NEBRASKA INVESTMENT COUNCIL TAKES SOME INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AWAY FROM BLACKROCK

LINCOLN- On Thursday, the Nebraska Investment Council voted to transfer some power away from BlackRock, a nationwide firm that some conservatives have criticized for considering environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, factors in investing. The vote marked the second time the Investment Council has called for change due to concern over so-called ESG investing, concerns that have been labeled by some as "political theater."

Following a 5-0 vote, the Chicago-based Northern Trust was given management of half of the state's $7.3 billion worth of passive investments, with BlackRock still holding on to the other half. BlackRock will continue to be the manager of the state's active investments, which total out to around $40 billion, and are used for state pension funds and college savings plans.

Gail Werner-Robinson, who chairs the Investment Council, said the change in management was related to the eight-member panel's concerns about ESG, but added that she has been uncomfortable for a time with BlackRock's management of all of the state's investments. Michael Walden-Newman, however, the state investment officer, said the change in banks was not prompted by ESG policies, but rather because Northern Trust offered better rates.

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OPS BOARD ADOPTS GOALS FOR INTERM SUPERINTENDENT MATT RAY

OMAHA- During the OPS Board's Thursday meeting, a list of goals for the 2023-2024 school year were outlined and presented to interim Superintendent Matt Ray, who is leading the school district during the search for a permanent superintendent. Ray will be evaluated twice during his term on the three main goals outlined by the Board: academics, staff retention and recruitment, and student attendance.

Each goal was given a specific definition of what the Board would see a "acceptable" or "exceptional" work by Ray. "The goal evaluation matches what our board has done in previous years," said Ricky Smith, the board's vice president. Smith went on to say that the first goal was crafted by Ray himself, as he wanted to focus specifically on making sure the district completes a widespread implementation of quality instruction.

The second goal was created by the school board accountability committee, and is attempting to ensure that OPS develops a pipeline of teachers so that 95% of teaching positions are filled by August 1st of 2024. Ray's performance, as laid out by the Board, will be deemed successful if he can ensure that at least 50% of the district's student teachers sign a contract after nine months of teaching, and if he is able to increase engagement in providing pathways to for educators to begin teaching at certain OPS high schools.

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NEBRASKA'S PAID SICK LEAVE CAMPAIGN RAISES OVER $1.3 MILLION IN FIRST TWO MONTHS

LINCOLN- A petition drive seeking to require all Nebraska businesses to provide a minimum amount of paid sick leave to their employees has surpassed $1 million in contributions in just over two months. Since it's launch in July, Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans, the organization seeking to place this issue on the 2024 general election ballot, has raised just over $1.3 million, and has already spent roughly $1.2 million on pay for petition staff and advertising.

That amount raised is far more than contributions gathered by other active ballot initiative groups working on the same timeline. A petition to legalize medical marijuana, for example, has raised just over $32,000, and another seeking to replace state and local taxes with a consumption tax has garnered around $68,000 in contributions. Jo Giles, who heads the sick leave campaign and is also executive director of the Women's Fund of Omaha, sees this amount of money as a sign that Nebraskans want change in paid sick leave policies.

Most of the funding for the campaign came from the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a national organization that supports efforts to promote "economic equity, affordable health care, climate solutions, racial justice, voter access, and other essential social-change goals." They contributed $1.2 million to the paid sick leave campaign. Other contributors include local groups, like the Nebraska Appleseed Action Fund, the Women's Fund of Omaha, and the ACLU of Nebraska.

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LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATE ANNOUNCES RUN. NOW HE NEEDS TO MOVE INTO THE DISTRICT.

LINCOLN- Now three weeks ago, Jacob Wolff announced his candidacy for the District 23 seat in the Nebraska Legislature. One of his first goals will be to move into the east-central Nebraska district, which spans Saunders and Colfax Counties and most of Butler County. Legislative observers say they can’t recall an instance where a legislative candidate announced a run but didn’t live in the district.

It is not illegal — the State Constitution requires a candidate to reside in a legislative district at least one year before they are elected. But questions about a candidate’s residency have raised eyebrows in the past. Wolff, who is registered to vote in Omaha, said he has always intended to move to a rural area and is negotiating on a commercial/residential property near Wahoo, which is in District 23.

Wolff, a graduate of Omaha Roncalli High School, just completed a five-year stint as an officer in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps. He said new naval assignments delayed his return home and a search for a residence. “Additionally, the complexities of the commercial/residential purchase have taken more time than we wanted, but we are patient and hopeful,” Wolff said. Wolff is a registered nonpartisan is planning on switching his registration to Republican.

