NEBRASKA PLANS TO DEVOTE NEARLY $200 MILLION TO EXPAND BROADBAND INTERNET ACCESS

LINCOLN- Last week, the U.S. Department of Treasury awarded almost $90 million to Nebraska for rural broadband expansion, but according to Gov. Ricketts, two other federal programs were approved that will bring that number closer to $200 million. Ricketts announced the news on Wednesday, stating that broadband is, to him, "basic infrastructure" that is crucial for rural Nebraskans. 

Even better, Ricketts also claimed that, depending on rural demand, there are other grants that may be awarded to the state based on need, increasing the federal funds even more. 

All three of the programs came as part of the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by Congress in 2021. The bill was signed into law last November by President Biden, and received hefty criticism from Sen. Deb Fischer and Rep. Don Bacon, and even received a 'No' vote from Sen. Ben Sasse and Rep. Adrian Smith. 

The additional funds will be utilized to educate the public on how they can sign up to get internet access. On Monday, a new website will launch to make it easy to sign up and find resources. State Broadband Coordinator Patrick Redmond called the website a "one-stop shop" for all broadband programs and information. 

Ricketts stated that his team is unaware of how many more citizens the additional funding will help, and that much of the work being is done is just the "planning stages." 

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NEBRASKA STATE FAIR ATTENDANCE UP 8%, BEATS LAST PRE-PANDEMIC TURNOUT

GRAND ISLAND-  This year's Nebraska State Fair attracted 287,367 people over the course of its 11 days, an 8% increase over last year. 

Attendance was also up from 2019, when 283,468 people attended in the last fair prior to the pandemic. 

"The fair was amazing from our standpoint," said State Fair Executive Director Bill Ogg. The fair wrapped up a strong final weekend on September 5th. 

Through September 4th, food numbers were up 14% from a year ago, officials said. Carnival numbers were up 15%.

This year was the first time that fairgoers could carry alcoholic drinks around the fairgrounds.

In 2017, the fair drew 379,108 people in a different method of tallying attendance. The 2018 figure was 314,805.

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GOVERNOR MOVES TO PREVENT BACKLOG OF LICENSE APPROVALS FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

LINCOLN- On Thursday, Gov. Ricketts took action to prevent any further backlog of approvals for state health professional licenses. 

This past spring, the Nebraska Legislature passed a bill requiring Nebraska to submit fingerprints of certain health care workers to the FBI for criminal background checks.

However, the FBI has not yet begun processing the fingerprints they've received, instead requiring Nebraska to revise the statute before they start. 

This has restricted several health-care license applicants from being approved, prodding Gov. Ricketts to sign an executive order allowing the Nebraska State Patrol, rather than the FBI, to conduct the background checks. 

The statute is expected to be fixed when the legislature reconvenes in January.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services stated that the executive order gave their department the power to start processing applications. The Nebraska DHHS was unable to confirm how many applicants had been stuck in limbo. 

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NEBRASKA SENATOR LEADS SUPPORT FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM BY STATE LEGISLATURES

LINCOLN- Sen. John McCollister of Omaha co-introduced a resolution to codify federal protections for DACA immigrants and to streamline immigration methods to address workforce needs in Nebraska. 

On Monday, it was announced that the resolution was unanimously adopted by the Law, Criminal Justice, and Public Safety Committee on August 1st, when they held their annual legislative summit in Denver. 

McCollister introduced the resolution with Nevada State Sen. Moises Denis. Both men are co-chairs of an immigration task force. After being approved, the resolution moved to the National Conference of State Legislatures, and was adopted by them as well. 

According to a press release from McCollister, "The resolutions are used by the NCSL's Washington staff to lobby the Congress, the White House, and federal agencies for the benefit of state legislatures."

The committee on which McCollister serves as a co-chair adopted several other resolutions, including one which will "urge investment in providing safe, efficient, timely, and humane immigration processes and facilities."

McCollister's immigration task force will continue to work on reform until at least the end of 2023.

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ENROLLMENT DECLINE AT NU MARKS LOWEST NUMBER OF STUDENTS SINCE 2009

LINCOLN- Enrollment for the 2022 fall semester across the University of Nebraska system is the lowest since 2009. The university system fell below 50,000 students to a grand total of 49,560 students.

The 49,560 students counted on NU’s campuses in Lincoln, Omaha, Kearney and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis reflects a 2.2% loss from the fall 2021 semester.

While more students are taking classes in key workforce areas like agriculture, public health, allied health and engineering, NU President Ted Carter said the higher education system “can’t afford to be stagnant on enrollment.”

“These numbers aren’t shocking to us, but they are disappointing,” Carter said in a news release. “I’ve told the chancellors that I expect an all-hands-on-deck effort to get us where I know we can be. This is the time to be bold and creative in our thinking.”

Moving forward, Carter said enrollment growth will be NU’s “top priority.”

