GOVERNOR CHOKES UP WITH EMOTION, URGES NEBRASKANS TO ADOPT CHILDREN

LINCOLN- During a Monday press conference to designate November as "Adoption Month" in Nebraska, Gov. Pillen choked up momentarily while relaying the story of his own adopted son, Izic, and urged parents around the state to "answer the calling" to adopt children or become foster parents.

"Every child, no matter their circumstance, deserves a loving, safe, and caring home," he said. According to Pillen, 200 children currently await adoption in Nebraska, including 27 under the age of four. During the conference, state Sen. Wendy DeBoer also revealed that she had applied to become a foster parent.

DeBoer noted that the Legislature has worked to update laws over the past few years to make it easier for parents to adopt. "People in Nebraska care about adoption, and I think that's wonderful," she said. According to Laura Opfer, the deputy director of the DHHS' Children and Family Services Division and another speaker at the event, the state's top goal is to reunify children with their parents after temporary placement with other family members.

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GOV. PILLEN STOPS SHORT OF SAYING NO STATE FUNDS SHOULD BE USED FOR MEMORIAL STADIUM RENOVATION

LINCOLN- On Monday, Gov. Pillen praised the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletic Department for being "self-funded" and operating without state funds, but, when asked whether that should continue and if no state funding should be given to the University for a $450 million renovation of Memorial Stadium, Pillen stopped short of agreeing, saying that this process will entail a "discussion" but will not be his top priority.

"My focus right now is making the State of Nebraska can compete," said Pillen, "and the first place we have to compete is in tax policy. We have to make sure we're a fiscally conservative state and we have the courage to say 'no.'" As the NU System faces a $58 million budget shortfall, questions have arisen over how UNL plans to fundraise for the stadium renovation, should they be denied state funding.

"We have been self supporting because of the great Nebraska fans," said Pillen, "There's never been a tax dollar used, there's never been a fee used." According to reports, UNL still faces a roughly $125 million hole, with $225 million in private donations and $100 million from the athletic department already secured. Lawmakers recently granted $30 million to Creighton University for a baseball field.

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GOV. PILLEN LETTER TO NEBRASKA ENVIROMENTAL TRUST LABELED 'UNUSUAL' AND 'POLITICAL INTERFERENCE'

LINCOLN- Members of a watchdog group are labeling a letter penned by Gov. Jim Pillen to the Nebraska Environmental Trust Board as “unusual” and as “political interference.” Pillen gave final approval in August to an update of the rules and regulations that govern the Trust, which doles out about $20 million a year in grants to environmental, conservation and research groups. That approval came with a letter.

Pillen called on the Trust’s board to grant money for capital improvements and for projects that provide the biggest impact and “long-term public benefit.” The letter also urged the board — of which 12 of the 14 members are either appointed or hired by the governor — to avoid grants to “recurring entities” for operating expenses. “Providing long-term public access to and environmental benefits for these spaces should be the focus of awarding NET grant funding,” the letter stated.

The governor has control over most of those who sit on the board, the openly dictatorial nature of the letter was criticized by members of the watchdog group “Friends of the Environmental Trust.” The group, which has been critical of recent actions by the Trust, labeled the letter as “political interference” and “inappropriate” for a board that should objectively consider grant applications, both big and small.

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NEBRASKA PRISONS LAUNCHING NEW, 'HOLISTIC' APPROACH TO PREPARE INMATES FOR REENTRY INTO SOCIETY

LINCOLN- State prisons are launching a new, “holistic” approach in mentally preparing inmates for their return to society, using fellow inmates as guides. A three-year initiative, started with an anonymous grant of nearly $900,000, seeks to better make ready inmates for reentry by focusing on things like healthy thinking, positive relationships and meaningful work.

The “5-Keys for Wellbeing Development” program replaces two existing classes, called “Thinking for a Change” and “Moral Reconation Therapy,” with an overall goal of preventing a return to criminal behavior and to prison. “Our goal is to approach reentry from that holistic sense of looking at the whole person, and not focusing on just one area,” said Dawn Renee Smith, the deputy director of Nebraska Corrections.

Nebraska will be the first state to try the 5-Keys program within its prison system. Officials have been working over the past year with faculty at Florida State University and a 2-year-old, Florida-based think tank called Well-Being and Equity Innovation Inc. The program will be launched full bore next year at seven state prisons.

