OPINION: FOCUS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMPETITIVENESS ESSENTIAL TO GROWING NEBRASKA

As leaders of the state’s largest chambers of commerce and industry actively engaged in economic development, we write to express the importance of statewide economic growth, the urgency of our state being more competitive and growth-oriented and to highlight our interest in the selection of the next permanent director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

At the heart of our statewide economic development efforts is the goal of growing Nebraska’s tax base, because the best and most sustainable paths to reducing the tax burden on Nebraska families run through expanded economic growth, private-sector investment and job growth.

To achieve this, Nebraska must become more competitive focused on economic growth. While we are home to nationally significant industries, including manufacturing, agriculture, construction and financial services, these sectors are rapidly evolving.

Heath Mello is president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. Jason Ball is president of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce. James Caraway II serves as president of the Nebraska Economic Developers Association and Nebraska director for the Mid-America Economic Development Council.

For the full article, click HERE.

LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS TO RESTRICT OR PROTECT LIBRARIES GREW THIS YEAR, INCLUDING IN NEBRASKA

State lawmakers across the country filed more bills to restrict or protect libraries and readers in the first half of this year than last year, a new report found.

The split fell largely along geographic lines, according to the report from EveryLibrary, a group that advocates against book bans and censorship.

Between January and July 2025, lawmakers introduced 133 bills that the organization deemed harmful to libraries, librarians or readers’ rights in 33 states — an increase from 121 bills in all of 2024. Fourteen of those measures had passed as of mid-July.

At the same time, legislators introduced 76 bills in 32 states to protect library services or affirm the right to read, the report found.

For the full article, click HERE.

UNION PACIFIC AND NORFOLK SOUTHERN CONFIRM MERGER TALKS TO CREATE COAST TO COAST RAILROAD

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern confirmed that they are in “advanced” merger talks that would create a single U.S railroad with service stretching from the East to the West Coast.

The Associated Press reported last week that the companies were discussing a tie-up but neither company acknowledged that until Thursday morning.

The potential merger would combine the largest and smallest of the country’s six major freight railroads.

Independent railroad analyst Tony Hatch said that the disclosure by the railroads suggests that negotiations are further along than previously thought.

For the full article, click HERE.

NO ONE KNOWS WHETHER TRUMP’S $50B FOR RURAL HEALTH WILL BE ENOUGH

Congress set aside $50 billion for rural hospitals and medical providers to allay fears over the billions more in historic cuts to federal health care spending that President Donald Trump signed into law on Independence Day.

But is that bandage big enough to save struggling rural hospitals?

“I have more questions than I have answers,” said Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, a nonprofit policy group. “No one has those answers yet.”

Morgan noted that the new money for rural health, to be spent over five years, is far less than the $155 billion in rural Medicaid spending cuts over 10 years, as estimated by KFF, a nonprofit health policy and research group.

For the full article, click HERE.

FACF ESTABLISHES THE JIM GALLANT HOPE FUND

The Fremont Area Community Foundation (FACF) has announced the establishment of the Jim Gallant Hope Fund.

The fund was created to honor the legacy of Gallant—a devoted community leader, respected attorney, and tireless advocate for families in need. This fund will support programs that promote hope, resilience, and opportunity across Dodge County.

The purposes of the fund are twofold: to celebrate the life and service of Gallant, and to support programs and services that advocate for and assist individuals who have experience in foster care and/or the juvenile justice system, are unhoused or homeless, or who are facing other life challenges without the support of family. Preference will be shown to those living in the Dodge County area.

Gallant dedicated his life to service—through his law practice, his many roles on nonprofit boards, and his quiet but powerful advocacy on behalf of those facing adversity. He believed deeply in justice, dignity, and the power of community. His passion for improving access to resources and building stronger support systems leaves an enduring legacy in the region.

For the full article, click HERE.

