REGENTS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVE NEXT CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT KEARNEY

LINCOLN — The University of Nebraska Board of Regents on Thursday unanimously approved Neal Schnoor as the next chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Schnoor, who has served as president of Northern State University in South Dakota, will start in the position July 1 with a $355,000 salary. He succeeds former UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen, who retired in May 2024 after 22 years, the longest chancellor’s tenure in NU history. Schnoor was a long-time UNK faculty member, from 1997 to 2010, and an administrator from 2012 to 2019.

For the full article, click HERE.

VETERAN, FILLEY BUSINESSWOMAN CALLY IDEUS IS SET TO RUN FOR DISTRICT 30 SEAT

A Filley businesswoman and Army veteran has announced her candidacy for the Nebraska Legislature. 

Cally Ideus, who established Odyssey Mission Inc. in 2022 with her husband, Jerod, plans to run for the District 30 seat currently held by Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams. Dorn cannot seek reelection in 2026 because of term limits. In announcing her candidacy, Ideus says she's a conservative Republican who's ready to bring meaningful property tax reform, cut state government and make it more efficient, defend agriculture producers, improve education, and work on other issues important to the district. 

For the full article, click HERE.

TIM ANDERSON ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN FOR NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE IN DISTRICT 38

SUTTON, Neb. – Conservative Republican Tim Anderson announced today his candidacy for the Nebraska Legislature in District 38. Tim Anderson is a lifelong Nebraskan, husband, father of five, and farmer proudly serving as the Mayor of Sutton. 

Born and raised in Clay County, Tim brings a track record of results and a Nebraska work ethic to everything he does. What drives him is simple: faith in God, love for family, and a commitment to serving the great State of Nebraska. “As Mayor, I’ve worked every day to deliver for my community—balancing budgets, cutting red tape, expanding economic opportunities, and leading our city through the aftermath of a devastating tornado,” said Anderson. “I’ve lived the challenges our communities face—on the farm, in City Hall, and around the kitchen table. Now I’m running to be a strong voice for you—to fight for our farms, our families, and our freedoms.”

For the full article, click HERE.

JEFFERSON COUNTY COMMISSIONER MARK SCHOENROCK ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN FOR NEBRASKA SENATE

FAIRBURY - One of Nebraska's next state senators could come from Jefferson County: Jefferson County Commissioner Mark Schoenrock formally announced his candidacy for the Nebraska Legislature on Thursday morning in Fairbury.

District 32, covering multiple counties in Southeast Nebraska, is currently represented by Tom Brandt, whose time in the senate is term-limited but was in attendance Thursday to evaluate a potential successor. A former Army logistician who has spent the last ten years as a commissioner in his native Jefferson County, Schoenrock said he would tap into those experiences to guide him in this new endeavor.

For the full article on, click HERE.

OMAHA ATTORNEY JOSH LIVINGSTON, AND POLICY DIRECTOR FOR WOMEN'S FUND OF OMAHA ERIN FEICTHINGER ANNOUNCE CANDIDACY FOR NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

Omaha attorney Josh Livingston and Erin Feichtinger, Policy Director for Women's Fund of Omaha, launched campaigns for the District 8 seat in the Nebraska Legislature, the seat that term-limited State Sen. Megan Hunt will leave at the end of next year.

Livingston, 39, identified himself as a father, husband and community advocate in a press release. He said he will keep families at the forefront of policies and “ensure that Nebraska families are heard, respected and supported, just like the ones I have been fighting for my whole career.” Livingston is a family law attorney at an Omaha firm and previously worked as a deputy county attorney for Sarpy County. He graduated from Creighton University’s law school in 2016.

Feichintger has been the Policy Director for the Women’s Fund of Omaha since 2022 and added to her previous legislative efforts an agenda to advance gender equity through protecting reproductive healthcare, increasing protections for those experiencing domestic violence, strengthening economic security policies like paid sick leave and increasing the minimum wage in support of working families, and ensuring our LGBTQ+ neighbors are seen and safe.

