STATE LEADERS TRYING, THUS FAR FAILING, TO RAISE DENTAL MEDICAID RATES

LINCOLN- There's a push in the Nebraska Legislature to substantially increase Medicaid funding and raise dental reimbursement rates, but so far it hasn’t succeeded. Sen. Lynne Walz, a Democrat from Fremont, introduced a bill in January that would increase dental services reimbursement under the Medical Assistance Act by 25%. The increase would cost roughly $6 million.

The proposed increase would raise reimbursements on average to match one of the state’s lowest paying private insurance plans, Ameritas, said David O’Doherty, Executive Director of the Nebraska Dental Association. The Health and Human Services Committee unanimously voted for LB358, sending it to the full Legislature, but it has not yet been debated on the floor.

The bill is on general file and can be brought up for debate during the 2024 session, a representative from Walz’s office said. In the 2023-2025 biennium budget, all Medicaid reimbursement rates were increased by 3% for FY2023-24, but Gov. Jim Pillen used a line-item veto to remove a 2% rate increase for the second fiscal year.

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GOOGLE CONFIRMS LINCOLN'S $600M DATA CENTER, TOUTS THIS YEAR'S $1.2B SPEND ON NEBRASKA INFRASTRUCTURE

PAPILLION- Google officials confirmed publicly that it is behind the $600 million Lincoln data center poised to rise on roughly 580 acres near Interstate 80 and North 56th Street. The project continues Google’s sprawl in Nebraska, adding to the tech giant’s other data campuses in Papillion and Omaha. This year alone, Google officials announced, the company is investing $1.2 billion in Nebraska infrastructure.

“We’re here. We’re here to stay, and we’re here to expand,” Allie Hopkins, Google’s head of data centers in Nebraska and Iowa, said during a media event at the company’s growing Papillion site. While some of the Lincoln center’s cost is within that 2023 total, Hopkins said that further investment in the multi-phased project will spill into future years.

Construction work has already started, with ground preparation. When complete, Google representatives said, the Lincoln center should create at least 30 full-time jobs. “That’s all to support these digital services that everyone is so used to using every day,” Hopkins said, citing Google Cloud, Gmail, Docs, Search, Maps and more. Google officials declined to reveal more than basic details of a project.

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NEBRASKA'S TED CARTER TO BE NEXT PRESIDENT AT OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

LINCOLN- Barring any last-minute changes, the University of Nebraska will soon need to begin the search for a new president. Ted Carter, the former superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, was named Tuesday as the next president of Ohio State University in Columbus. Ohio State University made the decision at its most recent Board of Trustees meeting, but declined to confirm any details about the selection.

Members of the NU Board of Regents also declined to comment on the move. Carter had just recently received a positive evaluation by the NU System for his work during the 2022-23 academic year, and also received notice that he would be awarded a $144,000 bonus. The Regents who made that decision cited Carter's work on a private fundraising campaign, which raised over $3 billion.

Over his tenure, Carter has made great progress in persuading both liberal and conservative lawmakers to invest in and trust Nebraska's largest public university system. Carter was also pivotal in launching the Nebraska Promise Program, which helps low- and middle-income Nebraskans attend NU tuition-free.

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CLEANUP OF PESTICIDE-CONTAMINATED SOLID WASTE TO BEGIN NEXT MONTH AT FORMER MEAD PLANT

MEAD- A coalition of seed companies that have assumed the responsibility of cleaning up contaminated solid and liquid waste at the former Mead ethanol plant is ready to begin removing pesticide-laden wet cake starting next month. The AltEn Facility Response Group, made up of six seed industry organizations that formerly sent unused seed to the biofuel plant, will detail plans for the disposal of roughly 24,000 tons of wet cake at a town hall in Saunders County this week.

So far, the initial plan will be to send around 20% of the solid waste, which is now entombed under a concrete and clay cover at the site, to the Pheasant Point landfill near Bennington over a period of four to five months. The facility response group, having completed that first phase of cleanup, will then reevaluate the situation and formulate the second plan of attack.

