FIRST ‘KID GOVERNOR’ SWORN IN AMID JOY, CONTRASTING WITH TURMOIL ELSEWHERE IN STATE CAPITOL

LINCOLN — On a day unprecedented political tumult rocked the Nebraska Legislature, a new generation of elected leadership was sworn into office amid cheers and smiles in the State Capitol Rotunda.

Charlie Couch, a fifth-grader at Meadows Elementary School in Ralston, officially became Nebraska’s first-ever kid governor on Tuesday — after garnering the most votes in a November election of her peers.

The top six finalists in the race became Charlie’s cabinet and will help promote the platform she ran on, cancer awareness. They’ll also collectively come up with ideas and an agenda to push, offering a youthful perspective.

“We are showing everyone what leadership looks like in our state and in our communities,” Charlie said in her first official address following her swearing-in event attended by several state senators. 

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FORMER STATE SEN. FRED MEYER APPOINTED TO REPLACE DAN MCKEON IN NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN — One day after former State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst resigned from the Nebraska Legislature over allegations of workplace misconduct, Gov. Jim Pillen appointed Fred Meyer of St. Paul to represent Legislative District 41.

Meyer is familiar with the Legislature, having served in the same seat during the 2024 legislative session. Pillen appointed him then to replace Tom Briese, whom Pillen appointed as State Treasurer. Pillen said it was important for him to fill the seat for LD 41 as soon as possible, and he did not follow an application process. He said Meyer will begin serving in the Legislature on Thursday.

“He’ll be an asset from day one,” Pillen said of Meyer.

McKeon resigned Tuesday, minutes before floor debate on his potential expulsion was set to begin. He faced possible expulsion following allegations that he inappropriately touched a legislative staffer. Had he not resigned, multiple senators corroborated, there were enough votes to expel him, which would have been a first in Nebraska history.

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NEBRASKA GOV. JIM PILLEN SEEKS PROBE OF STATE SEN. MACHAELA CAVANAUGH’S PRAGERU ART INCIDENT

LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen is seeking a criminal investigation into State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha over removing and later returning part of a Nebraska Capitol display on American history from conservative nonprofit PragerU.

The governor released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying he and his team have “carefully consulted with law enforcement and members of the Legislature” and “concluded this warrants a criminal investigation by law enforcement.” Pillen says he told the Nebraska State Patrol to refer the materials from the incident to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.

On the first day of this year’s legislative session, Cavanaugh, a progressive lawmaker in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, removed the frames because she said, “We are not allowed to adhere anything to the walls in the hallway of the Capitol.” She said that, typically, any such display would be placed near the information desk, not on the walls along the Capitol’s hallways.

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GOV. JIM PILLEN CALLS NEBRASKA ‘RECESSION-PROOF’ IN STATE OF THE STATE

LINCOLN — Despite needing to fill a state budget hole, Gov. Jim Pillen spent much of his 40-minute speech painting a picture of Nebraska that has seen economic growth, calling the state “recession-proof.” 

He touted Nebraska’s diverse economy, built on agriculture and said the return of the Trump administration had “created countless new opportunities” for the state and its people. “We can bet the farm that Nebraska is primed to grow,” Pillen told lawmakers Thursday. 

His State of the State address comes in a year when Pillen is seeking re-election with a massive war chest and many of the advantages of incumbency — and the possibility of a GOP primary race rematch with multistate agribusinessman Charles Herbster — or perhaps another Republican waiting in the wings. Former Democratic State Sen. Lynne Walz is also considering a bid.

Pillen’s speech emphasized his eagerness to work with Trump — pointing to his volunteering the state to be the first in the country to implement new federal work requirements for Medicaid recipients, beginning May 1 of this year. He also stressed that his administration’s staffers had initiated conversations with the federal government about the possibility of assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by offering ICE the use of a now-former state prison in McCook as a new detention center for migrants. “Nebraska is proud to be doing our part to get the border secure and to protect America’s kids from criminals,” Pillen said. 

