PLANNED MERGER OF CENTRAL NEBRASKA POWER DISTRICTS SHORT-CIRCUITED BY RECENT VOTE

LINCOLN- Plans to merge two central Nebraska power districts ground to a halt last week after the board of one of the districts failed to muster enough votes to move forward with the controversial proposal. The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District’s board voted 7-5 to approve a charter amendment and proceed with the merger with Dawson Public Power. But the 7-5 vote fell short of the eight-vote, super majority required in state law for such a merger.

A leading opponent of the merger called the vote “a huge victory for everyone who depends on the water Central delivers.” “The vote means that control of the water will remain in Central’s hands,” said Gary Robison, a farmer and president of Citizens Opposed to the Merger. Friday’s vote drew an overflow crowd to the meeting in Holdrege.

The Citizens, a group of irrigators served by Central Nebraska, had formed to block the merger, arguing that they would have less control over water deliveries that they rely on, and that there were no benefits to Central patrons. The two districts first announced plans to study a potential merger in November 2020. A delay in the vote earlier this month, to allow more talks with opponents, failed to quell critics, leading to the vote that fell short.

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WEST NILE-POSITIVE MOSQUITOES INCREASE EARLY IN NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- The state is seeing an early increase in the number of mosquito pools, or batches of trapped mosquitoes, testing positive for West Nile virus, health officials said last week. Forty-two new pools tested positive for the virus across the state during the week that ended July 21, said Jeff Hamik, vector-borne disease epidemiologist with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

That means 60 pools total have tested positive so far this season. Usually, the number of West Nile-positive pools peaks later in the season, typically in August or September. “We’re seeing an early increase, that’s for sure,” he said. Exactly why the early increase is occurring, however, is not clear.

Over the past five years, the state has recorded an average of 2.6 West Nile-positive pools by the same point in the season. Last year, 992 pools of Culex mosquitoes, the kind that can carry the virus, were tested. Of those, 88 were positive for West Nile. After this week’s samples are tested, Hamik said, health officials will have tested more Culex mosquitoes than in all of 2022.

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DAVID HUNTER HIRED AS NEW DIRECTOR OF NEBRASKA ACCOUNTABILITY AND DISCLOSURE COMMISSION

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission hired a long-time staffer on July 28th as its new executive director. David Hunter, who has worked for the NADC since 2000, will succeed Frank Daley, who is resigning in September. Daley joined the commission staff in 1987 and served as executive director since 1999.

Hunter, a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, currently is the commission’s deputy director. There were 78 applicants for the job, and three finalists were interviewed by the commission over the past couple of weeks. The job was advertised to pay between $105,000 and $110,000 a year.

Aside from Hunter, the commission also considered a staff attorney with the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance, and a former staff member for the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce. The Accountability and Disclosure Commission oversees campaign finance disclosure, lobbying, statements of financial interest and conflicts of interest at the state and local levels. It can impose civil penalties for violations of state campaign laws.

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HOW VOTER ID IN NEBRASKA WILL WORK: WHAT VOTERS NEED TO KNOW

LINCOLN- Nebraska voters passed a state constitutional amendment in 2022 requiring voters to verify their identities with a photo ID. This past legislative session decided how the Secretary of State and 93 county election officials would implement that amendment, starting with the state’s 2024 primary election. But the public education piece of that effort, outreach to voters and would-be voters, starts this summer.

The Secretary of State’s Office is already preparing a brochure to hand out in Grand Island, during the Nebraska State Fair. Civic Nebraska and other voting rights organizations are also ramping up. Secretary of State Bob Evnen said his office will staff a booth at the State Fair that will let people pick up brochures and ask state and local election officials how the new law will work, LB514.

Voters heading to the polls in person will need to bring a state-approved photo ID, which could include a driver’s license, a college ID, a nursing home ID, a passport, a military ID, a tribal ID or an ID from a city, county, school district or another political subdivision of the state. If you forget an ID, you may vote but are now required to provide an ID to their county election office within a week of Election Day.

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OMAHA, FREMONT, EVEN TINY TAYLOR RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDS FOR 'ALTERNATIVE' TRANSPORTATION

OMAHA- Bike/hike trails in Omaha, Fremont and even the small Sandhills village of Taylor will share in $50 million in federal transportation “alternative” grants. Funds will help build a bikeway connecting Midtown Omaha and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and Fremont’s “FEVR Rail to Trail” project.

In Taylor, population 140, the “Kevin Brown Educators Memorial Trail” is planned along the North Loup River in the Sandhills for tourists and local residents to enjoy the local wildflowers and wildlife. According to the Nebraska Department of Transportation, it was the largest amount given to Nebraska via the Transportation Alternatives Project (TAP) Federal Grant since the program was created in 1991.

