NEBRASKA DHHS RELEASES DASHBOARD THAT MAPS OVERDOPE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT RESOURCES

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services has released a new overdose prevention dashboard with statistics and a statewide map of related services. Part of the new dashboard, announced in a Wednesday statement, outlines various services across 93 counties, such as no-cost naloxone availability.

Charity Menefee, director of DHHS' Division of Public Health, said that while the state has one of the lowest drug overdose death rates, the resources on the dashboard will strengthen prevention. "This tool is a valuable data access point to educate providers and community members on the treatment and resources that are available to someone who may be struggling with substance use," Menefee said in a statement.

Earlier this year, the Nebraska Legislature passed a package brought by Sens. Tony Vargas and Beau Ballard which distributed funds for opioid treatment and response and requires emergency medical providers to report instances of actual or suspected overdose to help DHHS compile better data.

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GOVERNOR PILLEN, AT BEATRICE TOWN HALL, SAYS HE'S CONFIDENT SPECIAL SESSION WILL YIELD REFORM

BEATRICE – Saying Nebraskans are sick of the conversation, Governor Jim Pillen said it’s time for the State of Nebraska to fix its tax system to relieve the burden of property taxes.

Pillen held another of his townhall meetings Friday at the Beatrice Public Library, to get input from residents about tax and spending issues. Pillen said he plans to call a special session late this summer to pass a comprehensive tax reform package….something that failed to happen in this year’s regular legislative session when the clock ran out and a plan under consideration lacked support.

"It's going to be really hard to get done before the Fourth of July and I've made commitments to sell Nebraska around the world, so it's going to be after the middle of July to before school...that's going to be the goal."

Pillen said the benefit of a special session will be the ability to focus on one issue. He told an audience at the Beatrice Public Library Norva Price Room that the effort to reduce property taxes will take spending restraint, removing sales tax exemptions and instituting a hard cap on local governments to help hold future spending down

Pillen told the Beatrice audience Friday that another component of tax reform is eliminating mandates passed on to local governments that put pressure on their budgets.

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TRUMP WINS IN NEBRASKA, BUT RESULTS SIGNAL ONGOING STRUGGLES TO WIN OVER MODERATE VOTERS

LINCOLN- While former Pres. Donald Trump easily won Nebraska's May Primary Election, collecting 80% of the statewide vote, one in five Republicans who cast a ballot opted for another candidate, while thousands more abstained entirely from voting. Nebraska's Primary results reflect outcomes seen in other states, where the former president has struggled to win over moderate Republicans.

Despite dropping out, former candidate Nikki Haley received 36,872 votes in the Nebraska Republican Primary, giving her nearly 18% of the total. Haley also saw her share of the vote exceed 20% in five Nebraska counties, including Lancaster County. Douglas County saw 23.2% of its presidential vote go to Haley as well.

Other signs that Nebraska Republicans are hesitant to support Trump's campaign include the fact that 8,400 voters who cast a vote in each of the state's Senate races did not fill out the presidential section of the ballot. Following the release of Primary results, the Nebraska GOP released a statement saying it was concerned by "the relatively low participation by voters" compared to previous election cycles.

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STATE BOARD OF ED RACES BECOME CLEARER AFTER PRIMARY VOTES

LINCOLN- Primary voters on Tuesday narrowed the field in two races for the Nebraska State Board of Education. With four of the board's eight districts up for election this year, only two had two candidates each. The two other districts had three candidates, with one being eliminated in each after the Primary Election.

Incumbents Patsy Koch Johns, Patti Gubbels, Jacquelyn Morrison and Lisa Fricke aren't seeking reelection. Given that the board has wrestled in recent years with several hot-button political issues, the election of four new members to the board could change its political and ideological makeup.

In District 1, Kristin Christensen defeated Liz Davids, pulling in more than 60% of the vote. Both candidates will face each other again in the General Election. In District 2, Linda Vermooten, a Republican, garnered 45% of the vote, and will face Maggie Douglas in November. Karen Morgan will not advance. District 3 will see Lisa Schonoff face Bill McAllister in November. Finally, District 4 will see Democrat Liz Renner face LeDonna White Griffin in the General Election, with Stacy Matula not advancing.

