ANOTHER WILDFIRE BREAKS OUT IN NEBRASKA'S PARCHED PANHANDLE

GERING- Nearly 30 volunteer fire departments battled erratic winds and a temperature inversion trapping smoke near the ground at a wildfire south of Gering in Nebraska’s Panhandle.

The 3,700-acre Smokey Fire broke out on September 13th, and its cause has yet to be determined.

Four single-engine air tankers (SEATs) from Nebraska and Wyoming were working the fire, along with a large air tanker from Colorado. Two Nebraska National Guard UH60 Blackhawk helicopters were also activated, according to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.

“The many air assets fighting this fire along with those firefighters on the ground are working tirelessly to get this fire under control,” said Tim Grubbs, fire chief for the Banner County Volunteer Fire Department.

Firefighters are working to establish fire containment lines around the fire’s perimeter but did not yet have a percentage of containment.

The fire has temporarily closed Williams Gap Wildlife Management Area in Banner County. Several hundred of the 1,800 acres had burned as of September 14th.

Drought conditions and high winds have served to provide prime conditions for wildfires across Nebraska this year.

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STATE SENATOR SUZANNE GEIST ANNOUNCES GOP BID FOR LINCOLN MAYOR

LINCOLN- State Sen. Suzanne Geist announced a bid for Lincoln mayor saying she wants city voters to feel safer from crime, bounce less on city streets, secure a second source of city water and join fewer divisive political fights.

The Republican businesswoman said her 2023 mayoral campaign will not personally attack the state’s highest-profile elected Democrat, Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird. Geist said she will, however, contrast her approach to governing with Baird’s record.

“I have a different vision for what I think Lincoln could be than where we are going right now. I look at the climate that’s going on in our society, not just in our town, but in our country, and I think we’re very polarized,” Geist said.

“I see this job in the city as being a uniting job. It doesn’t have a lot to do with issues that are divisive.”

Political observers said they expect issues such as abortion, guns and public health mandates to affect the mayor’s race in Lincoln, because of the national political environment and opposing views between the major political parties. 

Geist said she knows that if she became mayor, she would have to work with a City Council that is likely to maintain a supermajority or majority of Democrats.

She said she would call on her experience working in the officially nonpartisan Legislature She also said one of her strengths is her ability to talk and connect with people who disagree politically and figure out what’s possible.

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DOZENS OF SMALL MEAT PROCESSORS SHARE IN FIRST-ROUND OF ARPA-FUNDED STATE GRANTS

LINCOLN- Pelican's Meat Processing Plant, and around a dozen smaller plants, will be awarded up to $80,000 each in federal ARPA grants to help bolster the state's beef and pork processing. Sandie Lavigne, daughter of Frank Pelican, stated that the funds will help alleviate one of the biggest problems many meat processing plants are facing today: staff shortages.

The rest of the funds, says Lavigne, will be used to pay off debt the plant has accrued, and may also be used to purchase a new meat wrapping machine. 

Whichever way Pelican's Meat Processing Plant decides to spend their new grant funds, it will help make life at the plant a little easier, says Lavigne. 

The program was launched earlier this spring by the Nebraska Legislature and Gov. Ricketts, and utilizes around $10 million of the $1 billion granted to Nebraska by Pres. Biden. The program seeks to jump-start the economy which was heavily slowed down by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The program also seeks out smaller meat processes, aiming to award plants that have fewer than 25 employees and less than $2.5 million in sales each year. 

Steve Wellman, director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, stated that the grants will help Nebraska strengthen the country's food supply. "These grants serve as a reminder that Nebraska is committed to the meat processing industry, and we value its importance to agriculture," said Wellman.

A second round of grants will be allocated in the first half of 2023, and will run until the funds run out.

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NEBRASKA RANKS HIGH AMONG STATES THAT LOST YOUNG AND WEALTHY

LINCOLN- SmartAsset.com, a financial advice, and ranking website looked into what states are losing the youngest rich professionals, Nebraska ranked 10th.

