METZLER RECOMMENDED AS NEXT CLERK OF LEGISLATURE ON 7-1 VOTE

LINCOLN-  A legislative panel recommended Monday that Brandon Metzler, now an assistant legislative clerk, be hired to replace the retiring Patrick O’Donnell as Clerk of the Legislature.

Metzler, a 29-year-old native of Omaha, won the recommendation of the Nebraska Legislature’s Executive Board on a 7-1 vote.

It will be up to the next Legislature, to be seated on Jan. 4, to vote to affirm or reject the recommendation. Members of the subcommittee who screened the three applicants praised Metzler for his commitment to be “completely nonpartisan” in the job, and for his extra research into the history and workings of the Unicameral Legislature.

“He’s a legislative geek,” said State Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha, one of three senators who screened the applicants.

Lincoln Sen. Mike Hilgers, the Speaker of the Legislature who also served on the screening committee, said he appreciated Metzler’s commitment to follow O’Donnell’s lead in keeping conversations with senators confidential in a place where rumors spread quickly.

The Clerk of the Legislature manages the affairs of the 49-member Unicameral, maintains records of actions taken, and serves as an advisor on procedures with state senators. The clerk manages several employees, including those working under Unicameral Information, hearing transcribers and pages.

The lone "No" vote came from Senator Julie Slama who cited she was uncertain if the qualifications for the job were followed in the decision process.

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GROUPS WRITE LETTER, URGING NEBRASKA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO BACK IMMIGRATION CHANGES

LINCOLN- Nebraska's congressional delegation received a letter this week from constituent groups representing business, education, health, and many other industries urging immigration reform. There were more than 40 organizations that signed on to the letter demanding meaningful action for migrant families, employers, and towns. 

The groups highlighted their favored legislation, including the Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929 and the Dream and Promise Act, which would create pathways to U.S. citizenship for undocumented immigrants and those brought to the country as youths by parents. 

“Nebraska communities, schools and workplaces face constant uncertainty because a part of our Nebraska family has no way to apply for permanent residency,” the letter says. For a full list of organizations who signed the letter, click HERE.

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NEBRASKA DMV LAUNCHES NEW LICENSE PLATE, OFFERS 52 SPECIALTY PLATES FOR 2023

LINCOLN- The new year will be accompanied by not only a new Nebraska license plate but 52 additional specialty options. State Department of Motor Vehicles Director Rhonda Lahm said the plates are now available, but will most likely be distributed in January.

Under state law, Nebraska must update its license plate design every six years. The last plate launched in 2017, so 2023 marks the beginning of a new issuance cycle. The plate features a backdrop of an original mosaic displayed on the floor near the Capitol rotunda named “The Genius of Creative Energy,” which depicts a man riding atop the clouds behind lightning and clouds. 

The license plate was chosen by Governor Ricketts. The design had a lot of feedback, both good and bad. Rhonda Lahm said that criticism has been worst in the past with previous license plate reveals. She mentioned that new plates normally take some time to get used to, so don't criticize them just yet. 

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SALES TAX REVENUE CONTRIBUTES NEARLY $17 MILLION TO LINCOLN'S STREET IMPROVEMENTS

LINCOLN- The city of Lincoln said voters should pat themselves on the back for passing the quarter-cent sales tax that was passed three years ago for motorists. Lincoln Mayor Gaylor Baird said the city is reducing potholes, dips, and cracks so that cars do not have to swerve on roads and in residential areas.

In the third year of the program, called Lincoln On The Move, sales tax dollars pumped an additional $16.8 million into street improvements this year — part of a $42 million investment since the program began. In total, city officials anticipate the program will generate nearly $94 million before it expires in late 2025. 

Since the program began, it has helped fund 40 projects and nearly 114 lane miles of improvements or new streets. The extension of the tax will likely be up to Lincoln's next mayor. The city has invested $167 million on street repairs in the past three years with 20% of that coming from the tax.

