RICKETTS STICKS TO HIS SCRIPT, SAYS WAIT AND SEE ABOUT U.S. SENATE VACANCY

LINCOLN- Governor Pete Ricketts stuck to his script of not showing interest or disinterest in the Senate seat vacancy caused by Senator Sasse becoming the next president of the University of Florida.

The only true hint the Governor would offer was a response to a caller on his monthly radio show. In the call, a constituent asked what he wants to do moving forward. Ricketts's response was, "I would love to remain involved in policy and politics." Although this hint is not much, it does identify Ricketts's intentions moving forward.

Ricketts has said he would not fill the vacancy himself had the resignation come while he was still in office, but was deferring the pick to Pillen, whom Ricketts financially backed for $1.4 million and endorsed.

It is assumed that Governor Ricketts is the point man for the job if he were to accept. Ricketts has faced direct senate-related questions and has been continuously noncommittal. “Gov.-elect Pillen is going to have a process,” Ricketts said. “We’ll wait and see what happens.” 

When asked if he might decline to seek a seat in the U.S. Senate, as his predecessor, Gov. Dave Heineman, did because he preferred to be an executive rather than one of many legislators, Ricketts said that the executive and legislative branches are two separate wings of government that have “different roles.”

“There’s lots of ways to contribute. We’ll what Gov.-elect Pillen does in regard to this process, and we’ll see what happens from there,” Ricketts said.

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LINCOLN MAYOR GAYLOR BAIRD ANNOUNCES SHE WILL RUN FOR RE-ELECTION

LINCOLN- Lincoln mayor Gaylor Baird has announced her re-election bid by embracing her record as mayor, highlighting the city's responses to Covid-19 in the onset of the pandemic.

Baird said she was proud of the fact that Lincoln and Lancaster County retained mortality rates at the lowest levels not only in Nebraska but in the nation. Nebraska's highest-profile Democrat said she will use the pandemic in her campaign. 

“We kept people alive, working together,” said Baird. “We continue to monitor the data and get out information. But look where we are now. Life is so much better.”

Baird is not only pointing to various accomplishments pertaining to Covid-19, she is also pointing to the money the city received because of it. She pointed to nearly $10 million in rent and utility stabilization grants that the city awarded to local small businesses from federal coronavirus relief funds and $12 million in federal funds for worker training programs. 

Baird said she knows she will be the top target next spring of a well-funded Republican political machine known for big advertising buys and political attacks. Top GOP donors are lining up behind Republican State Sen. Suzanne Geist, who announced her bid for mayor in mid-September. Christian broadcaster Stan Parker, another Republican, threw his hat into the ring.

Gaylor Baird, a former management consultant, said she is confident she will raise the money she needs to compete. 

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HOME BUILDERS GROUP EAGER FOR NEBRASKA TO DIG 4,000-ACRE RECREATION LAKE

OMAHA- Home building companies in Nebraska are eager to begin working around a possible 4,000-acre manmade lake set to be built between Omaha and Lincoln. 

After state Senator Mike McDonnell introduced a progress report on the potential lake, members of the Metro Omaha Builders Association stated that they stand ready to do their part and get the project started.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for private development and not necessarily only along the shoreline," said former MOBA president Greg Frazell, "Nebraska needs something--and we'll never have mountains."

Frazell was among around 150 MOBA members who heard Sen. McDonnell present highlights of the lake proposal, which came about after a special legislative study last year.

The committee charged with planning the new lake is led by state Sen. Mike Hilgers, and is meant to explore avenues for Nebraska to reinvigorate its recreation, economic development, tourism, and population.

Sen. McDonnell revealed the potential location of the lake, adjacent to the Lower Platte River at Highway 6, and estimated revenue to be around $1 billion, most of that coming from private investments.

If the lake materializes, Brett Clarke of Frontier Builders and current president of MOBA sees "year and years" of ongoing development on the shore.

