SENATORS ADVANCE 17 BILLS FOLDED INTO INSURANCE PACKAGE

LINCOLN- Following eight hours of debate on Tuesday, the Nebraska Legislature voted 46-0 to advance LB92, a comprehensive insurance bill that includes 16 other pieces of legislation, to its second round debate. Introduced originally by Sen. Julie Slama, LB92 would eliminate a requirement for insurance agents regarding their annual reviews.

The remaining 16 bills cover a wide range of issues, including lowering the costs of insulin and mammograms, encouraging grants for affordable housing, and providing financial incentives for semiconductor manufacturing. If passed, the package would cost the state around $32.3 million, according to all of the bill's fiscal notes.

A package like LB92 is quite rare for a normal session, but this is an unprecedented legislative session in many ways. Speaker of the Legislature John Arch said he had recommended that all of the bills be combined into LB92, since many of them are simply "good government bills." "It's not unprecedented," Arch said of the large package of bills, "but it is unusual."

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SENATORS GIVES FINAL PASSAGE TO CONCEALED CARRY OF HANDGUNS WITHOUT PERMIT OR TRAINING; PROTESTER BANNED FROM CAPITOL

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, the Nebraska Legislature voted to advance Sen. Brewer's LB77 through its final round of debate, pushing it onto Gov. Pillen's desk for a signature. The bill, which allows for the permitless concealed carry of handguns, was introduced by Brewer to give a "constitutional right back for people who should have that right."

Opponents of the bill, especially senators representing urban districts, argued that the bill should have had different public safety approaches for cities. "I am hearing from people in my community that they do not want this bill passed," Sen. Tony Vargas told his colleagues. Other opponents include the police chiefs and mayors in Omaha and Lincoln.

Following the vote to pass the bill, Melody Vaccaro, executive director of Nebraskans Against Gun Violence, shouted "Shame!" from the chamber's balcony. This prompted the Nebraska State Patrol to clear the balcony, and serve Vaccaro with a "banned and barred notice," restricting her access from the Capitol except for "scheduled appointments." "I would understand when you make an outburst...of course, they're going to escort you out and you're going to have to leave," said Vaccaro. However, the barring and banning notice, according to Vaccaro, was not reasonable.

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EYEBROWS RAISED OVER NEBRASKA BOARD OF HEALTH'S ADVOCACY FOR BILL BANNING GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE

LINCOLN- Prior to debate on the controversial LB574, a bill that would restrict minors from receiving gender-affirming care, a trio of Nebraska Board of Health members drafted a board statement in support of the bill. Before this, Dr. Jamie Dodge, a board member, had testified in support of the bill during its public hearing in February. According to Sen. Kathleen Kauth, who introduced LB574, she had suggested to Dodge that he should help draft the board's statement since a similar ban in Florida was supported by their respective Board of Health.

"If you could get it for Monday's meeting so I can present it Tuesday that would be pretty amazing," Kauth wrote in a March 16th text message to Dodge, to which Dodge responded, "I will do my best." Kauth stated that the statement provided to her by the board was particularly helpful in making the case for LB574. Critics, however, saw the statement as something motivated by far-right politics, a far departure from the Health Board's main responsibilities and objectives.

"It was definitely a politically driven, well-orchestrated effort, in collusion with the bill's sponsor, to push a political position," said Sen. Danielle Conrad during a debate for LB574. Conrad, alongside the ACLU of Nebraska and a former state health director, raised concerns that the board's statement runs counter to advice from leading physician groups, including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics.

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NEBRASKA'S NEW CORRECTIONS DIRECTOR BACKS PRISON-BUILDING PLAN

LINCOLN- Just days into his new job as Nebraska Director of Corrections, Rob Jeffreys made it clear to the Judiciary Committee that he would support the plan to build a new $350 million prison to replace the aging Nebraska State Penitentiary. "We already know what the conditions are at NSP," said Jeffrey's, "We have to move forward with building a new prison. Those problems are not going to go away."

Just months ago, a major water leak in one of the State Penitentiary's housing units forced the relocation of 140 men, with prison officials saying that the break could take two years to fix. The Legislature's Appropriations Committee voted earlier this month to appropriate money for the project, which would add around 1,500 beds to Nebraska's Corrections system.

Jefferys previously served as the Illinois corrections director, and was named to the Nebraska positions earlier this month by Gov. Jim Pillen. Jeffreys comes at a time when Nebraska's corrections system is the most overcrowded and fastest growing in the United States. On top of that, the Nebraska Department of Corrections is also plagued by staffing shortages.