"It may seem pretty straightforward," said Bill Butler, a senior engineer working on the cleanup project, "but there are some technical things that we have to look at to evaluate whether this is something we can do on a full scale." The initial cleanup project is expected to give the coalition an idea of how fast it can process, load, and transport the wet cake in a safe way that will have minimal impact on Mead and the surrounding area.

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'HISTORIC' GIFT TO CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY AIMS TO HELP NEBRASKA'S NURSING SHORTAGE

OMAHA- On Monday, a $5.2 million gift was given to Creighton University with the intention of creating a new scholarship fund to help meet a critical need for Nebraskan nurses, a field which has plateaued of late. The gift comes from the Harper Family, who is best known for owning and growing ConAgra Foods. The funding given to the university's College of Nursing is one of the largest in the history of the institution.

"Creighton nurses are leaders who advance quickly at the hospitals and clinics where they practice," said Catherine Todero, dean of the College of Nursing, "And now, the Harper Scholars Program will help us attract top talent and form even more innovative leaders." The scholarship's namesakes are the late Charles Harper and his wife Joan Bruggema Harper, who took the reigns of ConAgra in the 1970s. Joan was a nurse herself.

Almost immediately following the gift, Creighton is now looking for its first round of Harper Scholars awardees, which will be selected before the 2024 fall semester. University officials said nurses can't arrive fast enough, noting that, by 2025, Nebraska is expected to face an estimated shortage of nearly 5,500 nurses.

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GOV. PILLEN ASSEMBLES A GROUP TO HELP SOLVE NEBRASKA'S WORKFORCE SHORTAGE

LINCOLN- On Monday, Gov. Pillen announced the creation of a new group, made up of representatives from the state government, chambers of commerce, education, and private business, to examine the state's pressing workforce shortage, and perhaps find answers as to how it can be reversed. "We need to solve this problem if we are to continue to grow Nebraska," said Pillen in a statement.

Gov. Pillen acknowledged that many Nebraskans over the last decade have left for employment in other states. Ernie Goss of Creighton University, an institution that produces an annual economic forecasting report, said that Nebraska's low unemployment rate, while seemingly a positive, becomes a barrier when local businesses and companies want to expand their operations.

"It's always one of the biggest issues for companies: finding and hiring qualified workers," said Goss. Pillen, according to the statement, will act as chairman of the working group. Among those also in the new group is NU President Ted Carter, as well as Sens. Kathleen Kauth, Lou Ann Linehan, and Tom Briese. Representatives from Byran Health, Buildertrend, Chief Industries, First National Bank of Omaha, and the Lincoln and Omaha Chambers of Commerce will also offer assistance.

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PILLEN EXPRESSES 'DISBELIEF' ABOUT SITUATION AT U.S. SOUTHERN BORDER, CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP CONDEMNS 'BARBARIC WASTE' OF FUNDS

TEXAS- On Monday, a group of Republican governors visited the U.S. Southern Border in Texas, some of whom after sending troops and aid to the state at the behest of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, after sending a handful of Nebraska National Guardsmen, was in attendance, using the word "disbelief" to describe his first visit to the border.

Pillen said at the event that a series of buoys authorized for use by Abbott are being misrepresented in the news media, calling them a "deterrent" to Mexican drug cartels that are shipping drugs across the border to "kill our kids." The governors of Iowa, South Dakota, and Oklahoma were also in attendance at the border, echoing similar sentiments.

In response to the visit, Domingo Garcia, head of the League of United Latin American Citizens, called the saw-fitted buoys on the border "sadistic instruments" that are "a basic failure of human dignity." Garcia went on to say that the group of governors in attendance were wasting taxpayer money and should "redirect their attention to their own states and refrain from becoming pawns in a failed policy of hatred and fear." The deployment of Nebraska personnel by Gov. Pillen could cost the state up to $2 million.

