FOUR NEBRASKA SCHOOLS PRAISED AS NATIONAL 'BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS' FOR HIGH LEARNING STANDARDS IN 2024

LINCOLN- The U.S. Department of Education is honoring four Nebraska schools as “National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2024” based on exemplary high learning standards. On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recognized 356 schools for the 2024 year, including four Nebraska schools in Omaha, Oxford, and West Point. The local schools are recognized as being among Nebraska’s highest performing, as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests, according to the award criteria.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and nonpublic schools for exemplary high learning standards or for strides in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. The 2024 Nebraska schools are:

• Elkhorn Grandview Middle School in Elkhorn Public Schools (Omaha)

• Wilma Upchurch Elementary Schools in Millard Public Schools (Omaha)

• Southern Valley Elementary School in Southern Valley Public Schools (Oxford)

• West Point Elementary School in West Point-Beemer Public Schools (West Point)

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OMAHA STORM CHASERS POISED FOR NEW OWNERSHIP, AS STATE TOURISM POTENTIAL GROWS

OMAHA- A new owner is poised to take on the Omaha Storm Chasers — a move that many say will allow outgoing owners of the Minor League Baseball team to focus more on their planned soccer stadium in downtown Omaha and for the incoming owner to grow the local baseball franchise. Current owners Gary Green and Larry Botel, co-founders of Alliance Sports, announced Tuesday that they have agreed to sell the team to Diamond Baseball Holdings.

“Larry and I are incredibly proud of the Storm Chasers’ impact on the Omaha community over the past 12 years,” Green said. “As we shift our focus full-time to Union Omaha and look to grow Omaha’s sports landscape, we are confident the Storm Chasers are in great hands with Diamond Baseball Holdings.”

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LAWMAKER FORMALLY CHALLENGES NEBRASKA'S GENDER CARE RULES AND REGULATIONS

LINCOLN- State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha is formally challenging Nebraska’s rules and regulations on gender care treatments for transgender youths and minors with gender dysphoria. Cavanaugh, who staunchly opposed Legislative Bill 574 that granted the rulemaking authority in 2023, has issued a letter to State Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island objecting to the regulations.

Under state law, any state senator can challenge a set of rules or regulations if they feel it is unconstitutional, inconsistent with legislative intent, or “creates an undue burden in a manner that significantly outweighs its benefit to the public.” Cavanaugh said in her letter that the gender care regulations impose significant barriers to the treatments — primarily puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones — on the basis of gender identity. She said the regulations represent a “profound injustice.”

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PILLEN APPOINTS NEW HEAD OF NEBRASKA ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY DEPARTMENT

LINCOLN- The deputy director of the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy has been promoted to lead the department. Gov. Jim Pillen announced his appointment of Kara Valentine to the NDEE director post on Thursday, noting she had served as the department’s deputy director for the past eight years, overseeing two divisions: inspection and compliance, as well as planning and aid.

Before helping to lead NDEE, Valentine had worked as an environmental attorney with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and served as general counsel for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Valentine replaces acting Interim Director Than Fineran, who is leaving Nebraska for an out-of-state post after a promotion to the rank of brigadier general in the U.S. Army.

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COMMENTARY: INSPIRED BY OMAHA'S DOWNTOWN VISION, PRO SOCCER STADIUM WILL ADD TO LEGACY

OPINION (By Gary Green, Nebraska Examiner)- "Omaha already knows the thrill of exciting crowds with the College World Series at Schwab Field and March Madness at the CHI Health Center. Now, there’s a unique opportunity to add the world’s fastest-growing sport to that tradition: professional soccer in downtown Omaha. To make this a reality, Union Omaha, the city’s pro-soccer team, is working on plans to build a new home for the club with surrounding development."

"We admire the visionaries who came before us — the leaders who dreamed of a convention center to attract national and international events, who reconnected Omaha to its roots with the Missouri River through the Back to the River project, and who ensured the College World Series would call this city home with a new baseball stadium. Their bold ideas, along with the leaders of the parks’ renaissance, the premier arts and culture venues, and restaurateur and entertainment efforts, inspire the plans of Union Omaha, and we aim to bring a new sport to downtown, creating a soccer-specific stadium that will carry Omaha’s legacy of bold ideas, spirited competition, and community gatherings into the future."