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NEBRASKA GOVERNOR JIM PILLEN JOINS STATE SENATORS AND TAX GROUPS IN TOUTING INCOME TAX CUTS

LINCOLN- On Tuesday, widely recognized as "Tax Day" in the United States, Governor Jim Pillen, joined by several key state senators and two tax groups, celebrated a few legislative proposals that aim to reduce Nebraska's top income tax rate to 3.99% by 2027. Tuesday was the deadline to file state and federal income tax returns, and the governor maintained that the state needs to be more competitive when it comes to taxes.

"It's really important that we have a tax policy that gets us in the game," said Gov. Pillen. Currently, Nebraska ranks 29th in the overall business tax climate, but several legislative proposals might shift that number. LB754, introduced by Sen. Lou Ann Linehan on behalf of Gov. Pillen, would reduce the state's top personal income and corporate tax rates significantly, moving Nebraska down to 12th place if passes, according to advocates.

"For far too long we have found ourselves uncompetitive with other states when it comes to taxes," said Linehan, "We're finally going to be able to go where we've been trying to go for the past seven years." Alongside Governor Pillen were representatives from the Platte Institute, as well as from Americans for Prosperity. Both groups joined Gov. Pillen in promoting LB754, as well as its companion bill, LB243, which would provide property tax relief.

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REP. DON BACON RAISES RECORD Q1 FUNDS FOR DISTRICT 2 RACE IN PRESIDENTIAL YEAR

OMAHA- U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, with the help of House Republican leadership and national GOP donors, set a financial record this spring that signals to opponents that the cost of running against the four-term incumbent is going up. In the first quarter of 2023, Bacon's campaign raised $483,000, receiving an additional $140,000 from his federal political committee, raising the total to $623,000.

Despite this new record, Democrats say Bacon's stepped-up fundraising illustrates his fear that voters in his purple district, who picked Joe Biden as president in 2020, might not be as open to Bacon in 2024. The old fundraising record for first-quarter funding during a non-election year by any House candidate in Nebraska was in 2019, when Bacon raised $370,693 for a run during the last presidential election year.

Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane Kleeb said Bacon knows "he's going to be in trouble" for portraying himself as a moderate. Kleeb went on to say that she believes Bacon's previous support for a proposed federal abortion ban won't sit well with women upset by the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. "We are going to make the contrast very clear," she said." Thus far, no major Democratic candidate has announced a bid, and the office of Sen. Tony Vargas, who ran against Bacon last year, declined to confirm if the senator intended to run again.

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'NEBRASKA POOR PEOPLE'S CAMPAIGN,' ROOTED IN NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, RALLIES AT STATE CAPITOL

LINCOLN- About 50 Nebraskans rallied on the steps of the State Capitol for a “Moral Monday” demonstration, saying they won’t be silent about state lawmakers’ actions that affect voting rights, transgender kids, gun control, a proposed sub-minimum wage for youths and more. The event was put together by the Nebraska Poor People's Campaign, a movement initially started by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr..

“We are a new unsettling force that has arisen to disrupt the status flow,” said Angela Montalvo of Ogallala, a member of the coordinating committee. Prior to the rally, the group — carrying signs with messages such as “Living Wage” and “Stop the Wars, Feed the Poor” — was inside the State Capitol handing out a list of “demands” and positions on certain bills to state lawmakers who would meet with them.

Sen. Tony Vargas was the lone senator to meet with the group. The group is said to have been revived in 2020, but is now taking a more active role in state government as more pressing issues move through the body. During the rally, a dozen or so Nebraskans stood up to speak about personal experiences and how certain legislation or state policies impact their families.

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SLEUTHING DISCOVERS THOUSANDS OF LOCATIONS MISSED AS 'UNSERVED' BY BROADBAND ON FEDERAL MAP

LINCOLN- Emily Haxby, who also serves on the Gage County Board, had doubts about the accuracy of federal maps showing areas that were “unserved” by broadband. Using a laptop at her farm near Clatonia, and some help from the state’s public power districts, a rural broadband advocate has uncovered oversights that may brings millions of extra federal dollars to Nebraska to expand high-speed internet service.

Haxby uncovered a dozen homes and businesses in her own rural area that were listed as "served by broadband" but are not. That’s important because a new pile of federal money — $42.45 billion via the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program — is being distributed on the basis of how many “unserved” locations there are in each state compared to other states.

With the help of the Nebraska Public Power District and the Nebraska Rural Electric Association, she found 11,367 farms, homes and other locations across the state that should have been labeled as “unserved” on federal broadband maps. The discovery could mean tens of millions of extra federal dollars for Nebraska to get broadband to unserved areas, according to Pat Pope, the former president/CEO of the Nebraska Public Power District.