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NU REGENTS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVE $800M CLARKSON DEAL FOR NEBRASKA MEDICINE

LINCOLN — The University of Nebraska Board of Regents voted unanimously Thursday to proceed with an $800 million deal with Clarkson Regional Health Services to give NU sole ownership of Nebraska Medicine, which officials anticipate will close by June 30.

NU and Clarkson, as well as Nebraska Medicine, will finalize the transaction and craft new governing documents in the meantime. Barring major changes to the plan, approved 7-0, the regents would not need to take another vote. Nonprofit Nebraska Medicine is the hospital, clinical and medical services partner to the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

NU President Jeffrey Gold, who was UNMC chancellor between 2014 and 2024, a role that had him chair the Nebraska Medicine Board of Directors, said the “critically important decision” would allow NU to continue to lead in health care. 

Dr. Gold said his final analysis on the choice came down to his Hippocratic oath 46 years ago. He said the Clarkson transaction was an extension of that oath. “I said I would heal people, I would do my best, that altruism and humanism and professionalism were key, and that, above all, I swore to do no harm,” Gold said Thursday.

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GOV. JIM PILLEN WANTS VOTERS ACROSS NEBRASKA TO DECIDE THE FATE OF THE ‘BLUE DOT’

OMAHA - Gov. Jim Pillen said in his State of the State speech Thursday that he will again back an effort to unify Nebraska's Electoral College votes in presidential elections. 

This time, he wants lawmakers to approve a ballot initiative on the measure, putting the future of the "Blue Dot" — the colloquial term for Nebraska's Omaha-centered 2nd Congressional District, which has voted for Democrats in the past three presidential races — in the hands of all Nebraska voters. 

"I favor restoring the law to award our Electoral College votes to the candidate who gets the most votes," Pillen, a Republican, said. "I call upon this Legislature to pass Sen. (Myron) Dorn's, LR24CA, to place this question on the November ballot so that the people of Nebraska can have the final say on how their voice is heard in America's most important national elections."

Dorn, who lives in Adams, introduced his resolution last year. It advanced from the Government, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, but it has not had a floor debate in the Legislature. 

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NEBRASKA AND ISRAEL ARE FIGHTING TOGETHER FOR FREEDOM — AND FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE

LINCOLN - Governor Jim Pillen said, "We live in an increasingly dangerous world. Terrorists from Hamas, Hezbollah  and Iran wish to destabilize the Middle East and attack the Jewish people. Much of the region is a hot bed for radical activity and militant factions. But Israel stands apart. 

Israel is a beacon of democracy and a defender of our shared values, including the rule of law. Israel is a country built by a people who are innovative and believe in free trade. Israel is a global partner in America’s pursuit of lasting peace. 

Our two countries have benefitted from decades of friendship, shared security goals, and thriving trade. Without question, America and Israel are each other's most important allies. Today, we remain committed to strengthening the relationship between our two countries. Following the barbaric Oct. 7 attacks, we stood together in our defense of the Israeli people. When you walk the streets of the Kfar Aza Kibbutz or visit the site of the Nova Festival Massacre, you see the lasting impact of Oct. 7 on the Israeli people. The scars are deep, and the brutality of the horror remains shocking."

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DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY ADVOCATES FEAR PROPOSED CHANGES

LINCOLN - Parents and advocates of people with developmental disabilities are pushing for Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services to stop proposed limits on a waiver program. Meanwhile, the state said it’s taking the outpouring of comments under review and will respond to each of them. The waiver program in question is called the Aged and Adult and Children with Disabilities Waiver, commonly called the Aged and Disabled Waiver.

According to a DHHS webpage, family caregivers for people with a high-level of need, also called skilled nursing facility level of care, couldn’t receive more than about $162,000 per year for waiver services under the proposal. Also, a department review would take place if service costs surpass roughly $139,000 annually.

