UNMC GETS FEDERAL GRANT TO LEAD EFFORT TO DESIGN BETTER RESPONSE TO NATIONAL HEALTH DISASTERS

OMAHA- With a boost of federal funds, the University of Nebraska Medical Center will help lead development of a new national planning approach to responding to large-scale health crises. Officials announced the effort to be launched with an initial $500,000 from the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, whose mission is to advance the nation’s public health readiness for disasters.

The medical center and its main clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine, are to convene federal agencies and others across academia and industry to develop a more proactive plan, based on worst case and large-scale scenarios, for meeting medical and public health requirements during national emergencies. The goal is to be prepared and not have to build on the fly when difficult times arise.

The new approach will consider a range of things, UNMC officials said, including ways to rapidly develop and deploy therapeutics and options to quickly hire, train and retain more clinical staff, especially when the types of licensed professionals are unavailable. The project fits well with the previous work that has been done in the Global Center for Health Security department.

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NORTH OMAHA RACE WEIGHS BEST APPROACH: COMBATIVE OR COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP

OMAHA- Next week, Nebraska primary election voters wade into a generational divide over leadership styles and which approach best represents North Omaha in the Legislature. District 11 features a showdown between Democrat Terrell McKinney, nonpartisan Ernie Chambers, and nonpartisan Calandra Cooper. The three are fighting to represent one of the most diverse districts in the state.

For the past four years, McKinney, 33, has prodded the state Parole Board and prison system, sought sentencing reform and helped steer federal pandemic relief funds to North and South Omaha. Chambers, 86, spent his 46 years in the Legislature building more of a reputation for the bills he killed with filibusters, amendments and stalling tactics than for what he passed.

Unlike McKinney and Chambers, who said they will not criticize one another, Cooper, 57, said North Omaha doesn’t have to pick between old-school resistance and new-school relationships. The self-financed candidate, a pharmacy technician, business owner and nonprofit leader says she would focus more on improving incomes, public safety, youth activities and neighborhoods.

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DODGE COUNTY DISTRICT 15 LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES WEIGH IN ON TAXES, EDUCATION, ECONOMY

LINCOLN- A crowded legislative race in Dodge County and Valley includes a business owner, engineer, firefighter paramedic, financial services company president and human rights advocate. The candidates are looking to fill the seat of Sen. Lynne Walz who is term limited. In the race are: Anthony Hanson, Roxie Kracl, Peter Mayberry, Scott Thomas, and Dave “Woody” Wordekemper.

The candidates range in age from their 30s to their 50s. Four are registered Republicans from Fremont, the county seat of Dodge County, while the fifth is a registered Democrat from Valley, the sliver of Douglas County that is in Legislative District 15. Hanson, an engineer, lists his top issue as property taxes. Kracl, a president of a credit bureau, is confirming that legislation is "pro-consumer".

Mayberry, a laundromat owner, did not list his top position. Thomas, a human rights director, lists his main focus as protecting children from the “calculated attack on the American family". Wordekemper, a firefighter, lists his top issue as addressing violent crimes committed by young Nebraskans. Each candidate casts property taxes as an issue while they differ on topics such as higher education and economic development. 

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VOTERS SURVEY SHOWS HEAVY SUPPORT FOR MORE STATE INVESTMENT IN EARLY LEARNING, CHILD CARE

LINCOLN- According to a survey conducted by We Care for Kids and the Nebraska Extension early childhood development arm, more than 80% of Nebraskans agree that state lawmakers should support child care and early learning programs just as much as they do for K-12 schooling and higher education. Roughly the same proportion believe lawmakers should make child care and early learning a higher priority than it is today.

Results from the survey, which interviewed roughly 501 registered voters representing different areas of the state, are to be distributed to legislators and policymakers in an effort to call for increase attention to affordable and quality child care services, said Claire Wiebe of We Care for Kids. Wiebe said that many communities across Nebraska are working to improve access to affordable child care and early learning programming, but that they "can't do it alone."

"Clearly, there is a strong desire to fix Nebraska's child care crisis and for state government to do its part," she said of the survey. Wiebe also pointed out that some positive movement was made during the most recent legislative session, including the passage of an amended LB856, which changed a Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services rule that prohibited some child care providers from receiving free child care assistance for their own children.