The program is designed to help communities fund alternate modes of transportation, such as safe routes to school, recreational trails and traffic improvements. Vicki Kramer, NDOT’s director, said the TAP grants will make “a significant impact on the local communities and their economies.” The NDOT said that TAP provides roughly $1.3 billion each year for safety projects throughout the U.S.

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LAW PASSED LAST YEAR TO REDUCE NITRATES IN NEBRASKA WATER 'HASN'T LEFT THE GROUND' SPONSOR SAYS

LINCOLN- A new state program, approved in 2022 to help reduce nitrate pollution in drinking water, is struggling to get started, more than a year after it became law. LB925, the Resilient Soils and Water Quality Act, provided $1.25 million over five years to hire a non-government “facilitator” to organize small-group, educational meetings with farmers to promote conservation practices that reduce nitrate pollution in groundwater and surface water.

But so far, no facilitator has been hired, and education sessions are still being mulled. A website is in the works, however, and a five-page annual report was produced in December while an employee with the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources is sorting out the best way to use the funding. Former State Sen. Tim Gragert said the program hasn't left the ground and “It’s kind of disappointing."

The state’s 2022 annual report on groundwater quality found that nearly 30% (157 out of 550) of the state’s public water systems had to regularly test for nitrate levels to discern if they exceeded the level deemed unsafe for drinking — 10 parts per billion. These nitrates have been linked to blue baby syndrome, birth defects, and cancers. The Department of Natural Resources has yet to comment on the situation.

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NEBRASKA'S PAID SICK LEAVE PETITION DRIVE RAISES MORE THAN $500,000

LINCOLN- According to its most recent campaign finance report, the newly-created organization Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans has brought in over $509,000 in donations between June and July, with the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a national organization promoting economic equity, donating $475,000 of that total.

The Sixteen Thirty Fund, despite being a national group, is no stranger to helping out petition efforts in Nebraska. In 2020, the organization donated a substantial amount of money to a Nebraska-based group seeking to cap interest rates charged by payday lenders and increase the state's minimum wage. Both of these initiatives were placed on the ballot, and both were passed by Nebraska's voters.

A state-mandated paid sick leave requirement, as with capping payday loan interest rates and raising the minimum wage, is an idea that has been brought up repeatedly in the Nebraska Legislature. The current proposal, which, with enough signatures, could end up on the 2024 ballot, would ensure paid sick leave for all Nebraska workers.

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CONSISTENT RAIN HELPS IMPROVE DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- Consistent rain has continued to take a bite out of drought conditions across the state. The latest drought monitor released Thursday by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln shows significant improvement, especially in the amount of severe drought. According to the monitor, severe drought in Nebraska, the third-worst category, declined from covering more than 46% of the state a week ago to less than 32% this week.

Extreme drought also declined from 19.27% last week to 15.7% this week, although the amount of exceptional drought remained the same at 2.63%. Many areas of the state, especially in eastern Nebraska, have gotten significant amounts of rain over the past few weeks. Lincoln got 5.61 inches in July, which is more than 2.3 inches above normal, and the most in a single month in more than four years.

Omaha got 6.3 inches in July, 2.75 inches above normal, and Norfolk received 5.37 inches, about 2.4 inches above average. Other places that saw much-above-normal precipitation in July included Beatrice, Columbus and Fremont. Rain is expected to continue over much of the state for the next two weeks of August.

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TWO REPORTS SUGGEST NEBRASKA ECONOMY SLOWING DOWN

LINCOLN- According to two reports released earlier this week, Nebraska's economy could be headed for a slowdown over the next few months, despite recent revenue increases. One of the studies, released by Creighton University's Mid-America Business Conditions Index, suggested that Nebraska's economic conditions have fallen below growth neutral.

Overall, and according to the report, Nebraska's index fell from 50.8 in June to 46.1 in July, with anything below 50 indicating a decline in economic conditions. "This is the lowest overall reading since the beginning of the pandemic in May 2020," said Ernie Goss, director of Creighton's Economic Forecasting Group. For this reason, according to Goss, a recession in the second half of the year is still very much a possibility.

The second report, detailed by the Nebraska Business Conditions Index, indicates an even lower economic dip, from 46.1 in June to 40.4 in July. The state's Leading Economic Indicator grew only 0.06% in June in its worst performance since December, suggesting that the rate of economic growth in Nebraska will slow by the end of 2023.

