SPEAKER HILGERS PLANS TO RESIGN FROM LEGISLATURE ON JANUARY 3RD TO BECOME STATES NEW AG

LINCOLN- Speaker Mike Hilgers said he’ll stay in the Legislature as long as he can before moving into the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office early next year.

Hilgers submitted a letter of resignation to Gov. Pete Ricketts on Tuesday outlining his plan to formally resign from the Legislature at midnight on Jan. 3, 2023. The 108th Legislature will meet hours later on the morning of Jan. 4 — the first Wednesday after the first Monday of January, in accordance with the state constitution. Hilgers will be sworn in that morning as the state's new Attorney General.

But by detailing his plan nearly 6 weeks ahead of time, Hilgers said he believes Ricketts — potentially in consultation with Gov.-elect Jim Pillen — will have plenty of time to find the man or woman who will finish out his second term in the Legislature.

Hilgers, a Republican, won election to the District 21 seat representing northwest Lincoln and northern Lancaster County in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020 before winning an uncontested race to become attorney general this year.

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ADAM MORFELD CONCEDES IN CONTESTED LANCASTER COUNTY RACE

LINCOLN- A tight general election race for Lancaster County attorney General been decided between Pat Condon and Adam Morfeld. Out of over 110,000 votes cast, the race was decided by a difference of 781.

On Tuesday evening votes trimmed Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon’s lead over his challenger, Sen. Adam Morfeld, by about 120 votes. Condon has 55,880 votes to Morfeld’s 54,839.

According to the Election Commission, about 220 resolution ballots cast on Election Day, as well as 1,850 provisional ballots, are left to count later in the week.

Morfeld needed to receive about 75% of the remaining votes to flip the race, and it would have taken a solid majority just to get the race within the margin needed under state law to trigger an automatic recount. State statute says an automatic recall takes place if any race is separated by a margin of “1% or less of the votes received by the candidate who received the highest number of votes for the office” in a race where more than 500 votes are cast.

Morfeld thanked supporters saying, "I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your steadfast support over the last two years and beyond. Whether you voted for me, volunteered, donated, or just cheered us on from afar, your support meant a great deal and sustained me!"

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NEBRASKA SENATORS NOT AMONG THOSE VOTING IN SUPPORT OF BILL PROTECTING SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

WASHINGTON D.C.- The U.S. Senate cleared a major procedural hurdle to enshrine protections for same-sex and interracial marriages, though it did so without the support of Nebraska’s two senators.

Sen. Deb Fischer, citing concerns over religious liberties, joined 36 of her Republican colleagues in voting against advancing the legislation, while Sen. Ben Sasse missed the vote to stay in Nebraska, where his wife, Melissa, was recovering from a seizure.

The vote certainly would have laid eyes on Senator Sasse since same-sex marriages are one of the biggest items that have been used to attack him in his new role as the president of the University of Florida. It is not clear what the Senator's vote on the subject would have been.

Sasse’s selection to lead Florida’s flagship university drew opposition from students and staff, who expressed concern over the senator’s stance on same-sex marriage. During his first visit to campus, he faced a large student protest that prompted a temporary ban on protests inside campus buildings. 

The legislation would repeal the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act and require states to recognize all marriages that were legal where they were performed. The new law would also protect interracial marriages by requiring states to recognize legal marriages regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.”

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NEBRASKA GETS ANOTHER $5.6 MILLION FOR BROADBAND EXPANSION

LINCOLN- Gov. Pete Ricketts announced that the state had received around $5.6 million through two grants awarded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The funds, according to Gov. Ricketts, will be used to develop plans to expand Nebraska's broadband services, especially in the state's western region.

Connect Nebraska, a group developed by Gov. Ricketts, applied for and won the grants. One of the grants will be used to generate a state broadband map, set up outreach activities, and enable the Nebraska Public Service Commission to hire more staff. The other grant will be used to secure internet connections statewide and promote telehealth technologies. 

