NEBRASKA, IOWA GOVERNORS RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT NEW LONG-TERM CARE STAFFING REQUIREMENTS

LINCOLN- A new proposal put forth by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which would require a minimum of 0.55 hours of care per resident per day to be provided by registered nurses, has drawn criticism from the governors of Nebraska and Iowa. Gov. Pillen said he met with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to voice his concerns over the federal staffing requirements.

Under the new proposal, long-term care facilities would also be required to have a registered nurse onsite 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Earlier this month, Govs. Pillen and Reynolds, alongside 13 other governors, sent a letter to President Biden asking him to reconsider the proposal, arguing that the "one-size-fits-all" staffing rules will "force many long-term care facilities to close and erode health care access."

Last Monday, Pillen met personally with USDHHS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure in Washington, D.C. to discuss his concerns. "I appreciate the time that Administrator Brooks-LaSure took to hear our concerns and understand the circumstances that are currently plaguing our nursing workforce and nursing homes," said Pillen in a press release following the meeting, "My hope is that this meeting provided a better understanding of the dynamics that exist in Nebraska, and the potential impacts, especially in our rural areas."

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NEBRASKA'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HIGHER IN OCTOBER THAN THE MONTH BEFORE

LINCOLN- Despite the fact that it's still down from where it was a year ago, Nebraska's unemployment rate continued to climb in October. The state's rate sat at 2.2% last month, according to the Nebraska Department of Labor, up slightly from September's 2.1% but down from 2.7% in October 2022.

Despite rising, Nebraska's unemployment rate ranked sixth nationally, and continued to be significantly lower than the national average of 3.9%. The top-performing categories on a year-over-year basis were private education and health services, which added more than 4,000 jobs over the past year and reached an all-time high of more than 163,000 last month.

However, the number of people working statewide fell by 1,894 between September and October. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, in his Rural Main Street Index for November, indicated that Nebraska is underperforming in the 10-state region as a whole. The index for Nebraska sank to 39.7 this month, its lowest reading since June 2020, which Goss said "points to weaker farm and non-farm economies."

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PETITION DRIVE PUSHING TO REPEAL, REPLACE NEBRASKA TAXES TAKES KEY STEP

LINCOLN- An effort to upend Nebraska's entire tax system, according to campaign finance reports, took a key last step in October that may allow organizers to place a pair of constitutional amendments on the November 2024 ballot. Last month, the "EPIC Option" petition drive contracted with a Florida company to provide paid circulators to better organize volunteer signature-gathering efforts.

Steve Jessen, one of the lead organizers for the drive, said that, so far, they have relied on an army of volunteer signature gatherers who, according to Jessen, are fueled by anger over high property taxes. He said Nebraskan's anger has gotten to the point where he can get petition signatures by simply asking residents if they want to eliminate their property tax.

The petition seeks to eliminate property, income, inheritance, and sales tax, and replace them with a broad-based consumption tax, which would be charged on all new goods and services, besides groceries, with revenue collected and distributed by the state. The alternative tax system was first introduced by Sen. Steve Erdman in the Legislature. Erdman argued that his EPIC plan would attract new people and businesses to Nebraska, while still providing all state-funded entities with the same amount of revenue.

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'A COST WE CAN'T AFFORD': FACULTY BLAST STATE FOR NOT INVESTING IN UNIVERSITY

LINCOLN- On Friday, a panel of faculty from across the Univerity of Nebraska told lawmakers and government officials that they were forcing NU to "collapse into a more limited version of its former self." These remarks came in the face of mounting budget cuts and stalled state investments into the university system, prompting faculty at UNL, UNO, and UNK to issue a joint statement arguing that the state government is starving Nebraska of educational opportunities.

"Right now, the Unicameral and Board of Regents are choosing the second option for our state," said the statement, "That's a choice that cheapens our future, and that's a cost we can't afford." Melissa Lee, chief communications officer for NU, reviewed the join statement and said that the Board of Regents has been forced to challenge how the university system thinks about how best to grow and compete in today's changing market.

