DEMOCRATS PIN HOPES OF BEATING BACON ON VARGAS, A NEWLY DRAWN DISTRICT AND ABORTION

OMAHA- Three key differences in Omaha this year over the last election season may just give State Sen. Tony Vargas the upper hand against his Republican opponent U.S. Rep. Don Bacon.

These differences include Vargas himself, who is a new candidate for Congress with more political experience, the newly redrawn 2nd Congressional District in Nebraska, and the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade.

Republicans have claimed that Vargas is just "another Democratic candidate who is too progressive to represent the state's most competitive congressional district," but a close race is still expected in November.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who has fundraised for Vargas in Omaha, believes the House would benefit from another candidate like Brad Ashford, who Hoyer described as being an "experienced doer." Hoyer also believes that Vargas would keep "destructive leadership" from taking over the House and freezing America "and its ability to act."

U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana has taken a similar liking to Don Bacon during their time working together. He stated that Republicans need "to fire Nancy Pelosi, lower gas prices, get inflation under control, and secure the southern U.S. border, but we won't do that without Don Bacon."

Over the past few months, both candidates have claimed that the other is "too extreme" to be able to successfully represent the 2nd congressional district of Nebraska. Vargas called Bacon "a conservative in moderate's clothing," while Bacon claimed that Vargas was another "Eastman-style progressive."

Many major political polling firms believe victory in November will go to Bacon, allowing him to serve his fourth term, but several have claimed it will be closer to a toss-up, including the Cook Political Report, Insider Elections, and Roll Call.

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DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR NEBRASKA GOVERNOR RUNNING ON THEME OF CHANGE

BELLEVUE- The race for Governor in Nebraska is an uphill battle for Democratic candidate Carol Blood, especially considering the fact that there is a Republican majority of voter registrations. However, Blood believes that Nebraskans are ready for change, and she's more than willing to do just that.

On Sunday, Blood attended a fundraiser in Beatrice, and stated that "we're not spewing rhetoric, we're not talking party speaking points. We're saying alright, we have these opportunities to do better...this is how we're going to fix it."

Blood believes that the Republican strategy of cutting taxes isn't inherently a bad thing, but that it is often done without a plan, which she claims she has for taxes and budgeting. "But if you understand government, you'd understand that you have to have a plan. You have to have a budget that is going to mirror that plan. Just randomly cutting ends up with things like prison overcrowding for twenty years. That's what's happened in Nebraska...because they're playing a shell game with your taxes," she stated.

The democratic candidate is also leaning heavily into her prior experience in government, which she believes will give her an edge in the election. Blood stated that understanding the machinations of government makes "you a better policy maker."

At the fundraiser, Blood also discussed the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade, which she claims has caused many doctors to leave states in which trigger bans were passed.

In the coming weeks, Blood intends to travel to all areas of Nebraska, where she intends to collect input from a wide range of demographics.

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17 STATE SENATORS PLEDGE TO END SECRET BALLOT FOR LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES, HERBSTER PAC SAYS

LINCOLN- 17 Nebraska senators have signed a pledge pushed by Charles Herbster's new Nebraska First PAC, stating that they would vote to end the Legislature's long-standing system of electing committee chairs by secret ballot.

The secret ballot vote was introduced to the Legislature to allow senators to vote across party lines, without facing public repercussions.

Republicans have wanted the change to happen for many years, believing that public ballots would push Republican senators to vote along party lines, and that fewer would risk the potential political price of voting Democrats into committee chair positions.

Three of Herbster's most vocal supporters, including Sen. Halloran, Sen. Erdman, and Sen. Brewer signed the pledge. Other senators in support of the change include: Sen. Linehan, Sen. Albrecht, Sen. Geist, Sen. Lowe, Sen. Arch, Sen. Bostelman, Sen. Briese, Sen. Clements, Sen. Dover, Sen. Hansen, Sen. Jacobson, Sen. Kauth, Sen. Murman, and Speaker Hilgers.

Sen. Linehan defended her singing of the pledge, saying, "This is the right policy. You should have to stand by your votes."

Nebraska political scientists have argued that the push for the removal of the secret vote is not about transparency, as the State GOP argues, but rather about Republican majority control. These same political scientists stated that the current secret voting method protects senators from being punished by their party for voting across state lines.

Paul Landow, a political science professor at UNO, stated, "These are George Norris reforms that are critical to the operation of a one-house, nonpartisan Legislature. You cannot get along without them."

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'MORE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO TURNOUT': ABORTION LOOMS LARGE 8 WEEKS AHEAD OF NEBRASKA ELECTIONS

LINCOLN- In Nebraska, abortion is legal before 20 weeks of pregnancy. With the possibility of that changing next session, legislative candidates are now being asked more where they stand.