For the full article, click HERE and HERE

WEST OMAHA LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT MIGHT SEE A REMATCH AS MAXWELL-OSTDIEK LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN

The runner-up in 2022’s race for west Omaha’s District 4 seat in the Nebraska Legislature announced she will run again in 2026. Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek, 57, said the 2025 session was frustrating because lawmakers spent more time “gutting ballot initiatives that voters overwhelmingly supported” than on addressing property taxes and health care access.

“District 4 deserves a representative who will listen to our neighbors and deliver on the issues we all care about — making life more affordable, keeping our families safe and growing our local economy,” Maxwell-Ostdiek said in her campaign announcement. 

For the full article, click HERE.

PATTY PANSING BROOKS ANNOUNCES 2026 BID TO RETURN TO NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN — Former State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks announced her 2026 candidacy Friday to return to the Nebraska Legislature, a day after the current officeholder said she would not seek reelection.

State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln announced her decision not to run again Thursday, leaving the central Lincoln seat open, as first reported by the Nebraska Examiner.  Just 24 hours later, Pansing Brooks “enthusiastically” threw her hat in the ring with Raybould’s support, one of more than 70 current and former officials to endorse Pansing Brooks.

For the full article, click HERE.

RETIRED JUDGE APPOINTED TO NEBRASKA LIQUOR CONTROL COMMISSION VACANCY

LINCOLN — A retired Douglas County District Court judge will be the next member of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission and jointly serve on the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission.

Gov. Jim Pillen on Wednesday announced the six-year appointment of former District Judge J. Michael Coffey of Omaha to the Liquor Commission. Coffey retired in June 2023 after nearly 25 years on the 4th Judicial District bench, currently only Douglas County. Coffey must be confirmed by the Legislature in 2026 to stay in his role. The three Liquor Control Commission members each represent one of the state’s three congressional districts. The same three automatically serve on the Medical Cannabis Commission under a law voters approved in November 2024.

For the full article, click HERE.

NEW NEBRASKA CHAMBER PRESIDENT DISCUSSES HIS ROLE

The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce has a new President and CEO. Todd Bingham comes to Lincoln having led the Manufacturers Association in Utah, a state known for high-tech and diverse industries. Nebraska Public Media’s Dale Johnson sat down with Bingham to find out how his Utah skills will benefit him in Nebraska. 

If you're talking about tech, I actually would say that I think every company today, first and foremost, has to be a tech company. I think that's the way they're leaning, whether you're in ag processing, whether you're in traditional steel manufacturing, whether you're a new core or a Lincoln premium poultry or, you know, Chief Industries, whoever. You're a tech company. I think you have to be. When you talk about economic development, there's certainly an area and an opportunity for significant growth in those fields in Nebraska, and we can get into more of the discussion, but it kind of focuses around automation, AI the advancement of tech across the country.

For the full article, click HERE.

NEBRASKA PROPERTY TAXES REMAIN PILLEN’S TOP FOCUS, WITH FEW STRATEGY CHANGES AFTER RECENT DEFEATS

LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen isn’t wavering from his goal to secure more property tax relief for Nebraskans, and he’s not significantly modifying his strategy of pushing for a broadened sales tax to pay for it after a similar approach failed a third straight time.

Pillen said he will keep the conversation alive for state government to take on the annual operational funding of all of Nebraska’s 245 public school districts, but not to run them. Local school boards would retain property tax authority for bonds and construction projects, for example, a route that Pillen said would require decreased state spending on other budget priorities and a broadened sales tax base. “We’re going to be bold and courageous and work hard to get 33 votes to get there,” Pillen said in a post-session interview with the Nebraska Examiner, noting the legislative threshold needed to overcome an anticipated filibuster.

For the full article, click HERE.