Patrick Redmond, Nebraska's broadband coordinator, stated, "Now that we have received funding for both the Digital Equity Program and the BEAD program, we can begin the next phase in our plan to connect every Nebraskan."

Previously, the state had received around $90 million from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to expand broadband to cover around 21,000 historically underserved houses and businesses. 

State officials still expect around $100 million more in federal funds to support broadband, but it's unclear if and when this will occur. 

Thus far, all of the funding received by Nebraska has come from President Biden's infrastructure bill, which received mixed support from Nebraska lawmakers in Washington, D.C.

Expanding Broadband in Nebraska has been a top priority since 2018, when Gov. Ricketts created the Rural Broadband Task Force. Since then, Ricketts has signed several pieces of legislation allocating around $150 million to develop broadband infrastructure.

"In today's digital world, broadband connectivity is basic infrastructure," said Ricketts in a press release, "No matter the distance Nebraskans live from a city, they should have access to the online tools they need to live, learn, and do business."

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HHS AWARDS MORE THAN $100 MILLION IN FUNDS TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS SERVICES

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Last month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, awarded over $100 million to states and territories for mental health emergency preparedness, crisis response, and to expand suicide and crisis lifeline services.

The funds, which come from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, will be appropriated to all 54 states and territories, and awards will range from $458,000 to $2 million. 

Previously, DHHS has awarded around $60 million to states and territories through the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant, and another $50 million in supplemental grant funding. 

States will have the opportunity to leverage the new funds to develop and expand mental health services, including mental health emergency and response plans. 

Some states are being encouraged to develop mobile crisis teams as well, that can be deployed rapidly throughout the state to address mental health emergencies. 

Agencies and providers of mental health services can also receive training for mental health emergencies through the grant, are are being encouraged to create relationships with Suicide & Crisis Lifeline call centers, child welfare organizations, and schools.

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BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TOUTS $1.2 BILLION SENT TO NEBRASKA VIA INFRASTRUCTURE LAW

LINCOLN- Thanks to a large grant from President Biden's administration, Nebraska has received around $1.2 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, allowing York Public Schools to replace their again buses, levees to be repaired in Western Nebraska, and bridges to be replaced. 

Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, was excited to see Nebraska be rewarded so much from the $1 trillion program. "Trump and the Republicans talked about infrastructure but never did anything," said Kleeb, "President Biden and Democrats delivered."

In Congress, support for the bill from Nebraska lawmakers was split. U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, whose father acted as Director of the Nebraska Department of Roads, voted in favor of the bill. U.S. Rep. Don Bacon did the same.

"I voted for the infrastructure bill because it's an investment in the future of our state," said Fischer. Fischer pointed out that Nebraska saw a 21% increase in funding for roads and bridges over the past year than it had the year before that.

U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse and U.S. Reps. Adrian Smith and Jeff Fortenberry voted against the aid package, with Smith stating that the bill didn't focus on traditional infrastructure needs and was "more about electric vehicles and charging stations."

"These bills spend too much, tax too much and put an extreme left-wing agenda over getting Americans back to work and solving our supply chain crisis," said Smith.

The Brookings Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think-tank, stated that Biden's new infrastructure and budget reconciliation bills allowed for the largest building spree in our country since the New Deal.

Six rural Nebraskan schools were picked to receive electric buses to replace their aging ones. These districts include McCool, Hay Springs, Hershey, Raymond Central, Southern, and Summerland. However, McCool superintendent Dade McDonald said the school board is still deciding whether or not they want to accept the new buses. "There's some things we're obviously curious about," he said, "We're still getting some questions answered."

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ABORTION BAN FAILS IN SMALL NEBRASKA TOWN; OTHER PASS, SOME NARROWLY

CURTIS- Curtis is the biggest town in Frontier County, a county that pledged more than 85% of its vote to Donald Trump in 2020. On the 2022 midterm ballot, Curtis voters seemed to contradict their allegiance to Trump and conservative policies. 

