DROUGHT, HARSH WEATHER, HURTING NEBRASKA FARMERS AND RANCHERS

LINCOLN- Exceptional drought has reached farms in northeast Nebraska, making it and southwest Nebraska some of the hardest-hit ground in the country in terms of drought.

Drought, which has fried crops and pastures and fueled wildfires, is part of a rough year for Nebraska agriculture.

While not everyone has suffered equally, weather-related disasters across the state have proved challenging for farmers and ranchers.

Spring wildfires. A June frost/freeze. Successive hailstorms. Hurricane-strength winds. Unrelenting heat. Weeks and weeks with virtually no rain. All have conspired to set back or decimate crops. Storms have caused extensive damage to irrigation equipment.

“There is always some of that across Nebraska — it just seems like this year has been more widespread,” said Steve Wellman, director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. “In some areas, the drought conditions are as bad as people can remember.”

Southeast Nebraska farmer Vern Jantzen says this year shows how climate change is injecting greater uncertainty into farming, a life famously known for a roll of the dice each spring.

“It’s impacting the weather, and when the weather changes, we have to figure out what to do,” he said. “It’s getting harder and harder each year because of the unpredictability.”

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RISE IN SERIOUS INJURIES A CONCERN FOR NEBRASKA CHILD WELFARE, WATCHDOG SAYS

LINCOLN- A state watchdog has raised concerns about an increase in serious injuries among children involved in Nebraska's child welfare system during the past year.

But Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare Jennifer Carter said, in her latest annual report that was recently released, that the state has made improvements in dealing with two previous crises.

Those were the formerly troubled state institutions for juvenile offenders, called the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers, and the now-terminated contract with Saint Francis Ministries.

"In general, after two years of major system-level challenges ... the child welfare and YRTC systems appear to be more stable than they have been in over two years," Carter said. "However, the absence of crises does not equate to an absence of significant issues."

Carter said it was the highest number of serious injury and death cases since 2015 that her office is required by state law to investigate. All involved possible abuse or neglect. Her office is not required to look into deaths and injuries that occurred by chance.

Her office is still investigating the cases, she said, but pointed to the disruptions and stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as a potential factor behind the increase.

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CHINESE WIRELESS TECH COULD PUT OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE AND NEBRASKA MISSILE SILOS AT RISK

BELLEVUE- Over 10,000 military and civilian workers at Offutt Air Force Base could be at risk of having cell phone calls, texts, and data seen by the Chinese government since Huawei, a Chinese-based company, installed equipment on nearby cell towers.

The U.S. Commerce Department is investigating the potential data collection and transmission capabilities of this new equipment, which was placed near military bases and missile silos all over the country, including Nebraska.

This week, Rep. Mike Flood sent a letter to the Commerce Department requesting an update on the investigation and a confirmation on whether or not the technology was placed on towers within twenty miles of Offutt Air Force Base.

The Huawei equipment was supposedly found to be within that radius near Offutt and several nuclear missile silos in Cheyenne County. "I think it's a slap in the face to every airman that goes to work," said Flood, "I want to know where this is in Nebraska, what companies are using it, and why it hasn't been removed."

Huawei denied the idea that its equipment is used for intelligence gathering, but tech experts have argued that the Chinese government has the ability to seize any information or data from Chinese-based companies.

Crystal Rhoades, a Commissioner on Nebraska's Public Service Commission, claimed that every Viaero Wireless tower in Nebraska has Huawei technology attached to it. Viaero Wireless has petitioned for $330 million in federal funds to remove the Chinese technology and replace it with technology approved by the U.S. Department of Defense. "This is a big deal, it needs to get fixed," said Rhoades.

Rep. Flood claimed that, because the United Kingdom banned Huawei technology on all of its cell towers, so should the United States. "China is a real threat. We can't trust Chinese technology when it comes to protecting our national security. My hope is this should not be drawn out," stated Flood.

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WHITE HOUSE ESTIMATES 232,100 NEBRASKANS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR STUDENT DEBT RELIEF

LINCOLN- The federal government has released the number of borrowers in Nebraska who will be eligible for student debt relief.

In a press release, the White House estimated that about 232,100 borrowers, including 136,000 Pell Grant recipients, will be eligible for the one-time debt relief plan announced by President Joe Biden last month. Eligible borrowers can apply for debt relief when an online application becomes available by early October.

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

Biden’s plan has drawn strong opposition from Republicans, including Nebraska’s congressional delegation and Gov. Pete Ricketts, and the threat of legal challenges. Among other arguments, critics said Biden’s plan shifts the cost burden onto Americans with more limited financial means.

In a press release, the White House said nearly 90% of relief dollars will go to those earning less than $75,000 per year. The White House added that no relief will go to any individual or household in the top 5% of incomes in the United States.

