OUTSIDE SPENDING FLOWS INTO NEBRASKA CONGRESSIONAL RACE BETWEEN BACON, VARGAS

OMAHA- Millions of dollars have poured into the race for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, a hefty sum that analysts say reflects a competitive contest. ​​​​

In the District 1 race, spending has been impressive, but not up to the standards set in the District 2 race.

Republican-dominated state and given the power of incumbency, the Republican incumbents have outraised, and outspent, their Democratic challengers, overall, in both races during the election cycle.

more than $12.3 million had been spent by the candidates and outside groups for the Bacon v. Vargas race. This spending is a sign of a tight and highly contested race between the two candidates.

Possibly making the biggest difference is the outside money. More than half of money spent in the Bacon-Vargas contest, nearly $7.4 million, has come from outside groups.

A significant share of the outside money, $3.5 million, has been spent in opposition of Vargas, compared with $2.1 million in opposition of Bacon. Another $1.7 million has been spent in support of Bacon.

Top outside donors supporting Bacon are the Congressional Leadership Fund and the National Republican Congressional Committee. Top groups supporting Vargas are the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the House Majority PAC.

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BARGER, DUNGAN OFFER STARK CONTRASTS IN RACE FOR NORTHEAST LINCOLN'S DISTRICT 26 SEAT

LINCOLN- District 26, previously occupied by Senator Matt Hansen will be filled by either Russ Barger or George Dungan. Both candidates are very different, but each identified public safety as a top issue.

Barger, a 50-year-old Republican attorney and entrepreneur, and Dungan, a 34-year-old Democrat and former public defender — have fundamentally very different views.

For Dungan, who finished 292 votes behind Barger in second place in May’s four-way primary race, the issue is nuanced and intertwined with the availability of accessible health care, including mental health care and substance-use programs.

“We need safe neighborhoods,” said Dungan, who worked in the Lancaster County Public Defender’s Office for eight years after earning an undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas and a law degree from American University.

For Barger, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate who has worked in Nebraska’s Attorney General’s Office and for the state’s Department of Labor, the issue seems more black-and-white.

“Our local law enforcement has been undermanned and underfunded for years, and it’s now showing with our record crime numbers in 2022,” he said in a written response to questions after declining an in-person or phone interview, citing time constraints.

Nowhere is their differences more apparent than in their stances on abortion. “There could not be a clearer contrast between Russ Barger and I when it comes to the issue of whether or not somebody has access to reproductive health care,” said Dungan.

Barger believes abortion should only be legal in cases when the mother’s life is threatened. He does not support exceptions for rape, incest or “fetal anomalies.”

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MORE MILES COMPLETED ON PANHANDLE'S HEARTLAND EXPRESSWAY

LINCOLN- Dignitaries gathered to celebrate the completion of an additional 14 miles of four-lane, divided freeway on the Heartland Expressway in Nebraska’s Panhandle.

The new four-lane portion extends from Nebraska Highway Link 62A,  east of Minatare, to Alliance.

Increased revenue from the Build Nebraska Act and the Transportation Innovation Act enabled the Nebraska Department of Transportation to extend the expressway.

The NDOT also received an $18.3 million grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Infrastructure for Rebuilding America program.

The Heartland Expressway, a federally designated, high-priority corridor, will eventually provide multilane, divided highway access from Rapid City, South Dakota, to Denver, via Alliance, Scottsbluff, Kimball and Brush, Colorado.

Gov. Pete Ricketts, who attended Monday’s event, said the expressway will significantly increase the flow of freight from America’s border with Canada all the way to ports along the Gulf of Mexico.

Alliance Mayor Mike Dafney said the expressway has been long awaited by Panhandle residents.

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PILLEN SAYS TAX REFORM, REVAMP OF EDUCATION FUNDING ARE TOP PRIORITIES

OMAHA- At a Rotary Club of Omaha meeting, gubernatorial candidate highlighted his values ahead of the November 8th elections.

Rather than the traditional campaign events, such as candidate debates and large-scale public speeches, Pillen has favored smaller gatherings such as the Rotary Club.

“If you do nothing but large events, people might say they saw you, but they don’t know you,” Pillen said. 

Pillen said he would have called a special session this year to debate abortion legislation following the Supreme Court ruling in June, which Gov. Pete Ricketts did not do. 