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FLOOD, SMITH ADVANCE TO GENERAL TO FACE BLOOD AND EBERS

BELLEVUE- Incumbent House Republicans had a big day in Nebraska’s primary election after hearing months of complaints from GOP partisans saying they wanted change. Republican U.S. Reps. Mike Flood and Adrian Smith both cruised to victory over lesser-funded, lesser-known GOP opponents. Flood secured 81.58% of the vote. Smith secured 74.18% of the vote.

Flood faces Democratic State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue in the 1st District general election. Blood lost a bid for governor in 2022 against Jim Pillen, then a University of Nebraska regent. Flood, of Norfolk, embraced voter concerns about immigration enforcement that Democrats and others say are a long way from his less partisan past, when he served as Speaker of the Legislature.

Smith defeated Hastings discount store owner John Walz, 74%-19%. Walz’s bid embraced former President Donald Trump’s “MAGA approach” and was endorsed by the Nebraska Republican Party. Smith, running for a tenth term, did what he has done in each of his more recent races for re-election, by pointing to his record of working to lower taxes and cut regulations.

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U.S. SENATE INCUMBENTS FISCHER, RICKETTS EASILY ADVANCE

OMAHA- Republican primary voters in Nebraska brushed aside months of populist pushback against elected officials and advanced both incumbent U.S. senators to the general election. As expected, two-term U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, outpaced perennial candidate Arron Kowalski, a central Nebraska farmer, in the GOP primary. Fischer finished by securing 79.8% of the vote.

She said she looked forward to her race this fall. Her likely opponent, Dan Osborn, a nonpartisan former Omaha union leader, has said he collected enough signatures to get his nonpartisan bid on the ballot. His campaign plans to turn in signatures this summer. Sen. Pete Ricketts won the GOP nod to finish the last two years of former Sen. Ben Sasse’s term. Gov. Jim Pillen appointed Ricketts to the Senate in early 2023, after Sasse vacated the seat to become president of the University of Florida.

Ricketts secured 79.1% of the vote. “I think what this shows is our incumbents in the federal delegation are doing a great job representing Nebraskans,” Ricketts said. “And that Nebraskans are rewarding by sending them to D.C.” Ricketts next faces Democrat Preston Love Jr., a civil rights and neighborhood advocate who served as manager of Jesse Jackson’s barrier-breaking presidential campaign in 1984.

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VOTERS NARROW CANDIDATES IN 15 CROWDED PRIMARY RACES FOR NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- Three incumbent state lawmakers were trailing opponents in unofficial votes for the Nebraska Legislature after Tuesday’s primary election for the officially nonpartisan body. In total, 25 races are up for election, and more than half had three or more candidates running. As of unofficial results early Wednesday, the top two candidates had significant leads over their competitors in 14 of those 15 races.

But in north-central Omaha’s District 13 to succeed term-limited State Sen. Justin Wayne, only five votes separated the second- and third-place finishers, Ashlei Spivey and Tracy Hightower-Henne, both Democrats, with votes still to be counted. That race appears headed for a recount under state law. In North Omaha, State Sen. Terrell McKinney is fending off a challenge from 46-year lawmaker Ernie Chambers, who was leading McKinney by 21 votes at night’s end.

Elsewhere, a rematch preview occurred in Grand Island’s District 35 between State Sen. Ray Aguilar, a Republican, and former State Sen. Dan Quick, a Democrat. At night’s end, Quick led by 84 votes, or 2.6%. State Sen. Robert Dover of Norfolk, appointed to the Legislature in 2022 by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts, is running for a full term in District 19. He trailed Jeanne Reigle of Madison by nearly 200 votes, or 2.4%.

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NE OFFICIALS SAY VOTING WENT MOSTLY SMOOTHLY IN STATE'S FIRST ELECTION REQUIRING VOTER ID

LINCOLN- The biggest change that Nebraskans saw in voting procedures — the new legal requirement that they show a form of identification to cast a ballot at the polls — caused no widespread problems or concerns as of early evening, according to a check with various Nebraska officials. “This has been a pretty smooth day,” said Steve Smith, spokesman for Civic Nebraska.

He said earlier outreach efforts by the Nebraska Secretary of State — whom he called the “MVP” of the day — and advocacy groups appeared to have helped educate voters about requirements under the recently passed law. Overall, Civic Nebraska as of about 6:30 p.m. Central Time reported an “efficient” Election Day. Smith said about four dozen observers visited a total of about 100 precincts.