PILLEN SIGNS LAB-GROWN MEAT BAN IN O'NEILL, ATV DEREGULATION BILL IN COLUMBUS

COLUMBUS, Neb. — Nebraska’s governor is celebrating the ceremonial signing of two bills he supported during the recent legislative session.

Gov. Jim Pillen joined State Sen. Barry DeKay at Shamrock Locker in O’Neill to sign a bill that bans the manufacture, distribution and sale of lab-grown or cultivated meat in the Cornhusker State. Pillen said the idea of meat substitutes undercuts the livelihood of producers. 

Nebraska processed nearly seven million head of cattle last year, more than any other state. Pillen called the passage of the new law a win against organizations like PETA.

“They’ve always put us on the defense," Pillen said. "This bill is exciting because we’re finally on the offense. We’ve said, ‘to heck with these nut jobs.’ They have one agenda, create a vegan society and put everyone in agriculture out of business.”

The governor later went to Columbus for an event with State Sen. Mike Moser at Motoplex of Columbus. Pillen ceremonially signed LB98, which adjusted the definitions of all-terrain and utility-type vehicles. The new law eliminated language that set weight restrictions for licensing ATVs and UTVs.

For the full article, click HERE.

REPORT: INVESTMENT FIRM ADVISING UNION PACIFIC ON POTENTIAL RAIL MERGER

Union Pacific is working with Morgan Stanley investment bankers to provide guidance on the potential acquisition of another Class I railroad, the online publication Semafor reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) declined to comment to the media outlet. CSX and Norfolk Southern stock prices surged on the news, while UP’s declined.

Union Pacific Chief Executive Jim Vena has touted the potential benefits of a transcontinental merger while acknowledging the regulatory obstacles to any deal.

The Surface Transportation Board adopted more rigorous merger review rules in 2001 after rapid consolidation in the industry during the 1990s, including the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe and Union Pacific-Southern Pacific mergers as well as the CSX (NASDAQ: CSX)-Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) deal to carve up Conrail.

For the full article, click HERE.

SKILLED GAMING MACHINES NOW TAXED UNDER NEBRASKA LAW

LINCOLN — Skilled gaming kiosks, slot machine-style devices that have been popping up in gas stations and bars, are now subject to taxation under Nebraska law.

For years, the industry operated without oversight or taxation. That changed following the 2024 legislative session. As of July 1, operators and distributors must pay a 5% tax on revenue generated by the machines. The Nebraska Lottery and Charitable Gaming Division is now responsible for regulating the industry.

According to the Nebraska Lottery, each device brings in about $30 per day after payouts.

“Over the course of the year, you know with 6,000 devices, that’s about $65, $66 million in net operating revenue. (With) the 5% tax applied to that, right now it’s about $3.5 million,” said Brian Rockey with the Nebraska Lottery and Charitable Gaming Division.

For the full article, click HERE.

REP. BACON INTRODUCES BIPARTISAN BILL FOCUSED ON CHINA’S PURCHASE OF FARMLAND

OMAHA — Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon sponsored a bipartisan legislation effort introduced Monday to address concerns about foreign farmland ownership.

H.R. 4362, or AFIDA Improvements Act, seeks to “amend the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 to establish an additional reporting requirement, and for other purposes.” 

Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) was among other representatives who signed on to the bill.

According to a statement released by Bacon’s office on Wednesday, the legislation aims to address concerns from the growing purchases of farmland by the Chinese Communist Party.

Specifically, Bacon (R-Neb.) said, the bill would change the existing act to provide timely, detailed information on foreign investments in agricultural land transactions. 

For the full article, click HERE.

OMAHA TRIBE OF NEBRASKA LEGALIZES, REGULATES MEDICAL AND RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA

MACY, Nebraska — The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska became the first government in Nebraska on Tuesday to fully legalize and seek to regulate both medicinal and adult recreational-use cannabis.

The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska announced the “historic” decision Tuesday, touting a unanimous vote of the Omaha Tribal Council that it said in a statement positions the tribe as a “trailblazer” in state cannabis reform. 