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OMAHA MAYOR ISSUES EXECUTIVE ORDER ON GUNS AFTER COUNCIL STRIKES LOCAL ORDINANCES

OMAHA- Just hours after the Omaha City Council repealed or amended a slew of gun ordinances to comply with a new Nebraska law that allows for the permitless concealed carry of firearms, Mayor Jean Stothert issued an executive order prohibiting people from carrying firearms while on city-owned property. Signs will be posted on these properties beginning next week.

Law enforcement personnel, trained security, and people who receive prior approval from Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer will be exempt from the order. Stother's order goes into effect on Saturday. On Tuesday, the Omaha City Council unanimously voted to repeal 22 gun ordinances and amend eight others as a result of the new law, which also goes into effect on Saturday.

City Council President Pete Festersen said Wednesday that he supports the Mayor's order. "Anything we can do to keep our public places safe and secure, we should be doing," he said, "In addition to the executive order, I'm also pushing additional measures we can adopt through ordinance." Festersen said he's considering regulating ghost guns and high-capacity accessories, as well as further protecting public spaces.

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NEBRASKA GOV. PILLEN ENACTS SECOND GOVERNOR-LED 'WOMEN'S BILL OF RIGHTS'

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, Gov. Pillen announced the implementation of a new executive order, which will establish a 'Women's Bill of Rights.' The order specifically defines a person's 'sex' as either male or female at birth, and applies to the executive branch, state agencies, boards, and commissions in Nebraska. A female, according to the order, is defined as someone whose biological reproductive system is developed to produce an ova, and a male is said to be someone whose reproductive system fertilizes an ova.

The order also provides specific definitions for woman, girl, man, boy, mother, and father. "It is common sense that men do not belong in women's only spaces," Pillen wrote in a statement announcing the order, "As Governor, it is my duty to protect our kids and women's athletics, which means providing single-sex spaces for women's sports, bathrooms, and changing rooms." An executive order does not carry the weight of a legislative bill or judicial ruling, but does provide guidance to the Department of Health and Human Services, which is expected to create the specific standards for LB574, a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors.

State Sen. Megan Hunt, who fought against LB574 this spring, said she's concerned that the order could impact Nebraska's ability to receive federal funding. "I guess that Gov. Pillen probably hates the fact that trans people would ever be protected or safe anywhere in Nebraska, but that's how it works today," she said, "And by putting this kind of messaging out, by making this part of his official policies and positions of his administration, he's putting funding for those services in danger in Nebraska."

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NEBRASKA GOVERNOR'S OFFICES TEMPORARILY RELOCATING DURING CAPITOL CONSTRUCTION

LINCOLN- Soon, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, and other executive branch personnel will be moving from the State Capitol building as a result of increased construction. The move comes as a part of phase four of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades planned for the Capitol, which was focused on different quadrants in the building. Now, it's time for offices on the first and second floors on the northeast side of the building to move, which includes executive offices.

Pillen, Kelly, and their executive personnel will move to 1526 K Street, just on block north of the Capitol. "We knew the time would come when we would have to vacate the Capitol," said Pillen in a statement, "I love the history and the architecture and being able to point out all the unique features to guests and visitors. We will be displaced for a while, but the Capitol Commission will be working diligently to return our offices to working order as quickly as possible."

The governor's reception area and hearing room are also set to close, but his budget, policy, and research offices will be moved to the 11th, 12th, and 13th floors of the Capitol. Phase four of construction is expected to last through November 2024. "The objective is to get the work done on that wing as quickly as possible, so the Governor and his staff are not displaced for very long," said Brett Dougherty, acting administrator of the Capitol Commission.

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CHANGES MADE TO PROPOSED PRISON SITE, WILL NOW BE NORTH OF I-80

LINCOLN- Less than two weeks after announcing a decision to construct Nebraska's new prison in northeast Lincoln, state and city officials reached an agreement this week to move the site just north of I-80. On Thursday, Gov. Pillen and Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, after a week of confusion and frustration from northeast Lincoln residents, announced in a press conference that the new site will be located on a city-owned property just east of 70th Street and McKelvie Road, right next to Lincoln's landfill.

Earlier this month, Pillen, alongside Nebraska Corrections Director Rob Jeffreys, announced that they had purchased a $17 million, 300-acre plot of land near 112th and Adams Street, northeast of the city of Lincoln. Sitting roughly one mile outside of city limits, the announcement took city and county officials, as well as residents in the area, by surprise.