Brad von Gillern, a conservative running in southwest Douglas County said he supports any ban that can garner enough votes. He mentioned bans from six to 12 weeks, as well as exceptions for rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.

Lou Ann Goding, a Republican running in a northwest Omaha race, said they may need to pass some exceptions.

Another GOP candidate Christian Mirch — spotted with von Gillern at anti-abortion rallies — said in an email that, if elected, he’d even hold open public forums to hear from his district.

Almost all registered Democratic candidates want no further restrictions including Michael Young, who is running in northwest Douglas County.

“I’m staying out of their house. I’m staying out of their family and they get to decide in that regard,” said Young.

The question remains: will the possibility of these bans change the outcomes of any legislative races in November?

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PROTECT NEBRASKA CHILDREN EMERGES AS POLITICAL FORCE IN CULTURE BATTLES OVER SCHOOLS

LINCOLN- In little more than a year, the Protect Nebraska Children Coalition has grown from a handful of worried parents and grandparents to a conservative political player in Nebraska with a Facebook page with more than 22,000 followers.

The coalition notched a victory when its relentless opposition purred the Nebraska State Board of Education to indefinitely postpone the adoption of optional school health education standards.

Another big win came in May when four conservative candidates for the state board sailed comfortably through the primary.

Nebraska’s debate resembles similar, often partisan battles across the nation over what material is appropriate for school-age children. In some cases, such as the Virginia governor’s race, those fights may have been significant factors in elections.

But the founders of the PNC Coalition say they didn’t expect they would be playing a key role in Nebraska’s 2022 elections. Nor did they dream their group would get so big.

“We had no idea that within a month we would have 400 people at a State Board of Education meeting and we would have over 11,000 people on a Facebook group,” said Sue Greenwald, a retired pediatrician from Kearney who helped found the coalition.

The group certainly is playing a hand in local elections and statewide elections, we will see to what extent on November 8th.

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WRIGHT FALLS SHORT ON TWO SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS FOR NEBRASKA GOVERNORS BALLOT

LINCOLN- Nebraska voters will see three names on the November ballot for governor, not four, as was announced as a possibility last week.

The Secretary of State’s Office confirmed that David Wright of Ewing, a conservative who re-registered as a nonpartisan to run for governor, failed to gather enough valid signatures to get his name on the ballot.

“We put our best foot forward,” Wright said. “We tried. We were just short.”

State law required Wright to collect 4,000 valid signatures from registered Nebraska voters, including 750 from each of the state’s three congressional districts. He fell short in two ways.

This month, he turned in 4,339 signature lines to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office. County election officials were able to verify just 3,712 of the signatures, officials said. That left him short of the needed 4,000.

After the 627 signatures were tossed, Wright also fell short of the required number in the 2nd Congressional District. Officials verified 747 signatures, three short of the minimum needed.

Nebraska Republicans had expressed concerns privately about Wright potentially siphoning away votes from GOP gubernatorial nominee Jim Pillen, a University of Nebraska regent who faces Democratic State Sen. Carol Blood.

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NEBRASKA GOP WON'T FILL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR VACANCY UNTIL EARLY 2023, CHAIRMAN SAYS

LINCOLN- Since taking over the role of Nebraska GOP chairman in July, Eric Underwood has filled most of the openings left in the wake of his election.

The remaining big vacancy is the executive director role. Underwood said he is focusing all of his energy o the upcoming November election and that the role will not be filled until early 2023.

Underwood was elected chairman during a GOP convention this summer, which prompted more than a dozen resignations within the party, including the executive director, the national committeewoman and the first and second congressional district chairs.

He said he wants the position selected through a hiring process, with Underwood providing a range of in-state and out-of-state candidates for the party’s executive committee to vet.

Several of the candidates Underwood said he is considering are currently busy with upcoming elections, and the executive committee must convene in an official meeting to vet the candidates.

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PRAIRIE PRESERVATIONISTS MOURN LOSS OF VIRGIN PRAIRIE AT GOOGLE DATA CENTER SITE

OMAHA- A 5-acre prairie plot near Omaha, which had been harvested for its hay for decades, was bulldozed away about a year ago as part of Google’s plan to build a $750 million data center just west of Nebraska Highway 133. 

Tallgrass prairies once covered 170 million acres of the Great Plains, including most of eastern Nebraska. But farming and development have taken out an estimated 98% to 99% of it, leaving only small remnants in what was an ocean of grass.

The City of Omaha’s Master Plan calls for “effective measures” to protect “natural features” from destruction, features such as ravines, wetlands, Missouri River bluffs and prairies. 