The researchers considered people younger than 35 years with adjusted gross incomes of at least $100,000. They used Internal Revenue Service data to compare where they lived from year to year. 

In Nebraska, SmartAsset said, 722 rich young professionals moved to the state between 2019 and 2020, compared to 820 who moved out of the state during that same time period. That’s a net loss of 98. 

The state that gained the most rich young professionals, Texas, had a net gain of 3,823.

Among the findings was that two states without state income tax — Texas and Florida — took the top spots for where wealthy millennials moved to. Other popular destinations were Washington, Colorado and New Jersey.

Places that lost the most high-earning young workers that year were, respectively, New York, California, Illinois, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Louisiana, North Dakota, Virginia, Oklahoma and Nebraska.

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USDA MORE THAN TRIPLES FUNDING FOR 'CLIMATE SMART' AGRICULTURE

LINCOLN- The Biden administration plans to distribute more than $3 billion to fund projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon in agriculture and forestry. This nearly triples the initial commitment that was announced in February. 

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said, "This is a really, really important day for American agriculture, I just hope everybody fully appreciates the significance of what we’re doing here.”

The program is being funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation, which has been historically used to support farmers with loans and payments and to fund conservation programs of the farm bill.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said it can use the CCC to fund the new climate program without congressional approval because it will “aid in the expansion of markets for agricultural commodities,” a provision of its charter. A key goal of the program is to create markets for climate-friendly products.

The initial selected projects will get a total of about $2.8 billion over the course of five years, and the companies, universities, conservation groups and others that have proposed them will contribute a total of about $1.4 billion, Vilsack said. Funding for a second group of projects is expected later this year. 

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LINCOLN CASINO OPENING WILL HAVE TO WAIT AFTER COMMISSION HEARING IS POSTPONED

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission canceled a meeting that had been scheduled for September 13th over Zoom. 

The main item on the agenda was the consideration of a permanent license for the WarHorse Casino proposed for the Lincoln Race Course near U.S. 77 and West Denton Road. 

WarHorse was prepared to open a temporary casino with 433 slot machines in the race course's simulcast building on Sept. 19 if it had received a license from the commission. 

Commission Chairman Dennis Lee said a couple of members of the commission, who he did not name, expressed concerns about making the decision to grant the state's first permanent casino license over a Zoom meeting. 

Instead, consideration of WarHorse's permanent license has been moved to the commission's regular monthly meeting on Sept. 23.

A spokesperson for the casino said, "if WarHorse receives its permanent gaming license on Sept. 23, the Lincoln casino will open the next day." 

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FORMER OMAHA POLICE CAPTAIN PREVAILS IN SUIT AGAINST CITY, POLICE CHIEF

OMAHA- A former Omaha police captain has prevailed in her claim that Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer retaliated against her by not promoting her to deputy chief for filing a discrimination complaint with the Mayor’s Office.

After deliberating for five hours, an eight-person jury unanimously agreed that former Capt. Kathy Belcastro-Gonzalez’s complaint played a role in Schmaderer’s choice to not promote her to deputy chief. 

Belcastro-Gonzalez had alleged that she was wrongly bypassed for the promotion in 2018, despite scoring No. 1 in the city’s third-party testing process. 

The jury awarded Belcastro-Gonzalez lost wages and benefits of $680,000 plus $20,000 in other damages after hearing evidence in a four-day trial. 

Belcastro-Gonzalez said her lawsuit represented all women who are afraid to speak out against their employer when they see or experience wrongdoing. 

“I’m disappointed the court didn’t allow the contents of her termination into the proceedings, as they would have provided more clarity and evidence as to why I could not promote Mrs. Gonzalez over other more qualified candidates,” Schmaderer said in a statement. 

