COALITION FORMS TO OPPOSE 'RIGHT TO FARM' REVISIONS, SAYS THEY FAVOR INDUSTRIAL FARMS OVER FAMILY OPERATIONS

LINCOLN- The proposed effort to amend the "right to farm" act faces a new coalition of farmers and environmental groups working to shut down the efforts. Groups say LB662 is an attempt to relax regulation of large, industrial livestock operations at the expense of rural residents and family farmers. 

“This proposed legislation exempts large corporate farms from being a good neighbor,” said Ron Todd-Meyer, a retired farmer and a Nebraskans for Peace board member.  “This legislation should be pitched into the manure pile for composting.” The bill would narrow who, and when, nuisance lawsuits could be filed against farm operations for issues such as excessive odors and dust. 

Officials from the Farmers Union, GC Resolve, Nebraska Interfaith Power and Light and Nebraska Communities United, in a press release last week, all indicated they will oppose the bill. Senator Ballard, the bill's sponsor, claims that agricultural producers deserve extra protection from nuisance lawsuits. 

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COMMITTEE ADVANCES PERMITLESS CONCEALED CARRY BILL, BUT SOME WANT AMENDMENTS

LINCOLN- On Friday, lawmakers voted 5-0, with one senator "present but not voting," to advance LB77, introduced by Sen. Tom Brewer, to General File. LB77, a contentious bill opposed by several Nebraska law enforcement agencies, would allow Nebraskans to carry a concealed handgun without purchasing the usual $100 state permit. Around 25 other states have passed similar pieces of legislation. 

Last month, Sen. Brewer identified LB77 as a priority bill, allowing it to be debated sooner by the full Legislature. Brewer claims that LB77 is "cleaner" than past permitless carry bills, and stated that he has added several amendments to gain the support of a few law enforcement agencies, but still lacks support from the Omaha and Lincoln Police Departments. 

The opponents from the Omaha and Lincoln Police Departments, as well as several gun control groups, called the bill dangerous and contrary to efforts to reduce violent crime. Sen. Justin Wayne, who voted to advance the bill, claimed he did so to give him leverage to introduce amendments. 

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MOST NEBRASKA LEGISLATIVE RACES IN 2022 EXCEED $100,000 IN SPENDING

LINCOLN- A six-figure bill at the end of a legislative race may be the new normal in the Nebraska Unicameral. Out of the 25 legislative races in November, at least one candidate in 19/25 of the races spent over $100,000. Together, these candidates raised about $6.7 million and spent $6.5 million to run for the Legislature. In four races, combined candidate spending exceeded $550,000.

The costliest races came between State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Bennington and challenger Lou Ann Goding, where the candidates spent a combined $577,434, and between State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha and challenger Christian Mirch, where the candidates spent $554,933 in all. The next costliest race involved State Sen. Mike Jacobson and challenger Chris Bruns, both of North Platte. Together they spent $552,529. Jacobson spent the most of any legislative candidate statewide, more than $414,000.

The only other race where the top spender did not win was in District 40, an open seat after State Sen. Tim Gragert opted not to run for re-election. Keith Kube of Crofton spent $162,623 and lost to now-State Sen. Barry DeKay of Niobrara, who spent $64,269. State Sen. Christy Armendariz and Michael Young in northwest Omaha had the narrowest gap in spending between candidates, at $6,707.

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NEBRASKA'S COSTLIEST GOVERNOR'S RACE LEFT WILD NUMBERS IN ITS WAKE

LINCOLN- Last year, the costliest election ever recorded in Nebraska occurred, with around $29 million put toward the gubernatorial race alone. Although candidate Charles Herbster, a Trump-backed Republican, self-financed around 99% of his primary campaign, he still raised and spent around $13 million. The next highest tally was Gov. Pillen's campaign, which raised around $11.5 million in the gubernatorial primary.

Gov. Pillen benefitted greatly from donations from figures like former Gov. Ricketts, who gave around $100,000 as well as spending more than $3 million to create attacks ads against Herbster and Lindstrom, Pillen's Republican opponents in the primary. On the other side, Democratic candidate Carol Blood raised and spent around $636,000.