They voted down an ordinance that would have banned abortion within the city limits. They did so by a giant, 41-point margin. “I don’t think that the vote was necessarily a referendum on abortion,” said Brad Welch, mayor of the town of 806 people. “I think it’s just that it went too far. The ordinance that was presented … became too political.” 

A total of six Nebraska towns had the abortion ban decision on their ballots. All of these bans ended up passing besides the ban proposed in Curtis. 

Officials pointed to the combination of Curtis having the most complex and restrictive ban out of all six cities, and having the highest population out of the cities that had voted on such a ban. It included restrictions on businesses that entered into contracts with the city, stating they could not cover abortions in employee health insurance, cover travel costs if an employee needed to get to an abortion, or donate to abortion-related funds.

The towns that decided to ban abortion- Paxton, Hershey, Brady, Arnold and Wallace — the margins show that rural voters aren’t a monolith when it comes to abortion access. In Paxton and Brady, the vote difference deciding the measure was less than 19 votes.

The ban not passing did come as a surprise to both the Curtis mayor and multiple residents. 

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GOVERNOR-ELECT PILLEN NAMES TWO MORE RICKETTS ADMINISTRATORS AS CABINET MEMBERS

LINCOLN- The trend of retaining cabinet members and staff from Governor Ricketts continues as Governor-Elect Jim Pillen taps two more Ricketts cabinet members. 

John Albin will remain commissioner of the Nebraska Department of Labor, while Eric Dunning will remain director of the State Department of Insurance, according to a press release. Last week, Pillen announced he was keeping John Hilgert as director of Veteran Affairs and Lee Will as state budget director. 

Albin has served as the commissioner of the Department of Labor since 2014, but has been with the department for more than 30 years total. 

Dunning was named director of the Department of Insurance in 2021. Prior to his appointment, he served as the director of government affairs at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska and served as legal counsel for the department from 1998 to 2013.

All four men are members of Ricketts' current cabinet. Pillen still must fill 24 cabinet positions before his term begins in January. 

More picks are expected to be released in the coming days and weeks. Continue to circle back as we will report all of them on this platform.

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LACK OF WORKERS STILL TOP CONCERN OF NEBRASKA BUSINESSES, ACCORDING TO SURVEY

LINCOLN- A  survey of Nebraska business owners conducted by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry shows that a lack of available workers is the main concern amongst owners. 

Among the approximately 230 respondents, 80% said a lack of workers is the biggest obstacle to potentially growing their business over the next year. 

Bryan Slone from the Chamber said, "None of this is surprising to anyone. You can go down into any downtown or commercial area in any community in our state and you can see signs on the door about limited hours or help wanted — you name it — related to the inability to find workers right now.” 

Business members' concern about the lack of workers is intertwined with their concerns about the lack of housing in their communities and a lack of child care. Two out of three respondents said the lack of housing is an impediment to growth in their communities. Just under half said the same thing about the lack of child care. 

Slone said the chamber will look to bring in more workers to Nebraska with a five-year goal to bring in 50,000 to 80,000 people. Slone reiterated his previous but often assertion that fully addressing Nebraska's workforce issues will the challenge of the next two decades.

Other issues high on respondents' lists were government and taxes (44%) and supply chain issues (43%).

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NEBRASKA TO GET $11 MILLION FROM OPIOID-RELATED SETTLEMENT WITH WALMART

LINCOLN- A $3 billion dollar settlement deal by Walmart will pay out a total of $11 million dollars to the State of Nebraska as negotiated by Attorney General Doug Peterson. The settlement with Walmart will resolve allegations that the company contributed to the opioid addiction crisis by failing to appropriately oversee the dispensing of opioids at its stores.

The money received from Walmart may not be the end of the funds. Walgreens and CVS are also in negotiation talks to settle their own opioid case. Walgreens and CVS filled significantly more opioid prescriptions than Walmart has. 