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ATTORNEYS WEIGH IN ON WHETHER TO DISMISS NEBRASKA MEDICAL CANNABIS LAWSUIT

LINCOLN- A Lancaster County District Court Judge Susan Strong will decide soon from a set of new briefs filed Tuesday whether to dismiss a lawsuit against Nebraska’s two medical cannabis ballot measures. John Kuehn of Heartwell, a veterinarian, rancher, former state senator, and former member of the Nebraska State Board of Health, brought the lawsuit naming Secretary of State Bob Evnen and the three sponsors of the Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana campaign: Lincoln State Sen. Anna Wishart, campaign manager Crista Eggers, and former State Sen. Adam Morfeld.

Kuehn’s lawyers wrote that the “indignation” at Kuehn’s decision to pursue the case is “misplaced,” alleging thousands of allegedly fraudulent signatures that are enough to disqualify the efforts. Kuehn has been a leader in “Smart Approaches to Marijuana,” a national organization that seeks to prevent “another big tobacco.”

The Wishart-Eggers-Morfeld brief argued that Kuehn “requests the equivalent of a recount” and that he implies that he is “best equipped to make important election decisions” that already went through a robust process with various local resources and tools to determine validity.

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PUBLIC RESEARCH HOURS TO EXPAND AT STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

LINCOLN- The visiting hours for the James E. Potter Research Room at the Nebraska State Historical Society will be expanded starting on October 7th. Interim director Cindy Drake announced the room will be more accessible, opening up to the public on weekdays, except Tuesdays, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

This move comes after the former Historical Society Director Trevor Jones had the room only open one morning a week. The Nebraska State Historical Society became a code agency in the past legislative session due to mismanagement of funds by Director Jones.

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STATE SEN. MIKE McDONNELL DISCUSSES HIS REFUSAL TO SUPPORT CHANGING TO 'WINNER-TAKE-ALL'

OMAHA- Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said he will not call a special session to try and change the state's electoral college. The governor added that there was insufficient support for the issue, calling out State Sen. Mike McDonnell for refusing to support the change. Despite supporting a statewide vote on winner-take-all, McDonnell said he would oppose a change now.

McDonnell said he's been against winner-take-all for years, even saying that if all states did it like Nebraska and Maine do, we'd have a better democracy. He said candidates should work for this district's vote. The Democrat-turned-Republican even invited Harris and Trump to come to Omaha for a debate. Omaha has been called a "blue dot," but McDonnell calls it a "green dot."

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TRUMP RESPONDS TO NO SPECIAL SESSION IN NEBRASKA OVER ELECTORAL VOTE CHANGE

LINCOLN- Former President Donald Trump slammed Nebraska Republican Sen. Mike McDonnell after the state senator said he would not support a change to the way the state allocates its Electoral College votes that would likely increase Trump’s chances of winning the presidential election in November. Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Monday afternoon that McDonnell is a “Grandstander!” who “decided, for no reason whatsoever, to get in the way of a great Republican, common sense, victory.”

The criticism from the former president came hours after McDonnell reiterated he would not support a change to the way the state allocates its electoral votes, saying he was concerned about the timing of the change and it reducing Nebraska’s national significance. Many Nebraska Republicans sought to change the current system, which awards two electoral votes to the winner of the state's popular vote and one to the winner of each of the three House districts

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DISTRICT COURT PROCEEDINGS BEGIN ON NEBRASKA MEDICAL CANNABIS LAWSUIT

LINCOLN - A Lancaster County District Court judge said Friday she intends to issue “narrowly” at the end of this week whether to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to invalidate Nebraska’s medical cannabis petitions. The lawsuit comes from John Kuehn, a former state senator, and seeks either to remove the two certified marijuana measures from the Nov. 5 ballot or prevent counting of votes and void the election results.