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UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA JOINS WAVE OF CAMPUS PROTESTS IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINE

LINCOLN- More than 100 University of Nebraska-Lincoln students and community members gathered on Wednesday in what they called a "Liberated Zone for Palestine" in an attempt to force the NU System to disclose any investments it has made into Israel and to divest from those should any be revealed. Protestors also called on UNL to end a sponsored study abroad program in Jerusalem.

"We're here because there are students, professors, administrators, and staff in Gaza who are experiencing a genocide," said Anna Synya, a UNL senior present at the protest. Although many protests arguing for divestment from Israel have turned violent, the Lincoln event focused on teach-ins, dances, chants, and prayers, all of which remained peaceful.

Synya, a member of UNL's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, emphasized that the reason UNL students came out to protest was not to support student protestors on other campuses, like Columbia, but because they wanted to support Gaza, where every university has been bombed. While counter-protestors showed up to the event, the UNL Police Department maintained a minimal presence all day.

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STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS RUNNING OUT TO TRY FORTENBERRY IN NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- Five months after a federal appellate court reversed his convictions for making false statements to FBI agents investigating foreign campaign contributions, former Nebraska Rep. Jeff Fortenberry has yet to face any new charges, with the window to try him soon closing. On March 25th, 2022, Fortenberry was found guilty of concealing conduit campaign contributions and lying to federal agents.

However, because the original trial occurred in Las Angeles, where the contribution was given to Fortenberry, a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel overturned Fortenberry's convictions and argued that he should have instead been tried in Nebraska. "Fortenberry's conditions are reversed so that he may be retired, if at all, in a proper venue," wrote Judge James Donato.

While the statute of limitations to charge Fortenberry in Nebraska has yet to run out, just two and a half months remain before prosecutors would be barred from going forward. According to Lecia Wright of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Nebraska, any prosecution in their office must begin with a referral from a law enforcement agency.

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GOV. PILLEN ANNOUNCES PLAN TO SLASH NEARLY 1,000 VACANT STATE POSITIONS

LINCOLN- On Tuesday, Gov. Jim Pillen announced that he was setting his sights on the elimination of any state government positions that have remained vacant for more than 90 days, estimating that this move will rake in millions of dollars in savings. Pillen outlined the plan in an executive order, slating the elimination of nearly 1,000 jobs that have remained vacant for months, if not years.

Certain "critical" positions, according to the order, will be maintained, even if they have remained vacant for some time. Pillen's Office estimated that the change could save the state around $39.4 million. "I promised to run state government like a business and this order delivers on that promise," wrote Pillen in a statement.

The Nebraska Association of Public Employees, which represents around 8,000 state employees, argued Tuesday that the change would hurt those working in government. "It is clear that the governor expects public employees to work short staffed permanently," they wrote. However, Laura Strimple, spokeswoman for Gov. Pillen, said the "vast majority" of vacant positions are no longer necessary for operating state government.

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NEWEST SCHOOL CHOICE LAW MIGHT FACE BALLOT INITIATIVE, AS ITS PREDECESSOR DID

LINCOLN- The Nebraska State Education Association and Support Our Schools Nebraska, two organizations that successfully placed an initiative on the 2024 ballot to repeal last year's Opportunity Scholarships Act, announced Tuesday that a new petition drive was initiated to repeal LB1402, which would allow public funding to go towards private or parochial educational institutions.

"LB1402 was passed to silence voters, and their voices need to be heard and respected," said Jenni Benson, president of the NSEA, "We were successful last summer, and with everyone's help we can again gather enough signatures to put this latest voucher scheme on the ballot so Nebraskans are not denied their right to vote."

Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, who introduced both school choice proposals, said she wasn't surprised. "The teachers union always puts the union first, not the kids," she said, "The teachers union should be doing more to keep young teachers in the progression, fighting to make sure teachers get paid more." She and other proponents of LB1402 have argued that public school advocates are ignoring low-income families, who want more educational options.