"I think you'll see demand through the roof for those lakefront properties," he said, claiming also that there is a local appetite for luxury homes in the price point of $1 million and above.

Although several attempts have been made since 1896 to create a large reservoir in Nebraska, McDonnell claims that this project will not require damming the Platte River, something that many have thought may be an expensive undertaking.

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NEBRASKA GOVERNOR-ELECT PILLEN BEGINS FORMATION OF CONSERVATIVE STATE BUDGET PROPOSAL

LINCOLN- Governor-elect Jim Pillen is gearing up to be Nebraska's next governor, and after making some key staffing decisions, he seems to be eyeing the state's budget. 

During an interview at the State Capitol, Pillen stated that he "will listen to [his] partner, Joe Kelly" when making the decision whether to build Gov. Rickett's proposed $270 million prison to replace the aging State Penitentiary.

Besides that, Pillen is also seeking to develop a budget targeting property tax reduction and school funding reform, wrapped inside a fiscally conservative two-year budget proposal.

Kelly, who was elected as Lieutenant Governor on the same ticket as Pillen, was Lancaster County Attorney for seven years before becoming a U.S. Attorney for three.

Pillen also stated that he's comfortable with opening up discussion for immigration reform in Nebraska, which may allow the state to accept more refugees, a possible solution for Nebraska's workforce shortage.

"We need to make sure there's a pathway," said Pillen, Nebraska is a melting pot for people from all over the world, people of different colors speaking different languages. Refugees have a great home here." However, Pillen is also focused on "keeping our kids here." 

Pillen stated that he also plans to stay in Columbus for most of his tenure and does not plan on moving into the Governor's residence in Lincoln. "I expect to spend the majority of time in Columbus, being with family and neighbors. Four grandchildren live next door," said the Governor-elect.

Pillen has been speaking with senators as well in preparation for next year's legislative session, and believes "it's important to build relationships. There are a lot of new senators. We're all newbies."

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NEBRASKA'S VOTER TURNOUT WAS LOWER THAN 2018, BUT STILL HIGHER THAN NORMAL

LINCOLN- Nebraska's voter turnout in this year's midterm elections was 54.8%, a small dip from 2018's 58%. However, although turnout was lower than the last midterm's, it was still higher than the norm.

Before 2018, midterm voter turnout usually sat between 45% and 53.6%. These newer, higher numbers mirror national trends. According to the U.S. Elections Project, the 2022 and 2018 midterms had higher nationwide turnouts than previous years. 

Many speculate that the reason for the higher numbers seen this year was issues like abortion and inflation, which both parties are heavily interested in.

The Washington Post noted that voter turnout in battleground states was particularly high, with Pennsylvania and Michigan surpassing their 2018 results. Other states that surpassed their 2018 results are Arkansas, Arizona, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, and South Dakota.

Some also believe that voter turnout was so high in 2018 and 2022 because the governorship was on the ballot as well as several contentious ballot measures, like Medicaid in 2018 and voter ID in 2022.

The heated congressional races in Nebraska may also have increased turnout this year, and some of the races, like Tony Vargas and Don Bacon's, were much closer than expected.

Perre Nielan, a political consultant, and John Hibbing, a political science professor at the Unversity of Nebraska-Lincoln, believe the Vargas-Bacon race was the reason for such high turnout this year. Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse confirmed that his county saw a 53.8% turnout, a few points shy of 2018's 57.7%.

Kruse said that he thought the lower turnout in Douglas County may have been because people are tired of politics. "I think people just--they want a break," he said. 

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FLATWATER FORUM EXPLORES PROBLEMS WITH NEBRASKA'S PRISONS

LINCOLN- Last week, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln hosted the Flatwater Free Press in a forum titled "Nebraska's Prisons at a Crossroads," with the intention of discussing the future of prisons in Nebraska amid the highest overcrowding the state has seen.

