NEBRASKA MIGHT PUSH TO CLARIFY 1889 STATE LAW ON FOREIGN LAND OWNERSHIP

LINCOLN- Since 1889, Nebraska has had a law on the books that limits foreign ownership and leases of land. However, state lawmakers have never clarified how they wanted to enforce the law, which agency would enforce it, or what penalty would be levied for violating it. "The biggest hole as I read it in Nebraska law," said Micah Brown, an expert on agricultural land law at the National Agricultural Law Center, "It's one of these traditional foreign ownership laws that would restrict anybody. But there's no enforcement or penalty provisions."

At a recent legislative study hearing during which Brown spoke to the state's Agriculture Committee, Chairman and state Sen. Steve Halloran said he might look into changing the law to fix those flaws. "Too often we write legislation on various issues after a problem has gotten too big to do much about it," said Halloran at the hearing, "I would rather write legislation that carefully prevents a problem from getting out of hand."

Halloran went on to say that he's heard concerns from constituents about Chinese interest in U.S. farmland, especially since Chinese investors purchased Smithfield Co., a Nebraska-based pork producer, and Syngenta, a seed processor. As of right now, foreign individuals or entities purchasing land do so through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To Halloran, it would make more sense to consider requiring new owners to fill out forms with the county where the land is located, and have the state collect and archive the information.

For the full article click HERE

LARGEST NATIONAL HISPANIC ORGANIZATION BLASTS OMAHA CITY COUNCIL FOR 'BETRAYAL OF TRUST'

OMAHA- The League of United Latin American Citizens, a volunteer-driven coalition based in Washington, D.C., announced the launch of a new program aimed at mobilizing Omaha's Latino community to demand representation on the City Council. The call for protest came shortly after the City Council voted unanimously to appoint Ron Hug to the City Council to replace Vinny Palermo.

District 4, the area of Omaha that Hug will now represent, includes a majority of the city's Latino community, with nearly one in to voting-age residents being Latino. Elsa Ramon Aranda, council president of LULAC Nebraska and an Omaha-based Latino community advocate, described the selection process as a "farce" and claimed the Council overlooked three Latino candidates "of a new generation our community knows and respects."

Despite this, Hug said that the objections from his new constituents just mean that they don't know him very well yet, and said several members of his family are Latino. The new Councilman continued by saying he'll work to remind his constituents of his South Omaha roots and serve them as he's done on the Metro Community College Board since 1998. LULAC said they intend for their new campaign to be a "rallying cry" ahead of the 2024 and 2025 elections, and are encouraging Latonis to reach out to Omaha-based corporations for support.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA HEALTH ASSOCIATIONS, FEDERAL LAWMAKERS CRITICIZE NURSING HOME STAFFING PROPOSAL

LINCOLN- On September 1st, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed a new rule to ensure that long-term care residents receive a minimum number of daily nursing hours and require a registered nurse to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said that the rule is an "important first step" to hold nursing homes accountable and ensure residents receive high-quality care.

However, some nurses in Nebraska, as well as the state's congressional delegation, don't see the rule the same way. According to Jalene Carpenter, president and CEO of the Nebraska Nursing Facility Association, the proposal "blatantly disregards" the pressing workforce crisis plaguing Nebraska, especially in nursing homes and assisted living communities. Carpenter went on to say that around 53% of Nebraska's nursing facilities would not be able to meet the proposed requirements, and that only 67% of the facilities could currently meet both requirements.

"The proposed rule is completely out of touch with Nebraska's reality," said Carpenter, "This proposed rule isn't a path to quality. It is a path to closure." In a letter to Brooks-LaSure, all five of Nebraska's congressional representatives asked for clarification, adding that they are concerned about "unique compliance challenges" in rural states such as Nebraska. The letter also notes concern over the proposal's definition of "urban" areas as towns with more than 5,000 people. The lawmakers said they believe this definition would block many rural areas from an extended implementation timeline meant to benefit rural long-term care facilities.

