UNL CHANCELLOR RONNIE GREEN SAYS HE'LL RETIRE AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

LINCOLN- The 20th Chancellor of the University of Nebraka-Lincoln has announced he will leave the role at the end of this school year. Green has been in the role for seven years and was previously vice chancellor and vice president of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Standing by his wife, Green said, "Today, we are sharing the news of our plan that I will retire from the role of chancellor at the end of June 2023 or when my successor is in place for a seamless transition." 

Green navigated the university through intense protests by students against racism and sexual assault on campus, censure from a national academic group, political jabs from elected officials, a national pandemic, and decreasing enrollment. "It has been a distinct calling, privilege, honor and our greatest pleasure to serve the university," Green said. 

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WINNEBAGO TRIBE OF NEBRASKA RECIEVES A $266K FEDERAL GRANT TO MONITOR AIR QUALITY

LINCOLN- A total of $266,064 has been awarded to The Winnebago Tribe of Nerbaska to monitor its air quality. The grant is part of $53.4 million being distributed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to fund 132 air monitoring projects across 37 states. The goal of the projects is for underserved and historically marginalized communities to enhance their air quality as part of President Joe Biden’s Justice40 Initiative. 

The Winnebago Tribe plans to use the grant to install equipment that will monitor meteorological conditions and air pollution at various locations throughout the Winnebago Tribal Nation. The data collected will be used to update emissions inventories to understand air quality issues within the Tribal Nation. 

The air pollution monitoring projects are made possible by over $30 million in Inflation Reduction Act funds, which supplemented $20 million from the American Rescue Plan Act and enabled EPA to support 77 additional projects, more than twice the number of projects initially selected for funding. 

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JUDGE RULES FOR NEBRASKA GOP, SAYS PALMTAG FAILED TO PROVE 'ACTUAL MALICE' FROM ADS

LINCOLN- Nebraska City business owner Janet Palmtag lost her defamation lawsuit against the state GOP, a Lancaster County District Court judge ruled in a summary judgment. Palmtag is the loser of a GOP-on-GOP race in which the Nebraska GOP accused her of wrongdoing.

District Judge Andrew Jacobsen ruled that Palmtag’s legal team failed to clear the higher bar for public figures alleging defamation, saying they didn’t prove the GOP acted with “actual malice.” Palmtags lawyers plan to appeal the judgment to the state Supreme Court. 

The GOP sent ads to southeast Nebraska’s Legislative District 1 saying Palmtag, a licensed real estate agent in Nebraska and formerly Iowa, “broke the law” and “lost her real estate license.” Palmtag testified that she had given up her real estate license in Iowa, but not in Nebraska, and not for disciplinary reasons. She said she did so because she was doing less business in Iowa. 

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RESTAURANT TAX BOOSTS OMAHA PENSION FUND, BUT LEGISLATOR FAULTS CITY ON PAYMENTS

OMAHA- For over a decade, Omaha diners have been paying a small restaurant tax to help bolster the wavering police and fire pension fund, and the results have helped put the retirement system in a better place. However, despite the success of the tax, Sen. Mark Kolterman, who chairs Nebraska's Retirement Committee, said that Omaha's public safety pension fund would be in better shape if the city had not failed to make millions of dollars in additional payments actuaries recommended to keep the funds on the road to recovery.

According to Sen. Kolterman, the payments the city should have been making over the past four years should have totaled around $16 million. "The reality is they just thumbed their nose at us," said Kolterman. The Senator went on to state that he thinks the city didn't make those pension payments because deferring those costs to the future frees up money that can be spent now.

Bernard in den Bosch, Omaha's Deputy City Attorney, defended the lack of payments by saying the way the city currently handles restaurant tax revenues and its pension obligations has allowed pension programs to be fully funded. "I understand Kolterman's frustration and passion," said in den Bosch, "But that does not mean the system is not making positive progress."

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ACLU NEBRASKA REPORT: OMAHA AND LINCOLN COURTS STILL CREATING MODERN-DAY 'DEBTOR PRISONS'

OMAHA- Yesterday, the ACLU of Nebraska released a study suggesting that recent state legislative reforms have failed to halt modern-day 'debtors' prisons.' To conduct the study, the ACLU tracked over 2,300 bail and sentencing hearings in Douglas and Lancaster Counties, and gauged how judges treated financially struggling Nebraskans.

In 2017, Nebraska legislators created a law that calls for judges to "consider all methods of bond and conditions of release to avoid pretrial incarceration," but Mindy Ruch Chipman, the ACLU's legal director, found that "systemic disregard of laws" still remains in the state. Chipman went on to state that beneficial changes can and will be implemented, but some may take time, lobbying, and legislative work. 

"We're not going to rest until freedom does not rely on how much money we currently have or have access to," said Chipman. The report stated also that Nebraska's Constitution, which guarantees broad pretrial liberties, can be restricted in certain circumstances to allow for excessive bail or pretrial detention. The report recommended that Nebraska lawmakers create "bench cards," which can be given to judges as a reminder of the laws and the state's bail-setting options.

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BREAKING: BEAU BALLARD APPOINTED TO REPLACE SPEAKER HILGERS IN LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- On Thursday both Governor Ricketts and Governor-Elect Pillen announced they have selected Beau Ballard as the next Senator for Legislative District 21 to replace Speaker Mike Hilgers. Hilgers will resign his seat in early January in order to become the state's next Attorney General. 

Ballard has previously served as Speaker Hilgers' legislative aide and ran his successful campaign for attorney general. Ballard is the grandson Jim Jeffers, a former legislative candidate for LD21 and founder of James Arthur Vineyards outside of Lincoln, and is part owner of Rabbit Hole Bakery in Lincoln's Haymarket as well as the From Nebraska Gift Shop. 

While Ballard was announced as the appointee to the seat on Thursday, he will not be the official representative of the district until the legislature convenes on January 4th and the new members are sworn in.

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NEBRASKA LOOKS TO EXPAND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM STATEWIDE AFTER SUCCESSFUL PILOT

OMAHA- Officials in the state are looking to expand the Ignite Nebraska program, an Omaha-based workforce development program, after four students successfully completed the pilot program earlier this year. Gov. Pete Ricketts, alongside several other state officials, lauded the program and stressed the importance of helping working Nebraskans achieve financial stability. 

"We have to recruit here, in our own backyard," said Tony Goins, Director of the State Department of Economic Development. Ignite Nebraska was implemented in February, and gave students the opportunity to complete a six- to nine-month program that taught them financial stability and job training. Gov. Ricketts said the four students who completed the pilot program in October saw their average salary rise by 136%. 

One of the Ignite Nebraska graduates, Laura Croswell, said she is now able to plan and budget ahead on a month-to-month basis, rather than just live day-by-day. "Ignite Nebraska opens up so many doors for so many people," said Croswell. Following the success of the program in Omaha, Goins expressed interest in expanding the program to all corners of the state. 

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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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