Lesser-known candidates in the gubernatorial race raised significant sums as well, with third-party candidate Dave Wright raising around $149,000 and Robert Borer raising $52,000. The only other candidate in Nebraska history to outraise Pillen was former Gov. Ricketts back in 2006, when he raised $13.4 million in his race against then-Sen. Ben Nelson.

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NORTH OMAHA LAWMAKERS CHALLENGED ABOUT PROCESS THAT RECOMMENDED $225 MILLION IN GRANTS

OMAHA- A North Omaha community forum became fiery on Sunday as many participants challenged a process that led to certain North and South Omaha groups being granted a share of $225 million. Sens. Terrell McKinney and Justin Wayne fielded questions at the forum following their work on the legislative committee overseeing the Economic Recovery Act, or LB1024, which was used to distribute ARPA funds to the lowest-income areas of Nebraska.

The groups that were chosen to receive these funds were criticized, since some are newer than others. For example, community activist Vickey Parks questioned why Sankofa, a very new business entity, garnered the largest chunk of the Economic Recovery funds, totaling around $40 million.

Sen. Wayne reiterated several times that proposed grants are "not a done deal," and that several verification steps still must be completed. According to Wayne, one of the South Omaha groups in line to receive funds dropped out, allowing the committee to redistribute those funds. Similarly, Wayne and McKinney told the forum that they hope to allocate another $200 million, allowing a more diverse set of businesses to receive funds.

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS PROPOSE CAPPING INSULIN COSTS

LINCOLN- Two bills, LB142 introduced by Sen. Tom Briese and LB779 introduced by Sen. Eliot Bostar, would cap the price of insulin to varying amounts in Nebraska. Sen. Breise's bill would cap the price of the life-saving drug to $100 per patient for a 30-day supply, while Sen. Bostar's bill would cap the price at $35 for the same amount.

Bostar outlined the fact that 9.6% of Nebraska adults are diagnosed with diabetes, and emphasized that the rising cost of medications is making it difficult for patients to purchase the medications they require. Similarly, Briese stated that some Nebraskans are being asked to pay more than $1,000 a month for a 30-day supply.

Last year, the federal government capped the price of insulin at $35 per month for Medicare beneficiaries, and roughly 20 states have established their own caps on the drug. Sen. Briese estimated that the average state-ordained cap was likely between $50-75, and said he "would submit that we...do the same thing."

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WITH HIV UP, NEBRASKA BILL WOULD ALLOW FOR SYRINGE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS

LINCOLN- In response to a sharp increase in HIV cases in Nebraska, health officials and lawmakers have begun looking for new tools to tackle the problem. One of these is LB307, introduced by Sen. Megan Hunt, which would allow local jurisdictions to authorize pharmacies and public health programs to set up syringe services programs to prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis C.

Lacie Bolte, lead support manager for the Nebraska AIDS project, said she doesn't want to see Nebraska become another HIV outbreak hotspot like others seen throughout the country. In 2021, claimed Bolte, a rural community in Nebraska saw an outbreak of HIV, which led to 235 people catching the disease. "That's what I'm worried about," said Bolte, "is suddenly we have all these infections and we don't have tools to combat them as quickly as we need them."

Nebraska has averaged about 80 new cases of HIV a year over the last decade, but saw a 21% increase in 2021. 24% of the total cases that year were linked to injection drug use. The intent of Sen. Hunt's LB307 is to exempt care staff and participants in public health programs from a law that makes it illegal to provide others with drug paraphernalia.

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YEAR-ROUND DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME HAS A CHANCE THIS YEAR IN NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- After years of attempts, the Nebraska Legislature appears poised to pass a bill that would be the first step towards ending the usual twice-a-year changing of the clock. LB143, introduced by Sen. Tom Briese, would allow Nebraska to stay in daylight saving time if Congress and a third neighboring state join Nebraska in passing such a law.

"It seems everyone in the state hates changing their clocks twice a year," said Briese during a Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee hearing, "This practice, the changing of our clocks, is actually hurting and killing people." According to several researchers, daylight saving time has actually been the cause of a number of car crashes, heart attacks, work place injuries, and medical dosage mistakes.

A general disdain toward time changes from workers and parents with young kids may also be the catalyst for change, according to Briese. Sen. Briese went on to cite a JP Morgan study that found that people put nearly 2% more purchases on their credit cards in cities that had an additional hour of daylight during the winter.

