FORMER ILLINOIS PRISON CHIEF NAMED TO HEAD NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

LINCOLN- Rob Jeffreys, who departed his job leading the Illinois Department of Corrections less than a week ago, was introduced as the new chief of the Nebraska prison system. Jeffreys had been in the Illinois position since 2019 and was a standout candidate according to Gov. Pillen. Gov. Pillen said he interviewed seven other finalists in a nationwide search, and is confident Jeffreys is the right fit.

In Illinois, Pillen said, Jeffreys made strides in obtaining national accreditation for the prison system, reentry programs and vocational and educational services, as well as guiding the agency through the COVID-19 pandemic. “He is a nationally recognized criminal justice expert,” Pillen said. “I hope that director Jeffreys is as excited to come to Nebraska as I am about him coming.” Jeffreys will be paid $210,000 a year, $10,000 more than he was making in Illinois.

State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha, a key senator on criminal justice issues, said he was optimistic about the hiring of Jeffreys. “But Nebraska is different from Illinois, so we shall see how it works out,” McKinney said. Jeffreys said the top three challenges here are no different from those faced nationally by prison systems. Those include providing quality infrastructure, hiring and retaining adequate staff and preparing inmates to be productive citizens.

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BUDGET COMMITTEE HOLDS THE LINE ON UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA DOLLARS

LINCOLN- The Unversity of Nebraska system may have to spend a little less in the next two years thanks to a decision made by the Nebraska Legislatures Appropriation Committee. The committee approved a 2.5% annual increase in state funding for the next two fiscal years. This is less than the 3.0% requested by the university and more than the 2% Governor Pillen suggested.

Pillen’s office said that the governor now supports the 2.5% increase. University President Ted Carter thanked the committee for its support and the governor and other lawmakers for “positive conversations” about the budget. “The Appropriations Committee’s vote today sends a strong message about the importance of an affordable, high-quality University of Nebraska,” Carter said.

Even the original 3% requested by the university would not have covered all of its needs. President Carter said the university would look at some combination of modest tuition increases and budget cuts to close funding gaps. In the past 5 years, the university has had $75 million cut from its budget. Appropriations Committee members split 5-4 over approving the 2.5% figure, with some wanting to stay at 2%.

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CIGAR LOUNGE CO-OWNED BY STATE ECONOMIC DIRECTOR GOINS RECEIVED PANDEMIC GRANTS FROM THAT AGENCY, PROMPTING RESIGNATION

LINCOLN- During the Covid-19 pandemic, Capital Cigar Lounge, which is partially owned by Nebraska Department of Economic Development Director Tony Goins, received two "stabilization" grants from the agency. The two grants, which equaled a total of $24,000, came as part of the $330 million worth of similar loans that were given to Nebraska through the CARES Act.

Goins, who has a 51% stake in the cigar lounge, did not comment on the finding. However, his business partner maintained that Goins played no part in seeking the relief funds. A spokeswoman from Gov. Jim Pillen's office said that they "take these reports extremely seriously and expect the utmost integrity from all members of his cabinet."

Under state law, state agency directors are disallowed from earning profit from another business while holding office. If there is a conflict of interest, state officials are required to file the incident with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission. An official from the Commission confirmed that Goins hadn't filed such a statement following the disbursement of relief funds to the lounge.

Following the breaking of this story, as well as one that alleged that Goins utilized his state email to campaign, Goins announced his resignation on Wednesday. Gov. Pillen, in a press release, thanked Goins for his "honorable service to our country as a United States Marine and wishes him and his family the best." Gov. Pillen's office went on to state that future communication to the public regarding the hiring of a new Economic Development Director will come in due time.

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NEBRASKA AWARDED A $4 MILLION GRANT TO FORTIFY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION EFFORTS

LINCOLN- Nebraska has been awarded $4 million from the Administration for Children and Families, according to the State Department of Health and Human Services. Jeff Powell, a spokesperson for the DHHS, said the newly received grant will build on work the state has done over the past four years with previous "Preschool Development Birth Through Five" grants.

In total, around $35 million have been allocated towards this early development funding since 2019. Powell went on to state that funds will be used to identify ways to improve the early childcare workforce, offer parent education programs, and grow childcare infrastructure in the state. Nebraska has already been working towards these goals using funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.

Legislative efforts have been helping this endeavor as well, and are planning to release a report, which was required by last year's LB1173, with the purpose of identifying areas of need in Nebraska's childcare infrastructure and workforce.

