STATE AUDITOR ALLEGES MISHANDLING OF PUBLIC FUNDS BY NONPROFIT HELPING TO MANAGE NIOBRARA SCENIC RIVER

LINCOLN- State Auditor Mike Foley has questioned the handling of public dollars by a small nonprofit helping to manage the Niobrara Scenic River corridor. Among the eyebrow-rasing items described Wednesday by Foley is nearly $40,000 in unused leave pay that went to a top executive who had a purported two-decade-long perfect attendance streak.

According to the audit of the Valentine-based Niobrara Council, executive director Kalli Kieborz had not recorded the use of a single day of sock or vacation leave during a 21-year period. As compensation for that unused leave, she reportedly received nearly $40,000. Foley, however, noted Facebook posts from earlier this year depicting Kieborz ice-fishing at Valentine Refuge Lake during what appeared to be normal business hours.

"Even a baseball hall of fame great like Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripkin, Jr., known as the 'Iron Man,' could compile a record of only 17 years without missing a game," wrote Foley, "and he rested during the off-season!" The audit team said it received citizen complaints that the Niobrara Council office had been closed without explanation during working hours.

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WINNEBAGO TRIBE CELEBRATES RETURN OF LAND TAKEN ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER

OMAHA- After the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill last week that will return 1,600 acres of appropriated land to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, advocates and tribe members are celebrating the righting of this five-decade-old wrong. The land, which was taken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1970s, rests along the Missouri River.

"That was pretty exciting news," said Winnebago tribal spokesman Garen Coons, "We held a victory celebration the day it passed--brought drums out, sang some victory songs." Another celebration is planned after President Joe Biden signs the bill into law. Coons said that bills to restore the land to the Tribe have been introduced in Congress since 2017.

This year's bill, introduced by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer and co-sponsored by Sen. Pete Ricketts and Iowa Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, finally crossed the finish line. The land, which had been managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, will remain as conservation land, according to Coons. The only difference is that those seeking to hunt on the property must now obtain a tribal hunting permit.

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QUESTIONS REMAIN AS PILLEN DOUBLES DOWN ON TAKING OVER K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, Gov. Pillen confirmed that he will be asking the State of Nebraska to take on most or all public K-12 school spending, rather than funding schools through local property taxes. Such a shift would make Nebraska a national standout. Speaking in his hometown, Columbus, Pillen said having the state take on an additional $1.65 billion to fund these schools would be a win-win.

The governor is also seeking to cap local political subdivisions' year-to-year spending increases, either at 0% or in line with the consumer price index. "Having the state fund our children will do nothing but strengthen our education," Pillen said at the town hall event. School advocates and several state senators told reporters that they understood Pillen's plan to entail the state taking over general expenditures for the schools minus special building projects or bond levies that would be left up to the school boards.

Pillen argued that his new proposed model would be similar to how the state has assumed funding of Nebraska's community colleges. Sen. Jana Hughes, a former school board member, said she backs the state taking a large role in K-12 financials. "I think finding sustainable funds to support 100% of school funding seems like a big task, so I hope we can make progress toward that goal one step at a time," she said.

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RULING ALLOWS NEBRASKA TO CONTINUE COLLECTING TAXES ON BANKSHOT GAMES

LINCOLN- A Lancaster County Judge dismissed a lawsuit filed against the Nebraska Department of Revenue challenging the validity of the agency's interpretation and application of regulations regarding sales tax on mechanical amusement devices, in particular BankShot games. The case, filed by Bellevue-based American Amusements Co., was the second of its kind.

The first of these cases was filed by Music Service LLC of Omaha, and resulted in the same fate: a dismissal. However, despite both cases failing, it is not likely to be the end of this issue, since neither of the judges ruled on the merits of the cases themselves. At issue in both cases was a section of the Mechanical Amusement Device Tax Act.

"In its continuing efforts to interfere with the business of American Amusements and its operators/distributors, the department is now attempting to illegally require them ti pay sales tax on all monies deposited in BankShot devices by players dispute the Nebraska Legislature's clear and unequivocal exemption of those funds from sales tax," argued Thomas Culhane, the attorney for American Amusements.

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LINCOLN AIRPORT'S PROPOSED BUDGET CALLS FOR A SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY TAX INCREASE

LINCOLN- The Lincoln Airport Authority's newly proposed 2024-25 budget, issued Monday, calls for a mill levy request of 3.1 cents, a significant increase from last year's 1.43 cent ask. A public hearing to discuss the budget was held on Thursday. It is expected to spark passionate debate, said Board Chairman John Olsson.

