GOV. JIM PILLEN TOUTS 'SUSTAINABLE' FERTILIZER FACTORY HEADED TO GOTHENBURG

GOTHENBURG- On Wednesday, Gov. Jim Pillen, speaking to a crowd of around 300 people, celebrated the recent announcement of "Project Meadowlark," a planned $750 million factory set to be built in Gothenburg that would use electricity instead of natural gas to make "eco-friendlier" fertilizer. Local economic leaders in Gothenburg also spoke at the event, calling the factory one of the largest investments ever seen in central Nebraska.

"It's a big deal, and it's going to help a wide swath of Nebraska producers," Pillen told the crowd, "Everything we can do to decrease our costs and reduce the use of a gallon of diesel fuel or fossil fuels is good for the planet, and good for business." The new factory is set to be built by JWC Gburg LLC, and will, according to Gothenburg Mayor Will Rahjes, bring immense workforce growth to the town and allow the community to build more workforce housing.

Workforce housing, especially in rural areas, was a key part of this year's budget, with Sen. Teresa Ibach's LB249 being adopted into the mainline budget bill. LB249 would have provided funding for rural workforce housing initiatives, but Gov. Pillen line-item vetoed around $40 million set to be allocated towards these projects. Despite this, Ibach, who lives near Gothenburg in Sumner, stated that she plans to introduce a similar bill to LB249 next year, saying she understands why Pillen had to remove her portion from this year's budget bill.

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LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST NEBRASKA FREEDOM COALITION FOR DEFAMATION OF SEN. MEGAN HUNT

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, the Nebraska Legal Action Fund, a group of volunteer attorneys led by former state Sen. Adam Morfeld, announced that it would be filing, on behalf of Sen. Megan Hunt, a defamation lawsuit against the Nebraska Freedom Coalition, a local political action committee. The lawsuit names Patrick Peterson, Robert Anthony, and Malia Shirley, all members of the organization, specifically, as well as the PAC itself.

The lawsuit alleges that the Nebraska Freedom Coalition defamed Sen. Hunt when they accused her of abusing and grooming her child during the most recent, tumultuous legislative session. According to the Legal Action Fund, these allegations resulted in Hunt receiving death threats, a kidnapping threat, and hundreds of derogatory tweets, phone calls, and emails targeting her and her family. In a statement released Wednesday, the Legal Action Fund stated that it "will use all the legal tools at [their] disposal to protect Nebraskans and expose extremists, their tactics, their supporters, and misinformation."

The claims that Hunt had sexually groomed her child came just hours after a long and contentious debate on LB574, a now-passed bill that banned gender-affirming care for minors in Nebraska. In her own statement, Sen. Hunt said that she is, through this lawsuit, "taking a stand against those who wish to defame, intimidate, and harass parents, educators, healthcare professionals, and advocates who stand up for our children and Nebraskans in the fight for equality across the state."

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U.S. SEN. DEB FISCHER, TOUTING SENATORIAL RECORD, ANNOUNCES 2024 REELECTION BID

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, at a campaign event held at the Nebraska State Capitol, announced her intention to run for a third term in the Senate. Surrounded by Gov. Jim Pillen, former Govs. Kay Orr and Dave Heineman, and U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, Fischer highlighted her career in the Senate, focusing specifically on her work in attaining funding for a new runway at Offutt Air Force Base, as well as new levees to protect the base from flood waters.

Fischer also pointed to her past work in helping public and private partners build a VA health clinic in Omaha. The senator then stated that she believed she knows Nebraskans, "who we are and what we stand for," and touted her voting record, which, according to Glen Beck, a popular right-wing broadcaster, was more conservative than Missouri Senator Josh Hawley's.

"I'm proud of my record," said Fischer, "There's no question I'm a conservative. But I also get the job done for Nebraska and take care of our people." Fischer was first elected to serve in the Senate in 2012, and was re-elected again in 2018. Thus far, no challengers have stepped up to challenge the incumbent senator, but the Nebraska Democratic Party has said it's attempting to actively recruit one.