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ANTI-ABORTION PETITION CIRCULATING IN BELLEVUE FAILS

BELLEVUE- Assistant City Attorney for Bellevue Annie Matthews confirmed Wednesday that a recent petition submitted to the city around a month ago, which intends to ban abortions within city limits, failed to garner enough signatures for passage. To proceed to the Bellevue City Council, the petition needed signatures from at least 20% of the number of legally eligible voters in the city, or around 7,812 signatures.

"According to the signature verification performed by the Sarpy County Election Commission," Matthews announced, "it was determined that 7,372 signatures were submitted. Of the 7,372 signatures received, 4,600 of them were determined to be signatures of qualified electors." Based on the Election Commission's findings, 2,772 of the signatures were determined to be from unqualified individuals.

Mark Lee Dickson, the Texas man spearheading the initiative in Bellevue, said he's leading a campaign to stake out 'Sanctuary Cities' around the country. The petition was initiated in Bellevue last August, just a week after former Gov. Ricketts announced that there wasn't enough support to call for a special legislative session to ban abortion.

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STUDENTS, GUN CONTROL PROPONENTS PROTEST FOR ACTION ON GUN SAFETY AT NEBRASKA CAPITOL

LINCOLN- Dozens of Nebraska students and activists turned up at the State Capitol on Thursday to press lawmakers for action on gun safety measures. The rally came just one day after students from over 300 schools around the country walked out of classrooms to protest gun legislation. The walk-out was prompted by the recent school shooting in Nashville.

Sen. Brewer's LB77, which allows for the permitless carry of handguns, recently passed through two rounds of debate, and only needs to go through one more before landing on the desk of Gov. Jim Pillen for a signature. State Sen. Jane Raybould, an opponent of this measure, has brought up the Nashville shooting several times on the floor of the Legislature to argue that the bill is dangerous. 

Raybould stated that significant change in gun laws will come from young people, saying that they are "changing the future." Several students spoke during the rally, including two fifth graders from Omaha. "We can be louder than a gunshot," one of the fifth grade attendees told the crowd.

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GEIST RESIGNS FROM LEGISLATURE, CAROYLN BOSN APPOINTED

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, Sen. Suzanne Geist announced that she would be resigning from the Legislature to focus on her mayoral bid following Lincoln's Monday Primary Election. "I'm going all in on this race, spending full time running for mayor of Lincoln," she said in a video message sent to her supporters, asking them to volunteer or donate to her campaign.

Her resignation takes effect at 11:59pm on Thursday, and Gov. Pillen was quick to announce that he would select her replacement Thursday afternoon. In the past, gubernatorial appointments have taken up to six weeks, but because there are only 31 days left in the Nebraska Legislature's 108th session, and many important bills have yet to have their fates decided, Gov. Pillen expedited the process to ensure that the GOP wing of the Nebraska Legislature has the votes it needs. 

During a press conference at 1:30pm on Thursday, Gov. Pillen announced Geist's replacement. Carolyn Bosn, a Columbus native, will now serve Legislative District 25. "I recognize I have big shoes to fill," said Bosn after thanking Geist for her service and wishing her well in the upcoming Lincoln mayoral election. Bosn indicated that she will follow her predecessor and focus on supporting law enforcement, making Nebraska a safer state, and reducing taxes and government spending.

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NEBRASKA'S TEACHER OF THE YEAR SAYS SHE'S BEEN BULLIED BY STATE BOARD MEMBER FOR MONTHS

LINCOLN- Renee Jones, a Lincoln High School teacher and Nebraska's 2023 Teacher of the Year, stated on Monday that she's been consistently bullied on social media by Kirk Penner, a member of the State Board of Education. According to Jones, the bullying has been going on since October of last year. Jones believes she's been targeted by Penner for her support of issues like drag queens, which was recently debated in the Nebraska Legislature. 

"Kirk Penner is teaching Nebraskans that it is okay to bully, harass, and spread lies about people who do not share the same opinion as you," said Jones in a Twitter post. After winning Teacher of the Year last October, Jones was allegedly targeted by Penner for taking part in a draw queen story hour in March. During that event, Jones made a Facebook post, saying, "You better believe I'll be buying a few new inclusive children's books."

A screenshot of the post was circulated online by several conservative social media users, including Penner, who said he believed that Jones would be bringing those "inclusive" books into her classroom. After receiving criticism, Penner attempted to defend his action, saying, "Where does it say she was buying them for her children? I don't know what to tell you if you read the Facebook quote and think that it says 'I am buying for my own children.' That is now how that reads." 