"This could find angst with some people quite possibly," said Olsson, "As a board, we're trying to be responsible, to be good steward, manage our infrastructure--make sure it's taken care of, and hopefully allow for some growth." The last time the Authority raised its property tax levy was in 2021, at a rate of 1.75 cents, with the instance before that occurring in 1986.

The proposed property tax increase would cost Lancaster County property owners $31 per $100,000 of valuation each year. The Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and Lincoln Independent Business Association are expected to appear during the public hearing, with Board Member Nicki Behmer Popp, a real estate agent, noting that valuations are expected to increase by 5-7% this year.

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RETIRED UNK CHANCELLOR REFLECTS ON 42 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE

KEARNEY- University of Nebraska at Kearney Chancellor Doug Kristensen retired on May 31st after four decades of public service that he said represents "living proof" of NU's mission. Kristensen left the NU system after 22 years at the chancellor post, a job that followed nearly 14 years in the Nebraska Legislature and six years as Kearney County Attorney.

"I'm a Nebraska kid who got to be involved in the two most important things in the state," Kristensen said, pointing to the Legislature and Nebraska University, "Are you kidding me? I got to do that." Kristensen said that NU might be one of the most important institutions in the state for how it impacts residents, and argued that critics of higher education "will come to their senses."

"The pendulum will swing and there will be a need again to go, 'Oh my God, we've got to highly train people to keep them here because the jobs are going to demand it,'" he said. Under his tenure, Kristensen noted that UNK matured to value what it had, rather than what it didn't. This includes $460 million in investments to improve every building on campus and an additional $100 million for the building of University Village.

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HISPANICS ACCOUNT FOR OVER 80% OF STATE POPULATION GROWTH

LINCOLN- According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Nebraska added around 10,300 residents between 2022 and 2023, with 8,500 of those new state citizens being Hispanic. On the national level, Hispanic residents likewise propelled growth last year, accounting for just under three-quarters of the nation's population increase.

"The Hispanic population is expanding at a substantially faster rate than the non-Hispanic population," said Kristie Wilder, a demographer with the Bureau. Wilder went on to say that around two-thirds of the Hispanic population growth nationally was due to births exceeding deaths, while one-third was due to immigration.

In Nebraska, the data showed that the state's Hispanic population grew by 3.4% in 2023 while the rest of the population grew only 0.1%. David Drozd, a Nebraska-based demographer, noted that the Hispanic population in the state has been the biggest drive of Nebraska's population growth for some time.

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BEATRICE RECEIVES $21 MILLION GRANT FOR 'TRANSFORMATIVE' DOWNTOWN PROJECT

BEATRICE- On Wednesday, it was announced that the City of Beatrice would be receiving $21 million from the federal government for a "transformative project" to redevelop a portion of downtown into a pedestrian-focused corridor. The project, titled the Court Street Access and Safety Transportation Initiative, will be funded by the Rebuilding American Infrastructure and Sustainability and Equity grant.

It will allow the city to add improved seating, bike racks, trash receptacles, lighted sidewalks, and revamped intersections, as well as some new public outdoor space. "The CAST Initiative is a transformative project that will positively impact our community for years to come," Beatrice Mayor Bob Morgan wrote in a statement.

According to the news release, the highway entering Beatrice will be rerouted a block south to Market Street. Another grant from the same funding source was awarded to Lincoln County for a $750,000 project to explore alternate routes for freight trains in residential and downtown employment centers.

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MOST OMAHA VOTERS WANT CANDIDATES TO OUTLINE POLICIES FOR MAKING CHILD CARE MORE AFFORDABLE

OMAHA- A recent poll administered for a national advocacy group indicates that Omaha-area voters care about assisting parents with affording high-quality child care. The poll was released on Tuesday by the advocacy group First Five Action. The results showed that voters across the political spectrum support policy changes that will help working parents with child care needs.

The poll was conducted by phone through a bipartisan research company in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, reaching 602 likely voters. About 86% of those surveyed answered that they wanted their candidate to outline policies to make child care more affordable, including 72% of those who stated they plan on voting for Donald Trump, and 96% of those who said they plan to vote for Joe Biden. Lack of access to adequate child care has been a persistent issue for Nebraska, with pandemic shortages increasing rather than leveling out.