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LINCOLN COUNCILMAN INVITES GOVERNOR TO TOWN HALL TO DISCUSS NEW PRISON SITE

LINCOLN- Following the announcement of the location of Nebraska's new prison by Gov. Pillen and Director of Corrections Rob Jeffreys, a handful of Lincoln residents, especially those near the chosen location, began frantically looking for ways to register their opposition. City officials, too, were scrambling to figure out what the decision would mean for the city of Lincoln, after previously rejecting a proposal to build the new prison on city land.

City Councilman James Michael Bowers has written an open letter to Gov. Jim Pillen inviting him and other state and local officials to come to a town hall meeting to answer questions about the plan. All City Council members except Tom Beckius and Tom Duden have signed onto the letter, as have Lincoln state senators Danielle Conrad, Jane Raybould and George Dungan and county commissioners Christa Yoakum, Roma Amundson and Rick Vest as well as Cathy Martinez, a community leader in northeast Lincoln.

After several months of silence from the state, city officials only heard about the newly-purchased site on Thursday. The chosen site resides in an area of Lincoln that was previously set aside for future "urban residential development." Although Gov. Pillen's announcement surprised several Lincoln officials, some conceded that the state very well might have authority to the use the location without the city's approval. The state has already signed a $17 million purchasing agreement for the site, with construction of the prison set to begin in 2024.

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OFFICIALS SAY STATE LAW LIKELY PROTECTS NEBRASKA GROUNDWATER FROM RAIDS BY PARCHED WESTERN STATES

KEARNEY- At a recent agriculture and economic summit in Kearney, state officials argued that Nebraska law governing the transfer of groundwater between states likely blocks such transfers to water-challenged states like Arizona and Colorado. Should a parched state attempt to apply for groundwater shipments, they would have to hurdle what was described as a "gauntlet" of seven conditions set out in state law, including whether it's in the public interest of Nebraska, to win approval.

On top of that, applications for groundwater transfers would have to be ultimately decided upon by Tom Riley, the state's director of natural resources. "It would be pretty hard to say it's in the public interest to tap into the Ogallala Aquifer and move it out of the state," said Riley. While other state's water supplies have dwindled, Nebraska's reserves, like the Ogallala Aquifer, have remained stalwart, making Nebraska the envy of the nation according to Riley.

A bill, LB241, was introduced this past year in the Nebraska Legislature by Sen. Tom Briese to completely block such water transfers, unless applicants were within 10 miles of the state's border or if the transfer satisfies a previously-made water compact. Briese said his bill was designed to block western states with "ill intent." He went on to defend the bill, saying, "Nebraska's water ought to be used by Nebraskans." LB241 did not advance out of the Legislature's Natural Resources Committee after concerns were raised about the strict nature of the bill. Regardless, many supporters, including farmers and representatives from Nebraska Cattlemen and the Nebraska Farm Bureau, argued that the state's water deserved ample protection.

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NEBRASKA GOP STOPS SHORT OF CURBING POWER OF GROUPS OF WOMEN, YOUNG PEOPLE

NORFOLK- On Saturday, the Nebraska Republican Party stopped short of eliminating the voting power of four groups representing Republican women and young party members at one of the state's top leadership committee meetings. A proposal put before the committee would have cut the voting slots on the State GOP's Executive Committee that are held by the Federation of Republican Women, Young Republicans, College Republicans, and High School Republicans.

In the end, the proponents of the proposal pulled it from consideration after critics within the party slammed them for potentially sidelining groups made up of key voting constituencies, which might be pivotal in the 2024 state and federal elections. If the proposal had gone through, the four groups would have been downgraded to advisory members of the Nebraska GOP, allowing the party chair to exclude them from certain meetings.

Third Congressional District GOP volunteer Chris Vail said she introduced the proposal to rebalance power within the party after concerns arose that Eastern Nebraska Republicans held too much sway. Vail, as well as Morissa Benson, another representative, said they believe Republican women and youth groups cater too much toward Omaha and Lincoln. However, both said they still want "women and the young involved in [their] party."