The decision generated intense backlash from city residents, who voiced their concerns about the proposed location at the most recent Lincoln City Council meeting. In response to this, Mayor Gaylor Baird requested a meeting with Pillen, at which they were able to decide on a new location. Despite the change, construction is still expected to begin in 2024.

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SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS SAY IT HAS ENOUGH SIGNATURES TO REACH 2024 NEBRASKA BALLOT, TURNS IN PETITIONS

LINCOLN- At a press conference held on Wednesday, representatives from Support Our Schools Nebraska, a group formed recently to oppose LB753, a school choice law, announced that it had gathered 117,000 signatures, nearly double the 60,000 required, to place the initiative on the 2024 general election ballot. The group also confirmed that it had gathered signatures from more than 5% of registered Nebraska voters in two-thirds of the state's 93 counties, surpassing the 38-county requirement.

Jenni Benson, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, the union representing most of the state's public educators, said Nebraskans are sending "a powerful message to elected officials" through this initiative. "LB753 will divert public funds to private schools, and this bill needs to be repealed," Benson continued, "Calling this tax scheme an opportunity scholarship is putting lipstick on a pig." The numerous petitions were loaded into the Nebraska Secretary of State's office.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, as well as Keep Kids First, a pro-school choice group that formed in reaction to Support our Schools, said that they would, despite the immense amount of signatures gathered, continue to fight against placing the issue on the ballot. "If this initiative makes it onto the 2024 ballot, I can promise you the fight will not be over," said Pillen, "I have confidence in education both public and private. I will continue to make sure each student in Nebraska has the educational freedom to choose where they want to attend school."

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LINCOLN UNIONS SAY IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW PAID PARENTAL LEAVE BENEFITS UNFAIR

LINCOLN- Representatives of at least three Lincoln unions contend that the new parental leave policies enacted by the city earlier this year have unfairly excluded many union employees. The sticking points are different for each union: For the Public Association of Government Employees, it is largely about pay. Firefighters wanted a path forward to discuss cost of living increases on their pensions and wanted to institute different rules regarding shifts for paramedics.

But both unions took issue with the way the city has handled a new paid parental leave benefit. The benefit was extended to non-union employees effective at the end of June, but Lincoln-Lancaster County Human Resources Director Barb McIntyre said national labor rules require that any benefit — even one considered a gift — needs to be negotiated through the union.

The effect has been that many union employees still do not have paid parental leave. The union that represents county corrections employees filed a lawsuit over the issue with the Commission of Industrial Relations last month, alleging that excluding union employees from the benefit is a prohibited practice and asked that corrections employees be given the benefit retroactive to June.

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NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LAUNCHES NEXT PHASE OF OMAHA RECOVERY EFFORT

OMAHA- The Nebraska Department of Economic Development is looking to narrow down over 300 applications for various Omaha revitalization projects that were submitted last year. Department officials met with prospective applicants in downtown Omaha to discuss new guidelines for the proposals. A set of eight categories were announced at the meeting, outlining what projects officials are looking for.

Over the course of two sessions, the Nebraska Legislature approved more than $400 million of combined federal and state dollars to go toward economic recovery projects in underserved areas of the state, primarily within North and South Omaha. Much of that funding has yet to be allocated to specific projects.

The eight categories of projects DED are looking consists of small businesses and entrepreneurs, nonprofits, housing, youth and workforce development programs, sports, and arts programs and other public space developments. The department launched a website available at opportunity.nebraska.gov/programs/recovery. Applications will be available soon, but a specific deadline has yet to be solidified.

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KEARNEY MAYOR ANNOUNCES RUN FOR NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

KEARNEY- The man who has been Kearney’s mayor for the past 17 years will seek a Nebraska Unicameral seat. “We need to have a good candidate from this area,” Stan Clouse said while announcing plans to campaign for the 37th District Nebraska Legislature seat now occupied by state Sen. John Lowe of Kearney.

“Over the years I’ve spent a lot of time in the Capitol and on statewide committees,” Clouse said. ”Being a state senator is one of the ultimate things you can do to serve Nebraska, and the timing is perfect for me.” Clouse, 66, is in his fifth term on the Kearney City Council. His current term and that of Lowe will end in 2024.

Current State Senator Jonn Lowe is barred from running for the seat again due to term limits. Clouse is the second person to declare as a legislative candidate from Kearney. In mid-June, Lana Peister announced her intent to succeed Lowe in representing the 37th District. This marks the fourth district with a to-be term-limited senator seat being sought by multiple candidates.