For the full article click HERE

DESPITE SALARY HIKES, STAFFING ISSUES REMAIN AT NEBRASKA PRISONS, REPORT SAYS

LINCOLN- Despite a slew of changes made over the years to the Nebraska state prison system's salaries and hiring bonuses, staffing issues still plague many of the state's prisons, according to an annual report issued by Inspector General for Corrections Doug Koebernick. While vacancies and turnover of corrections officers have improved over the years, recent increases in these two categories drew concerns from the watchdog office created by the Nebraska Legislature.

"Retention must be a critical focus going forward, particularly as other states and agencies raise their own correctional salaries," said the report. A state Corrections spokeswoman said that staff vacancies have been fluctuating over the years, despite upward trends in recent months. "There is some up and down movement with that number based on team member movements internally and externally and our hiring," said Deputy Director of Corrections Renee Smith.

Statistics from the Inspector General's office illustrate these claims, showing that staff turnover has increased from 268 to 295 between 2022 and 2023, and vacancies from 359 in March to 377 in June of 2023. Koebernick highlighted the Reception and Treatment Center in Lincoln, a prison that merged several years ago after operating separately as the Lincoln Correctional Center and Diagnostic and Evaluation Center, as having particularly pressing staffing issues. "They're very worried about the facility," Koebernick said of it.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA HIRES $10M CONSULTANT TO FIND 'BREAKTHROUGH' SAVINGS, SCRAPS RICKETTS' EFFORT

LINCOLN- Gov. Jim Pillen has signed a $10 million contract with a Utah consultant to find better, less-costly ways to run state government. At the same time, he axed a state office already working on similar goals, saying the Center for Operational Excellence had fulfilled its purpose.

The center had been created by former Gov. Pete Ricketts with a mission of simplifying government by making it more efficient, effective and customer-focused. But Pillen said he wanted to go in a different direction, using a systems approach to reduce costs on a broader, agency-wide scale while improving outcomes and performance.

“I’ve challenged our entire team to drive breakthrough change,” he said. “We are going to accelerate our progress to reduce waste in government, improve services and save taxpayer money.” His office said it was not necessary to keep the 26 employees from the Center for Operational Excellence to make those changes, although five were moved to the State Budget Office.

For the full article click HERE

ENVIROMENTAL GROUP CONTINUES FIGHT AGAINST CONTAMINANTS, NITRATES IN NEBRASKA'S WATER

LINCOLN- A Lincoln-based environmental group is encouraging local action to protect Nebraska’s water resources amid growing concerns about nitrates and other contaminants. The Guardians of the Aquifer, a group founded in 2010 to oppose the Keystone XL pipeline, hosted a three-hour “What’s in Our Water, Nebraska” forum with local experts from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and around the state.

Crystal Powers, a research and extension communication specialist with UNL’s Nebraska Water Center, described water as one of the state’s most important resources. Water access varies across the state due to different rivers and geographic differences, Powers said. For example, the southeast parts of the state, near Lincoln, receive about 2.5 times more rainfall compared to the northwest areas by Scottsbluff.

Jesse Bell, a professor and researcher of water, climate and health at UNL and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said nitrate regulations are primarily focused on 10 parts per million, which is when the risk increases for adverse health outcomes. Nebraska has one of the highest rates of pediatric cancer, and nitrates are one factor, Bell said. Bell said that nitrate exposures have been improving but that diligence is still required.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS LOOK AT STATE'S MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS AHEAD OF NEXT SESSION

LINCOLN- A Nebraska lawmaker is asking his colleagues to consider the state's biggest mental and behavioral health needs and set a "strong mental health agenda" for the 2024 session. The Health and Human Services Committee heard from a collection of mental health experts at a hearing for LR202. The resolution, brought by State Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha, calls for an interim study into Nebraska's ongoing mental and behavioral health needs.

"This is a time, as a state, we need to step up," Fredrickson said. Fredrickson, a mental health professional himself, said mental health care in Nebraska has reached a crisis point. According to a study by Mental Health America, Nebraska has some of the highest prevalence of mental illness in the country, particularly among youths, where the state ranks 49th. The state ranks 29th when it comes to access to care.