When asked multiple times whether he would support a full abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest, Pillen responded: “It’s about saving as many babies as possible.” 

If elected, Pillen said he would first address the legislature. He said he wants to start an “attitudinal change,” to encourage lawmakers to serve the state, rather than their individual districts. 

Pillen’s top priority in office would be to fix Nebraska’s “broken tax code” and reduce property taxes. 

Pillen also has made education funding an increasingly prominent pillar of his platform. 

Another top priority for Pillen is addressing the so-called “brain drain,” which refers to large numbers of educated young adults leaving Nebraska. 

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PRISON WATCHDOG URGES CAUTION IN OPENING NEW UNIT FOR HIGHEST RISK INMATES

LINCOLN- A prison watchdog is urging caution as the state prepares to open a new, 384-bed unit designed to hold the state’s most dangerous inmates.

The Nebraska Inspector General's Office outlined in a 29-page report complaints from inmates, staff, and management at similar facilities in Tecumseh, York, and Lincoln. 

The report outlined a series of recommendations for the department in opening the $49 million, maximum-custody unit at the Reception and Treatment Center in Lincoln, which has been billed as being specially designed to handle dangerous inmates. 

The Inspector General's report said the current facilities are operating more like restrictive housing, with the units struggling to provide the required out-of-cell time of 24 hours a week and rehabilitation programming. 

Mike Chipman, the president of the union that represents corrections officers, said he also has concerns, mainly about recent reductions in the minimum staffing requirements for some state prison housing units, reductions that have left one officer overseeing units that used to require two. 

The Inspector Generals Report highlighted areas such as staffing, writing out guidance requirements, body camera usage, increased behavior incentives, improved exercise yards, and Inmate transfer anger. 

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FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN $800 MILLION TO KEEP INDEBTED FARMERS AFLOAT

LINCOLN- More than 13,000 farmers have benefited from nearly $800 million in federal debt relief, said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

The assistance came from a new federal initiative to erase farmers’ loan delinquencies to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and private lenders or to resolve their remaining debts after foreclosure.

Going forward, the USDA is expected to give hundreds of millions of dollars of relief to farmers who are facing bankruptcy or foreclosure and to those who are at risk of missing payments on their loans.

“The star of the show here is the farmer,” Vilsack told reporters. “The person that really matters is the farmer, and keeping that farmer, him or her, on the land so that he or she can take care of their family and their community.” 

The government’s farm loan obligations for its 2022 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, totaled about $5.8 billion, according to USDA records. States with the highest obligations included Iowa at about $484 million, Arkansas at $424 million, Oklahoma at $366 million and Nebraska at $341 million. 

For those with government-backed loans from private entities, the average benefit was about $172,000. 

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COSTS OF INCARCERATION RISE AS INFLATION SQUEEZES INMATES, FAMILIES

LINCOLN- All over the country, prison commissaries are raising the prices of basic commodities, like deodorant and fresh fruit, to account for decades-high inflation rates. These items, which are not provided by the Nebraska Department of Corrections, are being made harder to purchase by families already struggling with high inflation.

State Sen. Terrell McKinney said that these raised prices are concerning, and that he plans to double down on seeking a legislative response. 

Sen. McKinney previously attempted to limit what prisons could charge inmates, but did not gain the necessary support in the Legislature. "Individuals are having to rely more so on family to make up for rising costs of goods they need inside," stated the Senator, "Inflation affects people inside and outside of prison, it's a fact you can't deny."

Wanda Bertram, communications strategist for the Prison Policy Initiative, shares a similar sentiment. Bertram believes that prison commissaries that charge inmates for essential items instead of providing them for free is placing an unnecessary burden on not only the inmates, but their families too. 

"The prison and jail system always has the power to play hardball with the provider to get prices down in order to make items more affordable for the consumers," said Bertram, "but a prison system that's already content with foisting the cost of things like over-the-counter medication onto incarcerated people probably is not going to work very hard to do that."

However, Shannon Ross, executive director of The Community, a nonprofit focused on inmate re-entry, stated that inflation isn't the only problem in prisons. Low inmate wages, she stated, are one of the reasons why inmates can't afford these commissary items. In Nebraska, inmates who work while incarcerated make between $1.21 and $4.72 a day, well below the state's minimum wage.