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PROPOSED GENDER-ALTERATION BAN FOR MINORS DRAWS HUNDREDS TO NEBRASKA CAPITOL

LINCOLN- Senator Kauth's 'Let Them Grow Act', or LB574, just like last week's cardiac-activity abortion ban, drew hundreds to the Nebraska Capitol Wednesday afternoon. Kauth told the Health and Human Services Committee that the intent of her bill was to protect kids with gender dysphoria from "irreversible, destructive, experimental" medical care until they reached adulthood.

"Once the intensity of the treatment and surgeries are complete," said Kauth to the Health and Human Services Committee, "these individuals are still dealing with issues that the surgeries have only made more complex." Opponents of the bill, of which there were many at the hearing, called Sen. Kauth's bill an "extreme intrusion" into a family's medical decisions.

However, proponents of the bill, including several people who previously received, sought, or considered gender-affirming care, argued that the care they did or would have received was irreversible, and that they couldn't make proper decisions at the time. Several testifying in support of Kauth's bill have reportedly testified on several similar bills around the country.

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BILL CLARIFYING NEBRASKA'S LICENSE PLATE READER LAW OPPOSED BY ACLU

LINCOLN- LB777, introduced by Sen. Eliot Bostar, would limit who in Nebraska could use automatic license plate readers, and define whether or not collected data could be used in court proceedings. This bill, which was heard in front of the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, was vehemently opposed by the ACLU of Nebraska for privacy concerns.

LB777 changes some language in the Nebraska Automatic License Plate Reader Privacy Act, the law that governs the use of controversial license reader devices. The Privacy Act limits how long enforcement can retain images captured by license plate readers, which usually are set to take pictures of all passing license plates. Police have touted the devices as a game-changing crime-solving tool.

The readers capture still images of license plates which are then stored by a third-party contractor for six months. However, what is and isn't allowed under the law is vague for law enforcement, and some officers are unsure if they can use license plate photos in court settings. Bostar's bill would add language indicating that license plate data and be used in court proceedings, prompting the ACLU to fight back.

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BILL WOULD GIVE MOST NEBRASKA FAMILIES $1,000 TAX CREDIT PER CHILD

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, a handful of supporters testified on LB294, introduced by Sen. Danielle Conrad, which would give families a $1,000 tax credit per child. Conrad said she introduced the bill after meeting several struggling families on the campaign trail last year, and discovered that a handful of other states have implemented similar child tax credits.

Conrad also found evidence that suggested that credits like these have proven helpful in lifting children out of poverty and helping families thrive. Research from the U.S. Census Bureau also showed that, in 2021, federal child tax credits cut child poverty rates by 46% nationally. "That policy choice was able to make a really positive difference for families," said Conrad, "I'm not sure we'll find a better bang for our buck when it comes to supporting families."

Specifically, LB294 would provide refundable tax credits of $1,000 per child for families with incomes up to $110,000 for married couples, or $92,500 for the head of household. The credits would not apply to families with higher incomes, and would only be provided to families with children under the age of 18.

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DISPUTE OVER INSPECTOR GENERAL POWERS APPEARS HEADED FOR LEGAL INTERPRETATION

LINCOLN- LB215 is designed to clarify the powers of the Offices of the Inspector General for Child Welfare and Corrections. This dispute has graced the Legislature for multiple years now posing the question, is it “constitutional overreach” to have special investigators assigned by the State Legislature look into problems, even deaths and injuries, involving state agencies?

Senator Briese, the sponsor of the bill, said he is waiting to take action on the bill until a colleague speaks with the Attorney Generals office to determine if it is a separation of powers issue. “We’re not going to rush it to floor, put it that way,” said Briese, who chairs the Legislature’s Executive Board. “Some of this might hinge on an AG’s opinion.”

During the LB215 hearing, Briese and some other members of the Executive Board defended the inspectors general’s watchdog function and the Legislature’s need to know that state agencies, and even state judges, are functioning appropriately. Current inspectors and other advocates for LB 215 said it was mostly a “cleanup bill” that clarified powers that are already recognized.