Besides a few unexpected mishaps, the day went extremely smoothly. Officials said that voters had their ID ready to go when they reached their polling place. It is being reported that driver's licenses and state IDs were the bulk of the identification cards presented. The Secretary of State hopes the smooth voting process will continue into the general election in November.

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DAN OSBORN SPURNS DEMOCRATS, OTHER PARTIES WHOSE HELP HE SOUGHT IN SENATE RACE

OMAHA- Dan Osborn, a non-partisan candidate for the U.S. Senate, seems to have burned all bridges with the Nebraska Democratic Party, which he had been courting support from for months. During a Wednesday announcement at a press event in his Chalco Hills garage, Osborn stated that he would no longer be seeking endorsements from any political party. Along with expressing his lack of desire to forcibly adhere to the rigid requests of a political party, Osborn stated he wouldn't accept a party's endorsement even if he were chosen.

Democrats feel betrayed by Osborn's decision, being that it was confirmed by election officials to be too late to add a Democratic candidate to the ballot for the fall election. Some are speculating that Osborn's distancing from the Democratic Party and centrist statements are a tactic to persuade Republican-leaning voters. Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb voiced her disappointment with Osborn's decisions and stated that there will be a write-in candidate endorsed by the Democratic Party.

Disdain for Osborn's independent status has been voiced clearly by liberal affiliates who have assisted in his campaign, characterizing him as dishonest and untrustworthy. It's believed that his chances are slim to none without Democratic support, but Osborn is adamant that his anti-establishment sentiments and blue-collar demeanor will win progressives over.

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OMAHA SAW NARROWEST PRIMARY ELECTIONS FOR NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE, WITH A RECOUNT POSSIBLE

OMAHA- Nebraska's largest city had some of the closest primary races for the state legislature this year, with one headed towards a possible recount. The state voted on 25 seats up for election still being decided by about 13,000 uncounted ballots as of Wednesday.

One main highlight of this primary election was in north-central Omaha's highly-contested second-place spot for Legislative District 13. Nick Batter, the frontrunner, leads by a comfortable margin while Ashlei Spivey and Tracy Hightower-Henne fight for second place. As of now, Spivey emerged victorious by a minuscule five-vote margin. Hightower-Henne has stated she is currently awaiting the final vote count.

Other close races in Omaha include Legislative District 7, whose top candidates were separated by 26 votes, Legislative District 11, whose top candidates were separated by 21 votes, and Legislative District 5, whose top candidates were separated by 18 votes. Aside from Omaha's elections, three other races in eastern Nebraska could decide the ideological split of the officially nonpartisan legislature. In Legislative District 49, State Senator Jen Day looks to be gearing up for a second term, while in Legislative District 3, Republican Felix Ungerman looks to replace the term-limited State Senator Carol Blood, a Democrat. Republicans are expected to gain a Democrat's seat in District 15 replacing State Senator Lynne Walz.

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BIDEN REELECTION CAMPAIGN HIRES NEBRASKA ORGANIZERS TO KEEP OMAHA ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE

OMAHA- Pres. Biden's reelection campaign has hired two seasoned Nebraska political organizers--Precious McKesson and Meg Mandy--as senior advisors to lead a campaign in the state to provide an Electoral College vote for the incumbent president. McKesson and Mandy have been charged with continuing Omaha's reputation as the "blue dot" on the Electoral College map.

"Precious and Meg are leaders with deep Nebraska ties who will be critical to delivering Omaha for President Biden again this November," said Dan Kanninen, Biden-Harris battleground states director. Despite repeated Republican efforts to return the state to a winner-take-all allocation, Nebraska remains one of two states that allows its Electoral College votes to be split.

The most recent attempt to change the vote allocation came during this year's legislative session, following pressure from former Pres. Donald Trump. McKesson, who previously worked on the Biden-Harris campaign in 2020, currently serves as the executive director of the Nebraska Democratic Party. Mandy is a partner at One House Strategies and the campaign manager for congressional candidate Tony Vargas.

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BRUISING BACON-FREI PRIMARY BLEEDS INTO BACON-VARGAS REMATCH THIS FALL

OMAHA- The expected rematch between Democratic State Sen. Tny Vargas and Incumbent Republican Rep. Don Bacon is set for November. However, unlike in 2022, when these candidates first battled for Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District seat, the incumbent who largely built his reputation by catering to centrist voters is coming off of a primary that forced him to bank to the right.