At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, enrollment dropped once again, falling 2.6% to 23,805 students, which is the lowest reported at the flagship campus since 2008.

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OPS PROPOSES BUDGET FOR 2022-23 WITH INCREASED SPENDING PLANS

OMAHA- Omaha Public Schools proposed their budget for the upcoming school year, and if it passes, teachers may see an increased salary and improved benefits. 

The school district proposed an almost $20 million increase in budget compared to last year, and also plan on lowering the district's tax levy for the third year in a row. 

Shane Rhian, OPS Chief Financial Officer, thinks the new budget plan will benefit not only teachers, but school children as well. "Investments in students include $77.8 million of federal elementary and secondary school emergency relief or grant funds specifically budgeted for academic recovery," said Rhian. 

This grant money will be used to expand programs like summer school, tutoring, and curriculum. "As we transition from pandemic status to endemic status, it's time for all of us to get back on track and attend school regularly," stated OPS Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Logan.

Rhian is attempting to secure more funds for teachers and mentors, saying, "District staff truly are our most valuable resource." In the proposed budget, OPS is dedicating $1 million to stipends for teachers and mentors, plus $28.3 million for staff compensation and benefits. Around $13.5 million will go towards increasing salaries for teachers. 

Enrollment in Omaha Public Schools is estimated to be around 51,439 this year, and has been in decline since the 2019-20 school year. 

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NEBRASKA NOT MOVING TO PENALIZE COMPANIES FOR CLIMATE CHANGE POLICIES

LINCOLN- Nebraska is not going to join several states in enacting policies to penalize investment firms focused on climate change and environmental issues, despite the fact that Nebraska Treasurer John Murante heads one of the leading organizations, the State Financial Officers Foundation, doing just that. 

The organization has been accused in the past of "weaponizing state treasurer's offices against efforts to reduce climate change," which includes adopting restrictive policies to punish companies that reduce their support for fossil fuels. 

Murante declined to comment on whether or not Nebraska will follow the other states in restricting these businesses, but stated that his office will continue to make sure "Nebraska's best financial interests are met."

Since President Biden announced his climate plan, the Foundation has begun enacting these policies as a counter-effort to ensure that investments remain in fossil fuel businesses. Earlier this year, West Virginia passed a law allowing its Treasurer to blacklist banks from receiving state contracts if the bank pulled investments from fossil fuel companies. The Treasurer stated that the law "would help protect our coal, oil, and natural gas workers and companies from unfair, un-American boycotts."

State Sen. Matt Williams has confirmed that no such bills have been introduced in Nebraska, and doesn't believe that any will in future sessions. Williams also stated that he doesn't believe it's wise to put up "fences" around companies for supporting climate action. 

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DROUGHT CONTINUES TO INTESIFY ACROSS NEBRASKA, BUT THERE IS RAIN ON THE HORIZON

LINCOLN- Over the past weeks, the drought in Nerbaska has only worsened with the hotter-than-average temperatures.

According to the latest Drought Monitor released on September 8th, more than 10% of the state is now in exceptional drought, up from just over 6% last week, and nearly 28% is in extreme drought, up from 20% last week.

Southwest Nerbaska continues to see the worst drought conditions, but in the past couple of weeks, northeast Nerbaska has started to feel a similar effect.

Parts of southern Lancaster County are now in severe drought; two weeks ago, the county was completely drought-free.

The city of Hickman recently instituted a 10-day voluntary water restriction because of the increasing drought conditions.

According to the Nebraska Farm Bureau, more than 60% of the state's corn crop and more than half the soybean crop is rated fair or worse, while nearly 80% of pasture land is in poor or very poor condition.

The good news, a cold front is moving through the state over the weekend which will bring cooler temperatures and multiple chances of rain that could amount to 1-2 inches in some areas.

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RICKETTS MAKES UNANNOUNCED VISIT TO POSSIBLE ROUTES FOR CONTROVERSIAL PERKINS COUNTY CANAL

LINCOLN- Governor Ricketts went on an unannounced trip to possible locations and routes for the Perkins County Canal.

The Governor observed drought impacts along the way and noted that the drought only makes a better case for why the project is needed.

“This visit reinforced the need for us to protect every drop of South Platte River water we can,” Ricketts said in a press release. “The Perkins County Canal is essential for this purpose.”

Governor Ricketts proposed a $500 million project that he claims is the only way for Nebraska to claim non-irrigation period flows from the South Platte River guaranteed in a river compact with Colorado.

The governor also said Nebraska needs to claim its rightful share of the river’s flows before Colorado, and its fast-growing Front Range, capture it instead.

Colorado officials have condemned the proposal, calling it a “canal to nowhere” and a waste of taxpayer money.

A press release from the governor’s office said the visit, which wasn’t announced on the governor’s weekly public schedule, offered “a first-hand look at drought conditions and included a windshield survey of possible routes and reservoir locations for the Perkins County Canal.”

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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.

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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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