Regent Tim Clare, chairman of the Board, said NU's plan to deal with the budget cuts is not about limiting its mission, but to be competitive and nimble. Julia Schleck, vice chair of UNL's Department of English, described the cuts in terms of biological systems that can only absorb so much impact before their resilience is weakened. This spring, NU had requested a 3% annual increase in state appropriations, but was only granted 2.5% by the Legislature.

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FORMER NEBRASKA CRIME COMMISSION DIRECTOR HIRED TO LEAD STATE BRAND COMMITTEE

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, the Nebraska Brand Committee, an organization created by the Legislature to inspect cattle in the state, voted unanimously to hire Don Arp, Nebraska's former Crime Commission Director, who will replace outgoing Brand Committee Executive Director John Widdowson.

Widdowson was originally appointed to the Brand Committee by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts in 2015, and was elected to the position of executive director in 2020. His tenure was marked by significant reforms to how the agency conducts its operations, including the switch to electronic paperwork and the ongoing development of the Committee's electronic inspection program.

Arp, before leading the Crime Commission, previously worked with the Nebraska Brand Committee in 2017 as part of Ricketts' "Center for Operational Excellence," where he assisted then-Interim Brand Committee Director Dave Horton with process improvements. Arp also provided current Chief Investigator of the Brand Committee Tom Hughson with information and guidance during the rollout of a 2021 law that allowed the Committee to issue citations to individuals who transport cattle to an area outside the Committee's investigative scope.

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NEW USDA PLANT HARDINESS MAP SHOWS NEBRASKA CLIMATE IN SOME AREAS TRENDING TOWARDS WARMER TEMPS

OMAHA- According to a new winter plant hardiness map issued by the United States Department of Agriculture, certain regions of Nebraska might be getting warmer. The previous map, published in 2012, showed all of Nebraska within Zone 5, meaning it had annual minimum temps around -20 to -10 degrees.

The latest map, issued this year, show certain areas in Nebraska categorized as Zone 6, meaning they're experiencing slightly warmer minimum temperatures. "General indicators are always good to note," said John Fech of the Douglas County Extension Office, "but we are in this kind of narrow sliver of Zone 6 so we are just on the edge."

While the slight shift isn't expected to impact field crops, certain plants, like trees and shrubs, are not quite as hardy. "There have been a few plants in recent years that have survived where otherwise they might not have," said Fech, "Plants like Japanese Blood Grass, Rose of Sharon, Pawpaw, those kinds of plants that we are more inclined to recommend people experiment with."

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WARHORSE LINCOLN CASINO EXPANSION BEGINNING TO TAKE SHAPE

LINCOLN- Lynne McNally, CEO of the Nebraska Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, who partnered with Ho-Chunk Inc. to build WarHorse Casino in Lincoln, said she expects the expansion project to be visible to anyone passing by within the next month. "The weather has been beautiful for construction," said McNally, giving an update to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission last Friday.

Phase 2 of the WarHorse Casino, which will double the size of the current facility, is expected to be completed soon. The expansion will create 900 new gaming positions, including 10 table games, and make improvements to the simulcasting and sportsbook areas of the casino. On Friday, McNally said the foundations are in place, and that the structural steel is expected to be delivered very soon.

"We're trying to work as fast as we can to get that building enclosed so we can work throughout the winter inside," she said. Meanwhile, work on the infrastructure surrounding the casino continues. Storm sewers and a new roundabout required by the city are among the projects being worked on in addition to the facility itself. According to McNally, all street projects and improvements should be completed by April.

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19 COMMUNITIES AWARDED COLLECTIVE $6.18M IN 'COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS'

LINCOLN- Nineteen Nebraska communities have been awarded a collective $6.18 million in community development block grant funds to help spruce up their downtowns. The CDBG awards provide support to projects that upgrade amenities, enhance public health and safety and economic well-being, said K.C. Belitz, director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

“In today’s economic climate, people attraction is our top priority,” Belitz said in a media statement. “When making career decisions, working professionals increasingly consider the place right alongside the job.” The program is federally funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the DED on behalf of “non-entitlement communities.”

The entitlement cities of Omaha, Lincoln, Bellevue and Grand Island administer their own CDBG program for their areas. The funds are going to three categories including downtown revitalization efforts, planning efforts, and public works. Beatrice, Columbus, Cozad, Falls City, Fremont, and Norfolk all received the most money with $435,000 awarded.