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SPENDING TOPS $2 MILLION IN BATTLE TO RESCIND, OR RETAIN, STATE'S NEW OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP LAW; OPPONENTS OF LAW SAY THEY ARE MEETING SIGNATURE GOALS

LINCOLN- Spending to rescind a new school choice law in Nebraska, along with expenditures to retain it, have topped $2 million, according to the most recent state campaign spending reports. The bulk of the money came from two sources: teachers unions that oppose school-choice laws; and an organization backed by former Trump administration official Betsy DeVos that promotes use of state funds for private and parochial education.

The reports, which covered up to July 26, indicated that Support Our Schools, a group seeking to place a referendum on the Opportunity Scholarships Act on the 2024 ballot, had raised over $1.3 million and spent more than $1.2 million. The referendum drive has set a goal of collecting 90,000 signatures of registered voters in Nebraska. It must submit about 61,000 valid signatures by a deadline of Aug. 30.

Meanwhile, an organization called Keep Kids First that is urging Nebraskans to “decline to sign” the petitions, reported raising $746,665 through late July to oppose the signature drive. It reported spending of about $582,000. Some of the funds are being spent to employ “blockers” who shadow the Support Our Schools petition circulators and attempt to discourage people from signing. 

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NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER SECURES $15 MILLION MATCH FOR RESEARCH INTO PANCREATIC CANCER

OMAHA- Private funds have been raised to match a state allocation of $15 million to bolster research into pancreatic cancer at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Among the leading donors of the $15 million private match for UNMC’s Pancreatic Cancer Center of Excellence were two prominent Omaha families who lost loved ones to the deadly cancer.

Jim Young, who was president, chairman and CEO of Union Pacific, died at age 61 in 2014 after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. Young’s family foundation donated, as did members of the Noddle family. Harlan Noddle, a developer and community leader, died in 2005 from the cancer at the age of 69.

Last year, the Nebraska Legislature agreed to allocate $15 million of the state’s $1.04 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds to the Med Center’s program, if private donors could match that amount. The private donations will help UNMC build its research program, recruit world-class physicians and scientists, and pioneer novel approaches into the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of pancreas cancer.

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NEBRASKA REP. BACON SUPPORTING STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT REFORM BILL

WASHINGTON, D.C.- U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, Nebraska's second congressional district representative, announced that he would be co-sponsoring House Resolution 4144, or the Federal Assistance to Intiaite Repayment Act, a bill that, according to the Congressman, will help "simplify the repayment process, end ballooning loan balances, provide repayment assistance, and provide targeted student loan relief." As laid out in the bill, student loan borrowers would only have to pay back 10 years’ worth of interest accrual, and interest would stop increasing after ten years, should the borrower fail to pay the loan in full within 10 years.

On top of that, the bill would also forgive unpaid interest for those earning below 300 percent of the federal poverty level if they are enrolled in an income-based repayment plan and complete the payment schedule. "This fiscally responsible alternative to President Biden's plan will be a critical step towards fixing our student loan system," said Bacon, "and will provide a path for 40 million borrowers to pay back their loans."

Bacon was previously an outspoken opponent of President Biden's now-defunct student loan forgiveness plan, which was shot down earlier this month by the Supreme Court. "I do not support forcing the 83% of Americans who don't have student loan debt from carrying the burden of those who do," he said. Instead, Bacon indicated that he was more interested in establishing more robust and feasible payment plans for those who have fallen behind on payments, a goal he will pursue through HR4144.

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NEW U.S. MILITARY ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM OFFICE LAUNCHES FROM STRATCOM, OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

OMAHA- On Wednesday, it was announced that the U.S. military's electromagnetic spectrum operations, which is used across the world, will now be based out of Offutt Air Force Base. The new office, unveiled by Air Force and military officials at an emblem reveal ceremony, will be titled the Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Center. "I can think of no better than USSTRATCOM to take on this responsibility," said General Anthony Cotton during the event.

The electromagnetic spectrum, or EMS, is used for navigation, missile threat warning systems, radio transmissions, radar, and cellular phones all over the world. The new JEC office will lead the U.S. in attaining EMS dominance over other world powers. However, U.S. Rep. Don Bacon acknowledged that other nations, especially since the Cold War, have had, at times, better EMS capabilities than the U.S. "Two decades later," said Bacon, "it was clear to me and others that China and Russia were ahead of us in important aspects of electronic warfare."

Despite this, Brig. Gen. AnnMarie Anthony and General Cotton believe the new office at STRATCOM will put the U.S. on a path to "remain the dominant force within EMS." Following the unveiling of the office, it was announced that the JEC will begin looking for staff. Of particular interest are people with physics, engineering, radio frequency engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics, and computer science backgrounds.