Many people have submitted public comments about a proposed cap for the Aged and Disabled waiver on the number of billable hours per week for “live-in caregivers” to 40 hours and an additional 30-hour cap per week for other caregivers, DHHS said. That language can be found at the bottom of page 53 in the full proposal written by the department.

Susan Samuelson is a parent of a child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and a member of a new advocacy organization called Nebraska Rare. Limits on family caregiving would push more people to seek agency care, which is understaffed, Samuelson said at a press conference Wednesday. “Agencies cost two to three times more than what families are paid,” Samuelson said. “And I want to just say, families are only — nobody’s making bank. It’s $15 an hour, minimum wage.”

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NEBRASKA GOVERNOR UNVEILS BUDGET PROPOSAL WITH SPENDING CUTS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS

LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Thursday released his proposed budget, calling for spending cuts across state departments to address a projected $471 million shortfall. The plan emphasizes fiscal restraint while reallocating funds to priority areas.

The governor’s proposal would reduce overall spending by 0.4% in the 2025-26 fiscal year and 1.8% in 2026-27. About $192.6 million would be transferred from various cash funds into the state’s general fund. The budget office reviewed more than 900 cash funds, and 39 inactive funds would either be repealed or returned to the general fund.

The Department of Health and Human Services would see significant reductions, including roughly $22 million in the current year and over $130 million in the next fiscal cycle, largely through staffing adjustments and cash-fund reallocations. Some areas, such as the Department of Children and Family Services, would receive increased funding to meet growing demand, including support for more Medicaid-eligible residents.

Other elements of Pillen’s plan include eliminating retroactive Medicaid coverage, repurposing vacant positions across agencies, and expanding scholarship opportunities for K-12 students to attend private or parochial schools. The governor described the budget as a “practical and responsible approach” to stabilizing Nebraska’s finances while prioritizing taxpayers and essential services.

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MIKE FOLEY WANTS TO ADD ANOTHER NEBRASKA AUDITOR TERM

LINCOLN — Mike Foley is seeking another four-year term as Nebraska auditor of public accounts, embracing a job designed to help root out fraud, inefficiency and misuse of government resources.

At 71, Foley’s political career in Nebraska has spanned a quarter century, starting as a state senator representing south Lincoln in 2001. In the Legislature, he was a social conservative who often emphasized his opposition to abortion. He was also criticized by some for pressing his faith into public positions.

After six years making laws, the Republican won back-to-back terms as state auditor. He ran for governor in the 2014 election and lost in the primary to Pete Ricketts, who later named Foley as his running mate, which led to an eight-year stint as lieutenant governor.

Foley then chose to take another shot at the auditor’s post and voters returned him to the office in 2023. After filing paperwork this week for what would be a fourth term as auditor, though not all consecutive, Foley told the Nebraska Examiner he hadn’t seriously considered any other job.

“I enjoy this work. It’s a good fit for me,” he said. “We have a great team and I think we’re making a difference.” The auditor provides independent investigations of financial activities of state and local governments. Oversight extends to about 2,700 entities and agencies, Foley said. Findings go to policymakers and taxpayers via reports and Internet-based budget and audit databases.

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BUSINESS, STATE LAWMAKER GROUPS CALL CHILD CARE SUBSIDY BILL VITAL TO NEBRASKA WORKFORCE

LINCOLN — Calling affordable child care vital to Nebraska’s workforce, business leaders joined other advocates Thursday in championing a proposed state law to extend current income eligibility levels for a child care subsidy.

Hunter Traynor, executive vice president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry was among dozens gathered at the State Capitol in support of Legislative Bill 304, which would make permanent the income eligibility caps enacted into law in 2021.

Now set to expire in October, income eligibility for the state child care subsidy program was raised from 130% to 185% of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, that meant household earnings could be $59,000 instead of $42,000.

