EX-NEBRASKA LIQUOR COMMISSION DIRECTOR CHARGED WITH TAKING CASH, SEXUAL FAVORS IN STRIP CLUB PROBE

LINCOLN — The former executive director of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission faces seven felony charges, including some that allege he deprived Nebraskans of his honest work as a public official by letting two Lincoln strip clubs give him cash, lap dances, sexual favors and free drinks.

He visited often enough that employees tallied the amount his visits pulled from the cash register on sticky notes left for their bosses that they labeled “COB” for the cost of the clubs doing business, according to a federal indictment of the state official unsealed this week. Part of the state official’s job was to help the commission dole out, discipline and rescind Nebraska liquor licenses. That role included weighing in after police investigations of rival Omaha strip clubs, which the indictment alleges the state official shared with the co-owner of the Lincoln clubs, and looking up dancers in law enforcement databases. The indictment also alleges he demanded a total of $65,000 from one bar owner to protect a liquor license.

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TRUMP TO PUT IMPORT TAXES ON PHARMACEUTICALS, KITCHEN CABINETS, FURNITURE AND HEAVY TRUCKS

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will put import taxes of 100% on pharmaceutical drugs, 50% on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, 30% on upholstered furniture, and 25% on heavy trucks starting on Oct. 1.

The posts on his social media site showed that Trump's devotion to tariffs did not end with the trade frameworks and import taxes that were launched in August, a reflection of the president's confidence that taxes will help to reduce the government's budget deficit while increasing domestic manufacturing.

While Trump did not provide a legal justification for the tariffs, he appeared to stretch the bounds of his role as commander-in-chief by stating on Truth Social that the taxes on imported kitchen cabinets and sofas were needed "for National Security and other reasons."

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FORMER STATE SEN. LEE RUPP REMEMBERED FOR SERVICE TO OTHERS, DEDICATION TO CONSERVATION

LINCOLN — Former Nebraska State Sen. Lee Rupp wore many hats during his lifetime — Marine, lawmaker, conservationist, lobbyist, volunteer firefighter and faithful member of a Columbus coffee club.

But his friends, including Gov. Jim Pillen, say he would want to be remembered for his service to others. “He was just one of those guys who gave back. I don’t know where he got that, but he gave and gave and gave,” said long-time friend Jerry Engdahl of Columbus.

Rupp, who served seven years in the Nebraska Legislature, died Sunday. He was 87. Rupp was born near Monroe, Nebraska, and worked as a fisheries biologist for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission until 1982, when he won a seat in the state Legislature. In 1989, he resigned to become the director of legislative affairs for the University of Nebraska, a post he held for 11 years.

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SEN. JOHN FREDRICKSON ANNOUNCES BID FOR SECOND TERM

OMAHA- Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha announced Wednesday he will seek reelection, saying he will emphasize collaboration with lawmakers regardless of party, growing economic opportunity, ensuring fair representation and protecting Nebraskans’ right to have a voice on future ballot initiatives.

He touted legislative efforts related to health care, fighting for working families and delivering economic impact. Fredrickson is vice chair of the Health and Human Services Committee and has passed bills this session that required training on suicide prevention and awareness for professionals who work with kids and helped ensure that Medicaid recipients could access mental health services.

Fredrickson, a Democrat, represents District 20, which stretches from 72nd Street to 144th Street in west Omaha. He won his 2022 race by fewer than 100 votes, defeating former Douglas County Attorney Stuart Dornan.

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CENTRAL NEBRASKA STATE SEN. TERESA IBACH ANNOUNCES REELECTION CAMPAIGN

KEARNEY- Senator Teresa Ibach is planning to continue her work in District 44. The rural Nebraska native is finishing her first term in the Unicameral. She says in a news release that she believes she can continue the fight for the future of a district that covers eight counties across central and southwest Nebraska. 

“As a farmer and rancher, I live the same challenges facing rural families every day,” said Ibach. “In the Legislature, I’ve worked hard to bring common-sense leadership, build consensus across the aisle, and ensure rural voices are heard.”