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CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION WORKING TO SAVE MOBILE HOMES FROM REMOVAL

WASHINGTON, D.C.- A group of trailer owners faced with the removal of their summer cabins from alongside two Nebraska reservoirs may soon find reprieve as a Congressional delegation seeks to stop the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which owns the reservoirs, from going forward with their plans. This month, U.S. Sens. Fischer and Ricketts, as well as U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, met with 20 of the trailer owners, and vowed to introduce legislation that would transfer management of the two concession areas away from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and instead place that power into the hands of Hitchcock and Frontier Counties, where the reservoirs are located. 

"Local, as opposed to federal control, is best," said Nathaniel Sizemore, a spokesman for Sen. Fischer, "and community members have indicated they support transferring the land to the relevant county entities." Fischer and Ricketts, after hearing from the two trailer communities, agreed that their removal would hurt local businesses and end traditions. The Bureau, in a new improvement plan, sought to remove 110 trailer sites at Swanson and 71 at Red Willow Reservoirs by November 2024. In doing so, the federal organization sought to make way for the construction of new campgrounds, rental cabins, playgrounds, and walking trails. 

Hitchcock County Commissioner Paul Nichols, who was among those who traveled to Washington, argued that the two trailer communities, during the summer, pump substantial amounts of funding into the local economy. Nichols went on to state that Hitchcock is ready to assume management of the land, and would be able to handle road maintenance, gross sales, and trailer leasing. If the legislation passes, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission would continue to operate the campgrounds at both reservoirs, and, according to Nichols, the Bureau of Reclamation would still have the power to build new facilities, should it want to. 

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PILLEN TOUTS SCHOOL FUNDING DURING PETITION FIGHT OVER TAX CREDIT FOR PRIVATE K-12 SCHOLARSHIPS

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, Gov. Jim Pillen held a news conference celebrating the state's first $1 billion pledge towards the Education Future Fund, highlighting that such an investment in public education far outweighs the costs of Nebraska's new Opportunity Scholarship Act, which provides tax credits for those funding scholarships for children seeking to attend private K-12 schools. As a petition fight is being waged against the Act by several oppositional groups, including the Nebraska State Education Association, Pillen argued at the conference that it will not, as many argue, divert funding from the state's public schools.

"That's not true at all," said Pillen of this argument, "We have added through this priority funding $305 million more in education funding. The Opportunity Scholarship Act is $25 million off the top of state funding through a tax credit." When asked to clarify his argument, Pillen said, "That money comes off the top line of the budget of six and a half billion dollars of revenue from the state. It has not tie-in with education at all." The Education Future Fund, which would provide $1,500 in baseline aid to every public school district in Nebraska, is certainly a welcome disbursement of state aid, but some, including NSEA and Support Our Schools Nebraska, are skeptical that the $1 billion pledge will be achieved.

To back this up, NSEA and Support Our Schools Nebraska pointed to the fiscal estimate for the impact of the Opportunity Scholarships Act, which predicts that state aid to public schools could decrease by around $12 million, if enough students transfer from certain aid-receiving school districts to private schools. Jenni Benson, president of the NSEA, went on to argue that public school costs would not necessarily decrease because a few students leave a district and attend a private school instead. Benson also added that the Opportunity Scholarship Act is a stepping stone toward a full-blown voucher system. "They say this isn't tax money, but it is," said Benson, "The general fund funds public education. It will affect public school funding because it has to if it continues to grow."

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SENATORS URGE AG HILGERS TO CLARIFY STANCE ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PRIVACY

LINCOLN- In a letter sent on Wednesday, a group of nine state lawmakers asked Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers to clarify his stance on reproductive health privacy and medical autonomy, just one month after Hilgers signed onto a letter opposing a federal rule change that would expand protections for the medical information. Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh, Megan Hunt, Danielle Conrad, Jen Day, John Cavanaugh, George Dungan, John Fredrickson, Carol Blood, and Jane Raybould penned the letter, arguing that the state already has an "unfortunate history" of prosecuting women and health care providers for pregnancy outcomes. 

Cited in the letter were recent abortion-related prosecutions in Norfolk, and the senators said they have "grave" and "serious concerns" about the role of law enforcement and prosecutors in investigating and charging women who seek abortions in Nebraska. In the letter, the group of senators say they seek a "prompt and clear response" from Hilgers relating to why it's important for the state's Attorney General to have people's medical records from other states, whether or not that information will be used to aid investigations into individuals who seek reproductive care over state lines, and whether it is Hilgers' intention to prosecute individuals who receive care in other states. 