The polls showed that most Nebraskans know someone whose career has been impacted by the lack of affordable child care services. “What you’re going to see across the state, even across the country, is that folks are going to be looking for some sort of financial sustainability for the child care industry,” said Elizabeth Everett, deputy director and public policy manager for First Five Nebraska. Voters and lawmakers have made some progress in the recent past, but these results stipulate that regardless of political party, voters would support a federal program that helps states expand child care access.

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GOV. PILLEN EYES NEBRASKA TAKING OVER K-12 SCHOOL FUNDING INSTEAD OF LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES

LINCOLN- Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen's method of reforming property taxes could stem from the state absorbing all funding for K-12 schools rather than using local property taxes to pay for a portion. He said on Monday that his property tax reform plan will in fact include a request for lawmakers to take on all of K-12 funding. Right now, about 60% of locally collected property taxes go to the schools.

“Our goal of our plan is to not have property tax fund one iota of K-12 education. Zero,” Pillen said. This change would mimic legislation from 2023 when the state took on community college funding. Nebraskans paid the most in property taxes last year with income and sales tax following, which Pillen believes is the opposite of how it should be.

Pillen stated that most school board members do not have financial backgrounds and Nebraska has a confusing formula for funding schools, resulting in the lack of funding prior to 2023. Along with the shift in public school funding to the state, Pillen aims to eliminate some sales tax exemptions. He recognizes the work that needs to be done, repeatedly touting the dates starting in late July when he intends to hold a special session.

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NINE MORE GOV. PILLEN-LED PROPERTY TAX TOWN HALLS IN CENTRAL, WESTERN NEBRASKA THIS WEEK

LINCOLN- Governor of Nebraska Jim Pillen will end the month of June by continuing his tour of town halls focused on property tax reform in the western and central parts of the state. Pillen is ending June with nine more events planned, including one in his hometown, Columbus. At the end of the week, the total number of town halls held by Pillen will amount to 26.

The main focal point of Pillen's gubernatorial tenure has been eliminating about 40%, or $2 billion, in locally collected property taxes by the end of his first two years in office, even previewing an offer to take on all or more of the costs for the state's 244 school districts. The Nebraska Department of Revenue reports indicate that for the last school year, property taxes amounted to $2.8 billion, excluding bond taxes. Some of Pillen's reform ideas include getting rid of certain sales tax exemptions and the creation of a two-tiered sales and use tax rate per dollar for particular goods.

Increasing "sin taxes" is also a target of Pillen's, meaning an uptick in sales tax for alcohol, tobacco, and vape products. A definitive plan has not yet been put in place by the governor, or the state senators he's been working with. Pillen recently announced potential dates for the special session that he's been planning on calling. The rest of this week's town hall schedule can be found below.

Wednesday, June 26

• 1:30 p.m. at Columbus Chamber of Commerce, 753 33rd Ave., Columbus.

Thursday, June 27

• 10 a.m. at Mid-Plains Community College, 715 East Highway 20, Valentine.

• 1 p.m. at Chadron State College, Student Center – Lakota Room, 1000 Main St., Chadron.

• 4:30 p.m. at Westside Events Center, 2472 County Road 62, Alliance.

Friday, June 28

• 8:30 a.m. at Petrified Wood Gallery, 418 East 1st St., Ogallala.

• 1 p.m. at Coppermill Steakhouse, 202 Coppermill St., McCook.

• 4 p.m. at Central Community College – The Opportunity Center, 1501 Plum Creek Parkway, Lexington.

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DCCC RESERVES $1 MILLION IN EARLY ADVERTISING SPOTS TO BOOST VARGAS

OMAHA- This week, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced reserving $1 million in television advertising time in Nebraska's 2nd District U.S. House race in support of State Senator Tony Vargas. The group noted that it had yet to reserve any time by this point in the 2022 election cycle when Vargas and Republican U.S. Representative Don Bacon first faced off. Both candidates are looking to emulate their 2022 campaigns through large donations.

This sizable portion of the DCCC's initial $28 million in advertisement reservations indicates that the district will be a target for the group despite its tendency to lean right. They reserved television advertisements for swing-district House candidates in 15 broadcast markets, including Omaha, and digital advertisements in 21 states, including Nebraska. Nationally, the group set aside $16 million for television advertisements and $12 million for digital advertisements.