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STATE NOW EXPECTED TO COMPLETE LONG-DELAYED EXPRESSWAY SYSTEM IN 2036

LINCOLN- State lawmakers have been informed that the long-delayed state expressway system that was expected to be completed in 2003 will actually be around 2036. This is actually good news according to John Selmer, the director of the Nebraska Department of Transportation, because last year the expected finish date was 2040.

The expressway project was designed to link Nebraska communities larger than 15,000 people to an Interstate with a four-lane, divided expressway. Selmer said in total, about 70% of the highway is completed, but the remaining 30% has a $800 million dollar price tag. Selmer assured lawmakers that time is needed as this is the largest project the NDOT has ever undertaken. 

In 2019, the Nebraska Legislature passed a bill that allowed the state to pay off the cost of the Lincoln South Beltway project over eight years, rather than all at once — a financing mechanism which State Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus compared to bonding, which the state does not use. 

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OMAHA SUPERINTENDENT DR. CHERYL LOGAN ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION

OMAHA- On Tuesday, Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Logan announced she was leaving her position after the end of this school year. Logan sent out an email to the OPS community, saying, "It has been a joy to serve as your Superintendent." Logan went on to say in the email that she was grateful for the school district, and that she had notified the Board of Education that this will be her last school year.

"I will step away from my position at the end of June 2023. I am forever grateful for, and honored by, the friendships and partnerships we've built together," said Logan in the announcement, "Alas, it is time for me to return home to my family. It is time for me to have tea with my sisters on Saturdays, to watch my nephew play soccer and to spend quality time with my husband and daughter..."

The Nebraska Board of Education released a statement congratulating Logan on her work at OPS and confirming her resignation. The Board went on to state that it would begin a comprehensive search for a new Superintendent, and will be keeping the OPS community updated. 

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NEBRASKA SENATOR THINKS PERMITLESS CONCEALED CARRY WILL PASS THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION

LINCOLN- With just weeks to go until the start of the next Legislative session, Sen. Tom Brewer believes his gun rights bill, which would bring permitless carry to the state, will pass. Last year, the same proposal fell just two votes short of the 33 needed to overcome the filibuster. Sen. Brewer believes that, since the Legislature is slightly more conservative this year, his bill will have just enough support to pass.

Sen. Brewer also stated that his permitless carry bill will be his top priority come January. "The very first bill that I will drop in the next session will be constitutional carry," he said, "What the decision today has done has helped us to better shine a light on why it's important, and to take away some of the concerns folks had about legalities."

Brewer introduced the bill last session because he saw Nebraska's concealed carry laws as inconsistent around the state. "If you're a legally responsible person," he said, "who can be in possession of a firearm, then that should be your right to be able to carry." Currently, Nebraskans can legally carry a concealed firearm, but Sen. Brewer's bill would allow citizens to do it without a permit.

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NEBRASKA ONE OF MANY STATES SIGNING OPIOID AGREEMENT WITH CVS, WALGREENS

LINCOLN- On Monday, Nebraska AG Doug Peterson announced that the state, alongside several others, has finalized an agreement with CVS and Walgreens over the pharmaceutical industry's role in the opioid crisis. Under the agreement, Walgreens will pay $5.7 billion to states around the country and CVS will pay $5 billion.

Nebraska's share of the funds, Peterson announced, will be around $41 million. In addition to the financial settlement, Walgreens and CVS, similarly to Walmart earlier this year, will be required to monitor, report, and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions. In a statement, Peterson announced that these court-ordered injunctions will help ensure a crisis like this one never happens again.

The terms of the agreement will head to states soon for review, and must be signed before the end of the year, after which they will be reviewed by local governments. According to Peterson, Nebraska plans to sign the agreement, and by doing so will be required to use the settlement funds to remediate the opioid crisis by focusing on prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services.