One of the biggest ongoing issues is a shortage in providers, which currently impacts 88 of Nebraska's 93 counties, according to Marley Doyle, director of the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN). The center is housed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

For the full article click HERE

STATE WATCHDOG REPORT POINTS OUT CONCERNS, STRIDES IN NEBRASKA CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM

LINCOLN- A government watchdog this year wrapped up investigations into the deaths or serious injury of five youths who in some way were under the State of Nebraska’s eye. Results of the probes, along with recommendations, were part of the annual report from the Office of Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare, which examines activity and points out deficiencies in the state’s child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

The OIG in an earlier report this summer revealed the deaths, at different places and times, between December 2018 and December 2022. The account said that while the actions of state workers and caseworkers did not “contribute,” better support and consistent training in suicide prevention was needed for service providers and foster families. “We appreciate that DHHS accepted all the recommendations suggested by the OIG in our reports this year,” said Jennifer Carter, inspector general of child welfare.

Based on this year’s 522 incident reports and public complaints — which is an increase of about 15% over the previous year — the OIG identified the need to open nine new mandatory investigations. It is possible that the number of mandatory investigations will increase, as the watchdog noted it is “still waiting on records before being able to fully determine if certain incidents require mandatory investigation.”

For the full article click HERE

CALIFORNIA CHANGES COURSE, WILL NOT RESTRICT STATE-FUNDED TRAVEL TO NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- In July, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that Nebraska would be the 26th state to join a state-funded travel ban for having a law on the books that he says discriminates against LGBTQ people. "These laws pose significant risks for deepening the stigmatization and alienation of LGBTQ+ youth who are already subject to pervasive discrimination, bullying, and hate crimes," Bonta said at the time.

However, Nebraska, which was set to be added to California's list on October 1st, when LB574, a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors, becomes law, will no longer join the 25 states already on it. California's Senate President pro-Tempore Toni Atkins recently sponsored a measure to repeal the 2016 law restricting state-funded travel, saying that the bill would actually further isolate LGBTQ people in the affected states. Atkins' measure was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday.

"At a time when LGBTQ+ rights and protections are being rescinded, and the very words we use are being weaponized, putting understanding and kindness at the forefront is more important than ever," said Atkins, "The goal here is to speak to people's hearts and open minds." Next year, the University of California, Los Angeles is set to join the Big Ten Conference alongside Nebraska and three other states on California's list. With the recent change in California law, UCLA faculty, staff, and students will now be able to travel to Nebraska using state funding.

For the full article click HERE

PILLEN URGES SCHOOL BOARDS TO SLOW SPENDING TO EASE PROPERTY TAXES

LINCOLN- Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen doubled down last week on his effort to curb higher spending by local school districts after the state invested in a tax shift meant to ease property tax bills during the latest legislative session. On Wednesday, the Governor sent a letter to each school board in the state, repeating many of the points aired two weeks ago during a call between Pillen and the state's school superintendents.

Several board members said that schools are spending more because of inflation, and not because of greed, describing the Governor's previous call as "bullying." In the new letter, Pillen urged school board members to use all but a small portion of the Legislature's new $300 million investment in K-12 schools for property tax relief, not new spending. If school districts collect more in property taxes this year compared to the last, said Pillen in the letter, they would be "operating contrary to the intent of the law."

Following the Governor's call with superintendents, several school leaders said they are only increasing spending on necessary needs amid higher costs, like diesel fuel for buses, health care costs, staff salaries, and energy costs. Frustrations over spending bubbled up last week following Pillen's letter, and several school board members from across the state claimed that Pillen's pressure campaign proved that the state's talk of "new funding for education" was just a tax shift and not new funds for improving education statewide.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA LEADERS DISCUSS WAYS TO ADDRESS EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CRISIS

KEARNEY- Education leaders urged a gathering of more than 500 people to stop "admiring the problem" of Nebraska's early childhood education crisis and instead find solutions to an ongoing issue that's only worsening in the state. The group of school districts, organizations and government agencies convened at the annual Thriving Children, Families and Communities Conference in Kearney to explore the state's early childhood education system.