State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha, who was part of a bipartisan group of about 20 lawmakers supporting the bill, said she has named LB 304 her priority legislation for the 2026 session. The bill stalled last year in a committee, as state officials estimated the annual financial impact at about $14 million in general funds. The state’s latest shortfall is estimated at $471 million. DeBoer said Thursday she was working with the Department of Health and Human Services to find the additional funding to support the bill.

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GRAND ISLAND SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES $2 MILLION NETWORKING BID

Grand Island - All Grand Island Public Schools buildings will soon have upgraded wired networking after the school board approved a nearly $2 million bid Thursday night. “This includes six facilities,” said Dan Petsch, director of buildings and grounds.

The buildings include Gates, Howard, Knickrehm, Lincoln and Wasmer elementary schools, as well as the Kneale Administration Building. “We go in and do a total upgrade for the wiring that will support security cameras, phone system, as well as our infrastructure for our APs,” Petsch said, referring to access points. Hamilton Information Systems submitted the lower of two bids for $1,948,778.

“Hamilton was actually the contractor that did the work for us this last summer,” Petsch said. Money for the project will come from the Qualified Capital Purpose Undertaking Fund. All seven board members present voted in favor of the bill. Lisa Albers was absent, and the board accepted the resignation of Josh Sikes at Thursday’s meeting.

The board also approved a $248,500 bid from Mechanical Sales for a cooling tower replacement at Grand Island Senior High. A cooling tower removes waste heat from a building.

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKER REMOVES, LATER RETURNS PART OF PRAGERU ‘FOUNDERS MUSEUM’ AT CAPITOL

LINCOLN — In plain view of the public, progressive State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha tore down and later returned part of a Nebraska Capitol display distributed by the conservative nonprofit PragerU and the White House on the first day of the legislative session.

Gov. Jim Pillen had said the purpose of hosting the display, sponsored by the state’s Semiquincentennial Commission, was to let the state “celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary.”

The nonprofit behind the images has faced criticism for sharing content that historians consider misleading and inaccurate. The latest display is part of a push from the Trump administration’s White House Task Force 250, outreach designed to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S.

Cavanaugh told the Examiner she removed the frames because “we are not allowed to adhere anything to walls in the hallway of the Capitol.”  She said generally any such display would be placed near the information desk and not in the Capitol’s hallways. “I have always been a stickler for the rules … so I removed the prohibited objects,” Cavanaugh said.

Speaker John Arch of La Vista confirmed that Cavanaugh told him that she had removed the portraits. Arch said the commission can display in the Capitol with approval, which he said the group had received from the Nebraska Capitol Commission.

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NEBRASKA RECEIVES $218.5M FOR RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM, LAWMAKERS PUSH PASTURE-TO-POLICY AGENDA

LINCOLN — Nebraska has been awarded $218.5 million through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, marking one of the largest allocations nationwide and providing a major boost to efforts aimed at strengthening health care access in rural parts of the state. The initiative, championed by Gov. Jim Pillen and scheduled to begin in 2026, is designed to modernize rural health care delivery and address long-standing challenges such as provider shortages, geographic barriers and limited access to emergency and preventive services.

The program will allow the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to implement coordinated strategies including regional hub-and-spoke health networks, expanded mobile health units, enhanced pharmacy services and broader use of eHealth technologies. State leaders say the investment is intended to bring care closer to home for residents in rural and frontier counties while also helping recruit and retain health care workers as demand increases, particularly among aging populations.

In her “Capitol Conversations: From Pasture to Policy” commentary, State Sen. Tanya Storer highlighted the funding as a significant step toward aligning state policy with the needs of Nebraska’s agricultural and rural communities. She described the program’s emphasis on prevention, innovation and local access as a long-term opportunity to improve health outcomes and infrastructure, even as lawmakers continue broader discussions on rural development and sustainability during the legislative session.