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OMAHA CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS PUSH TO SPEED UP CLIMATE ACTION PLAN PROGRESS

OMAHA- Last November, Omaha Council members voted in favor of hiring a consultant to create the city's climate action plan, but not much progress has been made. 

Council President Pete Festersen voiced his frustrations, saying, "Every city our size has already done a climate change action plan to assess our current environmental footprint, to identify specific goals, to reduce our carbon emissions and reduce our impact on our environment. There's no reason why this hasn't started in the last 10 months."

Festersen introduced a resolution to speed up the creation of the climate action plan, and expressed his hope to allocate some of the city's budget toward the project. 

After the meeting, Mayor Jean Stothert's office said that the climate action proposal is still in the works, and that it will likely be approved by Sept. 21st. 

However, the Mayor's Chief of Staff, Thomas Warren, stated that "it will likely be 2023 before we actually hired a consultant, the consultant hired to prepare the plan, and that plan will form what will be the strategy to address this very important issue."

Warren also stated that funding for the consultant will likely come from next year's budget, and not the current one. 

During the hearing, some opponents argued that the plan was a "waste of time and money."

One citizen stated, "As they say, save the planet Earth, that's just ridiculous. Omaha's not going to do anything to save the planet."

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NEBRASKA BUSINESSES REPORT GREAT DIFFICULTY IN HIRING, GETTING APPLICANTS

LINCOLN- According to a recent state labor report, Nebraska businesses are struggling heavily to hire new workers. 

In a survey, 94% of Omaha businesses from northeast and southeast areas of the city reported that they had hiring difficulties and "labor availabilities."

84% of these businesses also stated that the problem wasn't hiring or lack of good applicants, it was a lack of applicants themselves. 

Based on the survey, Falls City, Fairbury, and Nebraska City had the most trouble hiring employees, with 92% of all businesses reporting difficulty hiring new staff. 

Bryan Slone, head of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, stated that, since Nebraska has around 52,000 vacant positions, the lack of labor is the "number one, two, three, four and five" issue facing the business community in the state. 

Around 50% of all businesses in Nebraska used tele-work last year and the year before to protect their workers from Covid-19, but many in the survey reported that it's difficult to bring workers back. 

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MALCOLM X EDGES NU EDUCATOR LOUISE POUND FOR INDUCTION INTO THE NEBRASKA HALL OF FAME

LINCOLN- After three nominations and many attempts, Malcolm X has officially been chosen to be inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame.

Ron Hull, the chairman of the Hall of Fame Committee and a longtime public television broadcaster, cast the deciding vote, saying that Malcolm X continues to have influence worldwide with his story of transformation and reformation.

Applause broke out among most of the 30 people attending the commission meeting at the State History Museum in Lincoln.

Yshall Davis, a volunteer with the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation, pumped her fist in the air and wiped away tears as Hull stated his vote, which gave Malcolm X a majority of the seven-member commission.

“It says a lot about what Nebraska is becoming,” Davis said of the vote by the commission, which has no members of color.

Malcolm X will become the first African-American to be inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame. The hall currently has 26 members, of which five are female and three are Native American.

The initial vote by the commission was four votes for Malcolm X and three votes for Louise Pound, an educator, folklorist and author at the University of Nebraska — and the only woman in NU history to earn a letter in a men’s sport (tennis). Howard Hanson, the third finalist and a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, did not receive a vote.

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STATE STAFFING SHORTAGES HAS UNION LOOKING FOR RAISES THAT KEEP UP WITH INFLATION

LINCOLN- Nebraska's public employees, including snow-plow drivers, DMV employees, and Department of Roads diesel mechanics, are severely short-staffed as inflation soars. 

Justin Hubly, director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees, stated, "We're falling behind." 

Many of Nebraska's public employees believe that there won't even be enough snow-plow drivers to clear our streets this winter unless job retention and wages can be increased.

To emphasize these points, a rally of Nebraska union members was held outside the State Office Building in Lincoln. 