The U.S. Department of Education is expected to release more details about the student debt relief plan in the coming weeks.

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GROUP FILES ETHICS COMPLAINT AGAINST NEBRASKA ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR HIS SUPPORT OF LAWSUIT CHALLENGING 2020 VOTE

LINCOLN- A legal accountability group is charging that Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson used his elective office “to propagate lies and misinformation that imperil American democracy” and discredit the 2020 election results.

The group leading the project is called The 65 Project. Their complaints were based on the GOP officials’ support of an unsuccessful lawsuit, led by the Texas attorney general, that challenged the vote counting in four battleground states.

The Texas lawsuit contained “numerous false allegations,” the 65 Project stated in its complaint, and Peterson violated an ethical requirement that attorneys not pursue legal actions they “reasonably” know were frivolous or false.

“These lawyers tried to help Trump cling to power by spreading falsehoods and lies in court filings. They must be held accountable,” said Michael Teter, managing director of The 65 Project.

A spokeswoman for Peterson said that a similar claim had already been filed and rejected against the attorney general concerning the Texas lawsuit.

That complaint, filed by former State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha in December 2020, resulted in a “thorough report exonerating the AG of any wrongdoing,” according to spokeswoman Suzanne Gage.

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HOSPITALS, OTHER PROVIDERS QUESTION STATE OF NEBRASKA'S FAILURE TO PAY HEALTH DATA PROVIDER

LINCOLN- CyncHealth, Nebraska's leading provider of healthcare data and prescription drug purchases, stated that its services are being threatened because the state failed to pay its $15 million annual contract to the company.

This failure prompted the CyncHealth board of directors to "implore" the state to pay the contract. They say that the state holding back payment will affect its data-sharing network.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services signed the contract with CyncHealth with the goal of improving health outcomes for patients. The contract requires CyncHealth to provide a Health Information Exchange (HIE) report to the DHHS, which documents each patient's past treatments and health records. They're also expected to operate a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP), which tracks the use of medications all around the state.

The letter sent by CyncHealth directors claimed that the lack of payment is an example of "unnecessary bureaucracy that is avoidable," and that it shows poor planning by the state. They went on to state that "providers will be hampered in providing optimal care to their patients if they are not able to access the HIE or PDMP, putting the health of Nebraskans at risk."

Jeff Powell, a spokesman for the DHHS, stated that federal Medicaid programs were being used to pay for around 90% of the contract with CyncHealth, but that many of those federal programs have been diminished or entirely removed, leaving the DHHS with almost no funds to pay the contract with. Powell estimates that the DHHS is around $11 million short of the contract's price. 

Powell also stated that the DHHS pledges to seek a deficit appropriation from the State Legislature to fulfill the rest of the contract obligation. 

Jaime Bland, CEO and president of CyncHealth, claimed that the company has been forced to borrow money to keep paying its 75 employees. This, according to Bland, has affected the company's credit rating, which may threaten whether CyncHealth can continue to provide data to health providers.

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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 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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$15 AN HOUR COULD HELP 150,000 NEBRASKANS, ANALYSIS SAYS

LINCOLN- The group Raise the Wage Nebraska has long fought to increase the minimum wage in the state. Last week, the group released an Economic Policy Institute analysis that suggested that raising Nebraska's minimum wage to $15 would benefit around 150,000 workers in the state.

According to the report, around 60% of those 150,000 workers are women, 43% have attended college, and another 40% live in rural Nebraska. A little over 20% also have children.

Kim Baker, a Lincoln citizen, stated, "I have been a hard-working employee in customer service and claims management since I was 17. I've done everything right, and I have never made more than $15 an hour. After 20 years, I should be able to live independently with my son but the cost of housing alone makes that impossible on my current wage."

Kate Wolfe, campaign manager for Raise the Wage Nebraska, shared a similar sentiment, stating that "working families can't make ends meet because wages haven't kept up and parents can't afford to pay rent and put food on the table at today's minimum wage of $9 an hour."

Raise the Wage Nebraska collected over 97,000 signatures to place a minimum wage increase initiative on the ballot, so it will be for Nebraskans to decide come November 8th.

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GROUP SAYS VOTER ID WOULD BLOCK THOUSANDS OF NEBRASKANS FROM VOTING

LINCOLN- Voting rights advocates argued that Nebraska’s Voter ID initiative on the November ballot is a blunt-force proposal aimed at fixing a nonexistent problem.

Omaha civil rights activist Preston Love Jr. spoke on a panel of people this week opposing Initiative 432. The ballot measure would require Nebraskans to show a valid photo ID to vote.

The anti-ID panelists — Love, ACLU Nebraska’s Jane Seu and Civic Nebraska’s Heather Engdahl — said voter ID laws reduce voting by people in communities of color and by people in poverty.