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UNL PROPOSES RESTRUCTURING, SLASHING BUDGET OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION OFFICE

LINCOLN- Last week, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Rodney Bennett proposed budget cuts totaling $12 million as part of the NU System's plan to adapt to a projected $58 million budget shortfall. One of the largest of these cuts would eliminate $800,000 from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and restructure it from a central hub for DEI to a role primarily concerned with supporting university-wide priorities and initiatives.

Marco Baker, UNL's vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion, described the cuts as disappointing. "But, we understand the many external pressures impacting higher education and diversity and inclusion are outside of our control," he said, "Still, ODI will work to discern and reimagine the best strategies and structures possible to preserve and build on the progress we've made thus far."

The Office, created in 2018, worked to promote "inclusive excellence" and uplift the "power of every person," and had a budget of $1.1 million. The proposed cuts would also reduce the combined budgets of ODI, as well as the adjacent Office of Academic Success and Intercultural Services, by more than 46%.

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GOV. PILLEN ISSUES PROCLAMATION, ANNOUNCES ACTIONS TO FIGHT ANTISEMITISM AND SUPPORT NEBRASKA'S JEWISH COMMUNITIES

LINCOLN- Last week, Gov. Jim Pillen announced a new statewide strategy to fight antisemitism and issued a slew of actions to enhance public safety and reemphasize Nebraska's strong support for the State of Israel. "From the day Hamas started this war," Pillen said in a statement, "Nebraskans have stood in strong support of Israel."

More specifically, Gov. Pillen's proclamation condemns public statements and demonstrations that seek to normalize or justify terroristic violence and support for Hamas, as well as preemptively denounce statements by politicians or activists seeking to draw equivalence between Hamas' attacks and Israel's defensive strategies.

Gov. Pillen also designated Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelley to serve as a liaison between Nebraska's Jewish communities and state law enforcement to ensure that the proper channels are in place to address security threats. Another action by Gov. Pillen directed the Department of Administrative Services to conduct a review of all anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training provided to state servants to ensure that Jewish identity is sufficiently covered.

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GOV. PILLEN MAKES CASE FOR GROWING BIOBASED ECONOMY AT NATIONAL CONVENTION

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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STATE SIGNS CONTRACT TO DETERMINE THE 'FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY' OF PROPOSED I-80 SANDPIT LAKE

LINCOLN- On Thursday, the state of Nebraska finalized a $500,000 no-bid contract with the Omaha Philanthropic Trust to determine the feasibility of raising in excess of $900 million in private funding to help build a large sandpit lake between Omaha and Lincoln. The contract, signed in August by Sue Morris, the director of the Philanthropic Trust, utilized a rarely used "sole source" exemption that allows state agencies to forgo the state bidding process.

Tom Riley, director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, said he was able to attain this exemption and bypass because of the "unparalleled connections" of Morris and the Trust to major donors. "The access to all the philanthropic dollars is not our gig," said Riley, referring to the Department of Natural Resources, whose duty it is to regulate surface water use and dam construction and safety.

Sen. Mike McDonnell, a proponent of the proposed lake, also defended the no-bid deal because of the experience of Morris. However, State Auditor Mike Foley raised concerns over the contract, questioning why the Omaha Philanthropic Trust was the "sole entity" that could weigh whether there was sufficient in the lake interest among private donors. "That just sounds odd to me," he said.

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS HAVE AN EXTRA $40 MILLION TO WORK WITH NEXT SESSION, PROJECTIONS SAY

LINCOLN- According to the state's Tax Rate Review Committee, Nebraska lawmakers will have an extra $40 million to work with in the state budget next year. Previous estimates from July showed lawmakers having roughly $339 million to allocate by fiscal year 2024-2025, but new projections place that number closer to $379 million.

Legislative Fiscal Analyst Keisha Patent said there were multiple reasons for the increase, including unspent money from previous years and expected savings from the new school state aid system. Possible uses for the new money include funding new projects, furthering tax relief, or increasing Nebraska's rainy day fund.

Speaker of the Legislature John Arch, a member of the tax rate committee, said the Legislature may add more funding into the Education Future Fund to keep it afloat. Special Education funding, which, according to Patent, cost $27 million more than what was projected this year, may also need to be bolstered.