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KELLYANNE CONWAY, IN NORFOLK, PREACHES GOP UNITY AT STATE PARTY GATHERING

NORFOLK- At a recent booster club meeting held by the Nebraska GOP, Kellyanne Conway, a pollster and long-time adviser to former President Donald Trump, told attendees that they should stop fighting one another amid recent party shake-ups. Conway went on to add that party unity is the only way to grow the party, and that members need not squabble over the twenty or so percent of policies they disagree on.

Conway also emphasized "winning over whining," and encouraged Republican attendees to stop ceding early voting advantages to Democrats. "Unity never means you giving up your principles and ideas," she proclaimed, "Unity means that we have growing pains as a party. We talk about differences. We decide what we can live with. And we march forward together."

Conway's speech was given on the same night that the Nebraska GOP's Executive Committee removed longtime Sarpy County GOP Chair Nora Sandine, further exacerbating the state divide. Charles Herbster, who ran against Gov. Pillen last November, also spoke at the event, saying that the Nebraska GOP needs to leave the past behind "if [they] want to win." Herbster, before introducing Conway to the crowd, said that the party needs to look to the future instead.

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NEBRASKA COMMISSION ADVANCES FIRST STEP FOR OGALLALA RACETRACK, APPROVES FIRST-EVER TABLE GAMES; SPORTSBOOK OPENS IN GRAND ISLAND

LINCOLN- On Friday, the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission approved the first step in a process that could allow a Hastings-based company to transfer its racetrack license to western Nebraska. Commissioners voted to approve a 12-week, $48,000 market study with Innovation Group, which, if successful, could set up final approval for a racetrack in Ogallala after Hastings Exposition & Racing Inc. announced plans to transfer its racing license.

State law allows Hastings a one-time move of its license since the community was one of six original racetrack locations in the state. The law requires, however, that a license be moved to a Nebraska county that does not already have a racetrack. In this case, from Adams County to Keith County. For several years, Hastings Exposition and Racing have attempted to set a race track and casino in Hastings, and even spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for a location that would have been around 17 miles from the racetrack in Grand Island.

The plan has changed, however, and Hastings Exposition now plans to build 200 miles away on a 174-acre site that would reside on the southwest corner of I-80 and Highway 26, the main intersection in Ogallala. Elite Casino Resorts, which owns the Grand Island Casino Resort, plans to partner with Hastings Exposition to complete the project, should it be approved. "We think this is the definition of a win-win," said Brian Jorde, a representative of Hastings Exposition.

At the Grand Island Casino Resort, it was also announced that the Elite Sportsbook would open starting Wednesday, giving Nebraskans a second legal sports betting operation. Nebraska law requires, however, that all sports bets be placed in person and on the premises, and doesn't allow Nebraskans to bet on local college steams when they're playing games within the state's borders. "We are excited to offer sports betting to our guests," said Dan Kehl, CEO of Elite Casino Resorts, "This is another big step on our path to bring a permanent, full-service casino resort to Grand Island."

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PLANNED PARENTHOOD, ACLU FILE NOTICE TO APPEAL RULING ON NEW ABORTION LAW

LINCOLN- On Friday, the ACLU of Nebraska and Planned Parenthood notified Nebraska's highest court that they will be appealing the recent court ruling that upheld Sen. Kauth's LB574, which prohibits transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care and further restricts abortion in the state. 

As of right now, the actual appeal has not yet been filed, but Ruth Richardson, CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said that "every person deserves the freedom to control their body, health, and future--and that right shouldn't be determined by your zip code." The notice of the appeal, which was given to the Nebraska Supreme Court, follows the formation of a new political action committee aiming to put the abortion issue on the 2024 general election ballot, should the appeal fail to be successful. 