Many inmates rely on food from the prison commissary to provide more satisfying meals than what they are served by the state. Inmates have also reportedly had trouble finding fresh fruits and vegetables, often being served unhealthy or outright rotten food by the state. 

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HUNGRY GAMBLERS SPENT A LOT IN THE FIRST WEEK OF THE LINCOLN WARHORSE CASINO

LINCOLN- Nebraska's first week of casino gambling brought in nearly $286,000 in taxes for state and local governments. 

The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission Director Tom Sage called the number "remarkable."

Sage said he did not yet have an accounting of the total amount wagered in those first seven days, and WarHorse officials declined to release that number.

Director Sage did note that the first day of the operation had total wagers over several million.

Assuming a payout of 90%, gamblers putting $14 million into slot machines would net tax revenue of about $280,000. Extend those numbers over a full year, and slot machines in Lincoln could generate $728 million in revenue and $14.5 million in state and local tax revenue.

Of the nearly $286,000 in tax revenue generated in September, 70%, or about $200,000, goes into a fund that will provide relief to the state's property taxpayers.

In regards to the Omaha casino, construction continues. 

WarHorse gaming spokesperson Drew Niehaus said, "Unfortunately in Lincoln, it was a little bit easier to get those machines into a space, Omaha requires a little more renovation to the existing facility so we’ve got a little bit more work to do before we’ll be gambling in Omaha.”

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FIVE STATE SENATORS CALL FOR INVESTIGATION OF NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

LINCOLN- Three weeks before an election in which concerns about education could motivate Republican turnout, five conservative state senators called for a legislative investigation into the Nebraska Department of Education.

The senators said one of their staffers found a link in June to a New York University center for culturally responsive education on “Launch Nebraska,” a state Department of Education website built for schools reopening during the pandemic. On this website, a document defending CRT and a discussion of racial justice were found.

State Sens. Dave Murman of Glenvil, Steve Erdman of Bayard, Robert Clements of Elmwood, Steve Halloran of Hastings and Myron Dorn of Adams said they want the Legislature’s Education Committee to investigate who shared the link and what else was shared. They also said they want to know who might have promoted a new sex education curriculum.

“After a year of operation, ‘Launch Nebraska’ posted left-wing agenda items completely foreign to Nebraska public schools before the pandemic…,” Murman said. “Now we’ve uncovered documents that show unequivocally, unequivocally that the department has also been promoting critical race theory.”

Murman said if an investigation is held, he did not expect it to begin any sooner than the next legislative session in January. Murman, Erdman, Clements and Halloran did not contact the state Education Department before calling for the investigation.

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DON WALTON: RICKETTS WOOED BY NATIONAL GOP LEADERS TO ACCEPT SENATE APPOINTMENT

LINCOLN- Over the past week, several national Republican leaders have urged Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts to accept an appointment to the Senate and then gear up for 2024's race.

Besides Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina made a direct pitch to Gov. Ricketts at the annual Republican steak fry gathering in Nebraska last week. 

"I hope you'll think about it, sit down with your family and pray on it," said Graham, "and if that opportunity comes, maybe you can take the competency and caring and the conservativism you've demonstrated here in Nebraska and bring it to help us in Washington."

"Think about it," Graham urged the Governor. It has been a few years since a Nebraska Governor held a seat in the Senate, but it isn't unheard of. Several more recent Governors have done so, including Jim Exon, Bob Kerrey, Ben Nelson, and Mike Johanns.

Present also at the steak fry event was former Vice President Mike Pence, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

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NEBRASKA SEPTEMBER TAX RECEIPTS $110 MILLION OVER PROJECTIONS

LINCOLN- According to a report issued by the Nebraska Department of Revenue, Nebraska's net tax collections were up nearly 18% over projections.

September's net revenue receipts were up nearly $110 million, continuing a trend started in July of higher-than-predicted figures.

In July and August, the state's net collections were up 1.1% and 4.8% respectively, with September's coming out at 9.4%.

Last Friday, Gov. Ricketts released a statement celebrating September's figures, saying that the increased numbers will help the state provide more tax relief while making increased investments.