Melissa Haynes, president of the union and a social service employee, stated, "The state remains critically short-staffed at many agencies, and investments are needed to make sure that critical services continue uninterrupted. Our members worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, and now is the time to invest in them."

Justin Hubly listed several state service issues that have been affecting the state, including several DMV offices that have been closed, a lack of diesel mechanics to repair plows and drivers to operate them, and a backlog of economic assistance applications at the DHHS.

Hubly argued that low wages are causing these issues, claiming that many of these public positions are paying significantly less than the same jobs in private companies. 

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GOV. RICKETTS TAKES AIM AT TITLE IX CHANGES SOUGHT BY FEDERAL OFFICIALS

LINCOLN- The U.S. Department of Education proposed revisions to Title IX which would clarify that discrimination may include sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity. 

In a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Gov. Ricketts stated that the proposal "purposely misinterpret[s] and misappl[ies]" the Supreme Court's opinion which sought to expand the definition of sex discrimination to include gender identity, sexual orientation, and sexual characteristics. 

Ricketts claimed that the proposed changes would also end the separation of restrooms, locker rooms, and other facilities based on biological sex, and instead separate these based on gender identity. 

"Federal efforts to dictate how schools respond to the transgender issue is blatant overreach...States have a right to determine how schools operate," stated Ricketts. 

Federal officials claimed that the changes would save recipients around $9 to $29 million over the span of a decade. 

The Department of Education went on to state that, while the expected amount of money that will be saved is broad, "the benefits of the proposed regulations to those who have been subjected to sex discrimination, the department recognizes that sex discrimination, including sex-based harassment, can have profound and long-lasting economic costs for students, employees, and other members of a recipient's surrounding community."

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$50 MILLION GRANT TO HELP RAZE BARRACKS-LIKE OMAHA PUBLIC HOUSING COMPLEX

OMAHA- A $50 million federal grant was awarded to Omaha to help launch a $300 million project to revamp the city's largest public housing complex and the South Omaha neighborhoods that surround it.

Those involved in the project, including the Omaha Housing Authority, Canopy South, and Brinshore Development, have been waiting to hear if they would receive the Choice Neighborhoods grant from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development committee. 

Nebraska is one of four states receiving the funds, which equate to around $180 million. 

The grant, along with around $25 million in philanthropic pledges, will allow the transformation to begin. The target area for the makeover is southeast of 30th and Q Streets, Cesar Garcia of Canopy South confirmed. 

Rep. Bacon, who was the first to hear of Nebraska receiving the grant, stated that he was impressed by the private-public alliance that formed around the redevelopment, and also the neighborhood input that was received. He stated, "I look forward to watching the progress of this project as it will improve the health, education, economic development and health disparities that residents in that neighborhood face every day."

The most important aspect of the project is the demolition of Southside Terrace Homes, a "barracks-like maze of 360 apartments that today houses roughly 1,300 people."

The redevelopment team plans to replace Southside Terrace Homes with a variety of dwellings, including houses, duplexes, and apartment buildings. In total, they plan on building around 760 new homes. 

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NEBRASKANS FAILING TO CLAIM $200 MILLION IN STATE INCOME TAX CREDITS, OFFICIALS SAY

LINCOLN- Major tax breaks passed by the State Legislature two years ago are not being claimed by Nebraska residents, and there is almost $200 million left in the pot. 

Around 40% of Nebraskans have failed to claim the property tax refund on their state income tax forms. Gov. Ricketts joined a variety of state leaders on Thursday to urge citizens to claim their money. "It's major money," the Governor announced.

Owners of $250,000 homes in Lincoln can claim up to $1,137 in refunds this year, but many are unaware of this. "That's a house payment. That's a big deal," stated Gov. Ricketts during the press conference. 

The Governor also claimed that Nebraskans may see a 30% reduction in their property tax bill if they take advantage of the income tax refund. 

