OPS PROPOSES 2% LEVY INCREASE FOR SCHOOL STAFFING AND TO ADDRESS FUNDING UNCERTAINTIES

Omaha Public Schools officials have proposed a 2% levy increase for the district’s 2025-26 budget to fund continued investments in staff and a larger contingency in light of funding uncertainties.

The proposed budget presented at a hearing Monday night includes a $38 million general fund increase and a levy increase of 2.2 cents, from $1.107 to $1.13 per $100 of assessed property value.

The new levy would cost a homeowner of a $200,000 home about $2,260 per year. The proposed budget includes a property tax request of $409 million, a $28 million — or 7.26% — increase from the 2024-25 budget. The proposed levy increase follows five years of levy decreases, including a decrease of nearly 11 cents between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 budgets.

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NATE OSTDIEK ANNOUNCED HIS BID FOR THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2025

In a release Tuesday morning, 22-year-old Nate Ostdiek, a registered Democrat, shared his campaign as a political newcomer. His bid is for Legislative District 6, which covers central Omaha. The seat is held by Senator Machaela Cavanaugh, who will be term-limited in the upcoming 2026 election. 

Ostdiek shared in the announcement that he is an Omaha native who attended Westside High School. He is currently a masters student at the University of Nebraska - Omaha. “The median age of a Nebraska State Senator is 62. The median age of a Nebraskan is 37. This 25 year age gap reflects poorly on the legislature’s ability to represent the people of Nebraska,” said Ostdiek in the release. 

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BUSINESS LEADERS SOUND ALARM AS OMAHA JOB GROWTH BADLY TRAILS REGIONAL PEERS

Look around Omaha, and you can see many signs of seeming prosperity. People are flocking by the millions to the city’s signature riverfront parks. Mutual of Omaha’s new headquarters tower alters the city’s skyline as it steadily rises over downtown. Earlier this year, the population of the eight-county metro area eclipsed the 1 million mark. 

But those appearances may be masking what some Omaha business leaders see as a quietly building economic crisis: Employment in the Omaha metro has been growing at a sluggish pace, badly trailing its regional peers. In the past five years, Omaha’s annual average job growth rate has been a fraction of 1%. Metro Des Moines is booming in comparison, with a growth rate more than three times Omaha’s, according to a World-Herald analysis of federal employment data.

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NEBRASKA VOLUNTEERED TO BE HOME TO TRUMP'S LATEST ICE DETENTION CENTER, LAWMAKERS SAY

LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen's administration volunteered last month to turn over a state prison to the federal government to serve as America's latest immigration detention center, state officials told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing Thursday.

State officials proactively reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and offered Nebraska as a potential home to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement jail after President Donald Trump signaled support for more ICE detention facilities following the ill-fated July opening of the so-called "Alligator Alcatraz" in the Florida Everglades.

That's according to two Democratic lawmakers who attended Thursday's closed-door briefing with Nebraska's lieutenant governor and at least three other members of Pillen's cabinet, including Rob Jeffreys, the director of Nebraska's prison system.

"That's my understanding," said Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Bennington, the vice chair of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee, which was briefed Thursday afternoon on the so-called "Cornhusker Clink" following days of back-and-forth between Democrats and Republicans over whether Pillen's plan to turn the McCook prison over to ICE should be the subject of a public hearing.

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RICKETTS WANTS TO BEEF UP FEDERAL PROGRAM THAT GROWS SMALL RURAL BUSINESSES

OMAHA — A federal program to help boost small rural businesses would be extended and enhanced under a bipartisan bill to be introduced Thursday by U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and a Democratic colleague from Minnesota.

The Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program — created in the 2008 Farm Bill and overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture — provides low-interest loans to eligible development organizations. Those funds fuel revolving loans that provide help to qualified rural microenterprises.

Currently, the program relies on annual appropriations. The Senate proposal pushed by Ricketts and U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., would extend the program for five years so it no longer would require annual approval, a Ricketts spokesman said.

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SWAPPED OUT: NEW NEBRASKA MEDICAL CANNABIS REGS ADVANCE TO FINAL APPROVAL, DRAW PUBLIC IRE

LINCOLN — The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission on Tuesday advanced stricter regulations than the board adopted earlier this summer, leaving some advocates feeling more concerned.

All five commissioners voted to amend the emergency regulations that have been in effect since June 29 but were set to expire by the end of September. The new regulations, which would still allow the commission to begin licensing registered medical cannabis establishments by a voter-mandated Oct. 1 deadline, is contingent upon Gov. Jim Pillen’s approval. He approved the first rules in June. Tuesday was the commission’s fourth meeting since June, the first that all commissioners attended.

The revised regulations would, for the first time, set extensive testing and security requirements and establish a “Recommending Health Care Practitioner Directory” for in-state physicians to recommend medical cannabis. If approved, the rules would remain in effect for up to 90 days.

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NEBRASKA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY SERVICE SUES DHHS FOR NEW TRAINING MANDATE

LINCOLN — A developmental disability service provider is suing Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services over a 2024 order the provider claims was unconstitutional.