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NEBRASKA GROUNDWATER LEVELS CONTINUE DECLINE AFTER PROLONGED DROUGHT

LINCOLN- Groundwater levels in much of Nebraska continue to decline after several years of prolonged drought, according to the most recent statewide groundwater level report from the Conservation and Survey Division in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s School of Natural Resources. Of the 4,822 wells measured statewide, 85% exhibited declines from spring 2022 to spring 2023.

Groundwater level changes in Nebraska are impacted by withdrawals, primarily for irrigation, and the amount of recharge from precipitation. The hotter and drier a growing season is, the less water is available for aquifer recharge and the more water is required for supplemental irrigation, thus, groundwater levels decline. In addition, the 2022-23 precipitation year was well below the 30-year normal.

Below-average precipitation and an increased need for irrigation led to groundwater level declines of more than 20 feet at some locations. Moreover, because drought conditions have persisted across much of the state since mid-2020, groundwater levels have declined significantly in the last three years. On average, water depth in wells has declined by 3.15 feet since spring 2020.

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ADVOCATES SUPPLY VOTER INFO TO COUNTY JAILS TO HELP ENSURE ELIGIBLE VOTERS CAN CAST BALLOTS

LINCOLN- Nebraskans incarcerated in county jails will have access to voting rights information under a partnership between the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, Civic Nebraska and RISE. Educational pamphlets produced by the advocates are arriving by mail at county jails. Those in custody still may be eligible to vote, depending on their circumstances.

The information is designed to address common questions and misconceptions and to clarify whether a person is eligible to vote in the May primary election. It offers steps to follow, including how to comply with the state’s new voter identification mandates. “Without a doubt, there are eligible voters in jail right now who do not know that they can vote,” said Jason Witmer, ACLU of Nebraska policy fellow.

He said the goal is to make it easier for those incarcerated as well as for jail administrators. The information to be distributed in the jails also previews a quickly approaching legal change that impacts those with felony convictions. Come July, Nebraskans who have been convicted of a felony no longer will have to wait two years to vote after completing the terms of their sentence, including any parole or probation.

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LEADERS CELEBRATE NEBRASKA'S ONGOING INTERSTATE 80 EXPANSION AS ECONOMIC BOON

LINCOLN- Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and other state leaders celebrated the ongoing Interstate 80 expansion between Lincoln and Pleasant Dale as an economic boon. Vicki Kramer, director of the Nebraska Department of Transportation, said the three-year I-80 project, which began earlier this month, includes expanding from two lanes in each direction to three.

The project has been in the works for decades and is designed to increase mobility. It is the largest planned transportation project for the 2024 construction season. “If anybody’s coming in from Grand Island, they know how difficult it gets the closer you get to Lincoln — the congestion, the truck traffic — it gets dangerous,” Kramer said.

In addition to lane expansion, the project will include other Interstate and rest area improvements at the US-6 and 192nd Street interchange and the West Dodge Road interchange in Omaha as well as a new roundabout at Highway 77 near Wahoo. Kramer was joined by Gov. Pillen, State Sen. Beau Ballard, and the CEO of Hawkins Construction, Chris Hawkins.

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'THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT': REGENTS CONFIRM DR. JEFFREY GOLD TO LEAD UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- Last Friday, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents formally selected Dr. Jeffrey Gold to lead as the university's ninth system president. Regents voted 7-1 to appoint Gold, who currently serves as the Chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, to take over the presidency effective July 1st.

Gold will continue to be a surgery professor at UNMC. "The future is bright for this university and, as a result, I believe the future is extremely bright for the state of Nebraska," said Gold after the vote was taken. Gold told reporters present at the meeting that he will likely never finish his to-do list at UNMC, but will continue to work on many of those priorities and strategies across all campuses.

With Gold's elevation, interim NU President Chris Kabourek will return to his role as chief financial officer. Gold also announced that a search for his permanent successor at UNMc will likely be done through a national search. Regent Bob Schafer, board chair, said Regents set out to find a leader who could build on NU's current momentum and "take us to even greater heights."

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MAINE DRAWS LINE: WILL MATCH NEBRASKA ON WINNER-TAKE-ALL

OMAHA- According to Maine House Majority Leader Maureen Terry, if Nebraska holds a special session this summer and decides to award its five Electoral College votes to the statewide winner of the presidential race, then blue-led Maine will match it, canceling any advantage that former President Donald Trump might gain from Nebraska.