Major investment is expected in the 2nd District partially because party investments will also help presidential candidates with their campaigns. While both President Biden and Donald Trump have begun staffing campaigns in the district, the National Republican Congressional Committee is still in the process of announcing its first major advertisement reservations. Separate pledges from other committees and funds are continually being added to each of the 2nd District's congressional candidates' campaigns.

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RFK JR. TURNS IN MORE THAN 5K SIGNATURES IN NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- Third-party presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that he had turned in enough signatures this week in Nebraska to allow his name to appear on November's ballot. The Kennedy campaign said that it had turned in more than 5,000 signatures to the Secretary of State's Office.

The state's chief election office must now check the signature and verify at least 2,500 of those, the minimum number needed to appear on the ballot. Lane Koch, Kennedy's regional director in the Midwest, thanked volunteers for "a historic day." Most political observers give Kennedy little chance to beat either President Joe Biden or presumptive Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump.

However, some consider Kennedy a potential spoiler in swing districts, where a percentage point of three could alter a state's Electoral College votes, like in Omaha's 2nd Congressional District. Dona-Gene Barton, a political scientist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said third-party candidates in close races can "disrupt the election results."

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LANCASTER COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSIONER TO ADD VIDEO SURVEILLANCE AT LINCOLN LIBRARY BALLOT BOXES

LINCOLN- By the time the general election rolls around in November, new permanent ballot boxes at four library branches in Lincoln will have video surveillance cameras. County Election Commissioner Todd Wiltgen added $2,500 for the cameras into his proposed 2024-25 budget. The absence of such cameras was a point of contention when Wiltgen added the ballot boxes to these locations last year.

At the time, Wiltgen argued that cameras weren't necessary because stuffing ballot boxes would be very difficult given the processes in place both and after mailing early-voter ballots. Wiltgen said he hasn't changed his opinion on the effectiveness of those protocols, but noted that the addition of cameras helps to counteract unfounded allegations of election fraud.

"One of the ways to counter-measure is to have evidence when people do make unfounded allegations," he said, "We have actual evidence that can disprove their allegations." Certain individuals who regularly attend Lancaster County Board meetings with voter fraud concerns have argued that the cameras are necessary.

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NEBRASKA GOV. JIM PILLEN LOOKS TO LATE JULY FOR POSSIBLE SPECIAL SESSION ON PROPERTY TAXES

LINCOLN- Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen recently announced that he is targeting late July and early August to hold a special legislative session. Pillen plans on bringing state senators back to the Capitol to address his concerns regarding property taxes. While he expressed his intent, he stopped short of officially calling a special session or announcing an agreement on a tax reform plan.

The governor has made reducing property taxes the main focal point of his gubernatorial term. He worked to relieve some of the property tax burden last year, but after falling short in his efforts during this year's regular legislative session, he vowed to call special sessions until the problem is solved. Pillen has been touring the state holding town hall meetings to publicly lay out his ideas for reducing property taxes and encourage attendees to get their senators to support him.

This announcement was no surprise to Nebraska's lawmakers, given Pillen's previous comments. Pillen referenced preliminary estimates that show 57 of the state's 93 counties have had double-digit increases in valuation when emphasizing the importance of addressing this issue. His proposed method of reducing property tax is through increasing sales tax by applying it to more goods and services.

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NEBRASKA GOV. PILLEN TAKING 'POTSHOTS' AT STATE SENATORS WHILE SEEKING TAX RELIEF SUPPORT

NEBRASKA CITY- Tensions are rising as Governor Jim Pillen seeks support for his proposed property tax reform approach. During his tour of town halls across the state, Pillen tried to get attendees to encourage their state senator to support his ideas. State Senator Julie Slama of District 1 was notably absent from Pillen's recent town halls in Auburn and Nebraska City. Pillen outwardly criticized Slama at these meetings because of her persistent opposition to his tax reform proposals.

Slama responded by noting circumstances that excused her absence from the town halls and doubling down on her stance against Pillen's tax approach. She explained that she has an intricate understanding of taxes and banking, despite what Pillen told his town hall attendees. Pillen's plan has yet to materialize in a bill but he has proposed ideas that he claims are concrete, such as eliminating certain sales tax exemptions and accepting more federal dollars.

While Pillen encourages Nebraskans to phone their state senators to tell them to support him, multiple legislators haven't heard from him regarding collaborating on fixing the state's tax issues. He claims to plan on calling special legislative sessions until his reform passes, an approach that has been heavily criticized by his peers. Pillen is also committed to working against the other tax proposal gaining traction, the "EPIC Option".