Integrated Life Choices (ILC) filed a complaint in Lancaster District Court Aug. 25 against DHHS and Developmental Disabilities Director Tony Green. The complaint claims the department violated the constitutional separation of powers by unilaterally mandating providers switch to a new emergency safety intervention program called The Mandt System.

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‘ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’ PROJECTED TO COST NEBRASKA OVER $216 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE

LINCOLN — A report from Nebraska’s Department of Revenue projects that the federal budget reconciliation bill will cost state government more than $216 million over the next two years. 

The department released the analysis as part of a state law that requires it to report to the Nebraska Legislature within 60 days of a change to the national Internal Revenue Code. Congress’ ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ that passed on July 4 was the subject of Tuesday’s report. 

DOR’s analysis spanned the next four fiscal years ending in 2029. It surmised that the expected losses in corporate and individual income tax revenue will cost Nebraska more than $406 million over those four years. Within the two years that make up the existing biennial budget, the losses would equal roughly $216 million. 

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CRETE BUSINESS OWNER, ATTORNEY WILL RUN FOR NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

A businesswoman and attorney from Crete with experience in economic development will seek the District 32 seat in the Nebraska Legislature next year. Shay Smith, a registered nonpartisan and self-described "proud independent," announced her candidacy to replace the term-limited Sen. Tom Brandt on Wednesday.

"We all want a Nebraska where hardworking people can afford to support their families," Smith said. "As a small business owner, nonprofit leader, and community leader, I have worked tirelessly to redevelop main streets, revitalize public spaces, and bring economic investments to Southeast Nebraska. "I'm running to continue getting things done for our state in the Legislature," she added.

A native of Paxton, Smith attended Doane University in Crete and was the first in her family to graduate from college. She later earned a law degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, before returning to Saline County to start a law practice where she helps individuals and businesses file tax returns.

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NEBRASKA AG’S OFFICE ATTEMPTS TO REVIVE ITS PROSECUTION OF FORMER HISTORY AGENCY HEAD

LINCOLN — The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, in a 50-page brief filed Tuesday, argues that its felony prosecution of the former director of History Nebraska was wrongly dismissed by the Nebraska Court of Appeals.

Meanwhile, attorneys for Trevor Jones, who resigned the $164,800-a-year job in 2022, filed their own brief with the Nebraska Supreme Court maintaining that the AG’s office had errored in trying to appeal the discharge.

The competing court briefs are the latest chapter in an on-again, off-again prosecution of Jones. He was alleged to have committed theft by deception for redirecting $270,000 in funds provided by the private Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation to a competing foundation he had set up.

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JUSTICE LINDSEY MILLER-LERMAN, FIRST WOMAN TO SERVE ON NEBRASKA SUPREME COURT, TO RETIRE

LINCOLN — Nebraska Supreme Court Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman, the first woman to serve on the state’s high court and its longest-serving current member, announced her retirement effective Oct. 31. Miller-Lerman was appointed to the seven-member state Supreme Court in 1998 by former Gov. Ben Nelson, the state’s last Democrat to serve in that role. When Nebraska created a Court of Appeals in 1991, she was tapped to be one of its first judges.

“It has been a privilege to serve the citizens of Nebraska as an appellate judge since 1992,” Miller-Lerman, 78, said in a statement released by Gov. Jim Pillen’s office. Pillen, in a three-paragraph statement Tuesday announcing her retirement, thanked Miller-Lerman for her service.

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HEALTH INSURANCE WILL COST MORE FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS — ESPECIALLY RURAL RESIDENTS

A combination of Trump administration policies will make health care coverage more expensive for people who purchase plans from health insurance marketplaces — and rural residents will be hit the hardest, according to a new analysis.

Researchers from the Century Foundation say Trump administration policies — especially its refusal to ask Congress to extend Biden-era tax credits that are set to expire at the end of this year — will boost out-of-pocket premiums by 93% in the 32 states that allow the federal government to operate their Affordable Care Act insurance marketplaces. New rules and tariffs will have a smaller impact. Rural county residents in those states will see an increase of 107%, while residents of urban counties will pay 89% more, according to the analysis by the Century Foundation, a left-leaning research nonprofit.

Insurers participating in the Affordable Care Act marketplaces are proposing a median premium increase of 18% for 2026 — the biggest jump since 2018 and 11 points more than the growth from 2024 to this year. That bump would come on top of the increase resulting from the expiration of the tax credits and the other policy changes.

For the full article, click HERE.

TURNOVER AMONG ELECTION OFFICIALS REACHES NEW HIGH, REPORT FINDS

Election officials turned over at the highest rate in at least a quarter century during the last presidential election, according to new research from the Bipartisan Policy Center.

An analysis of shifts in election officials published Tuesday found nearly 41% of election officials administering the 2024 election were different than those in 2020. Turnover has accelerated over the past two decades, rising from about 28% in 2004 to 40.9% last year. The growing percentage of departing election officials comes after years of challenges. They navigated the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as well as harassment and false conspiracy theories surrounding stolen elections that persist today.