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LINCOLN AREA SEEING INCREASE IN COVID-19 CASES

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department reported an increase in COVID-19 activity, including a handful of cases in certain long-term care facilities. For the week ending Saturday, there were 185 cases of the virus reported, a slight increase from the average 113 recorded over the past four weeks.

Wastewater analysis conducted by the Health Department also revealed a rise in viral particles, with levels last week at their highest point since mid-April. "The rise in COVID-19 activity is happening when holiday gatherings are right around the corner and we'll be spending more time with others indoors where respiratory viruses can spread more easily," said Health Director Pat Lopez.

However, COVID-19 cases are considerably lower than they were at this time last year. Although far fewer Nebraskans are testing and reporting cases, there were roughly 273 cases reported during the same week of November 2022. Of the tests reported to the Health Department last week, 21% were COVID-19 positive, compared with around 13% at the same time last year.

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PILLEN APPOINTS FRED MEYER TO REPLACE TOM BRIESE IN NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, after several weeks of anticipation, Gov. Jim Pillen appointed Fred Meyer from among 16 applicants to serve in the Legislative District 41 seat, which was previously held by Nebraska's new State Treasurer Tom Briese. Meyer, a resident of Saint Paul, Nebraska, will fill the final 13 months of Briese's final term, and will not seek reelection.

Former Gov. Mike Johanns appointed Meyer to the State Board of Education in 1999, where he served until 2010, spending several of those as vice president and president of the Board. "I'm just really excited, and I have a lot to learn," said Meyer of the appointment, just before taking the oath of office, "I have a good team to work with, with the governor's staff, and I'm ready to get started."

Secretary of State Bob Evnen, with whom Meyer served on the Board of Education, said Meyer's work as president demonstrated great leadership, and swore in the new senator. Following his swearing-in, and when asked by a reporter about the controversial Sport and Spaces Act expected to be brought into the spotlight during the next legislative session, Meyer said he wanted to focus on the lack of certified teachers in Nebraska, saying that this is the biggest issue plaguing the state.

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NEBRASKA LAGS IN LUNG CANCER SCREENING AMONG HIGH-RISK GROUPS

LINCOLN- While lung cancer remains the deadliest form of cancer both in Nebraska and nationally, survival rates are improving among all groups, according to an American Lung Association report. But Nebraska lags when it comes to using a key tool — screening high-risk groups with annual, low-dose CT scans — that could help further improve patients’ chances of survival.

Nebraska ranked 33rd among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in screening high-risk residents, with just 3.7% of that group getting scanned. Nationally, the rate isn’t much higher at 4.5%, according to the State of Lung Cancer report. By detecting the disease at an earlier stage when it’s more easily treated, screening can reduce the lung cancer death rate by up to 20%, according to the report.

“To me, that’s an awareness issue,” said Sara Prem, director of advocacy for the lung association in Nebraska and Kansas. “We need to make more people in the high-risk category aware” that the screening is available. The good news in Nebraska is that Medicaid covers lung cancer screening for people who qualify.

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GROUP LOOKS TO ENSHRINE ABORTION ACCESS UNTIL FETAL VIABILITY IN NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- An abortion rights group is petitioning to put the topic in front of Nebraska voters during the 2024 election. Documents filed with the Secretary of State’s office show the new petition aims to amend the state constitution to provide the right to an abortion until fetal viability – usually 23 to 24 weeks of pregnancy – and when needed to “protect the life or health of the pregnant patient.”

The effort, spearheaded by the Protect our Rights Campaign, goes further than Nebraska’s previous 20-week restriction, which lawmakers tightened to 12 weeks during the contentious 2023 legislative session. The petition’s language echoes the constitutional amendment Ohio voters recently passed, which guarantees abortion access until fetal viability in that state.

The Protect our Rights Campaign will need signatures from 10% of Nebraska’s registered voters to get it onto the 2024 ballot.

As of November 1, that means just under 123,000 signatures. They’ll also need to collect signatures from 5% of registered voters in 38 of Nebraska’s 93 counties.