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NEBRASKA AG LAND VALUES GREW 14% LAST YEAR, UNL SURVEY FINDS

LINCOLN- According to a recent study from the University of Nebraska Lincoln, Ag land values rose to record levels in the past year as high commodity and livestock prices and initially low interest rates drove buyers to the real estate market. From Feb. 1, 2022, to Feb. 1, 2023, the average price per acre for ag land rose to $3,835 per acre, a 14% increase compared to the previous year. 

When not adjusted for inflation, this year’s figure is the highest statewide land value in the 45-year history of the Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Survey. The findings could serve as fodder for state lawmakers looking to provide property tax relief and reduce the tax burden on ag land owners. Percentage increases on ag land valuation ranged between 13% and 17% depending on the region.

The most valuable ag land is located in the eastern third of the state with percentage increases ranging from 15% to 17%. East central Nebraska — an area that includes Douglas, Sarpy, Lancaster and other area counties — has the most valuable farmland at $9,320 per acre — a 15% increase over the year prior. But growth was the highest in southeast Nebraska with the average price per acre now valued at $7,090 — a 17% increase. 

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NEBRASKA HEALTH SYSTEMS TO SOON MAKE MASKS OPTIONAL

LINCOLN- Beginning on April 3rd, several of the state's largest hospital systems will allow masks to be optional within most areas of their hospitals and clinics. The announcement came from Boys Town National Research Hospital, Bryan Health, CHI Health, Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals, Methodist Health System and Nebraska Medicine. CHI had already lifted mask restrictions on March 20th. 

The hospitals stressed that the virus is still circulating and that they are still treating patients on a daily basis. But they noted that health care providers know more about the illness and that vaccines are available that are “extremely safe and effective in preventing serious disease and death.” Oral medications also are available to help prevent the disease from progressing. 

“We are better suited to treat patients with COVID-19 and they are consuming less intensive care resources,” they wrote. “We are also experiencing less employee absenteeism due to COVID-19 infection.” Staff at the hospitals will still mask if it is requested by the patient. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is expected to end the public health emergency for COVID-19 on May 11. 

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DESPITE STOTHERT'S PLEDGE, CITY OF OMAHA'S BOARDS SEE LITTLE CHANGE IN DIVERSITY

OMAHA- In 2020, Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert pledged to expand diverse representation on city boards and commissions. Nearly three years later, however, it appears little change has been made in the racial and ethnic makeup of Stothert’s appointees to the city’s more than 40 boards and commissions. In fact, the Mayor’s Office isn’t even keeping track of appointee demographics. 

“If you ask me right now, the diversity, the percentages of all the boards and commissions, I will honestly tell you, I don’t know, because I don’t pick them according to the color of their skin,” said Stothert. The situation has led to clashes between top city officials and city councilwoman Juanita Johnson who has been seeking information on the diversity of the city’s various boards and commissions, and is unhappy that she isn’t getting answers. 

Of the 179 appointees that Stothert made over nearly three years before her 2020 pledge, 151 had demographic information. White appointees accounted for 79% of the 151, Black appointees accounted for 15% and Hispanics had 5%. About 70% of appointees were men. Data still needs to be conducted for recent years, but the Mayor and city officials have not signaled any change in the makeup of these roles.

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NEBRASKA UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT LOWEST LEVEL SINCE JUNE

LINCOLN- According to the Nebraska Department of Labor, last month's unemployment rate was 2.3%, the lowest rate seen in the state since June. Despite this new low, March's unemployment rate is still up from February's 2%. Nebraska's unemployment rate in February was the third-lowest in the country, trailing only North and South Dakota. 

However, the number of people employed in Nebraska is virtually the same as it was a year ago, up only 72, while the number of unemployed individuals grew by more than 3,500. The Department of Labor reported nearly 22,700 more jobs in February than there were a year ago. 

Economists have stated that an increased number of unemployed people without a corresponding drop in employed people is an indicator of people who hadn't been seeking work returning to the labor force rather than people losing jobs. Last month, there were around 2,600 more people employed compared to February of last year, as well as about 60 fewer unemployed people. 

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'KIDS CAN' MAKES $11 MILLION MOVE, BUT CONCERN LOOMS FOR BROADER STATEWIDE CHILD CARE NEEDS

OMAHA- On Monday, The Kids Can Community Center, a childcare operation with a very storied past, opened its new $11 million headquarters on a four-acre campus where Ashland Park School used to stand. However, despite the expected success of this new institution, many Nebraska families are still unable to find reliable, affordable child care in Nebraska. 

"Families across Nebraska are at a crisis point in finding quality, affordable child care, and that is hurting everyone," said Kathleen Lodl, associate dean of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who recently held a survey that indicated that child care is one of the biggest concern for Nebraska families. According to Lodl and her team, 11 of Nebraska's 93 counties don't have a licensed childcare facility.