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STATE AUDITOR ALLEGES COUNTY OFFICIAL MISUSED MENARDS REBATES FOR TOY BOATS, WHOOPEE CUSHION

LINCOLN — The state auditor is calling out an elected official from northeast Nebraska for allegedly using Menards store rebates earned through county purchases for his own benefit.

Questionable buys ranged from a $1 prank whoopee cushion to a $94 load of lumber. According to an eight-page report issued Tuesday by Nebraska State Auditor Mike Foley and addressed to the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, the auditor’s office had fielded concerns that Commissioner Dean Burbach had redeemed Menards rebates accumulated with county funds. 

Wayne County maintains a charge account with Menards to buy general supplies and other items. The store frequently offers 11% rebates on purchases. Information on the rebate is included on the original transaction receipt, and to redeem it, someone fills out a form and mails it along with the rebate section of the original transaction receipt to Menards.

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LINCOLN NEUROSURGEON, FORMER UNMC STUDENT REGENT RUNNING FOR NU BOARD OF REGENTS IN 2026

LINCOLN — A Lincoln neurosurgeon and former University of Nebraska Medical Center student regent announced his 2026 candidacy Friday for an open seat on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

Dr. Jeremy Hosein of Lincoln, 42, served as UNMC’s student representative in 2013 after having worked as a policy adviser for former Nebraska Govs. Mike Johanns and Dave Heineman. He also interned for former U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., and served in the 2018-19 class of White House fellows in the Trump-era White House Office of Legislative Affairs. During his fellowship, Hosein advised U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and worked on national policy, from drug pricing to international public health security.

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FORMER AIR FORCE ATTORNEY MULLING INDY BID AGAINST NEBRASKA U.S. REP. ADRIAN SMITH

LINCOLN — Lemoyne resident Mark Cohen has launched an exploratory committee to consider an independent bid for Nebraska’s 3rd Congressional District against U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith in the 2026 midterms.

The state’s 3rd Congressional District includes central and western Nebraska and much of the state’s northeastern and southeastern edges. It’s one of the nation’s most conservative congressional districts by political party registration advantage and voting record.  

Smith, who was first elected to Congress in 2006, already faces a Republican primary challenger, former U.S. Border Patrol agent David Huebner.  Democrat Becky Stille is also running for the Democratic nomination.  

For the full article, click HERE. 

GOVERNOR HIGHLIGHTS LB 530 CHANGES DURING SIGNING CEREMONY

OMAHA — Gov. Jim Pillen ceremonially signed a criminal justice package Monday that Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson and Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine celebrated as needed changes for public safety in Nebraska’s largest cities. 

State Sen. Carolyn Bosn, a former Lancaster County prosecutor who steered parts of Legislative Bill 530 to passage, touted its tougher penalties for fentanyl poisoning and law enforcement access to sealed records on gun crimes by juveniles. “This bill prioritized … the tools those kiddos need,” Bosn said. “This package of bills was designed to improve community safety, public safety, improve communication, having the right hand and the left hand work together.”

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INTERIM COMMITTEE HEARING WILL EXPLORE MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT CHANGES IMPACTING YOUNG NEBRASKANS WITH AUTISM

LINCOLN — A Sept. 5 hearing at the Nebraska Capitol will offer state lawmakers opportunity to listen to concerns and rationale about new Medicaid reimbursement rates the state has implemented for services to young people with autism.

Advocates for young Nebraskans with autism have expressed worry that access to services will suffer because the state on Aug. 1 implemented new reduced reimbursement rates for applied behavioral analysis services. Cuts range from 28% to as much as 79%, advocates have said. Also known as ABA, the therapy and support helps youths with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental and social communication delays function better in society.

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NEBRASKA COUNTIES SAY PROPERTY TAX INITIATIVES WON'T RESULT IN SAVINGS FOR SOME

Lincoln — The Nebraska Association of County Officials said the initiative petitions seeking to cut property taxes in half and limit future growth would lead to “significant degradation of essential public services” across the state.

At the same time, NACO said the proposed measures put forward by Advocates For All Nebraskans — the ballot committee behind the two petitions — would be “ineffective in some ways and harm in others” in how they sought to lower property tax burdens. The dual-pronged effort, which was announced at a press conference in the Capitol Rotunda on Monday, came in response to the Legislature’s inability to provide what backers called substantial property tax relief to Nebraskans, organizers said.

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS SEEK LEGISLATIVE HEARING INTO NEBRASKA-ICE DETENTION CENTER PLANS

LINCOLN — Thirteen progressive state lawmakers called on the chair of the Nebraska Legislature’s Judiciary Committee to host a public hearing into a federal-state plan to morph a state prison into an immigration detention center.

The Wednesday letter to State Sen. Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln calls on Bosn to use her authority to call a hearing on the planned repurposing of the Nebraska Work Ethic Camp in McCook. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced a state-federal plan Aug. 19 to convert the nearly 200-bed dormitory-style, rehabilitative-focused prison facility into a 300-bed ICE detention facility over the next 45 days.

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