"Nebraska's growth continues to be incredibly strong," said Gov. Ricketts, "creating opportunities for our families to enjoy the good life, thanks to Nebraskans whose hard work is helping our state thrive."

The forecasting board will meet again in late October to update previous projections. Both the Legislature and the Governor utilize these predictions while making tax and budget decisions.

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LINEHAN HOPES EDUCATION CONCERNS CAN BE SOLVED WITHOUT INVESTIGATION

KEARNEY- After five state senators called for an investigation into the state's department of education, Sen. Lou Ann Linehan says she doesn't think it's necessary. 

Linehan is a member of the Nebraska Legislature's Education Committee, and although she believes the investigation is unnecessary the Senator did say she thinks the claims are valid. 

"There's been a disconnect between parents in our communities and what a handful--I don't think it's a huge number--but some sin education think they need to be teaching," said Sen. Linehan. 

The concerns stem from a link on the Department of Education's website that brought users to a page promoting "culturally responsive education." However, according to Education officials, the link, which was discovered in June, was removed by the end of the summer.

"I wouldn't say investigation," said Sen. Linehan, "we just need some parameters about what gets on there, how does it get on there, and who is ultimately responsible for what is on the website."

When asked about the recent drop in Nebraska's ACT test average, Sen. Linehan indicated that that's a bigger problem than the investigation. 

"It's a crisis. We need to get everybody on the same page that what we need in education is a good, basic foundation so young people can go be successful," said Linehan.

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PATRICK O'DONNELL, NATION'S LONGEST-SERVING CLERK OF THE LEGISLATURE, PLANS TO RETIRE

LINCOLN- On Tuesday, longtime Clerk of the Legislature Patrick O'Donnell announced his intentions to retire by the end of the year. O'Donnell, now 73, has served in the position since 1978.

In an email to all state Senators, O'Donnell wrote, "It has been an honor to serve. I wish you well in the upcoming session." Although O'Donnell gave no particular reason for his retirement in the email, veteran lobbyist and longtime friend of O'Donnell's Walt Radcliffe stated that it, thankfully, wasn't health-related.

O'Donnell was hired on to the Legislature during his last year in law school, and acted as an aide to the Legislature's Judiciary Committee. "I started working here," said O'Donnell, "and I never left." In the past, O'Donnell told the Omaha World-Herald that "this place kind of gets in your blood. I feel like I'm part of something that's important."

When asked why he was departing, he said, "It’s a different environment, the nature of the members has changed. Some of that may be due to term limits, some because of money and politics."

“There are people who are more engaged in political theater now than the hard work of being a good senator."

O'Donnell noted that there are still dedicated individuals, just not nearly as many.

“We’re certainly not perfect,” he said. “I don’t know of one (legislative system) that is better. But I think we were even better before.”

O'Donnell said he will be keeping an eye on the upcoming session, but It may be from a golf course, or wherever he is traveling at that time.

The Legislature’s Executive Board will recommend the choice of the first new clerk of the Nebraska Legislature in 45 years.

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HISTORIC MARKER EQUITY GRANT RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED

LINCOLN- On Thursday, History Nebraska announced 12 recipients for the Historic Marker Equity Grant, a program that creates and funds markers to share the story of underserved groups and topics in Nebraska history.

Project Coordinator Autumn Langmeier was excited to share the news, especially since the recipients are the first ever to be awarded the grants. "This is a fantastic start to this new program," said Langmeier, "These markers are a first step to bringing a full scope of Nebraska's history to the public."

Broc Anderson, a native of Sheridan County and recipient of the award, believes the program will help teach Nebraskan's little-known history of the state. "The White Clay Extension from Pine Ridge Reservation is part of Nebraska history that is so overlooked. With the help of the History Nebraska Equity Program, the general public may better understand some of the early Native and non-native relations in northwest Nebraska," said Anderson. 

History Nebraska plans to work directly with the recipients to design, produce, and install historic markers at no cost. The organization praised Sen. Justin Wayne, who they say is the reason funds were able to be allocated last year for the award. Sen. Wayne sought to help Nebraska discover its historical diversity across the state.

History Nebraska said the funds needed to construct these new monuments will offset the costs of new and replacement markers to promote diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion in Nebraska.