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CENTRAL NEBRASKA'S UNK FINALIZES $2.3 MILLION IN PROPOSED ACADEMIC CUTS

KEARNEY- On Monday, University of Nebraska at Kearney Chancellor Doug Kristensen finalized $2.3 million in budget cuts, including 24.5 faculty positions and a handful of degrees. The proposed cuts will be sent to NU President Ted Carter for final approval on December 1st, and come as the University of Nebraska System faces a projected $58 million budget shortfall over the next two years.

UNK faces an expected $4.3 million deficit, which it plans to address through $2.3 million in academic cuts and $2 million in administrative reductions. According to a campus news release, a previously implemented hiring freeze, including 77 full-time positions, has saved UNK around $4.1 million, so the university plans to continue to follow a similar plan as it struggles against the budget deficit.

"These are undoubtedly challenging times, but we are taking decisive action to position UNK for the future," Kristensen said in a statement. Christopher Exstrom, a professor of chemistry and president of UNK's Faculty Senate, echoed a similar sentiment, saying that it has been an "exceptionally trying time as we navigate through these cuts."

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NEBRASKA'S EDUCATION FUTURE FUND WILL DWINDLE FASTER THAN INTIALLY FORECASTED, REPORT SHOWS

LINCOLN- The school aid fund established this year in the Nebraska Legislature at the behest of Gov. Pillen, which was intended to reduce property taxes, will dwindle far faster than state officials originally projected, according to a new report. This year, $1 billion was poured into the fund, with $250 million more set to go in each year going forward.

When the Legislature's Appropriations Committee weighed the issue in March, the state's budget director acknowledged that the fund would dwindle over time, but estimated that it would still have a $500 million balance by 2030. Despite this, new reports issued by the state's Tax Rate Review Committee suggest that the $1 billion fund will dip near $500 million as soon as 2025, with another $99.4 million decrease a year later.

"The Education Future Fund, created with a $1 billion investment this year, will be drained within a decade without a sustainable revenue stream that addresses the needs and outcomes for Nebraska's students," said Rebecca Firestone, executive director of the OpenSky Policy Institute. The updated forecast, which calls into question the sustainability of the fund, shows a reduction in part due to higher-than-expected special education costs.

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INSPECTORS GENERAL CONTROVERSY AIRED AT NEBRASKA COLLEGE OF LAW DISCUSSION

LINCOLN- On Monday, during a panel discussion at the University of Nebraska College of Law, Attorney General Mike Hilgers stood his ground amid criticism that one of his recent legal opinions blocked access to information for two legislatively established inspectors general offices.

The opinion, issued in August, stated that the Inspectors General of Corrections and Child Welfare unconstitutionally infringed upon the power of the executive branch by having unfettered access to their computers and records. Sen. Danielle Conrad, who was alongside Hilgers on the panel, called the opinion "a political stunt" that has blocked the Legislature from fulfilling its overseeing duties.

Hilgers, a former Speaker of the Legislature, argued that state lawmakers have other options and other avenues through which they can obtain executive records, like subpoena power, which requires approval from the Legislature. Another, Hilgers said, would be charging the Performance Audit Committee of the Legislature to conduct audits of the Departments of Corrections and Health and Human Services.

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BOARD OF REGENTS INVITES APPLICATIONS, NOMINATIONS FOR NU SYSTEM PRESIDENCY

LINCOLN- On Thursday, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents announced that they would finally be inviting applications and nominations for the ninth president of the NU System. In a letter to all faculty and staff, Board Chairman Tim Clare noted that the position profile, which outlines the qualities NU is looking for in its next president, had gone live.

Clare encouraged faculty and staff to share the position profile across their networks, saying that the Board intends to cast as wide a net as possible as it considers candidates for the job. The profile was created through the input of NU staff and students, who attended a series of campus listening sessions last month.

"We heard loud and clear that the presidency of the University of Nebraska is an enormous opportunity and responsibility, a position that has a uniquely significant impact on the lives of students," said Clare, "I'm confident our leadership profile will held us find that person." Among the qualities the Board is looking for are authentic, proven leaders, the ability to build effective relationships with the Governor, Legislature, and donors, and a strong business acumen.

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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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