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NATIONAL SEARCHES PLANNED FOR NEW PRISON DIRECTOR, HEADS OF DHHS DIVISIONS

LINCOLN- As we move towards the inauguration of the Gov.-elect, Jim Pillen is beginning to widen his search for DHHS and Corrections heads to a nationwide level. However, a spokesman for Pillen said that, despite hiring Ford Webb Associates to help fill the position, Pillen will still consider current interim Director Diane Sabatka-Rine for the post. 

Thus far, Gov.-elect Pillen has reappointed many Ricketts-era officials to his cabinet, meaning that this nationwide search is of great importance to him. The new director, whether Sabatka-Rine is retained or someone new is selected, will have to wrestle with Nebraska's prison overcrowding and staff shortages.

"This search firm has a long track record of finding the best candidates for agency directors nationally and in Nebraska," said Pillen of Ford Webb Associates. On Monday, the state's Chief Medical Officer and Director of Public Health, Dr. Gary Anthone, announced his departure, prompting Pillen to begin the new search for a DHHS director.

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NEBRASKA HOSPITAL LEADERS CALL FOR HELP IN BATTLING 'TRIPLE THREAT' TO PATIENT CARE

LINCOLN- Following a recent surge in Covid-19, RSV, and influenza cases, what Nebraska doctors are calling a 'triple threat,' four medical professionals said in a news conference that, although the state's hospitals will remain open, the additional stress and ongoing labor shortages could hurt patient care.

"Our hospitals are entering a very challenging time, and quite frankly, we need Nebraskans to help us with it," said Jeremy Nordquist, President of the Nebraska Hospital Association, "It's pretty stark when you look at the numbers." Nordquist went on to highlight that, according to reports from the DHHS, the number of Covid-related emergency room visits is close to what it was during this time last year, when the Omicron variant was sweeping the nation.

Similarly, Nordquist stated that "probably about three times the rate of influenza cases are coming into our emergency rooms." The Hospital Association has been in discussion with experts and elected officials on how to solve the workforce shortage crisis, saying that they can't solve it on their own.

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FORMER NEBRASKA STATE SENATOR PATRICK ENGEL DIES AT 90

SOUTH SIOUX CITY- Former State Senator Leo Patrick Engel, who served in the unicameral for 16 years, died last Tuesday at age 90. Engel was appointed to the Nebraska Legislature in 1993, where he served until 2009. 

While in office, Engel served as the Chair of the Executive Board, was a member of the Appropriations Committee, and acted as a national board member for the American Legislative Exchange Council. Before being elected to the Legislature, Engel served as a member of the St. Michael's and South Sioux City School Board, and also as a Dakota County Commissioner. 

Engel was a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and served as an intelligence officer in the Air Force. "Pat lived a remarkable life, was a lifelong learner, and impacted so many," wrote Engel's family in his obituary, "He was a man of great faith and knew who he was and what he stood for. We thank him for the memories, for the fun, and for the love and the for the lessons learned."

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NEW SUPPORT CLAIMED FOR ENDING NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE'S SECRET LEADERSHIP VOTES

LINCOLN- Proponents of an effort to end secret ballot voting for Nebraska Legislative leadership positions say they now have enough votes to pass a rule change in the upcoming session. Secret ballots have been used to select Legislative leadership since the creation of Nebraska's unicameral Legislature, and backers of the system claim that the secret voting process prevents these selections from being decided upon partisan lines. 

The issue has been debated upon for years now, and supporters of the secret ballot process have been able to protect it from any rule changes. However, that may change when the Legislature reconvenes next month. Rod Edwards, a spokesman for the Nebraska First PAC, claims that 25 lawmakers have already pledged to support a rule change that would make votes public, just enough support to pass such a measure.

State Sen. Tom Briese, one of the lawmakers who signed the pledge to make public the vote, said leadership elections are among the most important votes lawmakers cast in some sessions. "It shouldn't be hidden behind a veil of secrecy, in my opinion," said Briese. 