The lawsuit lays out several claims of issues with the validity of signatures on the ballot. However, Secretary of State Evnen denied each allegation in a brief. The defendants argue Kuehn thinks he is more equipped than the State to determine the validity of the election. This election cycle, election officials confirmed more than 600,000 signatures across 6 ballot initiatives.

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NECK-AND-NECK CONTEST OVER NEBRASKA SENATE SEAT HAS NATIONAL CONSERVATIVES NERVOUS

LINCOLN – The Senate race between Sen. Deb Fischer and Independent candidate Dan Osborn has intensified, with recent polls showing a neck-and-neck contest. This razor-thin margin has prompted the GOP Super PAC Heartland Resurgence to unleash a staggering $500,000 in ads targeting Osborn over the past week, branding him a “dangerous Trojan Horse” for the Democratic Party. 

As Democrats eye a challenging path to reclaiming the Senate nationally, Osborn’s candidacy emerges as a critical wildcard that could prevent Republicans from taking control of the chamber. While he has notably declined the endorsement of the Nebraska Democratic Party, his stances on labor and abortion rights resonate closely with their platform.

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MORE THAN 200 BUSINESSES BACK NEBRASKA PAID SICK LEAVE BALLOT MEASURE

LINCOLN– A coalition of over 200 businesses has publicly declared its support for a ballot measure aimed at instituting paid sick leave. The measure has garnered backing without encountering any public opposition.

If passed, the measure would mandate that businesses with 20 or fewer employees provide a minimum of five paid sick days annually for full-time workers. Larger companies would be required to offer seven days of paid sick leave. Advocates argue that allowing employees to stay home when ill is essential for protecting the health of all workers and ensuring a safe workplace environment.

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STATE SEN. MIKE MCDONNELL DEFLATES GOP HOPES FOR NEBRASKA WINNER-TAKE-ALL IN 2024

LINCOLN - State Senator Mike McDonnell released a press release stating he does not support the plan to change Nebraska's electoral process, effectively killing the attempt. Senator McDonnell notified the Governor of his decision and encouraged the legislature to pass a constitutional amendment to make the change in the upcoming regular session.

Governor Pillen and national GOP figures, including former President Donald Trump, have called on the Nebraska Legislature to adopt a Winner Takes All method for the electoral process. With McDonnell publicly stating he is in opposition, there is a slim to no chance that there would be 33 votes in favor, the minimum number of votes required to overcome a filibuster.

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GOV. PILLEN'S FAMILY BUSINESSES APPEAR TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR UNIQUE PROPERTY TAX CREDIT

LINCOLN- An investigation reveals Governor Jim Pillen and his businesses were eligible for more than $64,000 in tax credits due to a bill passed during the special session that most Nebraskans won't be able to cash in on. It's unclear if Pillen claimed those credits; however, it points out an inequity resulting from the passage of LB 34.

LB 34 creates a tale of two taxpayers based on "when" you paid your 2023 property taxes. If, as Pillen's property tax records show, you paid your 2023 property tax bill before January 2024, you could have claimed the credit on your 2023 income tax return. Because of LB 34, which lawmakers passed 40 to 3 and Pillen signed into law Aug. 20, that credit goes away on the 2024 income tax return and is no longer available.

"Your finances stay equal where they are right now. Your taxes, both property taxes and income taxes, are going down if your local governments play along," State Senator Lou Ann Linehan said.

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SEN. MIKE McDONNELL SAYS HE'S A NO ON WINNER-TAKE-ALL 'AS OF TODAY'

OMAHA- Nebraska State Sen. Mike McDonnell was among two dozen Republican state senators who met in Lincoln with Gov. Jim Pillen, Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham from South Carolina, and others backing former President Donald Trump to discuss Nebraska potentially adopting a winner-take-all approach to presidential elections before November. Nebraska and Maine award a single Electoral College vote to the winner in each congressional district, plus two votes to the statewide winner of the presidential popular vote.