Like other states, Nebraska's system has been lacking funds, staff and widespread providers for years. Nine out of 10 Nebraska counties do not have enough early childhood education providers, according to the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, the conference's facilitator. Ten counties have no providers at all.

Gov. Jim Pillen spoke at the conference, saying community members need to talk about these problems more often in order to start creating solutions. "If we don't get our neighbors to reach out and have impacts in our communities, by the time they get to it, it will be way too late," he said. "We have to start educating our kids as early as possible. We have to figure out how to make that process more standard, especially for the kids growing up in poverty."

For the full article click HERE

'WE HAVE PROJECTS THAT ARE TRANSFORMATIONAL': APPLICATIONS FOR NORTH AND SOUTH OMAHA RECOVERY GRANT PROGRAM OPEN

LINCOLN- After several months of deliberation by state officials, applications have finally begun to open for grants that will go towards community projects in North and South Omaha. On Thursday, it was announced that four of the eight planned categories are now open, with the rest becoming available later this year. Organizations hoping to secure funding for their projects have called the process a rollercoaster, while others await their specific category to open.

The funding for the grants comes from the almost three-year-old ARPA funding, which was given to Nebraska during the COVID-19 pandemic as relief for impoverished communities. The fund must be utilized by 2026. Over the past year, Olsson, an organization hired by the Legislature, has been studying the proposed projects and making recommendations. In total, 30 projects out of 367 were recommended.

The Department of Economic Development, which received the funds through the passage of LB531 in the spring, is set to disburse the funds. Cesar Garcia, executive director of Canopy South, one of the applicants, said he's the applications for his category have finally opened. "We're excited about this opportunity and we believe we have everything that is required to make a good impression," he said. Canopy South, in partnership with several other organizations, has submitted two applications in the infrastructure category.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA CONGRESSMEN TALK EFFORTS TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

WASHINGTON, D.C.- On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives failed to make progress on a military spending bill as the nation inches toward another government shutdown. Nebraska Rep. Mike Flood said the process between now and the potential shutdown is going to require many hard decisions. "Democracy is messy," he said, "Certainly, right now on the Republican side, we have work to do. But we've been here before."

Flood went on to say that he has faith that Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy will work with lawmakers to not only avoid a shutdown, but also address the country's $33 trillion debt. "It's either we deal with this now or we have a systemic problem 10 years in the future," he said. Flood finished by saying that lawmakers must find common ground, and that sentiment was echoed by Rep. Don Bacon. "We've not been able to get the other appropriations bills because we have about five to ten people who have opposed them at every stop," said Bacon.

Despite the frustration felt by Nebraska's representatives, Bacon said a coalition of lawmakers is working on a continuing resolution, which would continue to fund federal agencies while lawmakers attempt to reach an agreement. However, they're running into issues with that effort as well. "Here again, we have about 10 to maybe 15 people that will vote against any CR (continuing resolution)," he said, "The takeaway is, from my vantage point, is we got to be bipartisan. We got to work across the aisle and find an agreement that we can live with and the Democrats can live with."

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA SUPREME COURT DENIES TEMPORARY INJUNCTION TO BLOCK GENDER CARE, ABORTION LAW

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, the Nebraska Supreme Court overruled a request made by Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and the ACLU of Nebraska for a temporary injunction to halt LB574, a new law that prohibits minors from receiving gender-affirming care and further restricts the state's abortion policies. The new law will, therefore, remain in place while the Supreme Court hears arguments on the case relating to its constitutionality.

As of right now, the next court date has not been set, but the law could still be blocked if the court sides with Planned Parenthood's argument that LB574 violates a provision of the Nebraska Consitution that disallowed a bill from containing more than one subject. "We are disappointed that the Nebraska Supreme Court has denied our injunction pending appeal to stay enforcement of LB574," said Rose Godinez, legal director of the ACLU of Nebraska, "We are hopeful for a final decision from the court that upholds our state constitution's clear single-subject rule."