The panel included Mark Foxall, former Douglas County Department of Corrections director, Doug Koebernick, Inspector General of the Nebraska Correctional System, Carla Walker, a formerly incarcerated veteran, and Jasmine Harris, Director of Policy at RISE, a nonprofit focused on helping the incarcerated prepare for societal reentry.

The forum discussed a wide range of topics, including the lack of resources available to inmates, the immense overcrowding, and the rampant understaffing in Nebraska prisons.

Walker, who served a 20-year sentence at Lincoln's Work Release Center, was recommended an anger management program prior to being put inside. However, as she served her sentence and got closer to release, the program was never offered to her.

"I'm a military veteran who committed a violent crime," said Walker, "You really want to send me back out there, and I haven't had help? I've been asking for help."

According to Harris, 95% of incarcerated individuals eventually integrate back into society, but have trouble finding work or housing. She went on to state that around 80% of the individuals who are rearrested do not have a job at the time of the arrest. 

"That's where the rubber hits the road, where we need to be helping folks when we have the opportunity," said Harris, "If we don't, then what are we doing? We're rendering them to where they can't meet their basic needs. So then, what do people do? They return to those criminogenic behaviors because they have to survive."

Nebraska currently has a 31% recidivism rate, with many formerly incarcerated individuals finding their way back into the system within three years of release. 

Foxall believes the issue can only be fixed with a large overhaul of the prison system, and believes a lack of housing, proper education, and job opportunities are the main culprits. 

Mental health issues, said Foxall, are also a problem. "Trauma will begin before you arrive in jail, before you arrive in prison. It's very difficult to treat trauma in a place of confinement," he said.

Koebernick described during the panel an experience from his first day in the corrections system. When visiting the Omaha Corrections Center, Koebernick saw a single room housing eight men, all lying on top of eachother. This particular facility is meant to hold around 390 inmates, but currently houses 800.

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STATE LAWMAKERS CRAFTING A 'CODE OF CONDUCT,' MULLING HIRING AN ATTORNEY FOR WORKPLACE ISSUES

LINCOLN- A special Legislative committee has been created to build Nebraska's first lawmaker 'code of conduct' amid complaints about the Legislature's handling of workplace harassment. The resignation of former Senator Mike Groene prompted the committee's creation.

Besides the 'code of conduct,' the Nebraska Legislature is also considering hiring an attorney with expertise in workplace issues to assist in dealing with harassment cases at the Capitol.

The committee, which was created by the Legislature's Executive Board amid Groene's resignation, is called the Select Interim Ethics Committee and is tasked with reviewing the body's workplace policies. State Sens. Mike Hilgers and Wendy DeBoer will sit on the committee, along with four other state senators.

Former Sen. Mike Groene was investigated last summer after it was revealed that he had taken, and saved, pictures of a female staffer that she described as "objectifying and demeaning." Groene maintained that the complaints against him were "trumped up," but the Legislature concluded that the pictures were "boorish, brainless and bizarre, especially for the workplace."

After Groene's exit from the Legislature, State Sens. Megan Hunt and Machaela Cavanaugh said his case called for a thorough review of the Legislature's harassment policies. They also wanted to see improvements in how complaints are handled, especially since the Nebraska Attorney General's Office declined to prosecute.

Hilgers, in a statement, said the Nebraska Legislature currently has no code of conduct for its members, and that outlining and defining one would allow the body to establish what is and isn't appropriate in the workplace. Hilgers also claimed that a social media policy is being outlined, and believes this will also help.

DeBoer, another committee member, believes proper training of legislators and staff will help make clear the new rules. On a briefing Friday to fellow senators, however, DeBoer and Hilgers confirmed that the six-member committee has yet to vote on either the hiring of a workplace attorney or a code of conduct.

Sen. Dan Hughes, who leads the Executive Board, questioned whether or not a full-time attorney would be necessary. The Groene case, he said, was the only significant case of workplace harrassment to appear in the Legislature in a long time. 

DeBoer then said that the attorney would be hired on part-time, and Hilgers said the attorney could handle other issues in the Legislature besides harrassment.

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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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