Ibach graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and, alongside her husband and three children, has dedicated a large portion of her life to agriculture and public service. Ibach is currently the vice chair of the Agriculture Committee. She has also taken on national leadership responsibilities as co-chair of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee for the Midwest Legislative Council. 

Read the article by clicking HERE

NEBRASKA U.S. SEN. PETE RICKETTS LAUNCHES REELECTION BID

OMAHA — Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts launched his reelection bid last weekend at R&R Realty Group and kicked off a three-day tour of the state.

Ricketts looks to win his first full six-year term after winning a special election in 2024 to finish the final two years of former Nebraska U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., who resigned. Ricketts faces a populist challenger in a race already garnering national attention. 

“Conservative leadership matters,” Ricketts said. “Conservative leadership delivers.”

As expected, President Donald Trump joined prominent Republicans in endorsing Ricketts, a former two-term governor and political force in the state. In his campaign kickoff, Ricketts highlighted working with the Legislature as governor to deliver $12.7 billion in tax relief.  Ricketts also touted his Senate votes for Trump’s budget and tax bill this summer, saying “it delivers the largest tax cut in American history.” He highlighted its new temporary tax breaks for workers earning less and how it boosted funding for immigration enforcement.

 For the full article, click HERE. 

GOV. PILLEN, LOCAL AND STATE LEADERS RECOGNIZE SEVEN INAUGURAL CERTIFIED COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINICS IN NEBRASKA

HASTINGS, Neb. – A new statewide program is ready to hit the ground running by increasing mental and behavioral health services across the state. 

Gov. Jim Pillen along with local and state leaders convened in Hastings Wednesday morning to recognize the seven inaugural Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) in the state.

The conference was held at South Central Behavioral Services (SCBS), which is one of the seven organizations now with the CCBHC designation.

Organizations receiving the CCBHC designation are: 

- CenterPointe in Lincoln
- Community Alliance in Omaha
- Heartland Counseling Services in South Sioux City
- Heartland Family Services in Omaha
- Lutheran Family Services across the state
- South Central Behavioral Services in Hastings
- The Well in Norfolk

State data shows all but five counties in Nebraska are experiencing mental healthcare professional shortages.

For the full article, click HERE.

FORMER GOV. CANDIDATE CHARLES HERBSTER HASN'T RULED OUT 2026 CHALLENGE TO JIM PILLEN

FALLS CITY-  Charles Herbster, the wealthy Falls City businessman and close ally of President Donald Trump who finished second in Nebraska's 2022 Republican gubernatorial primary to Gov. Jim Pillen, has not yet decided whether he will seek office again in 2026, he said Wednesday.

Herbster, who has long been floated as a potential primary challenger to Pillen when the Republican incumbent seeks a second term next year, said in a brief phone interview Wednesday that he has been encouraged to run for office again but is "not making any decision at this point."

Pillen, who announced his plans to seek reelection earlier this year, narrowly edged Herbster in 2022's three-way GOP primary, capturing 33.9% of the vote to Herbster's 29.9%. Former state Sen. Brett Lindstrom, who finished third with 26.1% of the vote

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2026 TENTATIVE LEGISLATIVE SESSION CALENDAR

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Legislature has released its tentative calendar for the 2026 Legislative session. As a reminder, the 2026 session is a short session of 60 days with 11 recess days. The first day of the 2026 legislative session is set to be Wednesday, January 7th.

The calendar is subject to revision by the speaker of the Legislature but will be finalized and redistributed before January 7th. As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding the 2026 session or calendar!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2026 SESSION CALENDAR 

2026 TENTATIVE LEGISLATIVE SESSION CALENDAR PUBLISHED

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Legislature has released its tentative calendar for the 2026 Legislative session. As a reminder, the 2026 session is a short session of 60 days with 11 recess days. The first day of the 2026 legislative session is set to be Wednesday, January 7th.