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RICKETTS SAYS NEBRASKA, OTHER RURAL STATES WON'T BE READY FOR EPA ELECTRIC VEHICLE PUSH BY 2032

OMAHA- U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, reapplied his criticism of a proposed Biden administration regulation requiring automakers selling vehicles in the U.S. to cut new vehicles’ tailpipe emissions by two-thirds by 2032. He and others backing the fossil fuels and biofuels industry, including corn-based ethanol and soybean-based biodiesel, have argued that the U.S. won’t be ready to shift to electric vehicles as aggressively as the green-energy advocates want.

Ricketts said people in rural and far-flung states like Nebraska won’t have the money to replace gas and diesel-fueled vehicles with electric vehicles despite the Environmental Protection Agency’s push to slow a changing climate. During a session with the Nebraska Trucking Association, Ricketts stressed that Americans won’t have the charging infrastructure needed by the agricultural, transportation, and logistics sectors, which drive Nebraska’s economy.

The Biden administration has failed to do their homework on the reckless impact of these emission mandates … in just eight years,” Ricketts said. Climate change experts argue that the world must act to slow the pace at which fossil fuel-related pollution from factories, vehicles and farms contributes to slight temperature shifts, fueling extreme weather events such as wildfires and floods.

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LINCOLN, BROADER NEBRASKA, SEEING RISE IN COVID-19 CASES

LINCOLN- Just as in past years, local Covid-19 cases are on the rise as schools across the state welcome students for a new fall semester. Lancaster County reported 163 official cases last week, which is more than double the previous week and four times higher than the start of last month.

While the official number is certainly lower than this same time last year, officials believe this may be due to more people testing at home or not testing at all. On top of that, wastewater analysis has shown a steady rise in viral particles detected. While the level of particles detected hit a pandemic-low in July, with only 35,600 viral particles per liter of wastewater, that number jumped significantly to 412,900 last week.

"We know Covid-19 remains a risk for many people, and the shift we're seeing in our local situation is concerning," said Pat Lopez, Nebraska's Health Director, "We're working with the long-term care facilities to reduce transmission. We're also in communication with our hospital partners as we determine how the increase in Covid-19 activity may further impact the community."

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NU COLLEGE OF LAW TO ESTABLISH CLINIC TO DEFEND FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS

LINCOLN- On Monday, the University of Nebraska College of Law announced that it would be establishing a law clinic, staffed by law students and supervised by practicing attorneys, to take on cases involving free speech, public records, and public meetings. "We will defend the First Amendment rights of our clients while at the same time educating students on the intricacies of the First Amendment law," said Daniel Gutman, an Omaha attorney who will direct the clinic.

Sydney Hayes, a former associate of Husch Blackwell, will act as assistant director. Eight third-year law students will be chosen to run the clinic, which, according to Gutman, is already seeking cases. The launch of the clinic was made possible by a recent $1 million grant from the Stanton Foundation, owned by Frank Stanton, a longtime president of CBS News. For now, however, the NU clinic will focus on local and regional cases involving freedom of speech, press, assembly, and petition, and will also help to educate the students running it.

"Our clinical programs help students develop skills as they work on real cases and are a highlight in many students' law school careers," said Richard Moberly, dean of the NU College of Law. The College currently runs several other clinics, including ones focused on justice for children, immigrants, and debtors. The stated goal of the Stanton Foundation in awarding NU with the grants is to "advance First Amendment and democratic values through an informed citizenry."

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PILLEN ALLOWS HOTTER WATER DISCHARGE FROM POWER PLANTS DUE TO 'EXTREME' DEMAND, THANKS FEDERAL AG DEPARTMENT

LINCOLN- On Friday, Gov. Jim Pillen signed an emergency order allowing power plants, which are facing higher demand due to last week's heat wave, to discharge hotter water from their facilities. In a press release, Pillen said the order is meant to allow Nebraska's power plants to "safely" exceed temperature limits while also allowing them to meet more "extreme" demands for power.

The order will remain in effect through September 15th. In another heat-related announcement, Pillen recently thanked U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for answering Nebraska's call for higher reimbursements for local cattle producers who lost animals due to the hot, humid weather present in the state this month.

Vilsack informed Pillen last week that the USDA would increase payments through the Livestock Indemnity Program from $1,244 per head to $1,618. Following this, Pillen urged cattle producers to report, in detail, their losses to their respective Farm Services Agency offices. While one Nebraska-based FSA office reported that official losses were estimated at about 1% per local feedlot, rumors have been swirling that some cattle producers lost closer to one hundred animals during the heatwave.

