NEBRASKA STATE TROOPERS TO GET 22% RAISES UNDER 'HISTORIC' NEW LABOR CONTRACT

LINCOLN- A new contract, signed by incoming Gov.-elect Jim Pillen and the Nebraska State Patrol, will give state troopers a 22% raise amid agency retention struggles. "The highest calling of the government is to protect its citizens," said Pillen in a release, "This new contract is part of my commitment to ensure law enforcement has the necessary tools, funding, and manpower needed to protect our communities."

A representative of the State Law Enforcement Bargaining Council, a union that represents state troopers, called the new contract a "historic deal," and claimed that the new wages are among the top five in the state. "It was clear from the beginning that Governor Pillen agreed and has made it a priority to fix it," said Dan Fiala, President of the SLEBC. 

Fiala and other union officials raised concerns earlier this summer after it was found that the wages being paid to state troopers had slipped behind 14 other law enforcement agencies in the state, and were even lower than the wages paid to state corrections officers. Starting pay for troopers is currently set at $51,105, but will increase to $62,400 once the contract is implemented. 

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EXPANDED NEBRASKA ELECTION AUDIT FINDS MINIMAL ERRORS IN STATE'S VOTING SYSTEM

LINCOLN- Secretary of State Bob Evnen announced that an audit of the 2022 general election has found only eleven discrepancies in the state's voting system. That translates to an error rate of 0.023%. “Our friends and neighbors who run our elections have done exemplary work,” Evnen said. “We should be thanking and congratulating them for the work they have done.” 

Evnen said he ordered the expanded audit to answer questions raised about the integrity of elections both in Nebraska and across the country. There have been no claims of election fraud in Nebraska, but Evnen said he thought it was “important to check and see how we’re doing on a broader basis and to report those findings.” 

In all, a total of 48,292 ballots randomly selected ballots were counted by hand by local election canvassing boards, with representatives from both major political parties looking at the races for governor, U.S. House of Representatives, and a local race. Of the 11 ballots that were flagged for discrepancies, the secretary of state’s office said five had ovals that were filled in too lightly for the tabulating machines to detect. The remaining six were counted by the machines but were missing from the precinct box — likely filed away in another precinct’s box, Evnen said.

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'BIG, COMPLICATED BUILDING': STEWARD OF NEBRASKA'S CHERISHED CAPITOL TALKS ABOUT ONGOING CONSTRUCTION

LINCOLN- Bob Ripley looks after the Nebraska Capitol, whose construction began a century ago, and he is now guiding what ultimately will be a $131 million project to totally renovate its heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system through a COVID-delayed path to completion. 

Ripley says the current project is the biggest since the building was built. The projected, expected to be completed in 2026, has suffered the price of increased supply chain costs and COVID-related issues. "When we renovate and preserve the Capitol, we think in terms of decades," Ripley said. "And doing things well now will save us money in the long run." 

The Capitol was constructed over a 10-year period from 1922 to 1932 at a cost of just less than $10 million. It was fully paid for when finished in the throes of the Great Depression with taxpayers incurring no debt. Ripley his focus will always be preservation, restoration, renovation, and enhancement of the building we all cherish and protect. 

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NEBRASKA, IOWA GOVERNORS JOIN CALL FOR END TO FEDERAL COVID EMERGENCY

LINCOLN- Twenty-three governors from around the county, including Governor Pete Ricketts and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, have signed a letter asking President Biden to end the COVID public health emergency. The main argument is that states are spending hundreds of millions in excess since they are required to keep more people on their Medicaid rolls. 

“While the virus will be with us for some time, the emergency phase of the pandemic is behind us,” they wrote. “We have come so far since the beginning of the pandemic — we now have the tools and information necessary to help protect our communities from COVID-19.” 

Currently, the emergency is declared through January 11th, 2023, and is expected to be renewed. The administration has promised to give at least 60 days’ notice before the emergency ends. Health policy experts have raised concerns about ending the emergency in January, while communities are dealing with increases in COVID cases, plus influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. 

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NEBRASKA RACING AND GAMING COMMISSION RELEASES NOVEMBER MONTHLY GAMING TAX REVENUE REPORT

LINCOLN- On December 19th, the November monthly gaming tax revenue report was released by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission. The report includes two categories detailing total tax revenue in November followed by the breakdown for that tax revenue distribution. 

Total gaming tax revenue for November 2022 was $809,627.78. The breakdown of the tax revenue is as follows:

• 70% to the Nebraska Property Tax Relief Fund: $566,739.45

• 2.5% to the Nebraska General Fund: $20,240.69

• 2.5% to the Compulsive Gaming Assistance Fund: $20,240.69

• 12.5% to the City of Lincoln: $101,203.47

• 12.5% to Lancaster County: $101,203.47

The total year-to-date gaming tax revenue is now at $1,950,406.00. The Chairman of the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, Dennis Lee said, "The cumulative gaming tax revenue of $1,950,406.00 represents the 10 weeks of operation of the Lincoln War Horse Casino." Lee went on to add, “This represents a significant addition to the Nebraska Property Tax Relief Fund, as contemplated by the legislature and Governor Ricketts in adopting the Property Tax Relief Fund statutes.”

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NEBRASKA'S COVID CASES TREND DOWNWARD AFTER HITTING RECENT HIGH

LINCOLN- Only one week after hitting the highest levels of cases since last January, the state has already begun its downward trend. The state recorded 2,739 new virus cases last week, down 24% from the 3,619 recorded the week before, according to data from the federal CDC. 

Joseph Fauver, an assistant professor of epidemiology in the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Public Health, said it’s difficult to predict what will happen because COVID immunity levels are more complex than they were last year. People have had a lot of different combinations of infections and vaccinations. 

“I think we are absolutely going to see an increase in cases,” Fauver said. “... But the conditions for what we saw last year are not quite there.” Cases of RSV, while still high, have begun to come down. But influenza activity remained very high in Nebraska last week. Nearly 400 Nebraskans were hospitalized with influenza-like illness last week, up 49 from the week before. 

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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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