'WE NEED TO HELP THEM': NEBRASKA CONGRESSMEN CALL FOR ACTION IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL

OMAHA- Nebraska's congressional leaders call for action as Israel prepares for a ground invasion into Gaza. Congressman Mike Flood and Don Bacon both say the United States needs to do whatever it can to support Israel, calling Hamas' attacks pure evil. "Israel and America have a long shared deep friendship. And now that relationship is more important than ever," said Congressman Flood.

Flood calls the attacks by Hamas calculated and evil. "As a member of Congress, I will work to ensure our country does everything it can, everything that is needed to do to support the Israeli government as they root out the sources of this terrorism," said Flood.

Congressman Don Bacon mirrors his colleague's thoughts. Saying our country's actions would be justified since Americans have died.

"Israel needs to try to crush Hamas. We need to help them do whatever they can to do so. Whether it's providing the weapons, intelligence factors, I would support an authorization to use force in support of Israel," said Bacon. Bacon says this would allow President Joe Biden to help Israel with our military if Israel asks for it.

For the full article click HERE

DMV OFFERS FREE IDENTIFICATION CARDS FOR VOTING

LINCOLN- Voters in Nebraska now have a no-cost option to obtain alternate identification cards that they’ll need to cast a ballot starting in 2024. Eligible voters who don’t have a state ID or driver’s license can get a free identification card through a Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles licensing office. Nebraskans need a valid photo identification card to cast a vote come May 2024.

After voters in 2022 approved a constitutional amendment to require voter ID, state lawmakers passed LB514 this year. Matt Coatney, Nebraska’s driver's license services administrator, said the DMV immediately started issuing the free cards under a provision that allows people to get a free identification card for voting purposes. State IDs can cost from $10 to $29, but will be waived for voting purposes.

To get a voter ID, applicants just need to mark on their application that they are seeking the card for voting purposes, and then it’s free, Coatney said. This leaves the door open for people who want a state ID to get one through the voter ID process and avoid paying a fee, but Adam Morfeld, former lawmaker and executive director of Civic Nebraska, said he trusts Nebraskans to be honest.

For the full article click HERE

STATE TAKES 'FIRST STEP' IN DEVELOPING PLANS TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

LINCOLN- This week, the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy held a public hearing to begin the process of developing plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Nebraska. The hearing discussed the states Climate Pollution Reduction Planning Program. The program is being financed by a $3 million grant from the Climate Pollution Reduction program that was part of the Inflation Reduction Act.

The NDEE, in a press release, said a Priority Climate Action Plan, due by March 1, will “identify high-priority, readily implemented actions to reduce GHG emissions, focusing on voluntary actions and financial incentives.” By August 2025, the state must complete a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan to explore short-term and long-term emission reduction measures.

Both plans, the agency said, will solicit input from a variety of stakeholders across the state. It will also include analyses of benefits to low-income and underserved communities, along with requirements of the EPA grant. The hearing provided an overview of current greenhouse gas emissions, the elements the plans are required to cover, the economic sectors affected, and information about the implementation.

For the full article click HERE

SNUBBED AS A REGIONAL 'HYDROGEN HUB,' NEBRASKANS REMAIN CHARGED UP ABOUT CLEAN ENERGY GROWTH

LINCOLN- While Nebraska officials were disappointed at being passed over for a billion-dollar “hydrogen hub” grant, they said the two-year application process strengthened regional alliances and positions the state for other opportunities. Two companies that would have benefited from the federal funding — Monolith of Hallam, and Project Meadowlark of Gothenburg — both said the rejection won’t stop their expansion plans, though the dollars could have accelerated or improved them.

“It’s unfortunate,” State Sen. Bruce Bostelman, chair of the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee, said following news that a Nebraska-Iowa-Missouri partnership was not among seven regional hubs selected to share $7 billion in funding from the Department of Energy. “But it was time well spent,” the Brainard lawmaker said. “They learned a lot going through the process.”

Courtney Dentlinger is spokeswoman for the Nebraska Public Power District, which spearheaded the tri-state request for the Mid-Continent Clean Hydrogen Hub. She foresees other funding opportunities to bolster the area’s hydrogen and clean energy industry, and anticipates that new alliances formed and information learned will assist future efforts.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA REGENTS APPROVE NU SEARCH COMMITTEE, SET LISTENING SESSIONS FOR NEXT WEEK

LINCOLN- On Thursday, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved a search advisory committee and scheduled several listening sessions next week to garner public feedback in its search for the next NU System president. Board Chair Tim Clare said the sessions will be open to the public, and will serve as the official "job advertisements" in state and national markets.

