio, and through digital formats. 

In a press release, NSEA President Jenni Benson stated that the campaign's goal is to "advance a culture of racial and social justice by improving educational opportunities for all students and building respect for the worth, dignity and equality of every individual in our diverse society."

The campaign will mainly broadcast, 'success stories' from different public institutions and teachers. 

The NSEA claims that the campaign will be utilized to spread awareness about bills that seek to provide a state tax credit for 'opportunity scholarships,' which public school advocates see as a covert way to give public funds to private schools.

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NEBRASKA OFFICIALS DELAY SELECTION OF CONTRACTORS MANAGING $1.8 BILLION PROGRAM

LINCOLN- On Tuesday, Nebraska Medicaid officials stated their intentions to delay the selection of a new company to manage the state's $1.8 billion Medicaid program. Medicaid Director Kevin Bagley stated that the winning bid, of five applicant companies, will be announced on Sept. 23, instead of Wednesday. 

Bagley believes this delay will give Medicaid more time to interview each applicant and give out scores. "Our goal has been to do his right, even if it takes some time. We know stakeholders are eager to learn who will be chosen," said Bagley. 

The applicant who wins the bid will be in charge of physical and behavioral health care, pharmacy services, and dental benefits for almost all Medicaid patients in Nebraska. Overall, they will serve around 350,000 Nebraskans. Once a selection is made, the new contracts will begin in July 2023, and end in 2028. 

Bagley stated that all of the applicants provided quality bids, but wants to allow Medicaid to ask additional questions to each. The bidders include Community Care Plan of Nebraska, Nebraska Total Care, UnitedHealth Care of the Midlands, Medica Community Health Plan, and Molina Healthcare of Nebraska. 

Nebraska lawmakers have criticized certain bidders in the past, usually for failing to do the job as outlined in the contract. This includes the Kansas-based St. Francis Ministries, which failed to fulfill its contract with Nebraska. 

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CONSTITUENTS SAY INFLATION IS A KEY ISSUE, SEN. DEB FISCHER SAYS

SCOTTSBLUFF- On Tuesday, Sen. Deb Fischer held a roundtable discussion to discuss prominent issues in the area with local political, educational, and business leaders at the Bluffs Business Center. Fischer stated that "it's better to meet with people where they are."

Fischer stated that one of the biggest issues affecting businesses, whether they're hospitals, schools, or retailers, is a lack of employees. Hiring, or lack thereof, has been negatively affecting the area since the beginning of the pandemic. 

The lack of affordable housing in the area was also discussed between Fischer and community leaders, and the Senator stated that inflation is making it more difficult to build and maintain this housing. 

Fischer also emphasized high gas prices as a major problem affecting rural Nebraska, stating, "Government has to be responsible. I think it's important to be responsible to our constituents and prioritize their needs, but I also think it's important to be responsible to taxpayers and realize what we should be paying for as a government and what we should not."

Fischer believes that several bills she supports will be beneficial to rural Nebraskans, including the cattle market reform bill, which seeks to help owners of small feedlots make good financial and marketing decisions. 

In regards to the cattle market reform bill, Fischer stated that it's "going to have a huge impact on family farms and ranchers."

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OMAHA MAYOR STOTHERT HIRES NEW DEPUTY CHIEF OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

OMAHA- Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert announced the hiring of a second full-time economic developer Monday.

Marco Floreani will join the Mayor’s Office as a deputy chief of staff for economic development and development services according to the Mayor's Office.

Floreani has worked in economic and community development for more than 10 years in Nebraska and Iowa at both state and local levels. Most recently, he served as executive director of the Mills County Economic Development Foundation and senior director of business development for the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce.

“I look forward to joining the City of Omaha’s efforts to attract, retain and grow business opportunities in my hometown,” Floreani said. He replaces Troy Anderson, who recently accepted a position as assistant city manager in Wichita, Kansas.

Anderson’s departure was soon followed by the resignation of Kevin Andersen, who returned to the private sector after working in the Mayor’s Office since 2018. Andersen’s replacement, Jacquelyn Morrison, joined the Mayor’s Office earlier this month.

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LEGISLATIVE REPORT SAYS DAM COULD MITIGATE FLOODING ON THE LOWER PLATTE RIVER

LINCOLN- A recent legislative study into developing a huge recreational lake between Omaha and Lincoln was careful to reassure residents of Ashland that it wouldn’t include damming the Platte River and flooding the town of Ashland.

The report, issued in May after the Nebraska Legislature adjourned for the year, looked at how to mitigate flooding in the lower Platte River, from Columbus to where it flows into the Missouri River at Plattsmouth.