Sandy Danek, a representative of Nebraska Right to Life, said Friday that she remains confident the judge's previous ruling will be upheld. Agreeing with the judge's original ruling, Danek said, "These are two issues that deal with public health and welfare of children." Danek added that most Nebraskans are comfortable with the new 12-week abortion ban, but that opponents of abortion, like Nebraska Right to Life, will continue fighting until "abortion is unthinkable in our state." 

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OFFICIALS STILL UNSURE ON CHANGING DRUG-USE STANDARDS FOR POLICE RECRUITS

LINCOLN- As of this week, a law enforcement panel is still considering whether or not to adjust its drug-use standards for new recruits, despite objections from Gov. Jim Pillen. Statistics recently requested by the governor, which were meant to elucidate just how many potential recruits over the years have been rejected for drug use, don't exist in Nebraska, according to Bryan Tuma, head of the Nebraska Crime Commission, and Brian Jackson, an assistant Lincoln police chief.

Jackson compared such numbers to trying to determine how many crimes police prevent on any given day. Despite this, and despite the Governor's rejections, Tuma said he believes Nebraska should still consider the changes. One option he thinks will work is keeping the current standards for hiring in place, but considering "extenuating circumstances" in the case of a solid recruit of otherwise good character that might have violated the drug-use standards.

At its August 16th meeting, the Nebraska Police Standards Advisory Committee discussed Gov. Pillen's rejection, and indicated that such strict standards might dissuade recruits from applying. Nationwide, law enforcement positions have seen a smaller pool of applicants each year, an occurrence Tuma believes can be accredited to strict drug-use standards.

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NEBRASKA VOLUNTEERS TO BE HONORED IN OCTOBER FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE

LINCOLN- Nearly a dozen community volunteers from across Nebraska, as well as one state lawmaker, are set to be honored for their work in October by Gov. Jim Pillen, who recently announced a list of awardees for the 2023 Step Forward Award. The event will be held in Lincoln on October 6th at 11:00am.

"Volunteers are a vital part of keeping Nebraska communities strong," said Pillen in a statement, "I'm proud to be Governor of a state where community service is central to our culture." The awardees were selected, in conjunction with Gov. Pillen, by ServeNebraska and the Nebraska Volunteer Service Commission, two organizations that help coordinate volunteer funding each year and choose winners for the Step Forward Award.

Among those receiving awards are Marah Shai of Gering, who will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for a "life full of public service," State Sen. Mike McDonnell for "introducing legislation to safeguard Nebraska's commitment to service," Dennis Hynes for leading numerous student tours at the Durham Museum, and Roger Peek for his thirty years as a volunteer firefighter and membership with the Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services Team.

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LINCOLN COMPANY PAYING $7.125M TO PUT NAME ON EVENT CENTER

LINCOLN- Come December, the Lancaster County Event Center will have a new name thanks to a lucrative naming rights deal. Sandhills Global, the Lincoln-based information technology and publishing company, will pay over $7 million to put its name on the building for fifteen years. Beginning December 1st, the facility will be known as the Sandhills Global Event Center.

"Sandhills' brands align well with the types of events and visitors at the future Sandhills Global Event Center and stand to benefit both organizations and the community at large," said Shawn Peed, executive officer for Sandhills Global, "We are proud to support this valuable, hometown facility that serves and engages all element of our great ag community."

The expensive deal will also allow Sandhills to place its name on individual pavilions used at the event center. A public ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for later this year to unveil the new exterior and interior signage. This is the second major naming rights deal for Sandhills Global this year. In March, the company announced that it would be donating $4 million to put its name on a new youth baseball and softball complex, which is currently under construction just southeast of First Street and Cornhusker Highway in Lincoln.

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KOCH JOHNS WON'T SEEK ANOTHER TERM ON STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, ENDORSES CANDIDATE

LINCOLN- Patsy Koch Johns, on Thursday, announced that she would not seek reelection to her long-held District 1 State Board of Education Seat. A Democrat, Koch Johns ran unopposed in 2020 for the officially nonpartisan seat, where she represents Lincoln and a portion of northwest Lancaster County.