NEBRASKA JOINS BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF TRUMP'S USE OF GUARD TROOPS, MARINES IN CALIFORNIA

LINCOLN — Nebraska has waded into the legal battle between California and President Donald Trump over his administration’s deployment of federal troops to Los Angeles to protect immigration enforcement agents amid intense protests over Trump’s immigration crackdown.

The White House last week moved to take control of up to 4,000 California National Guard troops and mobilized 700 Marines in a rare use of military force on American soil that prompted California Gov. Gavin Newsom to sue the Trump administration Monday, asking a judge to return control of the state’s troops to Newsom. In a Wednesday legal filing in the federal case, Nebraska joined 18 other Republican-led states seeking to file a brief in support of Trump’s order, arguing the deployment was “responsible, constitutional and authorized” by law.

For the full article, click HERE.

ATTORNEYS SAY THEY’VE BEEN UNABLE TO TALK TO OMAHA WORKERS SWEPT UP IN ICE RAID

Workers detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during a raid at an Omaha meatpacking plant on Tuesday have been transferred from an Omaha-based processing center to a detention facility elsewhere in Nebraska, according to the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement and a staff member from U.S. Rep. Don Bacon’s office.

“We now know that 63 of those in custody have been transferred from the DHS processing center to a detention center in Nebraska. The other 11 people detained on Tuesday have either been deported or sent to other locations for processing,” a statement from CIRA said. Of the remaining 11, U.S. Marshals held some as part of a broader federal criminal investigation, some were deported under existing deportation orders, others were released, according to James Wright, a deputy chief of staff in Bacon’s office.

Full the full article, click HERE.

PATTY PANSING BROOKS ANNOUNCES 2026 BID TO RETURN TO NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN — Former State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks announced her 2026 candidacy Friday to return to the Nebraska Legislature, a day after the current officeholder said she would not seek reelection. State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln announced her decision not to run again Thursday, leaving the central Lincoln seat open, as first reported by the Nebraska Examiner. 

Just 24 hours later, Pansing Brooks “enthusiastically” threw her hat in the ring with Raybould’s support, one of more than 70 current and former officials to endorse Pansing Brooks. “People keep calling me saying, ‘What should I do?’” Pansing Brooks told the Examiner. “And I keep thinking, ‘Well, what should I do to help this country right now?’ The main thing that I know that I can do is run for office.”

For the full article, click HERE.

FORMER BORDER PATROL AGENT DAVID HUEBNER CHALLENGES NEBRASKA U.S. REP. ADRIAN SMITH

LINCOLN — A former U.S. Border Patrol agent has decided to run for Congress in Nebraska’s largely rural, sprawling 3rd Congressional District. North Platte native David Huebner will try to do what other Republicans in the district haven’t and beat U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb, in a Republican primary. Huebner said he is running to bring some “energy back” to the seat.

“I like active and present representation,” Huebner said, “I don’t feel like we have that right now from the incumbent.” Huebner said Smith lacks a background in agriculture, and the district wants someone with that background who can advocate for rural issues. He said the issues potential voters have brought up so far are the need for increased border security and improving the agricultural economy.

For the full article, click HERE.

LINCOLN SEN. GEORGE DUNGAN TO SEEK REELECTION TO NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

Lincoln Sen. George Dungan will seek another term representing District 26 in Nebraska's Legislature next year, the Democratic lawmaker and former public defender announced Wednesday. Dungan, a 36-year-old Lincoln native and graduate of American University who worked as a deputy public defender in Lancaster County for eight years, was first elected to represent the northeast Lincoln district in 2022.

Last year, Dungan worked to establish the Nebraska Prenatal Plus Program, which will expand reimbursements for prenatal care to include nutrition counseling and targeted case management for at-risk mothers. This year, he was among leading opponents to a series of proposed laws that progressive lawmakers said would undercut workers rights or, in some cases, the will of Nebraska voters.

For the full article, click HERE.