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PILLEN NAMES NEBRASKA'S FIRST BROADBAND DIRECTOR

LINCOLN- Patrick Haggerty was announced by Gov. Pillen as the state's first director of the Nebraska Broadband Office. Pillen called for the office in an executive order during his first days as governor and was solidified through the passage of LB683 this year. Haggerty will assume the role of director on July 17, and will join Pillen’s Cabinet. The new state office is devoted to expanding broadband services across Nebraska.

“Patrick’s many years of executive level experience in the telecommunications and government relations fields uniquely positions him to lead our efforts to bring reliable and affordable high-speed internet to all Nebraskans,” Pillen said in a press release. Haggerty most recently served as the regional senior director for state government affairs over Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota for telecommunications company Charter Communications.

The Broadband Office is tasked with overseeing millions of federal dollars for the purposes of expanding broadband services, including $405.3 million from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program that federal officials recently announced was coming to Nebraska. The state had received nearly $100 million prior to the announcement.

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NEBRASKA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION APPROVES $61 MILLION IN BROADBAND GRANTS

LINCOLN- This week, the Nebraska Public Service Commission approved more than $61 million for 65 grants for broadband internet projects. The money comes from the 2023 Capital Projects Fund Grant Program, which had received 130 applications for broadband buildout funding. All projects that receive grant awards are required to be completed by December 27, 2024, unless the PSC grants an extension.

“The Capital Projects Fund is another opportunity for qualified applicants to bring broadband to Nebraskans most in need of these services,” said Commission Chair Dan Watermeier in the news release. The grants are awarded by the PSC in the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts. In each district, at least $40 million in grant funding was available for eligible broadband projects.

In the 1st District, 27 grants were awarded, totaling $40.3 million. The 3rd District had 38 grants with a total of $21.03 million. Funding is still available for Third District projects, and the commission plans to open an additional window for applications. Projects that were not approved initially may be resubmitted for consideration. “We want to distribute the entire amount of grant funding available,” Watermeier said.

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U.S. ATTORNEY FOR NEBRASKA TO RETIRE AFTER NEARLY 38 YEARS IN OFFICE, ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY ANNOUNCED

LINCOLN- Longtime Nebraska prosecutor Steven Russell has announced he will retire as U.S. Attorney at the end of the month. Russell was named the acting U.S. Attorney a year ago, following the retirement of interim U.S. Attorney Jan Sharp. A 1982 graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Law, Russell has been with the U.S. Attorney’s Office since 1985.

In the role, he has handled a wide variety of cases, both civil and criminal, and prior to that had served at various times as branch manager for the Lincoln U.S Attorney’s Office, Senior Litigation Counsel, Appellate Coordinator and First Assistant United States Attorney. On June 1, 2022, Russell was appointed as Acting U.S. Attorney and later appointed by the U.S. District Court to serve as Interim U.S. Attorney, a position he has held since.

On Thursday, the United States District Court appointed Susan Lehr as Russell’s acting successor. Lehr, who previously served as a prosecutor for the Douglas County Attorney's Office, will take over as interim U.S. Attorney following the end of Russell's service until a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed U.S. Attorney is named. "There can be no greater source of professional pride than saying to the court or a jury that 'my name is Steve Russell, and I am an attorney representing the United States of America,' said Russel.

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HERBSTER, THEOBALD MULL U.S. SENATE BIDS AGAINST PETE RICKETTS

LINCOLN- Nebraska’s rare double-feature of U.S. Senate races in 2024 already stars two Republican incumbents, with U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts having said they plan to run. Two potential challengers confirmed they are considering Senate bids after being asked about new filings this month with the Federal Election Commission and the international registry for website domain names. Leader of the Nebraska Democratic Party, Jane Kleeb, has also said the party will have candidates.