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BIOBASED PRODUCTS 'OUR SILICON VALLEY,' GOV. PILLEN SAYS

LINCOLN- According to Gov. Jim Pillen at the Nov. 12th Alternative Fuels and Chemical Coalition Conference, the federal government's multibillion-dollar investments to develop plant- and microbe-based products and build markets for them offer the U.S. profound opportunities. However, other speakers argued, high interest rates for loans and the need for carbon offset measurements methods are among the challenges holding the nation back.

The conference was held just a year after President Biden issued an executive order requiring agencies to push forward the development of products derived from plants, trees, microorganisms, and food waste, as well as to develop carbon impact technologies. "The biobased economy is gigantic for the future," said Pillen at the conference, "It's our Silicon Valley."

Sustainable farming practices that create products with lower carbon scores were also discussed at the conference, and Gov. Pillen told the crowd about his pivot irrigation system at Pillen Family Farms, which can be "started with cell phones" rather than having to drive out to the field, which would produce carbon emissions.

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LINCOLN SEN. ELIOT BOSTAR ANNOUNCES REELECTION CAMPAIGN FOR LD29 SEAT

LINCOLN- Sen. Eliot Bostar announced this week that he will seek reelection next year to the Legislative District 29 seat that he has occupied since 2020. Pointing to his work on issues that include the economy, health care access and affordable housing, Bostar, who represents a portion of south Lincoln, said he's running again "because there’s more work to do."

“I want to ensure that Nebraskans who work hard can provide for their families, and that our community is safe, affordable and vibrant — a place everyone is proud to call home," he said in a news release. Bostar touted his work to fund a second water source and a new convention center for Lincoln as well as efforts to lower health care costs for patients by capping the cost of insulin and requiring insurance companies to pay for breast cancer and colorectal cancer screenings.

A south Lincoln resident originally from New York, Bostar also highlighted his efforts to make child care and housing more affordable while aiming to stimulate workforce development by adding resources to training programs to help workers gain access to higher-paying jobs. He serves on the Legislature's Revenue Committee, the Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee, the Rules Committee and the Planning Committee, among others.

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NEBRASKA TO HOLD FIRST STATEWIDE PRIMARY ELECTION IN SIX MONTHS AFTER NEW VOTER ID LAW WAS IMPLEMENTED

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Secretary of State reminded citizens on Tuesday that the state was just six months out from the next statewide primary election, which will be held on May 14th, 2024. This will also be the first Nebraska election to require voter ID, as per the bill signed into law by Gov. Pillen in the spring.

If voters plan to vote by mail for the primary election, Secretary of State Bob Evnen indicated that driver's license or state ID number will need to be written on the ballot application, or voters can enclose a copy of their valid photo ID with their application. To allay concerns, Evnen also reiterated to voters that, if an ID is forgotten on election day, a provisional ballot can be filled out instead, which would require voters to show a valid ID on a later date.

In the case of the May 14th primary, voters will have until May 21st to provide their ID if they forget to bring it while voting in person. Valid forms of identification include Nebraska driver's licenses or state IDs, Nebraska college or university IDs, passports, military IDs, tribal IDs, or hospital, assisted living facility, or nursing home records.

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'GOOD LIFE' DISTRICT AIMS TO CREATE 30,000 JOBS NEAR NEBRASKA CROSSING

OMAHA- The grand vision to create an entertainment and shopping district with regional drawing power between Omaha and Lincoln is seemingly moving forward after the Nebraska Department of Economic Development received an application to create a Good Life district in the area surrounding the popular Grenta shopping center Nebraska Crossing.

During the last legislative session, state lawmakers passed the Good Life Transformational Projects Act, which will allow the creation of such districts for the purpose of economic development. Districts approved by the department, and designated as a 'Good Life' district, will receive a reduction in state sales tax from 5.5% to 2.75% for sales made within its boundaries.

Nebraska Crossing owner Rod Yates testified last spring as a proponent of the bill, and described to lawmakers his vision for transforming the area around Interstate 80 into a regional entertainment, dining, and shopping destination. More specifically, Yates outlined a plan to assemble 1,000 acres around the current Nebraska Crossing site for a project that he said could attract as many as 15 million annual visitors.