"I wouldn't trade my experience for anything in the world. It has been a wonderful experience," said Koch Johns, a former Lincoln High School teacher who was once Nebraska Teacher of the Year, "Now I'm not saying it's always been easy, and that I always succeeded in what I felt was important for kids and to provide for them, but I am saying that it was definitely worth my years."

Kristin Christensen, a Lincoln-based Democrat, recently announced her candidacy for the seat, and is now being endorsed by Koch Johns, as well as Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, Board of Education members Lisa Fricke and Deb Neary, and several state lawmakers. "She's just like me," Koch Johns said of Christensen, "she has the desire to serve even deeper."

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NEBRASKA STATE TREASURER TO EXIT ELECTED ROLE TO HEAD STATE RETIREMENT AGENCY

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems (NPERS) Board announced current Treasurer John Murante as its next director. Murante must step down from the State Treasurer’s Office to lead NPERS after being nearly unanimously voted to lead the agency. When the transition is made, Gov. Jim Pillen will need to select a successor who will serve the remainder of Murante’s term through 2026.

“I look forward to the opportunity to keep serving the people of Nebraska in some form or fashion,” Murante told the NPERS board. Murante is a familiar face in Nebraska as a former state senator and just recently won reelection in the Treasurer role. Murante will still need to be confirmed by both Gov. Pillen and the legislature.

Murante said that through his roles in the Legislature and the Treasurer’s Office that he has worked with all public boards and commissions in the state and has worked closely with NPERS as the custodian of the agency’s funds. Murante will most likely double his previous salary of $85,000 to $185,000 in the new role. Other candidates for the job included Jason Hayes and Tyler Cummings. Retiring director Randy Gerke is expected to leave the role on September 10th.

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GOV. JIM PILLEN NAMES FORMER BANKER AS NEBRASKA'S NEW STATE TAX COMMISSIONER

LINCOLN- Gov. Jim Pillen has named Jim Kamm, a University of Nebraska at Omaha administrator and former banker, as Nebraska’s new state tax commissioner. Kamm currently is the assistant vice chancellor for UNO’s Business and Finance Division. He will be paid $190,000 in his new position and start Sept. 5.

The position, the top job in the Nebraska Department of Revenue, has been filled by an interim director since December. Pillen said he chose Kamm because of his decades of experience in banking and financial services, along with his interest in public service. Before working at UNO, Kamm held leadership roles at First Westroads Bank, TierOne and First National Bank of Omaha.

He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in finance and a master’s degree in business administration from UNO. While at UNO, Kamm worked for a previous state tax commissioner, Doug Ewaldt. Scott Moore, a Union Pacific Railroad executive and former Nebraska secretary of state and state senator, praised the choice.

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NEBRASKA GOVERNOR'S USE OF 'EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE' TO WITHHOLD RECORDS TROUBLES TRANSPARENCY ADVOCATES

LINCOLN- While on the gubernatorial campaign trail, Gov. Jim Pillen occasionally joked about phone conversations being exempt from public disclosure. Now, at least in recent months, his office seems to have taken small, unprecedented steps to shield his communications. Recently, a Nebraska-based transparency advocate organization requested access to four emails that the Governor had sent, but were met with denials from his office for reasons relating to "executive privilege." 

When asked, around six other current officials and transparency advocates couldn't recall any instances in the past when a Nebraska Governor invoked executive privilege to deny access to records. One press freedom advocate in Nebraska described its novel use in Nebraska as "disturbing." Former Gov. Dave Heineman, who served in Nebraska between 2005 and 2015, said he was unfamiliar with the concept of executive privilege relative to governors' emails. 

"When you're the governor, you're a publicly elected official and your records are subject to freedom of information requests, and we routinely complied with those," said Heineman, "I think that's important, because the public has the right to know what a governor is doing and the kinds of emails that we get." Echoing this sentiment, Jack Gould, a board member with the government watchdog group Common Cause Nebraska, said this is the first time he had heard of a Nebraska Governor invoking executive privilege to deny access to records. 

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