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS QUESTION WHY STATE PRISON LEADERS FAILED TO COMPLY WITH MANDATES

LINCOLN- In 2021, the Nebraska Legislature appropriated money to the Department of Corrections to build a 'halfway back house,' a structured environment for parole violators who will not go back to prison.

Later that same year, legislators also mandated a comprehensive facilities study to determine the safety of Nebraska prisons and the health of inmates.

And, way back in 2015, the Nebraska Legislature told the Department of Corrections to build a new electronic medical records tracking system.

To the dismay of state Sen. Steve Lathrop, none of these were ever produced or fully implemented. At a Judiciary Committee hearing this week, Sen. Lathrop said that the radio silence from the Department of Corrections was concerning. "The willingness to ignore what we have required in legislation is concerning," said the Senator. 

Sen. Lathrop went on to suggest that the Department was intentionally ignoring the orders of the Legislature, and claimed, alongside several other Senators, that this is why Nebraska has such high overcrowding rates. "Quite frankly, not much has changed," said state Sen. Adam Morfeld during the hearing. 

Because Director Scott Frakes left earlier this month, it was up to interim Director Diane Sabatka-Rine to answer the Legislature's questions. Despite criticism from the Judiciary Committee on the Department's lack of action, Sabatka-Rine claimed that they've made "meaningful change" to the Nebraska prison system.

The interim Director also claimed that the facilities study will be conducted by the end of the year, and that the inmate classification study will be done by March. "I think we can continue to improve the quality of life in many respects for our population," stated Sabatka-Rine. 

Sabatka-Rine stated during the hearing that she'd be interested in becoming full-time Director, and said that the Department plans on strengthening its relations with the Legislature with the introduction of the new governor.

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LIPPINCOTT, REIMERS SHARE VIEWS AT A CENTRAL CITY FORUM

CENTRAL CITY- Legislative candidates Loren Lippincott and Mike Reimers had a discussion at a Central City forum held last week.

The two candidates are both Republicans battling for the District 34 legislative seat. The seat was previously held by state senator Curt Friesen.

District 34 spans across Hall, Hamilton, Merrick, and Nance counties and surrounds cities such as Central City and the Grand Island Area.

The forum had about forty attendees and the candidates respectfully shared the mic for ninety minutes.

They covered topics ranging from economic development to housing to early childhood education, agreeing that they share similar views on some issues, while differing on others.

The issue that candidates shared the view the most on was education.

“During this campaign, I’ve gone to all four counties and knocked on about 6,000 doors and by far the number one thing people are concerned about is what’s going on in school,” Lippincott said.

“In kindergarten through 12th grade and also in our colleges they are fighting mad with the idea of Critical Race Theory, the 1619 Project, Black Lives Matter and sex education standards. I hear that all the time.”

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AMENDMENT TO IMPROVE COMMERCIAL AIR TRAVEL IN NEBRASKA IS ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT

OMAHA- The November ballot will include an option to improve commercial airline travel in Nebraska.

“We’ve been talking about the need for this amendment for over a year but our communities and business across the state have been telling us for decades,” said Kristen Hassebrook, Executive VP of legislation and policy at the Nebraska Chamber.

A vote Amendment One would authorize any city, county, or other political subdivisions that own or operate an airport to use its revenue for development of new or expanded regularly scheduled commercial passenger air service.

“People expect to have easy and safe access to travel opportunities whether its travel or leisure,” said District 29 Sen. Eliot Bostar.

Grow Nebraska is a bipartisan group that has worked to get this amendment on the ballot to change the Nebraska constitution.

Senators Eliot Bostar and Lou Ann Linehan along with District One representative Mike Flood are on the Grow Nebraska committee.

“The more direct flights we have in Nebraska the better off Nebraska is as a state,” said Rep. Flood.

State Senators say that this initiative is one of the many ways to grow Nebraska and start the increase of access to the great state.

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PAST UNION PRESIDENT, NOW RUNNING FOR SHERIFF, WAS DEEMED TO HAVE USED EXCESSIVE FORCE. THEN OMAHA'S POLICE CHIEF STEPPED IN

OMAHA- In 2018, and according to the Omaha Police Department's Safety Review Board, it was decided unanimously that former president of Omaha's Police Union Sgt. Aaron Hanson used excessive force when he kneed on an already-handcuffed Omaha man. The board recommended a low-level punishment for the offense.

However, Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer overruled the board, a move that he has only made twice in his career. The Police Chief deemed Hanson's use of force "justified."

The 2018 issue, resurfaced this year during the contentious race between Hanson and deputy police chief Greg Gonzalez. Hanson said that the move was orchestrated by Gonzalez's team to win political points. 

John Wells, current Police Union president, said, "They're trying to politicize an incident for gain and to take Aaron Hanson down."

Omaha Police officials questioned the accuracy of Gonzalez's version of the 2018 event, and plan to open a theft investigation after learning that The Reader and Flatwater Free Press obtained dashcam footage and documentation of the incident. 

Gonzalez and his team believe the review board's ruling matters in the upcoming election. Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha held a similar sentiment, stating, "I don't think the police can police themselves. If the chief is going to overturn a situation like this, what else has he overturned?"

In the obtained dashcam footage, Hanson is seen kneeing a handcuffed suspect in the leg until he "crumpled" to the ground. Hanson, along with Schmaderer and despite the rulings of the review board, says his actions were justified. 

George Merithew, a former member of the review board, stated, "While animated the subject did not become verbally abusive toward Sgt. Hanson until after Sgt. Hanson struck the subject. It appears that Sgt. Hanson lost his temper and attacked the subject."

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LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATE'S ABORTION VIEW QUESTIONED, ACCUSED OF PLAYING BOTH SIDES

OMAHA- With the end of Roe V. Wade just months behind us, abortion is taking a front-and-center role this Legislative session. Current state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh has long been a supporter of abortion rights, with Planned Parenthood calling her a "pro-choice champion." The Senator's opponent, Christian Mirch, is endorsed by Nebraska Right to Life, but some question the candidate's real views on the issue. 

In an interview held by News Channel Nebraska's Joe Jordan, Mirch was asked whether or not he would support abortion if a majority from his district believed in protecting it. Jim Jordan asked, "What would happen if, as you said you're pro-life, what would happen if the district came back, and they said we want you to vote that there be no restrictions on abortions?"

To which candidate Christian Mirch responded: "If that's what the majority of the district wanted, yes. Because I believe that we need our representatives to actually represent our district and constituents, not themselves or their personal views."

However, Jordan spoke with Sandy Danek, head of Nebraska Right to Life, who claimed she spoke with Mirch after the interview and determined that "Mirch is sincerely pro-life." She went on to state, "After having a conversation with him, that's not what I understood him to believe. That was not the discussion we had."

Sen. Cavanaugh responded to Mirch's statements by alleging that he is playing it both ways. "He's trying to answer the pro-life community how they want him to answer," said Cavanaugh, "and when he's at the doors being asked by the voters, he's being disingenuous. It's a very important and personal issue and people should be honest about it."

In a voter guide sent out by Nebraska Right to Life, Mirch is said to have affirmed his support for a "Right to Life" bill, and claimed that he would vote it into the floor of the Legislature. The voter guide does not state whether or not the candidate would speak with voters first.

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LAURITSEN AND HOLDCROFT FACE OFF IN SARPY COUNTY FOR DISTRICT 36 SEAT

SARPY COUNTY- One of Nebraska's updated Legislative Districts covers Sarpy County, from Papillion to Gretna.

"We're in the fastest growing district within this state," Lauritsen said. "We are going to be right back here redistricting in another 10 years."

"So, there's lots of questions about what drives your property taxes, and what actions we could take to try and get them reduced," Holdcroft said.

Both say they lost their respective 2020 races by a little more than a hundred votes. Holdcroft ran for the legislature, and Lauritsen ran for Gretna mayor.

Holdcroft's priority is lowering taxes, from income to property.

"I'd like to form up some partnerships with the local political entities who set the budgets and set the levies and impose and collect the property tax," Holdcroft said.

Lauritsen's priority is supporting families. She says that means providing quality education, lowering property taxes, and taking care of military families.

"Understanding the struggles of long deployments and hoping and wishing there was better pay for our military members is always something I will always be a huge advocate for," Lauritsen said.

On the issue of abortion, Holdcroft is in support of bringing abortion laws to the legislature. On the other hand, Lauritsen opposes bans that don't allow exceptions for incest, rape, or the life of the mother.

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