The consultant that prepared the report, Omaha-based HDR, homed in on 21 “potential sites” to build reservoirs on tributaries of the Platte River, such as the Loup and Elkhorn Rivers and Salt, Wahoo and Logan Creeks.

The bulk of the money was allocated for building new marinas at Lake McConaughy and Lewis & Clark Lake, a new lodge at Niobrara State Park and a flood-control levee near Schuyler. But $20 million was set aside for further study of building a huge sand-pit lake near Linoma Beach in Sarpy County, with $26 million designated for possible future construction.

HDR’s report says more study would be needed before any reservoir construction could happen on the tributaries of the Platte.

State Sen. Mike Hilgers of Lincoln, the Speaker of the Legislature and head of the STAR WARS committee, made similar observations, adding that consideration of flood mitigation was part of the committee’s charge but that further work on the tributary dams was not funded.

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NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS GET ANOTHER OPTION TO COMPLETE COLLEGE DEGREES

LINCOLN- This week Gov. Pete Ricketts and others inked an agreement to make completing a college degree easier and more affordable for nontraditional, adult students who cannot travel, because of the demands of life or a rural location, to a brick-and-mortar school.

“This is about giving everyone access to a life-changing education,” said Paul Illich, president of Southeast Community College.

Under an agreement signed by Ricketts and Western Governors University, transferring credits from institutions such as Southeast will be easier, and Nebraska students will gain access to the state’s $21 million worth of “Opportunity Grant” scholarships for post-secondary studies.

Ricketts said Nebraskans who have some college studies but no degree are a pool of “untapped talent” in a world where about 71% of jobs require a post-secondary degree.

This spring, the Nebraska Legislature established a goal of getting 70% of the state’s workforce, ages 25-34, to have “a degree, certificate, diploma, or other postsecondary or industry-recognized credential with economic value by 2030.” Currently, about 58% of that group have degrees.

Ricketts said that making it easier, and more affordable, for Nebraskans to attend WGU is another step to address the state’s workforce shortage. Most recently, 52,000 jobs were unfilled in the state.

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SUSTAINABLE BEEF SIGNS PARTNERSHIP WITH WALMART FOR NORTH PLATTE MEATPACKING PLANT

NORTH PLATTE- Sustainable Beef LLC has signed a deal with Walmart to supply the national retailer with the majority of the beef it’ll process at its planned meatpacking plant in North Platte. 

Sustainable Beef LLC CEO David Briggs said construction will begin in September, with formal groundbreaking scheduled for Oct. 4 at the former city sewer lagoon.

The plant, with 875 employees, is expected to open by late 2024. 

Negotiations and plans for the plant first came about in March 2021. The city has granted Sustainable Beef $1 million in forgivable loans and $21.5 million in tax increment financing in addition to agreeing to sell the retired lagoon.

The beef-plant project also will receive $20 million toward its construction cost from the state of Nebraska’s share of federal COVID-19 aid. State senators approved that allocation in April. 

Tyler Lehr, Walmart’s senior U.S. vice president of merchandising for deli services, meat and seafood, said the retailer wants to provide “high-quality, affordable beef to our customers.” 

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THE LINCOLN WARHORSE CASINO ANNOUNCES OPENING DAY OF SEPTEMBER 19TH

LINCOLN- Nebraska's first casino slots are only days away as WarHorse Casino is slated to open on September 19th with over 400 slot machines available.

"It's unbelievable. I'm just I'm so grateful and excited. Absolutely can't wait for this to get started," said Lynne McNally of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association.

They are partnering with Ho-Chunk Inc. at both the Lincoln and Omaha casinos.

"And this operation will continue while we're building the permanent facility, which will take approximately 20 months," McNally said. 

The casino still must obtain its gaming operator's license. At the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission's latest meeting, they indicated that the license will be provided. 

Commissioners said they wanted to make sure all of the background checks, operation and building concerns are met and games certified by an independent lab. 

The casino is also looking for over half of its staff still claiming they need around 100 more employees.

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PUBLIC HEARINGS SET TO EXPLORE NORTH, SOUTH OMAHA ARPA ALLOCATIONS

OMAHA- Nebraska State Sen. Justin Wayne has announced the public hearing schedule for his committee's exploration of the American Rescue Plan Act fund uses.

Senator Wayne's committee met earlier this month with Omaha consultant Olsson to discuss the best potential uses for the money.

A portion of the funds were allocated to specific projects, but a majority of the funds go toward the Qualified Census Tract Recovery Grant Program — also overseen by the Economic Recovery Special Committee of the Legislature.

The week of Sept. 19, this committee is holding joint hearings and public information sessions with Olsson, Inc. to explore uses for the funds in north and south Omaha.

Members of the public can testify at these hearings, and learn how to formally submit ideas for possible uses of the Economic Recovery Act funds.

For the full article click HERE