The appeal being considered by the Nebraska Supreme Court was filed after Lancaster County District Court Judge Lori Maret dismissed the initial lawsuit and sided with the state's arguments that LB574's regulations fell under the single category of health care. The restrictions on abortion laid out by LB574 have already taken effect, with the gender-affirming care ban set to become law on October 1st. Under the bill, the Department of Health and Human Services is tasked with drafting the regulations surrounding the gender-affirming care prohibition, but confirmed that they likely won't be ready when this part of the law takes effect.

For the full article click HERE

AIR FORCE VETERAN TO BE NEW SARPY COUNTY TREASURER

OMAHA- On Tuesday, U.S. Air Force veteran and former Greater Omaha Chamber executive Jeff Mikesell was unanimously appointed by the Sarpy County Board to succeed former Sarpy County Treasurer Trace Jones, whose resignation took effect at the end of August. Mikesell will begin his role on Friday of this week. He was selected from an applicant pool of ten people.

"I'm honored to join a team who knows what it means to serve so well and so reliably. They're an impressive group doing important work," Mikesell said in a release, "I look forward to working with Chief Deputy Treasurer Dan Toleikis and serving the staff and taxpayers at the Treasurer's Office."

Mikesell previously served for two decades in the Air Force, and from 2015 to 2022 as the director of military affairs for the Greater Omaha Chamber. Mikesell was pivotal in several infrastructure projects during his time at the Omaha Chamber, including the $1.2 billion U.S. Strategic Command construction project, the $1.1 billion Offutt Air Force base flood rebuild, and the $150 million Offutt runway replacement. He is set to serve the remainder of Jones' term, which lasts through 2027.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS TO STUDY HOW TO ENSURE PUBLIC VOICES HEARD IN PRODUCTIVE WAYS

LINCOLN- Nebraska's 'second house' participated in the legislative process with unprecedented numbers and passion during this past legislative session, which was contentious to say the least. Hundreds of Nebraska citizens showed up in person, filling legislative hearing rooms, overflow rooms, and even the Capitol's hallways for hearings on abortion, voter ID, guns, and gender-affirming care. Despite this, many left frustrated at not being able to testify, or angry about how a hearing was managed by legislators.

For this reason, Speaker of the Legislature John Arch, before lawmakers reconvene in January, hopes to find better ways to ensure that Nebraska's 'second house' can have their voices heard and engage more thoroughly with lawmakers. To do this, Speaker Arch introduced LR179 near the end of session, which calls for an examination of issues and concerns around public participation and which will provide recommendations for change.

"Ensuring that residents of Nebraska have the opportunity to have their voices heard is vital to the legislative process, the resolution states, "To ensure fair and useful dialogue, there must be a standard of respect and decorum in place for both the public, that observes, engages, and testifies in the front of the Legislature, and the members of the Legislature." Arch thinks one of the initial ways to fix this issue is to create new practices and standards for individual committee chairs, as well as work harder to convey to the public the practices and procedures of the Legislature.

For the full article click HERE

SEN. PETE RICKETTS PROPOSES FEDERAL TAX CUT ON SOCIAL SECURITY INCOME

WASHINGTON, D.C.- When U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts was Governor of Nebraska, then-state Sen. Brett Lindstrom introduced a bill aiming to cut the state tax on Social Security income through a series of incremental steps. Now serving in Washington, Ricketts is seeking to take Nebraska's idea national. On Thursday, the Senator announced that he would introduce a similar proposal, which would, after a time, phase in a reduction of federal income taxes on Social Security payments.

More specifically, Ricketts said he aims to end the federal tax on 10% of the Social Security income that recipients pay taxes on in 2024, and eventually increase the tax cut to 20% in 2025. As of right now, around 85% of a person's Social Security income is taxable, depending on several outside factors like outside income. Ricketts said he wants Congress to work toward cutting the amount of taxable income to zero.