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NU FOCUSED ON PICKING SEARCH FIRM AND COMMITTEE TO HELP FIND NEXT PRESIDENT

LINCOLN- At its most recent meeting on Friday, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents sketched out a process for regrouping after last week's unexpected announcement that NU President Ted Carter would be leaving the University System. Board Chairman Tim Clare said that the board has begun mapping out the "first few steps" toward finding a replacement for Carter. "We talked about engaging the search," Clare said of the meeting, "We're going to start right away on the search."

For now, the first steps in the process will mean finding search firms willing to help identify potential NU President candidates to lead the system's four campuses. Clare said that this firm will very likely be selected at the next Board of Regents meeting, which has yet to be scheduled. The second step in the process involves forming a search advisory committee, which will be made up of NU system employees.

Clare, in an email to NU students and faculty, said the Board hopes to review search committee nominations in September, with a goal of establishing a committee that represents a broad swath of university constituencies. "We're going to be methodical," he said, "We're not going to rush this." Fortunately, Carter, who will soon become Ohio State's 17th President, confirmed that he intends to serve the remainder of the calendar year in his position.

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STATE LAWMAKER CHALLENGES GOV. PILLEN TO ACT ON 'DANGER' LURKING AT STATE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL

LINCOLN- State Sen. Carol Blood has recently stepped in on behalf of workers and patients at the Lincoln Regional Center, saying that the rise in assaults, equipment needs, and mandatory overtime at the facility all add up to unsafe conditions. The Bellevue-based senator challenged Gov. Jim Pillen to act swiftly in alleviating these concerns, claiming that it's "getting very dangerous."

On Monday, Pillen's office received a letter from Blood detailing all of the issues at the facility, which acts as the state's psychiatric hospital. A spokeswoman from the governor's office acknowledged the issues, and said that a "response will be provided to [Blood's] office in due course." Blood cited a recent correspondence between her office and the mental health specialists at the facility as reason for sending the letter to the governor. The specialists, or 'techs' as they are called, told Blood that conditions at the facility were less than sufficient.

A union representative for the mental health specialists at the Regional Center described the facility as a "corrections facility meets hospital," and said different and better training is necessary if the techs are to defend themselves from potentially violent patients. Mike Chipman, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 88, which represents the techs, said he's seen a substantial uptick in techs seeking hospital attention as a result of poor working conditions. "Nobody should have to be a punching bag," said Chipman.

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INSPECTORS GENERAL LIMITED IN THEIR ACCESS TO INFO AFTER NEBRASKA AG'S OPINION

LINCOLN- Quickly after the Nebraska Attorney General Office offered its opinion that the offices responsible for investigating the state's child welfare and prison systems are unconstitutional, inspectors general's access to those agencies' case management systems ended abruptly. It is the first time the office's have lost access to the system in over a decade of the systems use.

The Office of the Inspectors General, as well as the state's ombudsman office, were shut out of the online systems that track incidents, disciplinary actions, grievances and other reports for inmates, children in the care of the state, as well as employees who work with what officials describe as vulnerable populations.

The change in how the offices of the inspector general can access information from the agencies they are charged with performing oversight on comes on the heels of an opinion written by AG Mike Hilgers at the request of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Correctional Services. Hilgers, in the 38-page opinion, said the inspectors general's "untrammeled power to impede, control and access" information from other government branches violated the separation of powers clause in the Nebraska State Constitution.

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U.S. REP. DON BACON, A CONSERVATIVE WHO SPEAKS BIPARTISAN, LAUNCHES 2024 HOUSE BID

OMAHA- U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, a four-term Republican representing the Omaha area in Congress, announced his re-election bid at a fire union hall flanked by a pair of Nebraska governors and a fellow member of the House. The retired Air Force brigadier general faces the state’s closest federal races and routinely draws credible Democratic Party foes in Nebraska’s most politically divided congressional district.

Gov. Jim Pillen spoke at the rally, touting Bacon’s conservative beliefs and describing him as a man he trusts. Former Gov. Dave Heineman also spoke, lauding Bacon’s daily work in a district that needs someone who can win close races. U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, a former Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, said Bacon has helped show him the ropes in the House. Bacon’s campaign estimated that more than 400 people attended the event.

Democratic State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha, who is running for Bacon's seat again, has criticized the duality of Bacon’s public persona. Vargas says Bacon is less centrist than he portrays himself. Vargas called Bacon “out of touch with hardworking Nebraskans.” In 2022, Bacon beat Vargas by 2.7 percentage points. Abortion and the economy are now expected to be major factors in the upcoming race.

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