Robert Patterson, the CEO of Kids Can, said he was extremely thankful to receive the philanthropic stimulus that allowed him to build the new headquarters. Patterson recently spoke in support of LB35, which would hold, for another three years, the eligibility level for a state childcare subsidy. "These kids deserve more. It's an investment in our future," said Patterson. 

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NEBRASKA AG EXPORTS SHATTERED RECORDS IN 2021

LINCOLN- According to several reports issued earlier this month by the Nebraska Farm Bureau, the state exported $9.2 billion worth of agricultural commodities in 2021, more than $2 billion more than in 2020. Austin Harthoorn, a Nebraska Farm Bureau economist, said that 2021 was the first time that Nebraska's ag exports have topped $9 billion, and only the fourth time in state history that they topped $7 billion. 

Corn was the top export according to the reports, and accounted for $2.34 billion of the total amount, a 98% increase over 2020 and by far the highest amount ever recorded. Kelly Brunkhorst, director of the Nebraska Corn Board, said there were two factors that worked in Nebraska's favor.

"First, the price of corn moved higher, and secondly, there was great demand from both China and Mexico," said Brunkhorst, "Together those factor into the higher value of Nebraska corn exports." Soybeans have been the top export from the state for the past two years, but came in at second in 202, with $1.91 billion, essentially the same amount as in 2020. 

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SEN. RICKETTS CALLS FOR ACTIVE US WORLD LEADERSHIP IN MAIDEN SENATE SPEECH

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Freshman U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts delivered his maiden speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, calling on his colleagues to take a more active role globally by maintaining peace through strength. Sen. Ricketts' comments come as concerns grow over China's military modernization and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "Our allies are seriously questioning America's commitments to our friends," Ricketts told his colleagues, "Even worse, the bad guys...are questioning our resolve."

Sen. Ricketts went on to touch on the situation at the U.S. southern border, accusing the Biden administration of "turning a blind eye to the devastating humanitarian and security crisis on our southern border," a common talking point among Senate Republicans. Ricketts then criticized Biden's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, highlighting that 13 U.S. service members were killed in a suicide bombing. "American service members lost their lives, including Nebraskan Corporal Daegan Page," said Ricketts.

The Senator did not, as expected, touch on the Ukraine invasion in-depth, but has previously supported providing aid to the country with oversight. The maiden speech of U.S. Senators is a Senate tradition, allowing freshman Senators to set the tone for their term by giving their first major address on the floor. 

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS UNAMNIMOUSLY ADVANCE EXPANDING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES

LINCOLN- On Tuesday, the Nebraska Legislature took a short break in its Democrat-led logjam to advance a bill that would create a new payment framework for behavioral health and substance abuse service providers. The bill, LB276 introduced by Sen. Anna Wishart, would also allow qualifying providers to seek daily or monthly reimbursements for certain treatments, a move expected to increase the hiring of staff and allow for more timely care.

Wishart and other senators said that the bill would help fill gaps in communities where access to these types of care is lacking, and will provide more holistic treatment opportunities for those who need them. While a majority of Nebraska senators supported the bill, however, it was held up during the weeks-long filibuster of Sen. Kauth's LB574, which would ban transgender youths in Nebraska from receiving gender-affirming care.

Following Tuesday's passage of Sen. Erdman's rule change, State Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh and Megan Hunt removed a handful of motions and amendments from Sen. WIshart's bill, clearing the path for its passage and eventually advancing it on a 46-0 vote. If passed through two more rounds of debate, the bill will expand outpatient mental health and substance abuse services, outpatient clinic primary care screening, and psychiatric rehabilitation services. 

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS ADVANCE SCHOOL SAFETY PACKAGE TO FULL LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, and in the wake of the recent school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, the Nebraska Legislature's Education Committee voted 7-0 to advance LB516, a bill introduced by Sen. Lynne Walz that contains four recommendations from Nebraska's School Safety Task Force. The Task Force was created following the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas last year, and was led by then-Education Chair Walz and then-Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt. 

The recommendations from the task force include hiring regional support specialists to increase safety training, an appropriation of $870,000 annually to continue the Safe2HelpNE reporting hotline, the creation of a $15 million grant program for safety infrastructure, and another $5 million program to hire mental health specialists and school psychologists. Walz recently introduced an amendment to the bill, which sought to clarify that the regional specialists and grants would be available to approved or accredited public and nonpublic schools.

"I think that it will show that Nebraska is putting its best foot forward when it comes to protecting kids and trying to secure our schools," said Walz in defense of her bill. Sen. Dave Murman, who currently chairs the Education Committee, said that, although Nebraska's schools have been doing the best they can to improve safety, Walz's bill will provide additional state support to go even further. 