The advisory committee will be made up of 22 members, with Clare leading the search, and will also be subject to the Nebraska Open Meetings Act. While not set timeline for the search was approved, Clare laid out the next few steps in the process, which will include compiling stakeholder input, further developing the NU president's profile, and sending out the first round of advertisements for the position.

"Our goal will be to cast as wide a net as possible and consider a range of potential candidates," said Clare. Academic Search, a firm NU is consulting with through the process, estimated it to take at least 17 weeks from signing a contract with the university to when the search for a priority candidate is concluded. Regents approved the contract on October 5th, placing the ending of this tentative timeline somewhere near the end of January, the month current President Ted Carter is set to leave.

For the full article click HERE

BACON'S REFUSAL TO BACK REP. JIM JORDAN AS SPEAKER PROMPTS SMALL LOCAL PROTESTS

OMAHA- Just a day after U.S. Rep. Don Bacon joined 21 other House Republicans in opposing Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan's bid for speaker, his district office in Omaha heard from two dozen local Republicans who said they want Bacon to fall in line. Bacon's vote also prompted several Nebraskans to protest outside of the district office, some wearing politically charged shirts, and others holding signs urging Bacon to cast his vote for Jordan.

Omaha resident Denise Bradshaw, a member of Moms for Liberty and one of the protestors, said she wants to see Jordan assume the speakership because he is "a good, strong conservative." Robert Anthony, a member of the Nebraska Freedom Coalition and another protestor, said he and many Nebraska Republicans are fed up with Bacon "drifting toward the middle." Anthony said a real conservative can, and should win in the state's 2nd Congressional District.

Anthony even went so far as to say that he'd vote for Bacon's opponent, Tony Vargas, if it came down to it. "Tony Vargas is a train wreck," he said, "He represents everything I'm opposed to. But I'm no longer going to stand behind a man that's not representing what I stand for, either." Bacon's opposition to Jordan stems from the idea that the Congressman doesn't want to reward the handful of House Republicans who deposed former Speaker McCarthy, "a duly elected speaker."

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA TO RECEIVE NEARLY $240,000 FROM MORTGAGE PAYMENT SETTLEMENTS

LINCOLN- On Thursday, the Nebraska Attorney General's Office announced that a settlement was reached this week with a national payment processing company over erroneous withdrawals made two years ago from customers of a mortgage services company. Fifty attorneys general joined the lawsuit, and reached a $10 million settlement with ACI Worldwide Corp., with Nebraska's share coming out to roughly $26,0000.

However, in a separate settlement with ACI, financial regulators from Nebraska, including several with the State Department of Banking and Finance, also received a portion of the settlement, totaling out to around $211,333. Both settlements stem from an April 2021 incident when ACI, through its payment system, tested its new Speedpay product. During the test, according to AG Hilgers' Office, ACI erroneously attempted to withdraw mortgage payments from about 477,000 customers, including more than 1,500 Nebraskans.

Although many of the withdrawals did not go through or were later reserved, 1.4 million transactions were processed, totaling $2.3 billion. In some cases, according to Hilgers, Nebraska-based customers were not able to access the money that had been withdrawn from their accounts, and some even incurred overdraft or insufficient funds fees. The $26,000 awarded to Nebraska will go into the state's settlement cash fund, and discussions are ongoing as to where to allocate the $211,333.

For the full article click HERE

OMAHA CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER ORDINANCES BANNING GHOST GUNS AND BUMP STOCKS

OMAHA- Omaha City Council President Pete Festersen announced that he would propose ordinances to ban so-called ghost gun components, as well as bump stocks and other accessories that allow semi-automatic weapons from firing more rapidly. Festersen also signaled his support for a council-backed resolution solidifying Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert's recently issued executive order prohibiting people from carrying firearms on city property.

These proposed changes were prompted by the recent repeal of most of the city's gun ordinances as a result of the passage of Sen. Brewer's LB77, which allows for the permitless concealed carry of firearms in the state. "LB77 failed to recognize cities that face different circumstances and need local control of public safety, and it forced us to repeal measures that were in place that the police chief believes helped prevent violence and that were successful in removing illegal guns from the streets," said Festersen.