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PILLEN SEEKS APPLICANTS TO FILL VACANCY LEFT BY RESIGNATION OF STATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, INTERIM DIRECTOR NAMED

LINCOLN- Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen set a deadline of May 2nd for applications to fill the vacancy left by the recent and abrupt resignation of former Director of Economic Development Tony Goins. Goins resigned in early April after an investigation uncovered instances in which he had used his state email to funnel business to a Lincolncigar lounge that he was a majority owner of. Goins also used the email to promote a campaign event at the bar, an action prohibited by Nebraska law. 

The Capital Cigar Lounge also received two pandemic recovery grants from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, the same agency Goins headed since being appointed by former Governor Pete Ricketts in 2019. Governor Pillen, in a Tuesday press release, set the deadline for applications for the position, which pays around $215,000 a year.

In the meantime, Gov. Pillen has appointed Joe Fox to the post. Fox previously served as the Department of Economic Development's director of business development. Fox will begin directing the agency until an applicant is approved.

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LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL TO PRIORITIZE RESOURCES IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY ADVANCES IN BUSINESS, LABOR PACKAGE

LINCOLN- On Thursday, the Legislature's Business and Labor Committee advanced a substantial package of legislation that includes LB267, a bill introduced by Sen. Tom Brewer that would give priority access to resources for "critical infrastructure utility workers" during civil defense emergencies, as determined by the President of the United States.

These workers would be given prioritized access to resources during emergencies that pose a "severe threat" to human health, including personal protective equipment, vaccines, and certain medical treatments. Brewer introduced the bill after hearing concerns from public power workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, who claimed that they were left in "no man's land" with vaccines and other resources despite having a "critical task."

During the hearing for LB267, Nebraska Adjutant General Daryl Bohac was the sole opponent testifer. Gen. Bohac, who heads the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, argued that LB267 would allow the state to supplant local capabilities and responsibilities with a too-broadly defined state mandate. 

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LEGISLATURE ADVANCES PLAN TO APPROPRIATE $180 MILLION FOR LINCOLN'S SECOND WATER SOURCE

LINCOLN- The Legislature gave first-round approval to an LB531 from Sen. Terrell McKinney that will provide grants to hundreds of proposals seeking to revitalize parts of North and South Omaha. Included in the bill is funding for Lincoln to begin work to secure a second source of drinking water. $180 million would be appropriated to the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources from last year's ARPA money.

The Department plans to build a Southeast Nebraska regional water supply network that pumps water from the Missouri River to Lincoln and other communities. Originally LB506 intended to appropriate $200 million for the same purpose, but amidst negotiations, it was included as an amendment to LB531. The project lead, Sen. Eliot Bostar, said the Governor's support for the project helped the idea gain momentum.

"Frankly, (Pillen) gets it and agrees this is a valuable project that is important for the state because it ensures we don't get into a position where we have to exercise our water rights and impair irrigator access," the senator said. Winning first-round approval is "extremely significant" toward moving the estimated $1.39 billion project forward, Bostar said. 

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'NO EASY BUTTON': TED CARTER SAYS NU WILL NEED TO MAKE DIFFICULT CHOICES TO CLOSE BUDGET GAP

OMAHA- University of Nebraska President Ted Carter told the Board of Regents that the university system would have to begin looking for cost-saving methods in order to hold any substantial tuition increases in check. Carter went on to say that, although NU Systems will receive a small bump in state aid from the Legislature's Appropriations Committee, the University might have to make some difficult decisions in the coming months. 

"There is absolutely no easy button for navigating these headwinds," Carter told the NU Regents. In a request given to the Legislature's appropriations committee last fall, NU sought a 3% increase in each of the next two years, which Carter noted would still leave the university with a $25 million budget shortfall. 

Despite this, Gov. Pillen and the Appropriations Committee later recommended a 2% increase in their budget proposals released earlier this year. An agreement was eventually struck between Pillen and Carter, and committee members approved a 2.5% budget increase. Carter finished by telling the Regents that he would begin discussions with them to decide whether or not to continue the current tuition freeze, but reaffirmed his support for keeping tuition at the university affordable. 

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CONTRACTOR-LED FINANCE MODEL PROPELS NEBRASKA HIGHWAY

LINCOLN- A new and unique contractor-led build-financing model is fueling the accelerated delivery of the $352 million Lincoln South Beltway, which includes 43 miles of alignment, 21 bridges, five interchanges, and 11 roundabouts. The Beltway is expected to be completed by 2024 after just three years of construction, as opposed to the expected eight to ten. 