Dan Frei, Bacon's populist opponent in this month's GOP primary, utilized guerilla tactics to organize and energize GOP partisans unhappy with the status quo, and was quick to criticize Bacon for waiting so long to endorse former Pres. Donald Trump. Several political observers argued that Bacon's margin of victory showed that conservative populists aren't reflective of the broader GOP electorate.

However, others have said that Frei's ability to motivate this vocal group could signal potential trouble for Bacon in November, since his campaign may not be able to generate such enthusiasm. Thus far, Vargas has raised $2.4 million, while national Democratic groups have spent roughly $2 million on digital, TV, and radio ads to criticize Bacon.

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STATE GOP PUSHES UNITY AFTER PRIMARY FIGHT WITH INCUMBENT, DELEGATES DISAGREE

LINCOLN- Days after losing the three high-profile races it had endorsed this spring, leaders of the Nebraska Republican Party encouraged unity this weekend but faced pushback from delegates. State GOP Chairman Eric Underwood said he would keep pushing for Republican unity, but that he would also need reciprocity from the elected officials angered by the party.

Relations are in need of mending after the state GOP decided not to endorse any of the state's five-member, all-GOP congressional delegation. All five easily won their respective primaries, despite the fact that Ricketts, Smith, and Bacon were challenged by populist GOP candidates supported by the state party.

During the State GOP Conference, held Saturday in Lincoln, party delegates balked at a resolution to endorse the five candidates in November, delaying a decision until the next central committee meeting. Former U.S. Rep. Hal Daub led the resolution, saying his intention was "to have unity projected to the public."

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TOP-TWO CANDIDATE ELECTION MARGINS EXPAND IN OMAHA LEGISLATIVE RACES

OMAHA- With most of the early ballots from Tuesday's Primary Election counted in Douglas County, the top two finishers in a tight legislative district race expanded their leads. After counting more than 8,000 additional votes Friday, the Douglas County Election Commissioner released new numbers, widening the leads for first and second finishers in the north-central and southeastern legislative districts.

The top two finishers in the competitive North Omaha and South Omaha races also swapped places after the updated tally was released. According to Jackie Ourada, spokesperson for the Nebraska Secretary of State's Office, 1,500 ballots are left to be reviewed and counted by Thursday, May 23rd. By midday Friday, candidate Ashlei Spivey in District 13 expanded her lead to 36 votes over Tracy Hightower-Henne.

In District 11, incumbent Sen. Terrell McKinney moved into first place by a three-vote margin, just barely beating legendary former Sen. Ernie Chambers, who served for 46 years in the body. The gap in South Omaha's District 7 race also widened for second-place finisher Tim Pendrell, who is expected to face primary winner Dunixi Guereca in November.

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PROPOSED 'PERSONHOOD' AMENDMENT WOULD OUTLAW ALMOST ALL ABORTIONS IN NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- With just six weeks until signatures for ballot initiatives are due to the Secretary of State's Office, a group of anti-abortion activists has begun circulating petitions for a constitutional amendment that would outlaw elective abortions. The Now Choose Life petition would grant "personhood" under the law to embryos and fetuses.

If passed by voters, the new law would treat embryos and fetuses like a child that has already been born. Rose Kohl, one of the organizers, described the current ballot initiative to enshrine abortion rights in the Nebraska Consitution as radical, since it would prohibit the recently passed abortion restrictions.

Kohl also criticized the petition being circulated by Protect Women and Children, which has been funded largely by U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, as an effort aimed at protecting abortion only in the first trimester. "I think the middle one is terrible," Kohl said of that petition. "Ours says life starts at conception," she said of her group's petition, "It would make elective abortions 100 percent banned."

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EPIC TAX BACKERS SAY PETITION EFFORT CLEARED 38-COUNTY HURDLE

LINCOLN- On Tuesday, Sen. Steve Erdman, a fierce advocate for the adoption of an EPIC consumption tax, announced that a petition effort to do just that has gathered signatures from 5% of registered voters in 38 of Nebraska's counties. Should the petition land on the 2024 ballot, voters will have the chance to decide whether to eliminate the state's income, property, and corporate taxes and replace it with a broader consumption tax.