Former gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster, a multi-state agribusinessman who lost the 2022 GOP primary race to Gov. Jim Pillen, had already acknowledged interest in a 2024 bid. Now a Democrat has filed paperwork to raise money for a Senate run. He is Paul Theobald, a former Wayne State College dean of Education and Counseling and high school teacher. “I am considering a run,” said Theobald, who lost a 2018 race to U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith in Nebraska’s sprawling, largely rural 3rd Congressional District.

In early June, someone paid to reserve four potential website domain names, www.herbster4senate.com, www.herbsterforsenate.com, www.herbster4senator.com, and www.herbsterforsenator.com. Theobald declined to discuss the potential bid but said he would announce a decision in July. His family had run a hog farm in Pierce County and he still teaches college classes.

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NEBRASKA DMV NOW ALLOWING UKRAINIANS TO APPLY FOR DRIVER'S LICENSES, ID CARDS

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles officially announced that Ukrainian nationals can now apply for driver's licenses and state identification cards. Thanks to LB138, a bill passed in this previous spring's Nebraska Legislature. The bill directed the DMV to issue credentials to people with parolee immigration status by November 1st at the latest.

“The DMV recognizes the importance of moving quickly to make driver licenses available to those Ukrainians who have been displaced from their home country,” Director Rhonda Lahm said in a news release. “I am pleased we are able to issue these documents less than a month after the legislation was signed into law, and well ahead of the statutory mandate.”

The bill allows all immigrants with a parolee immigration status, not just Ukrainians, to apply for licenses and ID cards. Applicants will need to meet the same identification, verification and testing requirements as all others who apply for either licenses or state ID cards, and they are subject to all laws regarding issuance of those documents. The cards will carry a distinguishing mark that indicates they are “not for federal identification."

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MATT RAY TO BEGIN OPS INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT ROLE JULY 1: 'WE'RE PREPARED FOR NEXT YEAR'

OMAHA- An Omaha Public Schools veteran, Matt Ray, has spent the past 27 years exploring each level of the district. From student teaching and then subbing throughout the district, to managing the school board and eventually becoming second in command, Ray has seen what it takes to run a school district. Ray will now enter a new stage of his career as interim superintendent of Omaha Public Schools.

Ray has been working on the transition process with the current superintendent Dr. Cheryl Logan. “I don’t anticipate any hiccups or anything with our transition. I’ve been in the role as deputy superintendent. I’ve been in the role as the board secretary for 10 years. This is my 27th year in the district. I have a pretty good feeling about what happens big picture in the district — we’re prepared for next year," said Ray. He was appointed by the board on February 22nd, citing his experience and various roles within the district.

“We see Mr. Ray’s leadership, experience, expertise and care for the Omaha Public Schools every day,” said Spencer Head, board president. “Mr. Ray was key to the team that developed the strategic plan of action with input from students, staff and families. We’re excited to work with Mr. Ray in this new role.”

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MORE ALLOCATED WATER USAGE DURING DROUGHT CONDITIONS IN NORTHEAST NEBRASKA

NORFOLK- Farmers in northeast Nebraska will have more allocated water usage amid extreme drought conditions. During a recent Lower Elkhorn Natural Resource District meeting, the body considered a change to its water allocations set upon the district. Back in the fall of 2022, the board of directors set up a 15-acre-inch allocation. Many farmers have been calling for an increase to the allocation citing that it has been devastating to their yields.

“I think we need to be very thoughtful here...what kind of message we're sending here to the public,” said Brian Bruckner, interim general manager. “We’re starting to get calls from folks who are very concerned about water supplies in their areas.” In recent months, the LENRD and a majority of eastern Nebraska has been plagued with extreme and exceptional levels of drought.

A packed audience of farmers spoke out in favor of changing the allocation. Director Jerry Allemann made a proposal to increase the allocation from 15-acre inches to 20-acre inches. Two directors attempted to table the vote to gather additional information but largely failed. The proposal to increase the allocation to 20-acre inches did pass on a 9-3 vote.