The approval also seeks to have the Omaha Tribe reclaim its “rightful place as a leader in regional governance and economic innovation.”

“The Omaha Tribe is not waiting on broken systems to deliver,” Omaha Tribe of Nebraska Attorney General John Cartier said in a statement. “We are asserting our sovereign right to govern, protect our community and build a sustainable economy that reflects our values.”

The law immediately took effect Tuesday.

For the full article, click HERE.

NEBRASKA IS SUING COLORADO OVER RIVER WATER AND A CANAL PROJECT

LINCOLN — Nebraska’s Governor and Attorney General said the state is taking Colorado to the U.S. Supreme Court because Colorado isn’t following a 100-year-old agreement about sharing water from the South Platte River.

The South Platte River Compact, agreed to in 1923, says how much water Nebraska should get in the summer (irrigation) season and winter. Nebraska says Colorado is breaking that deal in two big ways:

1. Colorado is taking too much water from the river in the summer, which means Nebraska farmers aren’t getting what they need. 

2. Colorado is blocking Nebraska from building a canal in Perkins County, which would help Nebraska get the water it’s promised

Because this is a disagreement between two states, the U.S. Supreme Court has to step in and decide what happens next.

“Today’s action comes only after we made every reasonable effort to resolve our differences with Colorado,” Gov. Jim Pillen said via news release. “Ultimately, Nebraska must push forward to secure our water for future generations. Although we hoped to avoid a lawsuit, we are confident we remain on schedule to complete the Perkins County Canal by 2032.”

For the full article, click HERE.

GOV. JIM PILLEN TOUTS NEW EFFICIENCIES AS HE SEEKS $500 MILLION IN BUDGET CUTS

LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen ceremonially signed four bills Wednesday that he said would increase government efficiencies, previewing his intent to tighten Nebraska’s belt even further. 

The bills Pillen highlighted help “clean out the closets,” as he put it, by either eliminating outdated mandates or increasing accountability measures. All are in the process of being implemented after Pillen signed them into law earlier this year. 

The governor, who has announced a run for reelection in 2026, said government efficiency has been a top priority for him, and he repeated his pledge Wednesday to “run government like a business.”

Pillen has asked state agencies to submit recommendations of how they would reduce general fund spending by 10% next year, as first reported by the Lincoln Journal Star. That equates to at least a $500 million cut across state government. 

For the full article, click HERE.

RETIRED NAVY VETERAN KISHLA ASKINS JOINS NEBRASKA 2ND DISTRICT U.S. HOUSE RACE

LINCOLN — The Democratic primary for the open U.S. House seat in Nebraska’s Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District is getting crowded. 

Retired U.S. Navy veteran Kishla Askins, a former deputy assistant secretary of Veterans Affairs under President Joe Biden, is running to be the first Democrat to represent the district in nearly a decade.

“I am the only one ready on day one,” Askins told the Nebraska Examiner. “I am the only one who can walk into Congress and understand how Congress works.” 

For 30 years, Askins said she and her wife have lived where the military told them to live. She grew up in Toledo, Ohio, but her wife, Alison, grew up in Omaha and Lincoln, and now they get to live “back home.” 

For the full article, click HERE

STATE LAWMAKER FROM SEWARD TO SEEK ANOTHER TERM

Seward, Neb. —Senator Jana Hughes of Seward will seek re-election to her Legislative District 24…which includes Seward, York, Polk, and part of Butler counties.

Hughes said, “Together, we’ve made strides in reducing property taxes, strengthening our schools, and defending Nebraska’s values.”

As a senator, Hughes has led conversations for meaningful property tax relief. In 2024 Hughes proposed an alternative tax proposal that would have lowered school levies thus decreasing tax rates over a decade.

For the full article, click HERE.