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BACON, ALREADY ATTACKED BY TRUMP, NOW UNDER FIRE FROM LINCOLN PROJECT

WASHINGTON, D.C.- During Nebraska's tumultuous 2022 GOP primary election, former President Donald Trump sought out new challengers to face Rep. Don Bacon. Although Trump's plans to oust the congressman didn't come to fruition, the Lincoln Project, a center-right political advocacy group, is now setting its sights on Rep. Bacon.

The Lincoln Project, already infamous for attacking pro-Trump Republicans, called on Bacon, as well as 17 other swing-district representatives, to denounce the "threats to democracy posed by Trump and his supporters." The Lincoln Project said that its goal with these attacks is to sway 18 House members away from populist Republican ideology ad ultimately "make them unelectable."

"If you want to still call yourself a Republican after all of the things that Trump has said and done," said Reed Galen, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, "you have to take a stand." Galen said his organization would rather see a Democrat hold the Omaha-area district than Bacon, calling him the "Joe Manchin of the House GOP."

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U.S. EDUCATION SECRETARY GETS INSIDE VIEW ON TECH ACADEMIES FROM OMAHA BRYAN STUDENTS

OMAHA- U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona made a visit to Omaha's Bryan High School to see the school's new career-connected technical academies. These programs prepare students for college or direct entry into the workforce. “We chose this school today, the day after the State of the Union, because I want to lift up what we’re seeing here,” Cardona said.

Cardona said that Bryan High School and its students are examples of how the country can better meet future demand for “high-skilled, high-paying” jobs expected through the CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. Cardona experienced one of Omaha Public Schools' most culturally diverse schools. The school has students from over 30 countries and over 33 languages can be heard in the hallways and classrooms.

Dr. Rony Ortega, Bryan’s principal, said that while the technical academies were available in the past at Bryan, this was the first year for “wall-to-wall” academies, meaning that all students must participate in one. Among other officials at the secretary’s visit were OPS superintendent Cheryl Logan. This was Cardona's first trip to Nebraska and his 38th state since entering his position.

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FORTENBERRY AND SASSE HEADLINE UNUSUAL YEAR-END CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS

LINCOLN- Campaign spending saw a spike in 2022, a portion of this is a result of a special election and the departure of a Nebraska Senator. In eastern Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., defeated Democratic State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks in a rare special election. In the Omaha-based 2nd District, Nebraska’s most competitive, Rep. Don Bacon, outraised his Democratic opponent, State Sen. Tony Vargas.

Flood, who challenged Fortenberry in the Republican primary, raised $2.2 million and spent $2.1 million in the primary, special and general elections combined. Pansing Brooks raised and spent $1.8 million over the same span. Bacon raised and spent about $4 million. Vargas raised and spent $3.4 million, the second highest of any Democratic candidate in the district over the years. He trailed only Kara Eastman, who raised and spent $4.5 million in 2020.

Rep. Adrian Smith, who serves Nebraska’s largely rural 3rd District, raised $1.7 million and spent $1.9 million – most of that in supporting other House Republicans. He spent about $70,000 on his own race, most of that for political and fundraising consultants. U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., left the Senate in January for the University of Florida’s presidency with $2.7 million left in his campaign coffers, which he could use in Florida.

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PILLEN NAMES NEW LANCASTER COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSIONER

LINCOLN- Todd Wiltgen, former Lancaster County Commissioner and Lincoln Chamber public policy specialist, was named the new Lancaster County Election Commissioner by Gov. Jim Pillen last Wednesday. Wiltgen is set to replace Dave Shively, who retired in January after 23 years of service to the state. Wiltgen will assume the role on February 13th.

"Todd is familiar with election processes, having run for office himself and in his prior roles serving state and federal elected officials," said Pillen, "He is committed to public service and will work hard as election commissioner, ensuring that voters in Lancaster County are informed and that election processes are secure."

Most recently, Wiltgen worked for the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, and before that represented District 5 on the Lancaster County Board. Wiltgen also worked previously with State Sen. Mark Kolterman, U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, and U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel.

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NEBRASKA DHHS, LOCAL AGENCIES RELEASE 3-YEAR PLAN TO PREVENT SUICIDE

LINCOLN- The Kim Foundation, Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition, and the Department of Health and Human Services have updated Nebraska's plan to combat suicide over the next three years. A 47-page document was released that provides guidelines for individuals, businesses, schools, medical professionals, communities, and other agencies to prevent suicide. It replaces another statewide strategic plan that was created in 2016.