But Eric Englund, Omaha’s assistant city planner, said the existence of a native prairie never came up during discussions in which he was present over the Google project.

The prairie, Englund said, was identified on a map kept by the City Parks Department. But for some reason, it did not come up, he said, during the approval process of the Google project.

“I don’t know if it was missed, or if it was agreed that mitigation of the prairie was not necessary,” he said. 

At this point in time, Google is aware of the prairie but has no intention to replace it.

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NEBRASKA ATTORNEY GENERAL NOW SAYS HE'LL EXPLORE WHETHER THE STATE WAS A VICTIM OF FRAUD IN SAINT FRANCIS CONTRACT

LINCOLN- Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson indicated he will evaluate the state’s legal options in pursuing funds that may have been fraudulently spent via the state’s contract with a Kansas foster care provider. 

The state severed its contract with Saint Francis in December 2021, after the organization failed to fulfill its obligations to 2,500 foster children it oversaw in eastern Nebraska. The failure came despite an additional $110 million in emergency funding from the state. 

State Senator Machaela Cavanaugh asked Peterson to explore getting involved in the investigation last week. 

“They gave me a response fairly quickly,” Cavanaugh said. “I’m hopeful that means they agree that there’s something worth looking into.”

Peterson said he would “sit down with a team of lawyers to evaluate our legal options” based on the recent information.

Saint Francis, the largest foster care provider in Kansas, has sued its former leadership, alleging they hid the misspending of millions of dollars from its board of directors.

Federal investigators, in court documents, have identified nearly $11 million in billing to Sant Francis as probably fraudulent.

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NEBRASKA FREEDOM FEST SPEAKER HIT GEORGE FLOYD, FBI, MICHELLE OBAMA IN SPEECH

OMAHA- On Tuesday, The Nebraska Democratic Party criticized "callous" comments spoken by a featured speaker from the Nebraska Freedom Coalition. In a string of social media posts, the Democratic Party condemned conservative comedian Alex Stein, who congratulated murdered Minnesotan George Floyd for being "two and a half years sober."

Moments after uttering this, Stein announced to the crowd that it was just "a bad joke." When the crowd laughed at the "joke," Stein told them "That's evil."

State Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb stated that the new state GOP is "just as extreme" as the Freedom Coalition, the group that hosted the event with comedian Alex Stein and "Stop the Steal" protest organizer Ali Alexander. 

Kleeb emphasized an email the state GOP sent out this month, asking Republicans, "Is your torch lit?" The party chair thought the email evoked the 2017 protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, where white nationalists marched with lit torches. 

A spokeswoman of the Nebraska Republican Party stated that they have nothing to comment about Kleeb's claims. 

Kleeb later went on to state that State Republicans were creating a "hostile environment" because "the leaders of the Nebraska Republican Party and their attacks dogs literally call us 'groomers,' 'predators,' and 'call girls.'"

Last week, the Freedom Coalition tweeted that the Nebraska GOP "has been called everything from racist homophobes to fascist murderers by the Left," and that they were expected to "play nice, watch our words, and take the high road."

The Coalition tweeted that same day, "Well enough is enough--no more Nebraska Nice!"

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PROTECT NEBRASKA CHILDREN EMERGES AS POLITICAL FORCE IN CULTURE BATTLES OVER SCHOOLS

LINCOLN- The Protect Nebraska Children Coalition has grown rapidly over the years, and has become a key political player in Nebraska with the help of Gov. Ricketts and several other Nebraska government figures. In the past, the coalition has worked very hard to curb the rise of social and cultural policy changes in schools, including gender identity and LGBTQ issues. 

The coalition, with its immense political power and following, stopped the Nebraska Board of Education from adopting optional school health education standards that members of the coalition said "advanced a politically progressive view of gender identity and sexual orientation."

The Protect Nebraska Children PAC has been criticized as a "hate group" and had its members called "right-wing extremists," while proponents of the conservative-dominated PAC called critics "pedophiles" and "Marxists." The group has also argued that teachers willing to adopt new gender identity standards are "grooming" students and robbing them of their innocence. 

The Protect Nebraska Children PAC never believed that they would grow to be so influential in the state. Nic Norton, a Kearney lawyer who joined the PAC last year, stated, "The bottom line is this is the definition of grassroots. None of us are professionals. None of us have done anything like this before. And we've had an amazing run as a group because we're united about the notion of keeping our public schools and our private schools--our children--safe."

Katie McClemens, one of the founders of the coalition, shares a similar sentiment. Last year, she announced that the group's main goal was to "protect the health and innocence of children and the fundamental rights of parents to direct the education, health care, and upbringing of their children."

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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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