The calendar is subject to revision by the speaker of the 110th Legislature but will be finalized and redistributed before January 7th. As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding the 2026 calendar!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2026 SESSION CALENDAR 

NEBRASKA TAX REVENUES $12 MILLION ABOVE PROJECTIONS FOR AUGUST

LINCOLN — For the second month in a row, Nebraska’s general fund tax receipts came in modestly above forecasts, but there’s still a ways to go to fill the state’s projected deficit. The Department of Revenue released Nebraska’s August tax receipts Monday showing a net gain of 2% over what Nebraska’s Economic Forecasting Advisory Board predicted in April. That jump equates to roughly $12 million in additional tax revenues flowing into the state’s coffers.

Nebraska ended the last fiscal year with net tax receipts down about $86 million from forecasts, leading to a projected state budget deficit of about $95 million. The latest receipts help with filling that deficit, along with Nebraska’s July receipts being roughly $20 million higher than projections. The forecasting board considers these reports when making revenue projections, Legislative Fiscal Analyst Keisha Patent said.

But the progress also must contend with other economic factors, including the federal budget reconciliation bill. A different revenue report that came out earlier this month shared that the new tax and spending law could cost Nebraska’s state government about $216 million over the next two years. 

For the full article, click HERE. 

STATE AUDITOR: MITCHELL, NEBRASKA, MAYOR MAY HAVE USED PUBLIC EQUIPMENT FOR PERSONAL GAIN

LINCOLN — State Auditor Mike Foley in a new report this week accused the mayor of a small western Nebraska town of possibly misusing public equipment and resources for the mayor’s personal benefit, including spraying a weedy area near his driveway with a city-owned utility vehicle.

Foley also raised eyebrows about “excessive” city payments to the mayor’s “Handyman” business. The auditor on Tuesday released a 20-page report to the Panhandle City of Mitchell detailing findings and including photos. One image, for example, purports to show Paul Murrell, the mayor of the town with a population of less than 2,000 people, using a city-owned weed sprayer vehicle in an area near his home.

For the full article, click HERE.

FORMER STATE SENATOR REMEMBERED FOR DOGGED ADVOCACY OF RURAL NEBRASKA

LINCOLN — Former Nebraska State Sen. Loran Schmit is remembered as a dogged advocate for rural Nebraska and the father of the state’s ethanol industry, as well as a legislative leader who was ahead of his time on other issues, including gambling. Schmit, 96, died Wednesday at his home in Bellwood.

“He was an example of someone with a vision and a passion who was willing to go to the mat to make it happen,” said Scott Moore, a former legislative colleague.

It was a passion, he said, that sometimes worked against Schmit, a farmer, lobbyist and businessman.

For the full article, click HERE.

ADVOCATES SAY NEBRASKA MISSED GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND RURAL BROADBAND

LINCOLN — Advocates for rural Nebraska and telecommunications companies are expressing disappointment and some condemnation over the decision to propose spending only $43.8 million of the $405 million in federal money awarded to the state to expand high-speed internet “for all.”

These “provisional” awards by the Nebraska Broadband Office that Gov. Jim Pillen created raise the prospect that $350 million in unspent funds awarded to the state under the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Act could be returned to Washington, D.C., and not spent here.

It also means, some advocates said, that up to 10,000 locations in rural Nebraska will settle for less-reliable satellite or wireless internet service instead of the top-of-the-line broadband delivered via fiber optic cables. “If there were a trophy for squandering opportunity, Nebraska would already have it on the shelf,” said Emily Haxby, a Gage County Board member who has been a leader in seeking better internet service in her county and elsewhere.

For the full article, click HERE.

HOW THE FED’S RATE CUT IMPACTS MORTGAGE RATES

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hoping that mortgage rates will keep dropping following the Federal Reserve’s first rate cut since last year? Don’t bank on it. As expected, the central bank delivered a quarter-point cut Wednesday and projected it would lower its benchmark rate twice more this year, reflecting growing concern over the U.S. job market.

Mortgage rates have been mostly falling since late July on expectations of a Fed rate cut. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage was at 6.35% last week, its lowest level in nearly a year, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. A similar pullback in mortgage rates happened around this time last year in the weeks leading up to the Fed’s first rate cut in more than four years. Back then, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage got down to a 2-year low of 6.08% one week after the central bank cut rates.