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GOV. PILLEN PROVIDES UPDATE REGARDING SPECIAL SESSION TO FIX PROPERTY TAX CRISIS

LINCOLN- In a public letter to the state's Speaker of the Legislature John Arch, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen announced his intention to call a special legislative session. "I intend to call the Legislature back into session beginning July 25, 2024, and intend for it to remain in session until it finishes its unfinished business," Pillen stated in the letter. The purpose behind his announcement and main sentiment for the first years of his tenure is reforming property taxes.

Pillen used a graph showing Nebraska's quickly increasing collection of property taxes in the past few decades. The graphs demonstrate a drastic leap since 1985, and Pillen states that the problem is not stopping its acceleration. He recognizes that property valuations across the state are rising at an alarming rate and seeks to solve the issue.

The letter notes that Nebraska is approaching the point where property taxes will grow by more than $1 million daily. Since no reform has passed during the regular legislative session this year, Pillen is following through on his promise to call special sessions until a solution is found. He also added that he is willing to address other time-sensitive issues that require attention.

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7 NEBRASKA GOLF COURSES NAMED IN GOLFWEEK'S BEST 200 MODERN COURSES LIST

VALENTINE- Seven of Nebraska's golf courses made Golfweek's 2024 list of best modern courses. Most notably, CapRock Ranch, the private club of Valentine, was listed at No. 15, receiving the highest-ranked debut for a new course this year.

The compilation is still championed by Sand Hills Golf Club in Mullen, which debuted at No. 1 after its 1995 opening and hasn't been dethroned since. Below is a listing of all Nebraska courses included and where they ranked.

• No. 1, Sand Hills Golf Club, Mullen, NE

• No. 15, CapRock Ranch, Valentine, NE

• No. T40, Landmand Golf Club, Homer, NE

• No. 51, Dismal River Golf Club, Mullen, NE

• No. 94, The Prairie Club (Dunes), Valentine, NE

• No. 113, Wild Horse Golf Club, Gothenburg, NE

• No. T147, Lost Rail Golf Club, Gretna, NE

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NEBRASKA GOV. JIM PILLEN CUTTING HALF AS MANY VACANT STATE JOBS AS ANNOUNCED

LINCOLN- Governor Jim Pillen's executive order from April 30th required the elimination of state government positions that had been vacant for at least 90 days, with several exceptions. At the time, he announced that nearly 1,000 positions were in jeopardy of being terminated, but his plan only ended up wiping out half of them. An updated list showed 489 positions being eliminated as well as a significant decrease in estimated savings.

Pillen expressed pleasure with this outcome but recognized that it was only the first step. “We have proven we can work without them, so we will eliminate them and return the money to the taxpayers,” said Pillen last month. The state will continue monitoring vacant positions to determine whether they qualify for review or elimination. It was noted that savings generated will be included in ongoing efforts to reduce the state budget and reform property tax.

The updated list of government positions to be terminated is smaller than the initial number because the order allowed agencies to request exemptions if they could justify the need for them. Multiple agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services and the Racing and Gaming Commission, were greatly affected by the policy. The order includes multiple built-in exemptions for public safety services and other essential workers, even those not covered under state personnel.

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MUSEUM OF NEBRASKA ART IN KEARNEY GETS ADDITIONAL STATE FINANCIAL BOOST FOR EXPANSION, RESTORATION

LINCOLN- A lucrative expansion of the Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney got a sizable financial boost this week, partially due to other projects in District 3 either missing their project launch deadlines or needing less than what was granted. Governor Jim Pillen announced that the expansion project will receive an additional $730,000 in state and federal grant funds to assist in their efforts to double the facility's size.

Amidst other funds granted, the state's investment in this expansion project amounts to over $1 million. The additions to the museum will include a community studio, modernized galleries, an expanded sculpture garden, and space to host events and performances. The Museum of Nebraska Art's Executive Director Andrew Dunehoo said that the project will expand the possibilities of the museum to be able to host larger and more diverse exhibitions.

The expansion of the museum will not only physically add to the structure but also revamp its influence and importance to Kearney. Pillen describes the facility as the state's "official collection of art" from Nebraskan artists, and many are recognizing the importance of preserving it. After its opening in 1986, funds have been allocated to maintain the beloved museum.

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