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$1.2 BILLION FROM FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE LAW HEADED TO NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- Almost a year after the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure and Jobs Act was signed into law, $1.2 billion is finally headed to Nebraska. Around $904 million of the funds has already been allocated to repair and maintain Nebraska's roads, bridges, and other related projects. 

The new law will also give Nebraska $75 million to provide and treat clean water across the state, as well as $28.4 million to replace lead pipelines. $37.1 million will also go towards improving public transportation options, and around $35.4 million towards clean energy and power.

Nebraska was also awarded an extra $90 million for the purpose of improving infrastructure resilience against extreme weather events, climate change, and other hazards. $68 million of those funds will come through the Army Corps of Engineers for flood mitigation. The White House identified nearly 110 separate projects in the state, and has helped work to allocate the awarded funds to best suit the needs of Nebraska.

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NEBRASKA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AWARDS OVER $20 MILLION IN GRANTS FOR BROADBAND EXPANSION

LINCOLN- Over $20 million will be distributed in 37 grants from the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program, the Nebraska Public Service Commission announced this week. "As expected, the second-year of the NBBP grant program has surpassed the initial funding year," said Dan Watermeier, NSC Chair, "We have a good process in place and are eager to provide funding to continue broadband buildout to unserved and underserved Nebraskans."

The Public Service Commission received 115 grant applications, but narrowed the pool to just 103, since funding all projects would have exceeded the available funding. To account for this, the Commission implemented a scoring system based on the project's details and scope, as well as the applicant's financial, legal, and technical capability to build a broadband network.

Besides this, the Commission also ranked the applicants by priority in bringing broadband to entirely underserved and unserved areas of Nebraska first. Under the parameters of the grants, applicants who are awarded funds must complete their projects by June 6, 2024.

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DEMOCRAT ANN ASHFORD IS AMONG APPLICANTS TO FILL VACANCY IN U.S. SENATE

LINCOLN- Ann Ashford, an attorney who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020, will be among the applicants for Sen. Ben Sasse's soon-to-be vacant Senate seat. Ashford, widow of former U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford, said she would put her "constituents over party every time" if appointed by Gov.-elect Jim Pillen.

Last Friday, Ashford said she had hopes that Gov.-elect Pillen would be "broad-minded enough to consider my qualifications over my party affiliation." Gov. Ricketts, who also applied, is a political ally and supporter of Pillen, and is widely seen as the foremost frontrunner in the selection process.

A spokesperson for Gov.-elect Jim Pillen said that he was not planning to reveal how many applicants have been received or who applied for the position. Pillen, who assumes the governorship on January 5th, said he plans to fill the position very quickly, and set a December 23rd deadline for applications to fill the seat.

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UNION FOR STATE EMPLOYEES CALLS FOR BETTER WAGES, BENEFITS TO LURE 'NEW GENERATION' OF PUBLIC SERVANTS

LINCOLN- Yesterday, the Nebraska Association of Public Employees, a union that represents a coalition of public servants, called for higher wages and better benefits at a press conference. Justin Hubly, executive director of the organization, said increases in wages and benefits are vital to address the vacancies seen all around the state. 

"We're just seeing a lot less people choosing to become public servants," said Hubly. At the press conference, nearly 50 members of the union crowded into the Capitol rotunda. State Sen. Carol Blood spoke at the conference, saying, "There's going to be roads that aren't plowed, there's going to be public benefits that are delayed, if things aren't improved."

Blood and Hubly emphasized that the recent blizzard that slammed the Nebraska panhandle could've been much more widespread, causing even further strain to the already-overworked snow-plow drivers. John Selmer, Director of the Nebraska Department of Transportation, stated that his agency is about 250 snow-plow drivers short, and many other Nebraska agencies are seeing similar numbers.