However, despite clearing this hurdle, Erdman and the EPIC tax backers still need to gather a total of 123,000 signatures from registered voters by July 3, a number equal to 10% of all voters in the state. "Every signature counts," said Erdman on Tuesday, "We've got to figure out a way to fix this broken tax system, and I haven't come up with another idea that makes any sense."

Gov. Pillen, who has pledged to call a special session to reduce the state's property tax burden by 40%, has previously opposed the EPIC tax initiative, arguing that it would harm retail sales, necessitate a higher tax rate, and take away local control from the state's communities. "The EPIC tax is not a workable solution," Pillen said in a statement Tuesday.

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BILL INTRODUCED TO ALLOW LAKESIDE CABINS TO REMAIN AT TWO SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA RESEVOIRS

WASHINGTON, D.C.- On Wednesday, U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts, along with U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, announced the introduction of legislation that would allow for the transfer of cabin areas at Swanson and Red Willow Resevoirs to Hitchcock County and Frontier County, respectively.

Previously, controversy had erupted after the current owner of the cabin areas, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, had sought to remove the privately owned cabins and trailer situated by the reservoirs to make way for a proposed slate of campground improvements. That order did not sit well with cabin owners.

Under the new bill, Hitchcock and Frontier Counties would have three years to purchase the two cabin sites. If they choose to do so, they would be expected to manage the two areas and benefit from the lease payments and concession fees paid. Fischer said the legislation "charts a better path forward for the local community and the federal government."

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APRIL 2024 GENERAL FUND RECEIPTS

LINCOLN- On Wednesday of this week, the Nebraska Department of Revenue released the April 2024 General Fund receipts. Tax Commissioner James R. Kamm reports that gross General Fund receipts for April were $970 million, which is 3.7% below the forecast of $1.007 billion.

April tax refunds were $605 million, which is 28.4% above the forecast of $471 million. Net receipts for April were $365 million, which is 32.0% below the forecast of $536 million. Net General Fund receipts for fiscal year 2023-24 through April were $6.055 billion, which is 2.4% above the forecast of $5.916 billion.

The comparisons in this report are based on the forecast made by the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board (Board) on February 29, 2024. The Board forecast was divided into monthly estimates by the Tax Commissioner and Legislative Fiscal Analyst on March 11, 2024.

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JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: NEBRASKA UNNECESSARILY INSTITUTIONALIZES PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS

LINCOLN- The U.S. Department of Justice concluded that Nebraska unnecessarily institutionalizes adults with serious mental illness in violation of their civil rights. The Justice Department said Nebraskans are being segregated in assisted living and day program facilities, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1999 decision in Olmstead v. L.C.

The department interviewed affected Nebraskans, agency heads and others after beginning an investigation June 25, 2021, following multiple complaints. Meanwhile, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services expressed disappointment in federal assessment, pointing to work it said has been done to improve services.

In a letter to Gov. Jim Pillen, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the department’s Civil Rights Division said the department wants to “work cooperatively” to resolve the findings. This includes entering settlement negotiations and an agreement to remedy the identified violations. If Nebraska does not negotiate, or if the talks fail, the federal government said it could take appropriate action, which could include legal action, to remedy the violations.

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COLUMBUS CASINO'S OPENING PUSHED BACK AFTER SUSTAINING STORM DAMAGE

COLUMBUS- In a perfect world, Nebraska's first fully operational casino would have opened this week. The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission unanimously voted last month to allow Harrah's Nebraska to open its doors in Columbus, pending a final walk-through. And then a mid-April storm hit the construction site, causing damage to the roof and some of the equipment inside the building.

That has pushed back the casino's opening to a yet-to-be-determined date, its general manager said. "We're close," said Don Ostert, the casino's general manager. "Currently, we're putting the final touches and approvals on the facility. Our goal is always to deliver a great experience — from day one. "So, we haven't set a date yet, but we'll be setting one soon. It's a beautiful facility."

Ostert said he is optimistic the Columbus casino will open sometime before the end of the month. Even without the storm, there were no guarantees Harrah's Nebraska would have opened this week. Before the official opening, the Racing and Gaming Commission will have a final walk-through, probably the night before the official opening, to make sure everything — from checking alarms, doors and camera angles to making sure all the signage is in place — is up to specifications.

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