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ADVOCATES FOR INCOME TAX CUTS DISPUTE CRITICS WHO SAY REDUCTIONS ARE ONLY FOR THE WEALTHY; TAX CUT BILL PASSES DESPITE CONCERNS

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, the Nebraska Legislature debated Sen. Linehan's LB754, a bill that would allow for around $3 billion in state income tax cuts. However, some critics of the bill argued that it would only help the wealthiest of Nebraskans. Sen. Lou Ann Linehan defended her bill, citing that 32% of the state's top income earners pay 80% of the state's income taxes, so it only makes sense to return the bulk of the state's budget surplus to them.

"I think we should give the money back to the people who actually paid the taxes," Linehan told her colleagues during the debate, "We have a lot of money because we didn't spend it. As long as we keep our spending below our revenue, we will be fine." If passed, LB754 would allow for a gradual reduction in the state's top individual income tax brackets and corporate taxes, with an end goal of 3.99% by 2027. 

Sen. John Cavanaugh, in an attempt to make a compromise with Sen. Linehan, proposed that Nebraska should take the safer route, and instead aim for lowering the tax rate to 4.99%. "There is a downturn coming," Cavanaugh told his colleagues, "and we need to be careful about huge expenditures like this."

On Thursday, the Legislature continued to debate LB754, but passed the bill through its first round of debate on a 41-0 vote shortly before adjourning over the lunch hour. If passed and signed by the Governor, OpenSky Policy Institute, a Lincoln-based fiscal research organization, estimate that the tax cuts will benefit Nebraskans with household incomes above $138,000.

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RULES CHANGE WON'T STOP FILIBUSTER FIGHT IN NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE; ERNIE CHAMBERS SHARES OPPOSITION TO CHANGE

LINCOLN- After a small minority of Nebraska senators reaffirmed their support for derailing the legislative session on Tuesday, a frustrated majority group motioned to change the Legislature's rules to set new limits on motions that might slow the passage of bills. Sen. Erdman, who introduced the motion, secured a 31-13 vote to pass the new rules, restricting how often senators can seek to pause debate, send a bill back to committee, or indefinitely postpone a bill. 

"I think this rule change is a fair rule change so we can have full and fair debate on the bills as presented," Erdman told his colleagues, "Listen to who is in opposition, and you can quickly conclude why we've wasted 50 days." Despite the rule change, State Sens. Megan Hunt, Machaela Cavanaugh, and Danielle Conrad, promised to still attempt to bring the Legislature to a halt. By the end of the day on Wednesday, they had filed 742 motions on bills that had come out of committee. 

"We are blowing up this session," said Hunt during the debate, "The session is over, and it's on your terms. The terms were made clear to you for the last four to six weeks. Hating trans kids is more important to you than the rest of the session...Human rights are hanging by a thread." Several senators in the Republican majority expressed frustration over the continued filibuster, including Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, who said that she was unhappy to see Democrats keep 30 of her colleagues from speaking on the microphone.

Former state Sen. Ernie Chambers criticized the rule change on Tuesday night, saying, "What this does is to undermine the integrity of the legislature as the body that represents the people." Senators in support of the change believe it will speed up debate, but Chambers insisted that it would have the opposite effect. "It will create a logjam and the subject matter of a particular bill will not be important, it now becomes a battle of power," he said. Former Sen. Chambers also stated that the change, if he were still a member of the Legislature, would not have stopped him from filibustering. 

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'PERMITLESS' CONCEALED CARRY OF HANDGUNS IN NEBRASKA ADVANCES TO FINAL-ROUND DEBATE

LINCOLN- LB77, Sen. Brewer's "constitutional carry" bill, advanced to its final round of debate on Tuesday on a 31-10 vote during the first evening debate of the 2023 session. If passed, the bill will Nebraskans to carry concealed handguns without training or a state permit. Only one round of debate on the bill remains, as well as a signature from Gov. Jim Pillen, who is a supporter. 

The advancement of the bill came just one day after the latest school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, and opponents were quick to cite this incident as a reason to not advance it. "When is enough, enough? To dismiss and dismantle local safeguards that keep our communities safer is what we're doing. It is completely illogical," Sen. Jane Raybould told her colleagues, citing the recent Nashville shooting. 

Despite this, Sen. Brewer stated that he believes his bill will actually help Nebraska avoid a situation like the one in Nashville, and expressed the idea of introducing a bill next year that would provide resource officers in every school in the state and allow trained teachers or school staff to carry guns. "Evil will do evil," said Brewer during the debate.

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