CENTRIST REP. DON BACON IS DONE WITH CONGRESS — BUT OPEN TO A POTENTIAL PRESIDENTIAL BID

Centrist Rep. Don Bacon, one of the most vulnerable Republicans in the House, said this week he doesn’t have the “hunger” for another grueling re-election campaign and won’t run for a sixth term next year.

But Bacon, who spent 30 years in the Air Force and specialized in intelligence matters, said he’s interested in serving in an executive role down the road, and wouldn’t rule out running for Nebraska governor, or even president in 2028.

For the full article, click HERE.

NEBRASKA MEDICINE CEO JIM LINDER RETIRES: SAYS FAREWELL WITH LETTER TO NEBRASKANS

OMAHA- As he stepped down from his role as CEO of Nebraska Medicine, the state's largest healthcare network, this past week, James Linder, MD, wrote a letter to his fellow Nebraskans about what the role has meant to him.

Dr. Linder leaves with pride over the accomplishments of Nebraska Medicine and pride in the work of the 10,500 colleagues who bring serious medicine and extraordinary care to Nebraska families. He celebrates the health system's public partnership, which brings together the best of private enterprise and public service. Dr. Linder looks ahead to the leadership of the incoming CEO, Michael Ash, MD, to continue the advancement of health care for all Nebraskans.

For the full article, click HERE.

PILLEN ANNOUNCES INTERIM DIRECTOR OF NEBRASKA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen on Thursday announced an interim director for the Nebraska Department of Economic Development: Maureen Larsen, who currently serves as the governor’s general counsel.

Larsen, who earned her law degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law, also serves as Pillen’s deputy director of policy research. The policy division serves as the governor’s personal lobbying arm. She is to transition from her current role July 21, replacing K.C. Belitz, whose resignation was announced suddenly last month after serving two years on the job. Belitz’s final day as DED director is July 18. Larsen earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont. The DED director has been a rather high-profile position, overseeing grants and funding for economic development ventures and attending related ribbon-cuttings for projects across the state.

For the full article, click HERE

‘EPIC OPTION 2.0’ SEEKS TO ELIMINATE NEBRASKA TAXES ON PROPERTY, INCOME, INHERITANCES AT 2026 BALLOT

LINCOLN — The petition campaign to eliminate Nebraska taxes on property, income, inheritances and corporations is returning for the 2026 election, hoping to capitalize on recent legislative failures and rising property valuations.

The “EPIC Option” group is back with what supporters are calling “EPIC Option 2.0” to ban state or local governments from collecting property, income and inheritance taxes after Jan. 1, 2028. Rather than proposing a broad consumption tax as replacement revenue, the Legislature would need to come up with a fix on its own.

For the full article, click HERE.

MEDICAL CANNABIS ADVOCATE, TARGETED NOTARY RUNNING FOR NEBRASKA GOVERNOR

LINCOLN — A grassroots advocate for medical cannabis who is at the center of some Nebraska state officials’ efforts against the use of the drug voters approved is running for governor in 2026.

Jacy Todd of York, 54, who runs a CBD health and wellness retail store in central Nebraska, says he is running to be a “voice of the people.” In part, he said he wants to show it’s not the “richest” people who get into office, that a middle-class family man can as well. Todd is the first Republican to challenge incumbent Gov. Jim Pillen ahead of the May 2026 primary. The winner advances to the November 2026 election.

For the full article, click HERE

NEBRASKA’S DAN OSBORN PICKS A RACE, LAUNCHES SENATE BID AGAINST U.S. SEN PETE RICKETTS

LINCOLN — Former Omaha labor leader Dan Osborn is running against Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts in the 2026 midterms. After launching an exploratory committee in April, Osborn made it official Tuesday, choosing the Senate race over potential bids for governor and the U.S. House, because, he said, “there are not enough seats at the table” for working people.

“I’m unapologetically for the workers and their issues,” Osborn told Nebraska Examiner. Osborn boiled down his race to “the billionaire versus the mechanic,” citing the wealth of the Ricketts family. 

For the full article, click HERE