"If these are not your intentions," the group wrote, "please share clearly why it would be necessary to have access to this information without due process of a court order or subpoena." A spokesperson from Hilgers' office confirmed that the Attorney General had received the letter, and will work promptly to answer the questions contained therein after reviewing it. 

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RED WAY DROPPING LINCOLN FLIGHTS TO ATLANTA, MINNEAPOLIS AND AUSTIN IN EARLY AUGUST

LINCOLN- On Tuesday, Red Way Airlines, a recent addition to Lincoln's ever-expanding airport, announced that it will pull the plug on three of its original destinations: Austin, Atlanta, and Minneapolis. The leisure air carrier, which began flying out of Lincoln's airport in June, will hold its final flights to these destinations on August 5th. Those air travel markets, according to Red Way CEO Nick Wangler, "unfortunately don't make sense to continue."

Wangler said he was saddened to have to cancel those flight paths, but that he also understood that such decisions would have to be made as Red Way eases into Lincoln's airport system. "I'm more disappointed in myself that we picked a couple of markets that ultimately didn't work," he said, adding that those flight paths likely won't come back any time soon.

Since announcing that it would make the Lincoln Airport its home in March, Red Way has sold more than 36,000 tickets and has exceeded expectations in markets like Dallas and Nashville. Recent market additions, like Tampa and Phoenix, have been successful as well for Red Way, according to Wangler. "We have a bunch of flights that are working incredibly well," said Wangler, "There's a lot of good stuff coming."

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NEBRASKA INSPECTOR GENERAL'S REPORT REVEALS 3 YOUTH DIED BY SUICIDE WHILE IN CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM

LINCOLN- A new report from Nebraska's inspector general reveals three children died by suicide while involved with the Division of Children and Family Services. According to the report, the children who died were ages 11 to 16. They were from different areas of the state, and their family dynamics were diverse, but all were involved in the division of children and family services, just at different points in the system.

Inspector General Jennifer Carter said the Division of Children and Family Services were "not responsible," but they were lacking "training, policies, and procedures to address suicide prevention." Youth involved in the child welfare system reported higher rates of suicidal ideation and self-harm behaviors. Also, youth who are wards of the state were three times more likely to attempt suicide than those who were in the system but not under state care.

Carter said DHHS has committed to putting together a comprehensive suicide prevention plan by the end of 2025. As a result of the findings, the Office of the Inspector General provided DHHS with a lengthy list of recommendations including procedures and gatekeeper training.

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NATIVE OMAHA DAYS GROUP GETS UPDATE ON MILLIONS OF DOLLARS COMING TO EAST OMAHA

OMAHA- The more than 350 North and South Omaha entities that applied last year for a chunk of the multimillion-dollar Economic Recovery Act should get prepared for their next shot at the grant dollars. State Sen. Terrell McKinney offered an update on the $225 million dollars at a town hall early this week.

The North Omaha lawmaker said he expects the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to reveal the new application timeline in the next few weeks and said the competitive process has been slowed in part because of a top leadership change in the DED. He said he will continue to strive for transparency in this process and recognized there was confusion and frustration in the first go-around attempt.

“It’s not about me or you individually, it’s about the betterment of our community,” McKinney said. “These resources can bring positive change.” Not everyone who applies this time will be funded, he added, noting that the earlier requests totaled about $3 billion. Sen. McKinney was joined by Omaha City Councilwoman Juanita Johnson and Omaha State Sen. Justin Wayne.

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IRS PLANS TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE CENTER IN HASTINGS NEXT WEEK TO HELP NEBRASKANS

HASTINGS- The Internal Revenue Service plans to host a special event in Hastings in August to help local taxpayers face-to-face.

The IRS will set up a temporary Taxpayer Assistance Center Aug. 1-3, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily, so people will be able to meet one-on-one with IRS assistors. The Hastings Public Library is partnering with the IRS to host the event at 314 N. Denver Ave.

The efforts stem from the IRS’s new Strategic Operating Plan and congressional funding approved last year through the Inflation Reduction Act. Christopher Miller, IRS spokesperson for Nebraska, said this level of activity is certainly new for the IRS and part of a larger goal to transform and improve services and reach out to taxpayers “in ways that work best for them.” This includes expanding access particularly in underserved and rural communities.

The IRS states Hastings was selected partly because the nearest center is more than 100 miles away in Lincoln, which reopened this summer. The IRS has started to offer special Saturday hours at select assistance centers, including the one in Omaha, and has increased employment across centers nationwide.

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