Seu cited studies from states that now require a form of ID to vote that indicated a 2-3 percentage point decline in turnout after requiring ID. That’s thousands of people shut out, Seu said.

Voter ID adds more complications and confusion to in-person voting and voting by mail, she said. People face longer lines and longer waits to vote, and more mailed-in ballots are rejected.

Gov. Pete Ricketts and backers of voter ID, including State Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar, said that requiring ID is a “common sense” way to make sure elections remain secure.

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MEDICAL MARIJUANA INITIATIVE OFFICIAL VOICES 'DISGUST' AT LATE REVIEW OF ITS SIGNATURES

LINCOLN- Crista Eggers, in a letter to Secretary of State Bob Evnen, said Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana has yet to receive a final determination of whether it came close to submitting the required number of signatures and, because of that, has now lost the ability to legally challenge the count.

State law requires that groups file contests to a count within 10 days of submitting their signatures, a time period that has now expired.

The medical marijuana group was informed Aug. 22 that it had failed to turn in sufficient signatures to qualify for the November ballot.

After proponents raised some concerns that some signatures had not been counted, the Secretary of State’s Office agreed Aug. 24 to conduct an additional review. However, at that time, state officials insisted that the review wouldn’t make a difference in their determination that the petition drive fell short.

Officials with Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, meanwhile, have said they weren’t quite sure about that. They maintain that the additional review of signatures might have pushed their court close enough to the number required to lead to a legal challenge.

The ballot for the November election was finalized on September 16th, meaning it’s too late to add items such as the medical marijuana question.

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FINAL LIST OF CANDIDATES, BALLOT MEASURES CERTIFIED BY SECRETARY OF STATE OFFICE

LINCOLN- The final list of candidates for offices and ballot measures have been certified by Secretary of State Bob Evnen's office.

“My office has finalized the certification of candidates and ballot measures that file with the State of Nebraska,” Evnen said. “This certification is a vital part of the process and ensures that candidate names and party affiliations are listed correctly.”

The 2022 general election ballot will also allow voters to vote on two initiatives measures proposed by petition including: Voter ID Constitutional Amendment: Initiative Measure 432 and Minimum Wage Initiative: Initiative Measure 433.

“In accordance with the placement of the initiative measure on the ballot, my office will be hosting a hearing in each of the three congressional districts as required by law,” said Evnen. “These hearings will allow Nebraska voters to comment.”

Informational pamphlets will be created and distributed for each initiative. In addition, pamphlets will be available in county election offices and the office of the Secretary of State by the end of September.

Early ballots will begin to be sent starting Oct. 3.

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NEBRASKA STATE SENATOR PUSHING TO MAKE ELECTION DAY A HOLIDAY

LINCOLN- State Sen. Eliot Bostar, who represents south-central Lincoln, introduced two bills last legislative session to make Election Day a state holiday.

Senator Bostar has indicated that he will attempt again in the upcoming legislative session to have the day certified as a holiday. It is not yet clear if Senator Bostar will propose the same legislation or if it will be altered to encourage an easier route of approval.

The measure was opposed in this past session by multiple senators and the biggest opposer was Governor Pete Ricketts who said the measure was completely unnecessary.

Many states already recognize elections as state holidays, but the laws surrounding the holiday vary from state to state.

Senator Bostar, of District 29, also wants to automatically register everyone to vote at the Department of Motor Vehicles and provide postage for mail-in voting. Allowing for full voting engagement across the state is very important to him claimed Senator Bostar.

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NEBRASKA ELECTION OFFICIALS SAY THEIR JOB IS MORE STRESSFUL, UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

LINCOLN- Three Nebraska election officials affirmed that the state is not immune to the rising threat of violence towards election workers seen all over the country. Brian Kruse, the Douglas County election commissioner, stated that "it's gotten more stressful, it's a little more grueling. We're obviously under the microscope more."

Lancaster County election commissioner Dave Shirley shared a similar sentiment, saying, "It's more challenging today in so many different ways."

While the three election officials haven't yet seen any substantial threats, they believe it's very possible that they will come November. However, some potential election threats have been reported over the past few years. In 2020, a suspicious package that looked like a bomb was mailed to the Hall County Election Commissioners Office, and the building had to be evacuated. 

During the 2020 presidential elections, Nebraska also received a multitude of public record requests associated with the false claims of widespread voter fraud, which workers saw as harassment. 

Since Covid-19 started, many Nebraska election offices lost several key election workers, and are having trouble hiring because many fear these threats and harassment. 

Hall County Election Commissioner Tracy Overstreet claimed that, since the bomb threat, the office has had to update much of its security. "We have to think about everything in a different light," said Overstreet, "We haven't seen the problems here, but we have to pay attention to what's happening across the country."

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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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