These refunds and credits come from two programs, the automatically applied Real Property Tax Credit, and the Nebraska Property Tax Incentive Act, which must be manually claimed. 

State Tax Commissioner Tony Fulton stated that, because the program is now new, it will take time for a majority of the population to become aware of it. "It takes time for it to sink in," said Fulton. 

Some in the crowd asked the Governor why, like the Real Property Tax Credit, the new tax reductions aren't automatically applied. Gov. Ricketts stated that the way it's done now is "the best way to do it."

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS PUSH TO MAKE PUBLIC THE NAMES OF OFFICERS WITH QUESTIONABLE RECORDS

LINCOLN- State Senators Terrell McKinney and Justin Wayne of Omaha are pushing for legislation that would require Nebraska law enforcement to release public lists of all officers who have misconduct or disciplinary history.

The announcement came after Capt. Kathy Belcastro-Gonzales was awarded $700,000 in her federal lawsuit against Police Chief Todd Schmaderer. The court found that Schmaderer had retaliated against Belcastro-Gonzales when he bypassed her for a promotion. 

Sen. McKinney and Sen. Wayne are basing the legislation on the 'Brady List,' which was created after the 1963 Supreme Court case Brady v. Maryland, which stated that "prosecutors must share possible exculpatory evidence on officers with defense attorneys."

Former Deputy Police Chief Greg Gonzales, husband of Belcastro-Gonzales, said during her trial that one OPD officer who was on the Omaha Police Department's list was promoted to lieutenant. Sen. McKinney said that was concerning. 

"A lot of things around policing, we've been stonewalled, in my opinion, as far as getting true accountability," said McKinney. 

Sen. Wayne, in a prepared statement supporting the push for such legislation, mentioned the 'Brady List,' stating, "Brady lists are vital public information as they show which police officers have credibility issues and indicate whether prosecutors are following the law by maintaining and updating these records."

Sen. McKinney introduced similar legislation during the last session, but it never made it to the floor for debate. The bill garnered heavy opposition from Nebraska law enforcement agencies and unions. 

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JUDGE SAYS NEBRASKA POLICY ON BIRTH CERTIFICATES FOR SAME-SEX PARENTS IS FOR LEGISLATURES TO DECIDE, 'NOT THIS COURT'

LINCOLN- Two Omaha citizens have lost their lawsuit against the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, which disallowed them from listing both same-sex parent's names on their child's birth certificate. 

Erin Porterfield and Kristin Williams, the two parents, were in a relationship from 2000 to 2013, and conceived their son through artificial insemination. After splitting, they made the decision to co-parent their newly born son, seeking a child custody determination from a Douglas County Court judge. 

The judge told the now-split couple that they would have to attempt to amend the birth certificate of their child in order to place both of their names upon it.

Porterfield submitted an application to the Nebraska DHHS which added Williams onto the certificate, but was denied. After requesting a hearing to re-adjudicate the decision, Porterfield was again denied. 

The ACLU of Nebraska filed a lawsuit against the Department on behalf of Porterfield and Williams, which attorneys for the DHHS attempted to dismiss at a hearing in May. Assistant Nebraska Attorney General Erik Fern stated that the claims put forth in the lawsuit rest on "a fundamental misunderstanding of Nebraska law."

The ACLU rebuked this, saying that the lawsuit was about equal treatment for families with same-sex parents. 

Fern responded by arguing that the lawsuit goes against two indisputable aspects of Nebraska law: that state statutes and regulations require acknowledgments of paternity to affirm the biological father of a child, and that the DHHS' acknowledgment form explicitly requires affirmation of a biological connection.

After years of litigation, the ACLU of Nebraska and parents Porterfield and Williams lost the case, with Lancaster County District Judge Ryan Post writing in his decision that "the court certainly understands why plaintiffs seek a policy change. But that policy decision is for the Legislature, not the court."

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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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