Festersen dubbed his proposals as "commonsense measures" that will contribute to public safety. The Council is expected to hold a public hearing and vote on them on October 31st. Ghost guns, which one of the ordinances concerns, are kits that people can buy online and assemble into firearms. They don't have serial numbers, require background checks, or generate records transfers that help to track firearms.

For the full article click HERE

HOUSING SURPASSES JOBS AS TOP REASON NEBRASKANS MOVED AWAY, ACCORDING TO NEW SURVEY

OMAHA- A new Census-based report conducted by the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, which utilized federal survey and other data, revealed that housing, or the challenge of finding it, has become the top reason Nebraskans are leaving the state. Previously, jobs were the top reason.

"That's shocking," said Josie Schafer, who heads the research center, "I was the one saying, 'It's about jobs, it's about jobs, it's about jobs'." Schafer said that, over the years, she had previously and repeatedly told state lawmakers that jobs were the single biggest influencer of out-of-state flow. Such was the case in 2021, when a federal survey showed that nearly 35% of those who moved out of state identified a job as the main reason who leaving, compared to 18% who cited housing.

In contrast, the report from 2022 showed only 12% identified a job as being the primary factor in their relocation, while 34% shared that housing was the driving factor. "The winds have changed," said Schafer. Schafer said she sees these findings as a big red flag, and that she will work to alert state lawmakers so they can quickly get a better grip on housing conditions in the state.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA AG HIRES LIAISON FOR CASES INVOLVING MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS PERSONS

LINCOLN- On Tuesday, Attorney General Mike Hilgers announced that Grace Johnson, an enrolled member of the Oglala-Lakota Tribe, will serve in a dedicated liaison role to address cases related to missing or murdered Indigenous peoples. Johnson will be the first to assume the role, for which funding was appropriated this year by the Nebraska Legislature.

Under the supervision and direction of the bureau chief of the AG's Criminal Bureau, Johnson will coordinate with local, state, tribal, and federal governments in her reporting and investigation. Johnson, a graduate of Bellevue University, previously served as an advisory board member for Community Action as part of the Honoring Indigenous Families Grant, and has also held positions with the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board and Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition Board.

The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates that roughly 4,200 missing and murdered cases have gone unsolved nationally. A 2018 report by the Urban Indian Health Institute revealed that Nebraska ranked seventh among 29 states for its number of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Omaha ranked eighth among 71 cities. Johnson's new role was created through Sen. Jane Raybould's LB328.

For the full article click HERE

GRANT MONEY WILL HELP NEBRASKA BUILD NEW VETERANS CEMETERY IN GRAND ISLAND

LINCOLN- Grand Island is set to be home to a new Nebraska veterans cemetery thanks to a federal grant of nearly $8.4 million, which was announced Tuesday. The Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs was notified of the grant in September by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetary Association.

The veterans cemetery is set to be built next to the Soldiers and Sailors Cemetery, and construction is expected to take 12-18 months according to CMBA Architects and Sampson Construction, the two organizations charged with the cemetery's design and construction. The Nebraska VA announced that the new Grand Island Cemetery will serve more than 13,000 veterans, as well as their eligible family members.

"It's extremely important for the state of Nebraska to serve our veterans and their families, including providing a sacred resting place for them," said Gov. Pillen in a news release. A groundbreaking ceremony is planned for November 10th at 11 a.m., near the future site of the cemetery on the corner of Webb Road and Capital Avenue in Grand Island.

For the full article click HERE

PILLEN AWARDS $4.8 MILLION IN GRANTS TO LOCAL READING, MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS

LINCOLN- As part of an ongoing effort to improve Nebraska’s reading proficiency, Gov. Jim Pillen awarded 11 of the state’s mentorship organizations a combined $4.8 million in grant funding through a new program in this year’s budget. Pillen announced the first recipients of the READ Nebraska program at a press conference. The program was approved by the Legislature this year through LB814, one of three bills solidifying the state’s biennial budget.

Pillen initially called for a $5 million reading and mentorship grant back in February at a proclamation ceremony naming the month as “Nebraska Mentorship Month.” He said money supporting mentorship serves as an investment toward the state’s education and workforce goals. “Every kid doesn’t need a mentor, but every kid in Nebraska deserves a mentor,” Pillen said in February.