Out of the three companies since 2018, Walmart has been the most proactive in trying to monitor and control prescription opioid diversion attempted through its pharmacies. 

The parties are optimistic that the settlement will gain support of the required 43 states by the end of 2022, allowing local governments to join the deal during the first quarter of 2023, officials said. 

In addition to Nebraska, attorneys general from North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Tennessee, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, California, Louisiana, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts and Texas have served as the lead negotiators on the settlement with Walmart.

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LINCOLN AND LANCASTER COUNTY DETERMINING CASINO REVENUE ALLOCATION

LINCOLN- In just over five weeks, Lincoln's new WarHorse Casino paid out around $800,000 to the state's Property Tax Credit Fund, $28,500 for the Compulsive Gamer's Assistance Fund, and $143,000 to the City of Lincoln. 

"This first month has been a very nice number," said Lancaster County Commissioner Christa Yoakum. However, Yoakum said the Board wants to wait and see if cash keeps coming in that consistently.

"It's kind of hard to know how much money that will be and how consistent that will be coming in, what that revenue stream will look like,"
said Yoakum, "So, the county wants to meet the city to kind of determine how best to use those funds."

The Lancaster County Board of Commissioners wants to see how the WarHorse Casino will impact keno revenue, which is used to support several small towns and non-profit programs, before making decisions on how to allocate the new stream of funding. 

"So, we don't have any immediate plans for these funds," said Yoakum. Jennifer Williams, Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird's Chief of Staff, said in a statement that the city is also exploring options before making any key decisions. "We also anticipate a public engagement process related to what other options might be of interest," said Williams.

Lynne McNally, CEO of the Nebraska Benevolent and Protective Associations, said they're very pleased with the revenue generated so far. "I think actually, not only are we going to hold steady, but I think we might even do a little bit better as time goes on," said McNally.

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GOOGLE AGREES TO RECORD SETTLEMENT OVER MISLEADING TRACKING OF LOCATION DATA

LINCOLN- Nebraska is set to receive $12 million as part of a $391.5 million settlement with Google over its misleading tracking policies.

Forty states, led by the attorneys general of Nebraska and Oregon, sued Google, claiming that customers were not fully aware of Google tracking their location even when turning off the "Location History" function.

The settlement is the largest ever involving multi-state attorneys general, claimed Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson.

Location data is used by Google and its advertisers to customize ad pitches to Google users, but even a limited amount of location data can expose a person's identity and routines, says the Nebraska AG's office. 

The investigation was launched in 2018 after the Associated Press reported that the giant internet search engine "records your movements even when you explicitly tell it not to."

According to documents released from the investigation, Google had been misleading users since at least 2014, and has continued to violate several consumer protection laws. 

The settlement, besides the large payout, also requires Google to be more transparent with its users. Google must now show additional information when users turn on or off a location service, make key information about tracking policies easily identifiable, and give users detailed information about the types of location data collected.

The settlement will also limit Google's use and storage of certain location information and require Google account to be more user friendly.

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RICKETTS-BACKED CANDIDATES WIN SEATS ON NU BOARD OF REGENTS

LINCOLN- Kathy Wilmot, a former member of the State Board of Education and endorsee of several conservative politicians and organizations, is set to replace Regent Bob Phares of North Platte on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

Facing off against outgoing state Sen. Matt Williams, Wilmot won every county in District 7, beating Williams by around 10 percentage points. 

Although the Board of Regents race, like the Nebraska Legislature, is officially nonpartisan, Wilmot won the backing of Gov. Pete Ricketts, who donated $20,000 to her campaign. Ricketts also contributed money to a PAC that ran attack ads against Wilmot's opponent, Matt Williams.

Wilmot also received an endorsement from the Nebraska GOP, as well as support from the Protect Nebraska Children PAC, a conservative organization that spent around $38,000 to elect candidates in state and local school board races.

Last week, the Southern Poverty Law Center released a report alleging that Protect Nebraska Children had ties in 201 with anti-LGBTQ group Family Watch International.