For the full article, click HERE.

$300M CREIGHTON DONOR-FUNDED PLAN AIMS TO RESHAPE PART OF DOWNTOWN OMAHA

OMAHA — A roughly $300 million donor-funded plan is poised to reshape a 12-block recreational and athletic corridor on the east side of Creighton University — further meshing the private institution into the downtown of Nebraska’s largest city.

Creighton calls the initiative “Fly Together” and says it involves 11 new or upgraded facilities and outdoor spaces covering about 700,000 square feet of the Bluejays’ east campus.

Planned additions and improvements include a new Student Fitness Center, upgrades to the Rasmussen Fitness & Sports Center and the creation of the Jaywalk, a new pedestrian passageway linking Creighton to the Builder’s District, which is a separate office, entertainment and housing site under development by Noddle Companies. 

For the full article, click HERE.

DOZENS VENT AT 'PINK POSTCARD' HEARING IN LINCOLN OVER PROPERTY TAXES

Lincoln - Dozens of Lincoln and Lancaster County residents aired frustrations over ever-increasing property taxes Thursday at a joint public hearing meant to provide transparency over property tax rates.

For about 90 minutes Thursday evening, property owners lined up to voice concerns over rising property valuations that, they said, the City Council and Lancaster County Board are not doing enough to counteract. Officials from the city and county — as well as officials from the towns of Waverly and Hickman — were required to send delegates to Thursday's hearing under the "Truth in Taxation" law passed by Nebraska's Legislature in 2022.

For the full article, click HERE.

LEGISLATIVE STUDY HEARING ON STATE TAKEOVER OF SCENIC NIOBRARA RIVER CANCELED

LINCOLN — A Friday interim study hearing on whether the State of Nebraska should takeover management of the scenic Niobrara River from the National Park Service has been canceled due to a family matter involving the senator who requested the study. It was not immediately clear whether the hearing, sponsored by State Sen. Tonya Storer of Whitman, would be rescheduled prior to the 2026 session of the Nebraska Legislature.

Another interim study scheduled Friday before the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee also was withdrawn. That hearing, sponsored by Lincoln Sen. George Duggan, was to investigate the need for a “Green Amendment.”

Currently, the National Parks Service manages the Niobrara, which was federally designated in 1991 as a wild and scenic river worthy of protection. The Park Service operates that section of river with an annual budget of $1.2 million and had been providing $100,000 each year to the Niobrara Council, a committee of local officials who provide input and some management help.

For the full article, click HERE.  

TRUMP'S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REQUESTS NEBRASKA'S VOTER ROLLS. STATE OFFICIALS ARE MULLING IT OVER

LINCOLN — Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen has a Monday deadline from the U.S. Department of Justice to hand over a full database of voters’ registration information, including driver’s license and Social Security numbers.

Whether he will comply is uncertain. “We request Nebraska’s voter registration list to assess your state’s compliance with the statewide voter registration list maintenance provisions of the National Voter Registration Act,” a Sept. 8 letter from Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon to Evnen, a Republican, states.

The letter specifies that the registration list must include a registrant’s full name, date of birth, address, state driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. 

For the full article, click HERE.

FRIDAY NIGHT BLOWOUTS: HOW TRANSFERS SHIFTED COMPETITIVE BALANCE IN NEBRASKA HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

OMAHA - Fueled by the rise of club sports, COVID cancellations and trickle-down trends from the college game, talented athletes are increasingly leaving their neighborhood schools to join stronger teams, according to coaches, administrators and sports writers who spoke with the Flatwater Free Press.

Over the last three years, nearly 1,500 high school athletes have switched teams without having to sit out under the state’s loose transfer rules. At the highest level, the consolidation of talent has tipped the scales of competitive balance, said Jeff Johnson, associate director of the Nebraska School Activities Association. “The good have gotten better and the bad have gotten worse,” Johnson said.

For the full article, click HERE.