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SURGE OF BOOK REMOVAL REQUESTS TURNING NEBRASKA LIBRARIES INTO CULTURAL BATTLEGROUNDS

LINCOLN- Administrators at Plattsmouth Community Schools removed roughly 49 books last Spring from their shelves and placed them in a box for "further review" by the high school prinicpal's office, a move that came as a response to requests from a school board member. However, Plattsmouth isn't the only Nebraska community in recent years receiving such requests, as many cities and towns have seen a flood of book challenges.

The influx mirrors a national trend, one pitting parental rights and content concerns against fear of censorship and allegations of intolerance. School board members and library staff from across the state say they've received dozens of irate emails and have even been verbally attacked at board meetings by individuals seeking to remove certain books from Nebraska libraries.

"We simply cannot allow a few loud voices to determine what information and ideas our students have access to," said Chris Haeffner, a liaison for the Nebraska School Librarians Association. In some places, however, the anger and outrage are being directed in the opposite direction, and Plattsmouth residents launched a petition to recall Terri Cunningham-Swanson, the board member who had requested to have the 49 books removed.

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GOVERNOR ORDERS END TO REMOTE WORK, DIRECTS STATE WORKERS BACK TO OFFICES

LINCOLN- On Monday, Gov. Jim Pillen, stating that the COVID-19 pandemic was over, ordered an end to remote work for state employees and directed them to return to their offices full-time by January 2nd of 2024, just a day before the next legislative session begins. Pillen characterized the order as a "common sense expectation."

Justin Hubly, the executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees, which represents nearly 8,000 state workers, said that he's aware of only a few problems related to remote work in Nebraska, and argued that Pillen's move may hurt recruitment and retention at a time when many state agencies are understaffed.

Hubly said it is also very appropriate for some jobs to be done remotely, adding that it might have saved state money as well, up to $500,000 for certain agencies. "We're still super short-staffed," he said, "I'm really fearful if we force people back, we're going to lose a workforce." Pillen, in his executive order calling for the end of remote work by state employees, said he simply wants to bring the state's workforce "to the posture it was prior to the pandemic."

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WINNEBAGO TRIBE TO GET BACK 1,600 ACRES OF LAND ONCE TAKEN FOR PROPOSED RECREATION AREA ALONG MISSOURI RIVER

LINCOLN- The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska stands to receive 1,600 acres of land that was taken from them half a century ago for a recreation area that never materialized. The land, which rests on the Iowa side of the Missouri River, would be returned to the Tribe under a bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, as well as Sen. Pete Ricketts and Iowa Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst.

The chairman of the Winnebago Tribe, Victoria Kitcheyan, said the return of the land will be a "historic and beautiful moment" for her people, whose reservation is located north of Omaha. "We have been waiting for this wrong to be made right," said Kitcheyan in a press release that expressed thanks to the Nebraska and Iowa senators.

Sen. Fischer said it was wrong for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to seize the land back in 1970, and that "it's time to make this right." Today, the land is managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, who, in a recent management renewal agreement with the Army Corps, agreed to give the land back to the tribe.

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OFFICIALS BREAK GROUND ON NEBRASKA VETERANS CEMETERY IN GRAND ISLAND

GRAND ISLAND- Several hundred people, including local and state officials, gathered last Friday for the groundbreaking of the Nebraska Veterans Cemetery in Grand Island, which is meant to improve and expand the existing Soldiers and Sailor Cemetery, a plot of land connected to the Grand Island Veterans Home.

The underlying theme throughout Friday's speeches at the event was how much successful collaboration was needed to make the project come together. Grand Island Mayor Roger Steele started conversations about a potential add-on two years ago, and said that he had placed the idea in front of John Hilgert, director of the Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs.

At the time, Stelle knew that the endeavor was "going to require the cooperation of the city, the state and federal government. That's a huge organizational lift." Gov. Pillen, who spoke at the event, said the project was only possible "because of the dogged undeniable determination of Sen. Aguilar," who would "not take no." Rep. Adrian Smith, also in attendance, said he wasn't surprised by the size of Friday's turnout, "because I know Grand Island shows up for veterans."

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