Sen. John Stinner, a friend of Sen. Matt Williams, criticized Gov. Ricketts and other political figures for supporting attacks on Williams, calling them "cowardly attempts to sway voters in the worst way possible."

Besides Wilmot, Regent Paul Kenney won a second term on the Board of Regents. Kenney, a farmer and chairman of Kaapa Ethanol LLC, received around $10,000 in contributions from Gov. Ricketts. Governor-elect and Regent Jim Pillen also donated $10,000 to Kenney's campaign.

Regents are tasked with setting NU's budget, approving programs and projects, and hiring the university president. Their first meeting of 2023 is slated for February 10th, 2022.

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STATE OFFERING $66 MILLION IN AID TO NEBRASKA CHILDCARE OPERATORS, WORKERS

LINCOLN- Thanks to federal COVID-19 relief funds, Nebraska childcare workers and providers will have the opportunity to apply for financial aid taken from a $66 million program run by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

The intent of the new program is "to recognize and reward childcare workers, repay student loan debt, and expand access to quality childcare services," according to the Department.

Virtual sessions will be held by the DHHS for potential applicants, and applications will start being accepted starting December 5th. 

Jeff Powell, a Department spokesman, said the pandemic greatly exacerbated the childcare workforce shortage. "That caused an issue for parents...and forced them to make tough decisions, such as one parent leaving the workforce," said Powell, "These funds that we received from the federal government are to try and help that situation."

The program, once implemented, will provide childcare workers with stipends, and will allow licensed workers to use funds to pay off student loan debt.

Because of the pandemic, Nebraska's childcare workforce has faced income reductions, rampant turnover, difficulty hiring, and the inability to offer sufficient pay. A report released by the Buffet Early Childhood Institute, which polled around 750 providers, suggested that a majority of childcare workers have been struggling with mental, physical, and financial issues since the beginning of the pandemic.

Stephanie Beasley, director of DHHS's division of children and family services, believes the program will help alleviate these problems. "This investment into Nebraska's critical workforce will help boost childcare options for working families and support professionals doing this important work," she said.

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DEMOCRATS OUTRAISED REPUBLICANS IN THE FINAL MONTHS OF NEBRASKA'S CONGRESSIONAL RACES

LINCOLN- Although Republicans maintained all of Nebraska's congressional seats, two Democratic candidates raised more than their GOP opponents in the lead up to the election.

Since the special election was held this summer, 1st District candidate Patty Pansing Brooks raised $842,000, compared to opponent Mike Flood's $642,000. Similarly, Tony Vargas, a candidate for Nebraska's 2nd District seat, raised $1.8 million as opposed to Bacon's $860,000.

However, despite this late surge in contributions, both Flood and Bacon outraised their opponents overall, with Flood raising a total of $1.9 million and Bacon raising $3.9 million since last year. 

This last-minute funding surge was not enough to change the outcomes of either race, and Flood defeated Pansing Brooks by around 16 percentage points. However, the 2nd District race was a lot tighter, with Bacon only leading by 3 percentage points. 

These funding surges aren't a new occurrence. In 2020, Democrat Kate Bolz outraised then-Rep. Fortenberry in the final quarter of the 1st District races. That same year, candidate Kara Eastman, a progressive Democrat, raised more than Don Bacon, who says he is typically outraised by his opponents.

"Money doesn't always equal votes," said Bacon. 

ActBlue, a Democrat-run fundraising software, is likely the reason why contributions to Democratic candidates were so high. On the other side of the aisle, WinRed, a similar, Republican-leaning software, helped Bacon raise around $550,000 this year.

Helpful also to Democrat campaigns were national, left-leaning organizations. Meg Mandy, Vargas' campaign manager, stated that the level of national support Nebraska Democrats received this year is like nothing seen in Nebraska thus far.