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COURT REJECTS BARGER'S REQUEST FOR HAND RECOUNT IN LINCOLN LEGISLATIVE RACE

LINCOLN- On Thursday, a Lancaster County District Court Judge dismissed a legal challenge put forth by Legislative candidate Russ Barger that sought to force the state to hand-recount the votes in his race against Democrat George Dungan. Judge Kevin McManaman ruled against Barger's lawsuit on the grounds that his court lacked the jurisdiction to consider it and also that Barger's original filing lacked a notarized signature.

Jennifer Huxoll, a representative of the Nebraska Attorney General's Office, agreed that, because of the missing electronic notarization, Judge McManaman did not have the authority to consider Barger's complaint. Judge McManaman later wrote that the "law of Nebraska is clear that the filing of a motion and affidavit for a verified petition is a jurisdictional requirement."

Under state law, an automatic recount is used if the votes separating two candidates is less than 1%. However, Secretary of State Bob Evnen found that Dungan had acquired 223 more votes than Barger, a number that falls above the 1% vote recount threshold.

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NEBRASKA, NATION LIKELY HEADED FOR RECESSION IN 2023, ECONOMISTS SAY

LINCOLN- A team of state economists has labeled 2023 year as the likely time for a state and nationwide recession. Multiple interest rate increases failed to slow inflation, experts find it unlikely that these will increases will make a true change in the upcoming future, said Eric Thompson, an economist who directs the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Bureau of Business Research.

The elevated interest rates during 2023 will likely mean less consumer spending, home-buying and business investment, leading to job losses and a recession. “The most likely event is a recession, although it is possible we will have a soft landing” and narrowly avoid an economic decline, Thompson said.

Thompson thinks it could be avoided based on how many jobs employers hoard, and the direction of rent prices in the future. Personal income for Nebraskans is forecast to grow by 4.2% during 2023, slightly below the expected 4.5% rate of inflation.  If a recession does occur, it is not expected to be severe or long-lived, with employment growth expected to return in 2024 and 2025. 

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KERREY ASKS NAME BE REMOVED FROM NEBRASKA DEMOCRATIC EVENT AFTER DISPUTE WITH KLEEB

OMAHA- Following a dispute over the state of the Democratic party in Nebraska, former Sen. Bob Kerrey has asked that his name is removed from the party's upcoming major fundraising event. "We will honor his request," said Democratic State Chairwoman Jane Kleeb, and change the name of what is now known as the Kerrey-Nelson Dinner, named to honor Kerrey and former Sen. Ben Nelson, both of whom also served as governor.

Last month, Kerrey described the state of the Nebraska Democratic Party as "pathetic," suggesting that its candidates need to be more "middle of the road." "I simply do not want to be associated with a state party that is led by someone who views criticism as a mortal sin," Kerrey wrote Kleeb. 

Kleeb said she preferred not to respond directly to Kerrey's remarks while suggesting that she has been successful in "bringing significant resources" to support Nebraska's Democratic candidates who face challenging contests in "the political atmosphere" that currently dominates the state.  

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AMID LAWSUIT OVER RECOUNT, NEBRASKA SECRETARY OF STATE TO DISCUSS ACCURACY OF VOTE COUNT

LINCOLN- Following a legal challenge over a recount with a tight legislative race, Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen announced he will be holding a press conference to discuss the 2022 general election and the results of an audit of the accuracy of the ballot count. A spokeswoman for Bob Evnen said a was held after the 2020 general election due to general concerns about election security. 

A legal challenge has been brought by Lincoln legislative candidate Russ Barger, who lost the District 26 race by 224 votes by George Dungan during the November general election. Barger had asked for a hand recount which was denied by Evnen as he cited that the recount is to be done in the same matter as it was for the general election.

Barger has raising $25,000 to cover the cost of a hand recount and his legal fees. “I didn’t expect it to cost as much,” Barger said Wednesday. “This is kind of fast and expensive litigation.” If the outcome of the race is changed by the recount, the state will reimburse Barger for any amount spent on the recount.

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