McDonnell was a lifelong Democrat before he switched to the Republican Party in April. He is still a labor leader in Omaha and said when he switched parties that he would never support a winner-take-all approach. Republicans are treating the push for Trump to win Nebraska’s 2nd District seriously. Some have argued it could break a 269-269 Electoral College tie.

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LAWMAKERS AGAIN PROBE POSSIBLE AI REGULATION IN NEBRASKA BUT LOOK TO OTHER STATES AS GUIDE

LINCOLN- An interim study ahead of possible 2025 legislation to regulate artificial intelligence when it comes to Nebraska elections could depend on the fate of legislation in at least 19 other states.

State Sens. Tom Brewer of north-central Nebraska and John Cavanaugh of Omaha each posed the question to their colleagues Thursday about whether the state should regulate AI. For Brewer’s Legislative Resolution 362, the focus was possible dangers for elections generally, and for Cavanaugh’s LR 412 about the use of AI in political campaigns.

Cavanaugh’s legislation would have put AI regulation under the auspices of the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission and require clear and conspicuous disclosures for paid state or local advertisements for candidates or ballot questions.

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OMAHA BOARD PEPPERS DEVELOPERS WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT PROJECT IN LINE FOR $90M IN STATE FUNDS

OMAHA- A $90 million plan to launch a business park near Omaha’s airport faced continued scrutiny from a board that must provide a letter of support for the publicly funded project in order for it to proceed.

The questions from Omaha’s Inland Port Authority board also raised questions about whether the development team would meet its deadline to get the project site shovel-ready for job-producing industrial businesses to sprout. State Sen. Terrell McKinney, who chairs the board, said he was more focused on “transparency” and getting firm financial details from the development team led by the Omaha Economic Development Corp., Burlington Capital, and Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce.

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GOV. PILLEN SAYS NEW LAWS 'BUTTON UP LOOPHOLES' ON FOREIGN ADVERSARIES PURCHASING NEBRASKA AG LAND

LINCOLN- Gov. Jim Pillen is praising a trio of new laws that he says enable Nebraska to proactively identify and push back on security threats and foreign land ownership. Together, Pillen said, they “pack a significant punch” in protecting Nebraska from “undue outside influence” that could disrupt the state’s economy or safety.

“Agriculture drives our economy and there is nothing of greater consequence than ensuring our assets, including our crops and our animals, are protected from interference,” Pillen added. All three bills passed with broad support, and Pillen signed ceremonial copies of the bills last week. He said the actions “provide much-needed protections for our state.”

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MORE THAN 60 NE ENTITIES SHOW UNIFIED FRONT TO UPDATE LAWS, STATE POLICIES THAT HELP IMMIGRANTS

LINCOLN- More than 60 Nebraska organizations converged Wednesday at the State Capitol to announce a unified resolve to change state and federal policies in ways that would swing the door open for more immigrants to work and settle in as Cornhuskers. Among the representatives was Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who said he wouldn’t have thought two years ago that such broad support could be harnessed for immigration-related shifts.

The group that gathered atop the west steps of the building where Nebraska law is made grew out of a smaller coalition formed two years ago by leaders of the chamber and Omaha Together One Community, a religious-based network formed three decades ago to advocate for social justice issues. Darcy Tromanhauser, Nebraska Appleseed’s director of immigrant integration and civic participation, said the key at this point was to establish broad support among varied industries and political persuasions.

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'INNOVATIVE' CO-RESPONDER PROGRAM EMBEDS MENTAL HEALTH PROS WITH LINCOLN POLICE OFFICERS ON CALLS

LINCOLN- Mental health professionals will start accompanying Lincoln police officers on calls involving people having a mental health crisis under a new program announced Tuesday. The Co-Responder Program is a partnership between the Lincoln Police Department and CenterPointe. It is to be funded for the first three years by a $550,000 Bureau of Justice Assistance grant and $221,278 from the City of Lincoln’s general funds.

Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said it was a “shining example” of agencies joining forces to get the most appropriate and effective care to people in need. Lincoln Police Chief Michon Morrow said such co-responder programs have led to better outcomes by reducing the use of control by officers and by getting the appropriate experts quicker to people in distress.

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