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HANSON STOPS SHORT OF DECLARING VICTORY IN DOUGLAS COUNTY SHERIFF'S RACE

OMAHA- With a lead of just over 1,000 votes over Democratic opponent Greg Gonzales, it is very likely that Aaron Hanson, a Republican, will be elected Douglas County Sheriff. However, votes are still being counted.

Last week, Hanson had 50.8% of the vote compared to Gonzalez's 48.7%, but the race narrowed after provisional ballot tallies came in. Now, Hanson is sitting at 50.45% while Gonzalez has risen to 49.55%. 

Despite the small difference, Hanson stated that he felt confident his lead would win him the position of Sheriff. However, Hanson stated, "Out of respect to the process, I'm going to hold off on making a final statement." Similarly, Gonzalez said he wouldn't concede until all of the votes were counted.

"We feel confident that it's a close race and there's every opportunity to still win this race," said Gonzalez. Around 2,000 resolution ballots, or ballots that voting machines couldn't automatically read, have still yet to be counted, and an automatic recount will occur if the margin becomes less than 1%.

Hanson, 48, has been with OPD for 26 years, and became embroiled in controversy when, earlier this month, a bodycam video was released showing Hanson using excessive force on a handcuffed individual. Gonzalez, 51, retired from OPD in January, but worked with OPD for 27 years, 9 of those as deputy police chief.

Hanson believes that voters supported him because of his priorities of protecting families, supporting honest police officers, and giving people a second chance. 

"I feel glad that I stuck to the issues that I think people cared about," said Hanson, "I stuck to that message consistently, and I think it resonated."

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DEMOCRATS HAVE HEADED OFF GOP GOAL OF GAINING FILIBUSTER-PROOF MAJORITY IN UNICAMERAL

OMAHA- On Friday Douglas County officials completed their count of election ballots. Candidate John Fredrickson is the expected winner over Stu Dornan, a Republican whose loss thwarts Nebraska GOP's wishes for a supermajority in the Legislature. Fredrickson finished 1 vote outside of the margin for a mandatory recount, beating Dornan by 82 votes.

On election night, Dornan sat just 122 votes ahead of Fredrickson, and was set to take hold of a seat held previously by Sen. John McCollister of Omaha.

Frederickson's election to the Legislature stops Republicans from holding 33 seats in the 49-member unicameral, which would have given them a filibuster-proof majority. Republicans will hold 32 seats while Democrats will hold 17 in the officially nonpartisan unicameral.

The Nebraska GOP made gaining a 33-seat majority a top priority of the election cycle, and celebrated gaining that number the night after the election. There, state GOP Chairman Eric Underwood celebrated securing a "filibuster-proof majority", but perhaps he spoke too soon.

Final numbers from Lancaster County also gave a win to George Dungan over Russ Barger in the closely contested race to replace Senator Matt Hansen in Lincoln.

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STATE OFFICIALS URGE NEBRASKANS TO CONSIDER ADOPTION AMID LOW NUMBERS

LINCOLN- Currently, adoption rates in Nebraska are at their lowest since 2003, prompting state officials to urge Nebraskans to consider adopting a child. 

The Federal Children's Bureau, to celebrate adoption awareness month, set this year's theme as 'Small Steps Open Door', and is working to highlight the challenges that may arise when building trust with youth seeking permanent homes. 

As of October 31st in Nebraska, 296 adoptions have been finalized this year. However, 403 adoptions were completed within the same timeframe in 2021. 

Stephanie Beasley, director of the Children and Family Services Division, is working to inspire Nebraskans to consider adopting a child. "Every time I talk to a foster family, I hear how this made a powerful impact in their lives," said Beasley, "This is an experience that doesn't end at adoption, it is a transformation families will experience for the rest of their lives."

Beasley finished her statement, saying, "I urge any Nebraskans considering adoption to reach out to DHHS for information and support."