"If Nebraska's Republican governor and Republican-controlled Legislature were to change their electoral system this late in the cycle in order to unfairly award Donald Trump an additional electoral vote, I think the Maine Legislature would be compelled to act," Terry said in a statement last Friday. Nebraska and Maine, as of right now, are the only states that split their electoral votes.

Gov. Jim Pillen has already confirmed that he will call a special session if state lawmakers are able to find the 33 votes necessary to overcome the filibuster and pass the changes. Sen. Loren Lippincott, who introduced this year's winner-take-all proposal, said he does not have "anywhere close to 33 votes."

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PILLEN CONFIRMS NO LOSS OF LIFE FROM FRIDAY STORMS, PLEDGES EMERGENCY FUNDING

OMAHA- Gov. Jim Pillen joined leaders from the Omaha, Bennington, Elkhorn, and Waterloo areas at a press conference Saturday, thanking them for listening to Friday's weather forecasts and directing their respective constituents. "It is an extraordinary miracle that we've had this kind of cell come through," said Pillen of the destructive storms, "and no categories of serious injuries, and no loss of life."

Pillen said during the press conference that he had missed a call from President Joe Biden on Friday night, who left a message offering whatever assistance Nebraska needed from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. State and local emergency management officials are still surveying the damage, which largely occurred in Douglas, Lancaster, Saunders, and Washington Counties.

On Sunday, just a day later, Gov. Pillen issued a post-tornado emergency declaration, which allows the use of an emergency fund established under the Nebraska Emergency Management Act, to respond to the storm damage. The Governor directed the Nebraska Adjutant General, who also serves as the State Disaster Coordinator, to activate the appropriate state emergency plans and take the steps necessary until the threat to life and property has been alleviated.

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THREE CANDIDATES COMPETE FOR SOUTH OMAHA LEGISLATIVE SEAT

OMAHA- Three people, including two Democrats and one Republican, are set to vie for the south Omaha legislative seat that has been held for eight years now by the term-limited Sen. Mike McDonnell. Margo Juarez and Flint Harkness, both Democrats, and Gilbert Ayala will all be on the ballot during the May 14 Primary Election.

The district encompasses a large portion of south Omaha, and roughly 37% of the voting-age population is Hispanic. All three candidates have previously run for public office, but only Margo Juarez, who serves on the Omaha Public Schools Board, has been elected. Ayala, a 54-year-old Republican, unsuccessfully challenged McDonnell in 2016 and 2020, receiving 30% and 37% of the vote respectively each year.

Of the candidates in the race, Ayala has taken the most conservative positions. He describes himself as "100% pro-life" and pro-law enforcement, supports the Second Amendment, and backs Donald Trump in 2024 presidential election. Juarez was endorsed by Planned Parenthood, the Sierra Club, and Women Who Run Omaha. Harkness, a special education teacher, said his priority is improving funding for public schools.

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PILLEN WON'T CALL SPECIAL SESSION ON NEBRASKA PROPERTY TAXES WITHOUT PLAN THAT CAN PASS

LINCOLN- Gov. Jim Pillen said he has no immediate plans for calling a special legislative session to reduce property taxes. Although he ended the regular session by vowing to call "as many sessions as it takes to finish the long-overdue work of solving the property tax crisis," he said he would not bring lawmakers back to Lincoln until he has a plan that can get 33 votes.

A solution eluded Pillen and the Legislature during the session that wrapped up April 18. The session ended without any major property tax legislation after a scaled-back version of the governor's plan lacked enough votes to overcome a filibuster on the last day. Pillen expressed determination to get something passed before the end of the year. He started 2024 by calling for a 40% reduction in property tax payments.

In addition to the difficulties of finding a solution that can garner 33 votes to end a potential filibuster, the timing of a special session could be problematic. Several senators have travel plans, while others are busy campaigning for reelection. Fifteen senators are on their way out, either because of term limits or because they are not seeking reelection.