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NEBRASKA GOV. JIM PILLEN SAYS HE WON'T STOP ON ABORTION, SEEKS TOTAL BAN

HOLDREGE- During a recent barnstorming stop in Holdrege, Gov. Jim Pillen told a sizeable crowd that he and his fellow state lawmakers will not stop with the recently-passed 12-week abortion ban, and will instead push to outlaw the procedure statewide in the coming years. Pillen, without naming him, criticized Sen. Merv Riepe for withholding the pivotal 33rd vote for cloture on LB626, which would have prohibited abortions in the state after 6 weeks.

Pillen said that he "thought we had the heartbeat bill (LB626)," but "got nicked by one person caving in to pressure." Following the failed vote on LB626, a 12-week abortion ban was amended into LB574, which passed within the final days of the most recent legislative session. "We didn't give up," Pillen told the crowd, "We were able to combine them and get it at the last hour to get it down to 12 weeks. I can assure you as long as I'm the governor, that's unacceptable. I pushed hard to get us to 12, but we're going to end abortion."

When asked about the governor's comments, Andi Curry Grubb, of Planned Parenthood of Nebraska, said she was "not surprised" to hear him say he wanted a total ban. During the event, Pillen touched on several other subjects as well, including opportunity scholarships, gender-affirming care, and gun control. One attendee asked Pillen how he squared his Christian faith with signing into law LB77, which allowed for the permitless concealed carry of handguns, and whether or not this will lead to more gun-related deaths. "I'm a believer that where there's guns there's not violence," responded the governor, "so that's why I signed it...we need the constitutional freedom to protect ourselves."

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KLEEB ON 2024 SENATE RACES: "WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF CANDIDATES"

LINCOLN- In previous years, the Nebraska Democratic Party has faced criticism for their lack of solid candidates in major statewide races such as the Senate. The head of the states Democratic Party, Jane Kleeb, has now confirmed there will be two candidates in next year's Senate races. Kleeb has not named the candidates and expects the announcements to come in the late fall.

Kleeb said, "We do have a couple of candidates and several others who are talking about it. So, you'll start to see those announcements I think in late fall, but we will absolutely have a Democrat challenging Ricketts who was appointed, and we will have a Democrat challenging Fischer as well.” The upcoming Senate elections mark the first election cycle without former Sen. Ben Sasse since 2015.

Sen. Deb Fischer is now seeking her third term in the seat. She has won her two previous races by double-digit landslides. Senator Pete Ricketts, who was elected as governor twice - both by double digits, is making his first Senate bid. Rickett was appointed by Governor Pillen shortly after leaving office.

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ALMOST $3 MILLION IN ARPA GRANTS NEWLY AWARDED TO BOLSTER NEBRASKA'S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES

OMAHA- On Thursday, it was announced that 27 Nebraska-based behavioral health projects would be receiving disbursements from a second round of ARPA funding, which is expected to help the state expand and train behavioral health services and workers. The funds, which come from the final cycle of American Rescue Plan Act dollars, will be distributed by the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska. Previously, the Center had doled out nearly $20 million in ARPA funds to 83 behavioral health projects.

The Behavioral Health Center received around 150 applications requesting more than $25 million across four different categories, and selected 27 that they saw as the most beneficial to Nebraska. "We are excited to support these amazing projects that will help address our state's critical shortage of behavioral health workers," said Dr. Marley Doyle, director of the BHECN. Around 40% of the selected projects are based in rural parts of the state.

Jessica Buche, the Center's ARPA award director, said that the BHECN will offer training and assistance to awardees that have limited experience in awarding grants. Several of the organizations granted awards include: the Siena Francis House, $72,000; the Health Center Association of Nebraska, $800,000; the University of Nebraska at Omaha, $50,000; and the UNMC Wellness Center, $50,000.

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'VESTIGES OF DYSFUNCTION': HOW PARTISAN DIVISION ADDED TO A RANCOROUS NEBRASKA LEGISLATIVE SESSION

LINCOLN- Less than a year after his departure from Nebraska's Unicameral Legislature, former state Sen. John McCollister said he "couldn't bear to watch" much of this year's divisive and heated legislative session. McCollister cited the extreme levels of partisanship in the officially nonpartisan body as his reason for avoiding live or in-person viewings of proceedings, and even claimed this divisiveness as the reason for the widespread dysfunction seen this year by many Nebraskans.