STATE SEN. JANE RAYBOULD DECIDES NOT TO SEEK REELECTION IN 2026

LINCOLN — State Sen. Jane Raybould announced Thursday that she will not seek reelection to her central Lincoln seat in 2026, retiring at the end of her term after 16 years in public service. Raybould, 66, said she has been honored and humbled by getting to serve on the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners, Lincoln City Council and in the Nebraska Legislature. In each office, she said she juggled family obligations and outside work.

Raybould made clear that her announcement is not a resignation speech, writing: “Oh no, not even close!” She said she remains committed and dedicated “to being the most effective senator” in her remaining year and a half in office. 

For the full article, click HERE.

NEBRASKA AUDITOR: FINANCIAL WRONGDOING IN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS SEEMS ‘INCREASINGLY COMMONPLACE’

LINCOLN — After Nebraska State Auditor Mike Foley issued a recent statement exposing alleged financial improprieties involving several local governments, he said his office faced a surge of callers requesting probes of their towns, too.It’s a common response, Foley said, after news hits of a small-town investigation by the auditor. 

“The phone starts ringing,” he said, repeating a common refrain: “‘Hey look at us. Look what’s happening in my village or county too.’” While grateful for the interest, Foley said such complaints are “disconcerting” in that they could signal rising misuse of public resources in smaller public entities across Nebraska. He said the alerts also “distract” from one of his office’s other main tasks, bird-dogging the “mega agencies” of state government.

For the full article, click HERE.

NEBRASKA CONGRESSMAN'S BILL WOULD PRIORITIZE FILLING WEATHER SERVICE VACANCIES AFTER DOGE CUTS

LINCOLN —  Nebraska Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Flood introduced legislation this month that would make it harder for National Weather Service employees to be fired.

The bipartisan-backed bill, named the Weather Workforce Improvement Act, would reclassify Weather Service employees as public safety personnel — essentially protecting them from most future administrative hiring freezes and buyouts. Flood’s legislation was cosponsored by a bipartisan group of lawmakers from Florida, California, Oklahoma, and Illinois. No other members of the Nebraska delegation have yet signed on as cosponsors.  

For the full article, click HERE.

PILLEN’S DESIRE FOR ‘CANNABIS EXPERIENCE’ ON BOARD LED TO NEBRASKA LIQUOR COMMISSION VACANCY

LINCOLN — A new vacancy on the three-member Nebraska Liquor Control Commission came at the request of Gov. Jim Pillen, which the former commissioner in that seat said happened because the governor wanted more “cannabis experience” on the regulatory board. Former Commissioner Harry Hoch Jr., speaking with the Nebraska Examiner, confirmed this week that he was told he would not be reappointed to another six-year term to the Liquor Control Commission after his term expired May 24. Hoch said he had put in a request to be reappointed but withdrew it after talking with Dave Lopez, Pillen’s chief of staff, so his last day was May 24.

Hoch said the “nice” conversation with Lopez “basically boiled down to [that] I wasn’t going to be reappointed, because the governor wanted to get more cannabis experience in my seat.” “There was no Hanky Panky there. It’s all above board,” Hoch said of his resignation, adding that he parted ways with the executive branch officials, “basically friends still.”

For the full article, click HERE.

OMAHA WILL RUN OUT OF LAND TO DEVELOP IN THE NEXT 30 YEARS. HERE'S HOW THE CITY IS PREPARING.

Omaha residents interested in helping to shape the city’s future have one of a number of opportunities to weigh in this week. The City of Omaha currently is seeking public comment on nine draft guiding principles that will serve as the foundation for the city’s next comprehensive plan.

A city’s comprehensive plan provides direction for everything city planners do to develop the city, including how residents want it to look, what features they want to attract and what businesses they want it to draw, said Dave Fanslau, Omaha’s planning director. The city’s current master plan was adopted in 1997. Omaha was facing different challenges at the time. The current plan largely speaks to the significant westward growth the city was experiencing — growth that continues today — and the need to deal with pressures that kind of growth brings.

For the full article, clcik HERE.