The Department of Health and Human Services and its partners are planning on holding several events throughout the month to educate families on the process of adoption. The events are as follows:

• Douglas-Sarpy Counties: Nov. 19, 9-11:30 a.m., Judge Candice J. Novak will preside over multiple adoptions at the Omaha-Douglas Civic Center.

• Northeast Nebraska: Nov. 19, 3-6 p.m., 13th Annual National Adoption Day at the YMCA in Norfolk, with a meal served at 5 p.m

• Lancaster County: Nov. 12, 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Lancaster County Courthouse. Adopted children will receive backpacks with gifts, adoptive families will receive gift bags, and there will be food and games for all in attendance.

• Western Nebraska: A community event will be held in December to celebrate adoptions from 2020, 2021 and 2022.

• Central Nebraska: Organizers will deliver backpacks for all 2022 adoptees and their families. The bags will include information for Families Forever, books on adoptions for teens (if adopting a teen), swag from agencies, board games, and other items.

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FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTS FORMER KANSAS FOSTER CARE OFFICIALS ON FRAUD CHARGES

TOPEKA- A federal grand jury has indicted the former CEO and IT director of Saint Francis Ministries for attempting to defraud the foster care provider of around $5 million in fake invoices.

The indictment follows a two-year investigation into accusations of financial mismanagement that led to the dismissal of former CEO Robert Smith. In 2019, Nebraska officials contracted Saint Francis to run its child welfare system, but terminated the contract three years before its end date, claiming that Saint Francis failed to deliver on several obligations. 

Prosecutors allege that Smith approved a multitude of invoices submitted by IT director William Whymark that inflated the costs of providing IT services. Smith received a previously undisclosed $50,000 kickback disguised as an authorized invoice, and used Saint Francis credit cards to purchase personal items like clothing and jewelry.

Smith and Whymark were indicted on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 10 counts of wire fraud, with Smith receiving five additional charges of wire fraud and money laundering.

If convicted, both men will face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, alongside fines and restitution. The Kansas Reflector first reported on allegations of financial mismanagement in November of 2020. 

Saint Francis is currently the largest foster care contractor in Kansas, and provides services to Wichita and the western side of the state. 

Officials working with Saint Francis confirmed that they were aware of the indictments, and released a statement saying, "As the case moved forward, Saint Francis will continue to work transparently and collaboratively with federal authorities as part of the investigative process. We appreciate the diligence exhibited in the pursuit of justice by all parties."

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HAMMERING OUT DETAILS OF NEBRASKA'S VOTER ID LAW WON'T BE EASY, LAWMAKER SAYS

LINCOLN- With the recent passing of Initiative 432, a voter ID ballot measure, it will be up to the Nebraska Legislature to decide the actual details of the new law. 

State Sen. Tom Brewer, of Gordon, foresees this becoming a possible challenge. 

"There's a lot of different, possible versions of what can come out of this," said Brewer, "It's not going to be easy."

The challenge, Brewer believes, will come from the "loud and long" debates the passing of this ballot measure is expected to garner.

However, despite claims from voter ID opponents who believe the state will enact the strictest voting requirements in the country, Sen. Brewer wants to "make sure nobody is left out, that we allow everyone the privilege of voting."

These local opponents of voter ID laws, like Civic Nebraska and the ACLU of Nebraska, will be watching closely as the new amendment is formed and wording is chosen.

Civic Nebraska and the ACLU of Nebraska believe the change to be unnecessary, since there have been no recorded occurrences of voter impersonation in the state.

Jane Seu, an attorney with the ACLU, is worried that a new voter ID mandate may change mail-in voting standards and make it difficult for citizens without easy access to voting machines to vote.

"The greater barrier that presents is the effect that may have on someone's ability or willingness to vote," said Seu.

There have been questions raised about what forms of ID will be accepted, or what actions will be available for those without these forms of ID, but Nebraskans likely won't know until deliberation begins in January.

Brewer stated that he and his colleagues are interested in ensuring "reasonable" identification options, and stated specifically that tribal ID would suffice.

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