"We really wanted to make it more of an action plan and framework for all communities in Nebraska, no matter where they were, to dive into and select what would work in their community," said Julia Hebenstreit, executive director of the Kim Foundation. "We knew that not everything in the plan would resonate with all communities, but every community or every person can find something in the plan."

Data for the report was gathered from a group of 501 people ranging in job, location, and age. The plan includes four major strategic directions: healthy and empowered individuals, families and communities; clinical and community prevention services; treatment and support services; and surveillance, research and evaluation. There are localized goals and recommendations depending on each strategic direction.

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NEBRASKA CHAMBER: RAISING STATE'S TECH PROFILE IS ONE KEY TO FILLING WORKER VOID

LINCOLN- With Nebraska currently unable to fill an estimated 80,000 jobs, the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry believes a push to boost the Nebraska tech image may increase our overall workforce numbers. "This next generation goes where the technology jobs are," said Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber, "we need to be known as a technology state."

The Chamber outlined that, alongside Gov. Pillen's budget and tax plan, they are also in support of any bill that would help solve Nebraska's urgent workforce problem, especially bills that focus on tax breaks for businesses. Another approach the Chamber believes Nebraska should take is to renew the state's research and development tax credit, and allow deductions for business equipment, research, and experimental costs.

ANother problem cited by Slone to be a cause of the recent shortage is Nebraska's declining birth rate, which has dropped significantly over the past 6 decades. "We're not replacing boomers with new people in Nebraska," said Slone, "Each year we need to be recruiting thousands of people to Nebraska just to fill those exiting the job market."

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TED CARTER ANNOUNCES COMMITTEE TO HELP FIND NEW UNL CHANCELLOR

LINCOLN- A sixteen-member committee has been named to find the next chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. The UNL Chancellor Search Advisory Committee will solicit and gather input from university stakeholders and work alongside AGB Search, the firm hired to find a replacement for Chancellor Ronnie Green.

"I'm excited to bring together this broad group of Nebraskans who care deeply about the next chapter for our flagship university," Carter said in a statement. "They will play a crucial role in our search for the right person to lead UNL forward." The committee will be led by Tiffany Heng-Moss, dean of UNL's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Other committee members include Jason Ball, president of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce; Mike Cassling, chairman and CEO of CQuence Health Group; Lawrence Chatters, executive associate athletic director for strategic initiatives in Husker Athletics; Jacob Drake, UNL student body president; Megan Elliott, Johnny Carson Endowed Director in Emerging Media Arts; Alex Fernando, assistant director of recruitment at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications; Venn Jemkur, executive vice president of UNL's Graduate Student Assembly; Kelli Kopocis, UNL Faculty Senate president-elect; Lisa Lunz, president of Ag Builders of Nebraska; Mark McHargue, president of Nebraska Farm Bureau; Debbie Minter, UNL Faculty Senate president; Marilyn Moore, board president of Nebraska Alumni Association; Moises Padilla, director of UNL's Nebraska College Preparatory Academy; Dan Voelte, board chair NU Foundation; Catherine Wilson, associate professor in the Nebraska College of Law.

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NEBRASKA CHAMBER PRESIDENT LAUDS PROPOSED TAX REFORM, BUT SAYS IMMIGRATION REFORM ALSO NEEDED

LINCOLN- According to Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Bryan Slone, Gov. Jim Pillen's plan to create a "much more competitive tax climate" in Nebraska is a solid start that will help Nebraska's future and address the state's workforce shortage. However, despite the plan's positives, Slone outlined that "there is no long-term solution without immigration reform."

Slone is still optimistic about the future of Nebraska's economy, though, and also lauded it for remaining "remarkably strong post-pandemic." Slone went on to emphasize the importance of bringing more people into Nebraska to work, saying that there are "enormous opportunities" for those looking for work.

On the point of immigration reform, Slone stated that "no state has more to gain than Nebraska" from increased immigration into the state. "We have 50,000 to 80,000 jobs that we can't fill and that will grow, unless the federal government reaches agreement on immigration reform," finished Slone.

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