To expedite the process, the Nebraska Department of Transportation utilized deferred contract payment certificates. The funds to pay for these certificates come from tax-exempt bonds via a conduit issuer, the Arizona Development Authority. NDOT then makes $7.5 million payments every quarter until the project is completed. 

Typically, a large project like the South Beltway would have been broken up into several phases and built as funding became available. "For a state Department of Transportation with about $700 million or so a year to spend, a $350 million project was just too big a piece" without the unique finance model, said Chris Hawkins, CEO of Hawkins Construction Co., who is building the Beltway. 

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NEBRASKA ICON, CHIEF STANDING BEAR, TO BE ON 18 MILLION POSTAGE STAMPS

LINCOLN- The story of Chief Standing Bear, which has reached new levels of prominence in Nebraska of late, now will be spread further through the U.S. mail. Beginning on May 12, a “Forever” commemorative stamp bearing the likeness of the Ponca leader is to be issued and become available for use nationwide. The U.S. Postal Service announced they intend to print 18 million of the specialized stamp. 

On May 12 there will be a dedication ceremony in Lincoln with Anton Hajjar, vice chair of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors; Candace Schmidt, chairwoman of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska; and Judi gaiashkibos, executive director of the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs. The Chief Standing Bear stamp features a portrait by illustrator Thomas Blackshear II, who created the image based on a black-and-white photograph taken in 1877. 

In a media advisory, the U.S. Postal Service said it “holds reverence for Chief Standing Bear by honoring him with a forever stamp.” The statement notes how in 1879, Standing Bear won a landmark court ruling that determined a Native American was a person under the law, with an inherent right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.The stamp can be prepurchased or purchased after the May 12 reveal. 

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FIVE NEBRASKA ENTITIES TO SHARE $13 MILLION IN FEDERAL GRANTS AIMED AT HELPING LOW-INCOME AREAS

OMAHA- The Biden administration announced that $13 million will head to Nebraska to improve access to financial services and stir investment in underserved communities. The $13 million was split amongst five entities who were all awarded various amounts of the main pool. The awards were part of $1.73 billion in grants that are to go to 603 Community Development Financial Institutions across the country through the Treasury Department’s CDFI Equitable Recovery Program. 

Midwest Housing Development Fund Inc. of Omaha was awarded the bulk of the Nebraska share, about $6.2 million. Other recipients are: Omaha 100 Inc., $2.97 million; Oakland-based Nebraska Enterprise Fund, $2.23 million; Grand Island-based Native360 Loan Fund Inc., $961,541; Omaha’s Economic Empowerment Center, $527,331. 

“These grants — representing the largest CDFI grant program in history — will enable hundreds of community lenders to invest in small businesses and entrepreneurs, provide home loans for families, financial services for local nonprofits, and capital for community organizations,” Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement. Jodie Harris, CDFI Fund director, said the program funding is expected “to help families make ends meet” in tough times exacerbated by COVID-19. 

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$80 MILLION IN RATE INCREASES BACKED FOR NEBRASKA HOSPITALS, OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

LINCOLN- Following a decision on Wednesday from the Nebraska Legislature's Appropriations Committee, Nebraska hospitals might see their largest bump in Medicaid payment rates in more than 15 years. The Committee voted 6-3 to increase payment rates for health care and human services providers by 3% next year, and another 2% the following year. 

The passage of this decision would add an estimated $80 million to the committee's budget proposal for the two-year period ending in 2025. This new plan would apply to healthcare providers serving Medicaid patients, which includes hospitals, nursing homes, doctors, and a large range of other medical professions. 

Gov. Pillen included enough money in his proposed budget recommendations to allow for the continuance of payment rates, but not enough for increases. Despite this, medical leaders in Nebraska have argued that an increase in payment rates is critical, citing rising inflation and rampant workforce shortages. Nebraska Hospital Association President Jeremy Nordquist expressed gratitude for the increase, saying, "Certainly, it's better than zero. I know there's a lot of competing priorities."

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NEBRASKA BILL BANNING ABORTIONS WHEN CARDIAC ACTIVITY IS DETECTED PASSES FIRST ROUND OF DEBATE

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, the Nebraska Legislature voted to advance LB626, Sen. Albrecht's Heartbeat Act, to its second round of debate. In total, 32 Republican senators voted to advance the bill, as well as Democrat Sen. Mike McDonnell. Following its advancement, Sen. Joni Albrecht called it a "monumental" victory for Nebraska. 