McCollister, a registered Republican, came into the Legislature in 2015, and described his experience over the years as far more moderate than it is today. Another former Senator, Laura Ebke, who also entered the Legislature in 2015, echoed a similar sentiment. "We kind of charted our own course," she said, claiming that, in recent years, there has been a growing demand for Republican lawmakers to unite and be more disciplined in the Legislature. Ebke, prior to leaving the body, switched her party registration from Republican to Libertarian to avoid these demands.

Sen. Danielle Conrad, who returned to the Legislature last year after being term-limited in 2015, said the body has changed greatly since her last tenure. While Conrad recognizes that the body was almost always "right of center," she claimed her first two terms saw lawmakers acting as "independent contractors" rather than party representatives. Indeed, Sen. McCollister saw these growing "vestiges of dysfunction" over the years as well, and contributes them to overfunded campaigns, gerrymandering, and increased polarization in national politics.

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A GROWING NUMBER OF NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS SEEK TO AVOID ANOTHER FIGHT ON TRANS YOUTH IN 2024

LINCOLN- After passing a bill this year to prohibit certain health care for transgender youth, some Nebraska lawmakers may not have the appetite for a similar fight in 2024 over school bathrooms and sporting teams. State Sens. Merv Riepe, Jana Hughes, Teresa Ibach and Mike Jacobson are among those who voted for the health care restrictions but have said that their support for local control could provide a different avenue next year to address LB575, the Sports and Spaces Act.

LB 575 would define group bathrooms, locker rooms and sporting teams as either male or female, still allowing coed or mixed teams. It would also ditch the Nebraska School Activities Association’s Gender Participation Policy, which currently governs trans student-athletes. State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, a freshman senator, introduced both bills and has argued both are necessary to protect children, women’s sports and safe spaces.

The group of lawmakers has set out to strike a new tone after the rancorous 2023 session largely defined by LB 575’s sister bill, LB 574. In a memo to senators, Riepe wrote “The greatest victory is that which requires no battle,” quoting Sun Tzu, a Chinese general. He followed this by stating, “It is my recommendation that we amend LB 575 to stipulate our expectations to the State Board of Education, and require the State Board of Education to address the issue, not the state Legislature."

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NEBRASKA UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DIPS TO THREE-WAY TIE FOR LOWEST IN NATION

LINCOLN- As announced Friday by Nebraska's Labor Commissioner John Albin, it seems that Nebraska now sits right alongside South Dakota and New Hampshire as one of the states with the lowest unemployment rates, with a recent dip to just 1.9% of the population unemployed. May's preliminary rate, released Friday, sits just a pinch lower than April's 2%, as well as May 2022's 2.1%.

Albin noted just how many nonfarm jobs had been filled so far this year, saying it's "at a historical high at 1,044,702, surpassing the prior high count of filled jobs in November 2022 by 1,009." However, this isn't to say that nonfarm jobs didn't also see a substantial rise. Indeed, nonfarm employment was up by 1,985 jobs over the past month, and up a staggering 18,549 jobs over last year as well.

The data was provided to Nebraska by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which adjusts employment data seasonally and provides occasional, preliminary reports. Albin and his office reported that private industries in the state saw the most growth, which includes the education and healthcare sectors, which were up around 6,400 jobs, as well as leisure and hospitality, up around 5,000 jobs, and mining and construction, up about 4,000 jobs.

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'OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP' SUPPORTERS TO FIGHT PETITION DRIVE OPPOSING THE TAX CREDITS

LINCOLN- On Friday, supporters of Nebraska's new 'School Choice' law, including Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, who introduced the now-signed bill, announced the creation of a campaign that seeks to stifle a petition drive that hopes to place the issue on the state's 2024 general election ballot, allowing voters to decide the fate of the law. The campaign was revealed to be formally titled "Keep Kids First," and encourages registered voters to "decline to sign" the petition to place the issue on the ballot.