Ricketts indicated that he is looking for a Democrat to co-sponsor the bill, and wants to build his proposal into a must-pass piece of legislation. In Nebraska, Social Security tax cut efforts received bipartisan support, and Ricketts thinks the same should be true in Congress. "I think that a lot of people would want to look at this," said Ricketts, "The general idea of letting seniors keep their own money is one that is going to see enough support."

For the full article click HERE

OMAHA CITY COUNCIL APPOINTS REPLACEMENT FOR VINNY PALERMO

OMAHA- On Tuesday, the Omaha City Council voted to appoint Ron Hug, a South Omaha native, to former Councilman Vinny Palermo's seat, giving the people of District 4 a representative after nearly 6 months. Hug will be sworn in on September 26th. The new Councilman indicated that his first, and main, priority while serving Palermo's final year and a half term will be to rebuild constituents' trust in the City Council, which he believes was damaged by the Palermo scandal.

"Once I'm sworn in, I'm going to start planning some open house meetings," said Hug, "I'll try to do one a week for the foreseeable future, where constituents won't need an appointment. They'll just come in, and I'll be willing to talk to anybody about any issues they have." Hug was appointed to the position on a 6-0 vote. Currently serving as the operations manager for City Taxi Inc., Hug, a 67-year-old Democrat, had served previously as a board member for Metropolitan Community College.

Hug announced almost immediately following his appointment to the seat that he would run for reelection in 2025, when Palermo's term expires. Although it took three different ballots for the Council to appoint him, Aimee Melton, a Republican Councilwoman, said Hug was a second choice everyone on the Council could agree on. Besides restoring constituent trust, Hug also indicated that he will focus on affordable housing and preventing brain drain while he serves in the role.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA'S THIRD MEDICAL MARIJUANA BALLOT INITIATIVE KICKS OFF PETITION DRIVE

LINCOLN- After two failed attempts and several years of hard work, organizers of an initiative to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska announced Wednesday the launch of a petition drive a year before the 2024 general election, in the hopes that such an early start will give them the time they need to collect signatures and place the petition on the ballot. Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, the group organizing the drive, kicked off its third petition drive with an evening event in downtown Lincoln.

The campaign will utilize two petitions, both aimed at legalizing medical cannabis. Each of these needs roughly 87,000 signatures from registered voters to qualify for the 2024 ballot. "There was never a question that we would come back for a third time," said Christa Eggers, the campaign's manager, "This issue is not one we can give up on; it's people's lives we are fighting for." The group's first attempt came in 2020, and garnered nearly 200,000 valid signatures. However, it was thrown out by the State Supreme Court for violating the 'single-subject rule.'

The effort was resurrected in 2022, which also utilized two petitions, but came up short on signatures. This year's petitions are virtually identical to those used last year, but Eggers believes more funding and organization will help them avoid the mistakes made in 2022. This year's petition is also being circulated sooner than last year's, giving the group more time to collect an adequate number of signatures. Many Nebraska politicians have resisted the idea of legalizing medical cannabis. While Gov. Pillen hasn't been as vocal about the drug as former Gov. Ricketts, Eggers said she expects him to put up a fight.

For the full article click HERE

OMAHA'S $508 MILLION BUDGET APPROVED, WITH LARGER PROPERTY TAX CUT AND POLICE PAY HIKES

OMAHA- The Omaha City Council voted Tuesday to adopt a $508 million budget for 2024 that will include a 10% increase in police funding once a new contract with police officers is approved. The council approved an amendment, proposed by council President Pete Festersen, which would decrease the city’s property tax levy by 2.5% instead of the 2.1% that Stothert proposed.

Although the budget slightly reduces the city’s tax levy, it does not guarantee lower tax bills. Many Omaha property owners will still pay more in city taxes because of rising property valuations. The budget boosts city spending by about 7 percent, driven largely by initiatives to recruit and retain more police officers and to prepare for the opening the city’s new central library.

The budget includes an increase of about $9.6 million for police recruitment and retention. The budget also includes an 8.3% increase in library funding. Along with the big increase in property valuations, sales tax collections are expected to climb by 7% and restaurant tax collections by 6%. The Fire Department budget would increase 1.7%.

For the full article click HERE