The $4.8 million will be divided among the 11 programs based on the number of participants each program serves, Pillen said. Among the recipients are three Big Brothers Big Sisters programs based in Omaha, Lincoln and central Nebraska, along with Girls Inc. of Omaha, Bannisters Leadership Academy, TeamMates Mentoring, Partnerships 4 Kids, The Friends Program in Kearney, Community Connections in Lincoln County, MENTOR Nebraska and MentoringWorks in Hastings.

For the full article click HERE

PUBLIC SCHOOL ADVOCATES QUALIFY REFERENDUM ON 'OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP' LAW FOR 2024 ELECTION

LINCOLN- As expected, a signature drive to repeal a new and controversial “opportunity scholarships” law has qualified for a public vote on the 2024 general election ballot. The Secretary of State’s Office confirmed that Support Our Schools Nebraska had submitted more than enough valid signatures to force a referendum on LB753, or the Opportunity Scholarships Act.

The law allows taxpayers to designate up to half of their state income tax payment to an organization that provides scholarships to private and parochial, K-12 schools. The entire program is capped at $25 million in the first year, but could eventually grow to $100 million a year. Public school advocates have condemned the law as a roundabout way to funnel public tax dollars to finance private schools.

A Support Our Schools leader said the “overwhelming success” of the signature drive is a clear sign that Nebraskans want a vote on the issue. “This was a decisive victory and the first step to ensure public funds are used to support public schools, not private schools,” said Jenni Benson, who is also president of the Nebraska State Education Association.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA STATE SENATOR GIVEN AWARD FOR COURAGE, LEADERSHIP

LINCOLN- The legacy of Chief Standing Bear, who in 1879 helped to attain Indigenous rights in the United States, weighs heavily on State Sen. Tom Brewer, the first Native American to serve in the Nebraska Legislature. According to Brewer, it's helped him shape his legislation. "Native Americans haven't had a champion in the Legislature, so when I first came in, I knew it had to be something I focused on," said Brewer.

Over the weekend, Brewer, a member of the Ogalala Sioux Tribe, became the second person to receive the prestigious, national Chief Standing Bear Prize for Courage. The prize aims to continue Standing Bear's legacy of leadership. "As native people, we're always thinking about our actions today, how they're going to impact our descendants seven generations from now," said Katie Brossy, the leader of the Chief Standing Bear Project.

Brewer grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation before joining the army, with his service taking him to the mountains of Afghanistan. While serving, Brewer earned two Purple Hearts, but said that the Chief Standing Bear Prize stands above that. "It probably will be the largest honor I receive in my lifetime in terms of the value that I put on it," said Brewer.

For the full article click HERE

STATE AUDITOR REVEALS STEPS TAKEN BY FIRED PONCA CITY CLERK TO RENDER THE COMMUNITY 'NON-OPERATIONAL'

PONCA- Wiping clean city-owned computers, disabling data backup systems, and the deletion of roughly 21 years of city documents were just a few of the steps taken by former Ponca clerk, treasurer, and administrator Denise Peterson prior to her dismissal on February 1st at the behest of the city's mayor, according to a report issued by the Nebraska State Auditor last week.

The nine-page report suggested that Peterson, in doing this, may have violated state laws prohibiting the destruction or misuse of city records. The report also raises questions about two instances in which Peterson was issued two checks from the city over the same period, as well as misuse of a city credit card.

Ponca city officials, in response to the audit, said they believe Peterson's actions were "deliberate and premeditated to leave all the city cupboard bare and the city non-operational." On top of that, Ponca officials said the city incurred "excessive costs" in an attempt to recreate and retrieve the documents removed or destroyed by Peterson. "That act," said State Auditor Mike Foley, "combined with what we do know about the obvious abuse of the city's credit card begs for harsh penalties."

For the full article click HERE

PROJECTED FARM INCOME IN NEBRASKA TICKS UPWARD DUE TO STRONG PRICES FOR CATTLE

LINCOLN- According to a report issued Friday by the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center at the University of Missouri, Nebraska's total farm income is projected to be nearly $7.8 million by the end of 2023. The report, produced in conjunction with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Center for Agricultural Profitability, rose this month from a March projection of $7.3 billion.

This rise in projected comes despite lower crop prices across the nation, which were expected to drop receipts by about 14% in Nebraska alone. However, rising receipts from cattle and calves are projected to make up $2.4 billion of Nebraska's total farm revenue, more than offsetting low crop prices.