Sen. Linehan defended the new law, arguing that it does not, despite oppositional claims, divert public funding away from public schools. Linehan also called out the Nebraska State Education Association, which is leading the charge to place the issue on the ballot, claiming that the organization will "say anything for their own self-interest, but not for Nebraska kids."

Critics of the new law, including Support Our Schools Nebraska and the aforementioned public education union, argue that LB753, the 'School Choice' bill, and the tax credits it provides are a way for lawmakers to get around a state constitutional provision that disallows public funding from going towards private or parochial schools. Linehan finished by stating that it's unfair to single out her bill, which offers tax credits, since many more passed this year do the same.

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STIMULUS MONEY ALLOWING LINCOLN WATER PROJECTS TO PROCEED FASTER

LINCOLN- Nearly $200 million in federal funding appropriated to the City of Lincoln by the Nebraska Legislature this year is already being put to use, including more than $120 million for projects that expand and upgrade the city's current water system. At least five other water-related projects, which had been previously identified by the city's Capital Improvement Program, were bumped to the top of a list of potential improvements following the appropriation of federal dollars to the city.

Last year, the Legislature had appropriated around $20 million of ARPA funding to the city, but upped that number to a substantial $177.5 million this year, allowing Lincoln to begin work on a long-planned project to create a second water source for the city. To do this, Lincoln will build water transmission lines from the city to wells situated close to the Missouri River, which will be used to fill up reservoirs already supplied by rivers from around Ashland.

According to Donna Garden, assistant director of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities, the second water source will give the city a backup plan should the rivers and wells surrounding Ashland dry up. "It connects the large transmission mains from Ashland to the Missouri together so we can move water between the two sources," said Garden, "The point is it gives us the ability to make sure water is available to all of Lincoln all the time once the Missouri is introduced."

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DROUGHT CONDITIONS PERSIST IN EASTERN NEBRASKA, BUT RELIEF MAY BE ON THE WAY

LINCOLN- Nearly half of Nebraska, but especially the eastern side of the state, has been left parched following a Spring season with very little rain. In fact, according to a report from the U.S. Drought Monitor, east-central Nebraska is experiencing a 1 in 50-year drought event, which is classified as an "exceptional drought."

Thankfully, however, help may be on the way. According to Eric Hunt, a climatologist at the Unversity of Nebraska, El Nino, a warm climate pattern that affects the Pacific Ocean, might push more precipitation towards the state later in the Summer and during Fall. On top of that, the National Weather Service predicts that Nebraska will experience above-average rainfall in July, August, and September.

Lincoln saw its eighth driest April and second driest May in over 137 years, according to the Lincoln Department of Transportation and Utilities, and is experiencing water retention issues in its nearby aquifers, prompting the implementation of a city-wide, voluntary Water Management Plan. If conditions deteriorate in the city, the Water Management Plan could become compulsory for Lincoln, and perhaps even surrounding towns.

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HASTINGS RESIDENT LOOKING TO REPLACE SENATOR HALLORAN

HASTINGS- Over the weekend, Hastings resident Michelle Smith announced that she would enter the running to replace Sen. Steve Halloran, who will be term-limited in 2024, for the District 33 legislative seat. Smith is a mental health practitioner and a lifelong Hastings resident. Thus far, she is also the first candidate to announce that they would be running for the seat.

Smith intends to run on the Democratic ticket in 2024, and says she made the decision to run for the Nebraska Legislature after becoming disheartened by the body's recent passage of bills like the "Let Them Grow Act." Being a mental health practitioner, Smith said such bills personally impacted her, since some of her clients were affected.

"I had to sit with clients who feel like Nebraska doesn't want them, that they don't belong here," said Smith, "and that was extremely hard to sit with." Smith also indicated that she was against the abortion ban provision attached to the "Let Them Grow Act," saying that such decisions should be made between doctors and patients. According to Smith, her biggest goal, if elected, would be to expand mental health services across the state.

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