"This is about elective abortions," Albrecht said of her bill's intent, "I know every woman and every child deserves love. We can protect their lives." LB626 will now move on to its second round of debate, when Sen. Merv Riepe intends to discuss his amendment that would shift the abortion ban from roughly 6 weeks to 12 weeks. However, Riepe, a former hospital executive, said he would support LB626 as written so long as the Legislature discusses his amendment. 

Democratic senators in the body expressed anguish at the passage of the bill. Sen. Megan Hunt, a vehement opponent of the bill, said, "In a state where we are criminalizing care...what's next? Every year, we have some kind of abortion ban. What's next? They just keep coming, one after another." Other senators questioned which abortions will be allowed under the bill, citing the bill's alleged vagueness. "The sound you hear on an ultrasound is not a heartbeat," said Sen. Jen Day, another opponent. 

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FUNDING THE STATEWIDE WEATHER MONITOR IS ON HOLD AS SENATORS, STAKEHOLDERS OPT FOR STRATEGIC PLAN

LINCOLN- A legislative bill that would have bolstered Nebraska's statewide weather monitoring system and provided funding has been tabled by the Legislature, despite the fact that the current system has been running on an increasingly patchwork budget. The system, formally titled the Nebraska Mesonet, would have received around $1 million over two years in LB401, a bill introduced by Sen. Myron Dorn. 

The bill was tabled, according to Sen. Dorn, to allow a committee to form around the subject and perform a survey to assess the system's capacity and identify what it needs to grow in the future. "We could have maybe funded it with general funds this year," said Dorn, "But we also don't want to go down the wrong path and come back three years from now and go, 'Boy, we didn't plan the best'." 

Dorn said that the general consensus between his office, the University of Nebraska, and Nebraska's Department of Natural Resources, is to work toward increasing the number of weather monitoring stations across the state and ensure support is reliable, especially in rural areas. Over the past few years, and because of the weather system's fluctuating budget, several stations have had to lay off staff and even close down.

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BIPARTISAN BILL TO CREATE DIGITAL ARCHIVE FOR THE NEBRASKA UNICAMERAL PUSHED BACK

LINCOLN- Nebraska is one of seven states in the United States that doesn't make its legislative proceedings available on demand. However, under LB254, a bill introduced by Sen. Tom Brewer that would require the legislature to record and store all legislative proceedings, that may change. The creation of this new digital archive, according to Sen. Brewer, would help citizens better understand what's going on in the Nebraska Legislature.

"We have a desire on everybody's part to tell the story of the Legislature," said Brewer, "And so many of our committee hearings are fascinating the people that come to testify and that's all lost unless you happen to be sitting in front of the TV when it's on." Civic Nebraska, a nonprofit that encourages civic engagement in Nebraska, expressed support for the bill as well. 

"Providing video coverage of the Legislature to the public increases the capacity for different organizations and other to use clips of floor debate and committee hearings to educate people," said Heidi Uhing, Public Policy Director for Civic Nebraska. However, LB254 has been pushed back on the agenda to allow for debate on more contentious topics, like abortion and a gender-affirming care ban. Despite this, Brewer stated that he was optimistic it would be passed.

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS ADVANCE MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR OMAHA RECOVERY PROJECT, $180 MILLION FOR LINCOLN WATER SOURCE INCLUDED

LINCOLN- On Tuesday, the Nebraska Legislature voted 30-0 to advance LB531, a bill introduced by Sen. Terrell McKinney that would allocate around $400 million to low-income Omaha neighborhoods. The bill is a follow-up to LB1024, which was introduced in 2022, that sent around $335 million to these underserved areas. Having passed its first round of debate, the bill will still need to pass through two more rounds before ending up on Gov. Pillen's desk.

Sen. Terrell McKinney told his colleagues that the bill's aim is to reduce poverty and crime rates, as well as improve educational and health outcomes in areas historically lacking in these services. "North Omaha is not a charity case for wealthy individuals to act as our savior," said McKinney during the debate over LB531, "It is a community that deserves a fair chance at the good life."

Most of the funding will be distributed through the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. The Department will review over 367 proposals and applications for funding, and will decide which projects to disburse money to. LB531 guarantees funding for several proposals, however, including $20 million for a Malcolm X museum and $20 million for local healthcare centers.

Included in the bill is funding for Lincoln to begin work to secure a second source of drinking water. $180 million would be appropriated to the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources from last year's ARPA money.

The Department plans to build a Southeast Nebraska regional water supply network that pumps water from the Missouri River to Lincoln and other communities. Originally LB506 intended to appropriate $200 million for the same purpose, but amidst negotiations, it was included as an amendment to LB531. The project lead, Sen. Eliot Bostar, said the Governor's support for the project helped the idea gain momentum.

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