"Higher production expenses year after year are increasingly challenging profit margins, but for now, strong farm income prospects for 2022 show the strength of the agricultural sector in the state," said the report. On top of that, while drought conditions plagued Nebraska for much of 2023, the report says they aren't projected to have as big an effect across the state as they did in 2022.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA FARM TO SCHOOL NETWORK WILL HELP GET LOCAL FOOD TO SCHOOL CAFETERIAS

OMAHA- The Nebraska Department of Education and several state partners are launching a new program aimed at getting local farm food to school cafeterias. The Farm to School Network involves the department, the Center for Rural Affairs and Nebraska Extension, plus organizations Buy Fresh Buy Local and No More Empty Pots.

A farm-to-school program is when schools serve locally grown or locally produced fresh foods — such as fruits, vegetables, eggs, honey and meat — to students. A development and advisory committee has been formed to build the network, which will be a “collective action plan that will move farm-to-school forward in Nebraska,” according to a press release.

The network will release an annual report in summer 2025, according to the Education Department. The program is being funded by network partners and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The network will host virtual and in-person listening sessions from Tuesday to Oct. 18 for community members interested in helping.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA PETITION DRIVE FOR PAID SICK LEAVE HAS $1.7 MILLION IN FUNDING

LINCOLN- A plethora of ballot initiatives across Nebraska have kicked off in preparation for the 2024 elections, and a paid sick leave petition remains firmly in the fundraising lead. Since its official launch in July, Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans has raised more than $1.7 million, according to its latest campaign finance report. Other initiatives have raised between $50,000 and roughly $80,000.

Almost all of the sick leave campaign’s funding so far comes from the Sixteen Thirty Fund, which has contributed over $1.6 million. The national organization supports efforts across the country to promote “economic equity, affordable health care, climate solutions, racial justice, voter access and other essential social-change goals.”

Other contributors to the campaign for paid sick leave include local groups, including the Nebraska Appleseed Action Fund, the Women’s Fund of Omaha, the Civic Engagement Table, the ACLU of Nebraska Foundation and last year’s minimum wage initiative group, Raise the Wage Nebraska. The current petition proposal would ensure paid sick leave for all Nebraska workers.

For the full article click HERE

NU PLAN WILL FUND BUILDING RENOVATIONS, REPLACEMENTS FOR NEXT HALF CENTURY

LINCOLN- On Thursday, the NU Board of Regents unanimously approved the creation of a "building renewal fund," which will support the long-term care of university facilities, or around 70% of all state-owned buildings in Nebraska. NU Vice President of Business and Finance Chris Kabourek described the plan as a "capstone moment" for the university system, and said it might help NU address an $800 million backlog of deferred maintenance needs.

"We had a long discussion about the facilities on our campuses, the deferred maintenance, and a long-term, strategic plan to address that," said Kabourek, "That took a lot of strategic thought, a lot of leadership." Over the past year, NU was able to capitalize on historically low interest rates to refinance nearly $500 million in existing bond debt. which created $50 million in savings that was used to create an "internal lending program" used to address facility needs.

University leaders partnered with then-Gov. Ricketts and the Legislature to pass LB384 in 2021, which increased state and university funding for deferred maintenance projects through 2062, which allowed NU to secure $400 million in bond at 2.99%. Kabourel said that as interest rates have risen dramatically since NU was able to secure financing, so too have the savings for Nebraska taxpayers over the next four decades.

For the full article click HERE

NEBRASKA SUPREME COURT: NRDs, OTHER ENTITIES, LACK STANDING TO OBJECT TO INTER-BASIN TRANSFER OF FLOWS FROM PLATTE

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that some natural resource districts and a power district in the state lack legal standing to object to the proposed transfer of water from the Platte to the Republican River. The original proposal, designed to help Nebraska comply with a compact with Kansas over Republican River flows, would be the first "inter-basin transfer" of its kind in the state of Nebraska.

However, the proposed project, called the "Republican Basin High Flow Diversion Project," drew concern from several natural resource districts situated along the Platte River, as well as the Loup Public Power District. These entities argued that capturing excess flows from the Platte River could damage groundwater irrigators, hydropower production and efficiency, and the surrounding wildlife habitats. Despite this, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that these entities have no legal right to object to the compact.

This, in turn, gives Tom Riley, the director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, ruling power over the proposed project. A spokeswoman from the department said there's currently no timetable on when he will make a decision. Anthony Shutz, a water law authority at the University of Nebraska College of Law, said that the Supreme Court ruling leaves it unclear if any entity would be granted standing to legally object to such inter-basin transfers.

For the full article click HERE