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LEGISLATIVE LEADERS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT NEBRASKA'S FISCAL HEALTH AFTER CAREFUL SPENDING

LINCOLN- Top state senators say they feel comfortable with the level of state reserves they left behind in 2024 and beyond after carefully considering spending requests during this year’s legislative session. Lawmakers are statutorily required to have a balanced budget and are projected to end the next fiscal year, on June 30, 2025, with more than $500 million in the state’s cash reserves, or 4.5%, above the desired minimum amount.

The state is projected in the following biennium to end about $50 million under that minimum reserve. These figures could change when actual revenues come in. They also don’t account for any special sessions, such as one anticipated in late July on property taxes. State Sen. Robert Clements, who chairs the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee, said the $50 million shortfall by June 30, 2027, is an “acceptable number” and remains in an adequate range.

State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, who chairs the Legislature’s Revenue Committee, said economic forecasts are too conservative, so the state could be in a better position than estimates show. She said she also doesn’t see state revenues declining or remaining flat. Linehan and Clements said that there is no recession and that Nebraska’s fiscal health is secure.

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NU BOARD OF REGENTS APPROVE DR. JEFF GOLD AS NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- This afternoon, the Nebraska University Board of Regents officially approved Dr. Jeff Gold as the President of the University of Nebraska systems. The Board approved Gold on a 7-1 vote with Regent Kathy Wilmot opposed. Wilmot did not offer a reason for her opposition. Gold's contract will pay a $1M base salary plus perks that come to about $1.3M in total compensation.

Gold, 71, who has been chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center since 2014, was announced as the priority candidate on March 20 following a nationwide search. A five-year contract was approved and pays about 10% more than Ted Carter was earning when he left NU to become president at Ohio State University.

The contract makes Gold amongst the best-compensated public university leaders in the U.S. when compared to data compiled by The Chronicle of Higher Education in 2022. Gold has spent last month meeting with faculty and students across the three Nebraska campuses. He has continuously asserted that he is eager to get to work.

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NURSING HOME OFFICIALS SAY FEDERAL MANDATE DOESN'T FIT NEBRASKA

KEARNEY- The White House announced their final ruling, mandating nursing homes to have a registered nurse on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That was a hot topic as local healthcare leaders gathered at the Nebraska Health Care Association Spring Conference in Kearney. President and CEO, Jalene Carpenter said these new rules will impact rural areas the most.

Some counties in Nebraska don’t have an RN that lives there. Additionally, the mandate is not funded by the federal government. “I would say it is going to limit access to care if this rule goes into place as it’s projected to do; we do not have the RNs in the state to be able to even meet this need,” said Carpenter. “So it’s not something that’s even rational to think that can happen.”

Other rules are 35 minutes of daily RN care per resident and over two hours of care from nurse aid. Carpenter said U.S. Senator Deb Fischer is working on a provision to minimize the staffing rule. Carpenter feels the federal mandate is unobtainable, making U.S. Senator Fischer’s provision right for Nebraska. Urban providers will have two years to meet federal mandates, while rural providers will have five years.

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CRITICS RALLY AGAINST NEW LAW FUNDING PRIVATE SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS, PILLEN APPROVES PROPOSAL

LINCOLN- Just two days after the Nebraska Legislature narrowly passed an "end run" to appropriate $10 million per year for private school scholarships, hundreds of protestors promised to challenge the new law. Many of those who gathered on Saturday on the steps of the State Capitol had backed a ballot initiative that aimed to repeal a similar law.

Jenni Benson, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, said passing the bill was a "shameful and cowardly act" that went against the will of the voters, as the new law is designed to thwart the ballot initiative to repeal last year's Opportunity Scholarships Act, an almost identical proposal.

LB1402, the new law, would appropriate funds for private and faith-based school scholarships over the next three years. Public school educators and other critics have argued that state funding for private school scholarships, whether direct or indirect, risks depleting funding for public education. Benson said opponents of the new law have two options: a new petition drive to place the issue on the ballot, or a lawsuit to challenge its constitutionality.

On Wednesday, Gov. Jim Pillen, sitting beside Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, signed LB1402 into law. "I'm very excited for a bunch of low-income kids who couldn't access an education that best fits their needs, and now they'll be able to," said Linehan after the signing ceremony. This is the first time in state history that a legislative act has repealed the subject of an active ballot referendum.

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