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TIKTOK SUES NEBRASKA AG OVER SECRET LAW FIRM DEALS

LINCOLN - Social media giant TikTok has sued Nebraska's Attorney General, accusing him of violating state law by redacting and withholding public records concerning his office retaining two private law firms in their civil lawsuit against them. 

Attorney General Mike Hilgers hasn't yet responded to the petition filed Tuesday in Lancaster County District Court. But his spokesperson, Suzanne Gage, said Wednesday that the documents "were properly withheld under Nebraska law."

The new case relates to the lawsuit the state filed against TikTok in May 2024, in which Hilgers' office accused TikTok of falsely marketing and promoting its "addictive and otherwise harmful product" to Nebraskans and said it has fueled a youth mental health crisis in Nebraska.

Specifically, it accuses TikTok of making misrepresentations by calling its product a "family friendly" platform that is safe and appropriate for users 12 and up. Hilgers is seeking civil penalties and injunctive relief and has likened the case to claims brought in the ’90s against Big Tobacco. The newly filed case involves who is representing the state of Nebraska in the case.

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NEBRASKA REPORT FINDS DECREASE IN UNFILLED TEACHING POSITIONS STATEWIDE

LINCOLN - The number of unfilled teaching positions in Nebraska decreased by nearly 50% over the past two school years, according to data from a statewide teacher vacancy survey.

The number of reported unfilled teaching positions statewide was 490 for the 2025-26 school year, according to a report from the Nebraska Department of Education. That number is down from a peak of 908 unfilled positions in the 2023-24 school year and 669 unfilled positions in the 2024-25 school year. Of the unfilled positions for the 2025-26 school year, 23% were left vacant, while the remainder of the positions were filled with an underqualified educator. The percentage of positions left vacant in 2024-25 was 30%. 

Special education was the area with the most unfilled positions for both this school year and last, decreasing from 149 in 2024-25 to 140 in 2025-26. Other subject areas with the most unfilled positions included elementary education, career education, science and math. The report also included teacher shortages by region, with the Omaha metro region seeing the highest number of shortages. The metro region had 175 unfilled teaching positions in 2025-26, down from 239 in 2024-25.

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NEBRASKA GOV. JIM PILLEN TAUNTS $10 MILLION CAMPAIGN WAR CHEST AHEAD OF 2026 REELECTION BID

LINCOLN — Fresh off securing President Donald Trump’s endorsement, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announced his campaign has raised $7.6 million, bringing the governor’s political war chest to $10 million ahead of his 2026 reelection bid. 

The incumbent governor’s fundraising haul comes as a potential Republican primary election rematch is on the horizon with multi-state agribusinessman Charles Herbster, a longtime Trump donor. 

The Pillen campaign said the amount is “almost seven times” that of any previous incumbent governor going into reelection. Pillen finished 2024 with more than $3 million in cash on hand, according to state campaign finance reports. Dona-Gene Barton, a political science professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who studies political behavior, said, “This massive war chest creates a David vs. Goliath situation for potential challengers.”

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RESPECT NEBRASKA VOTERS EFFORT BEGINS SIGNATURE GATHERING, MEETS EARLY PUSHBACK

OMAHA — Advocates seeking an amendment to the Nebraska Constitution to “protect” and make it harder to tweak citizen-initiated laws, such as those around payday lending, gambling, minimum wage, paid sick leave and medical cannabis, will start gathering signatures this week for the 2026 ballot.

Proponents see the changes as necessary in light of recent legislative action or inaction on voter-backed laws. But some advocates of recent ballot measures and a few state senators said they worry about unintended consequences. The new group, “Respect Nebraska Voters,” kicked off its 2026 campaign this week in Omaha. If successful, the effort would increase the threshold of lawmakers required to change voter-approved laws from 33 state senators (two-thirds) to 40 (four-fifths). 

Nebraska’s officially nonpartisan one-house Legislature has 49 state lawmakers. Former State Sen. Al Davis, a Sandhills rancher, helped lead a 2020 measure to cap payday lending rates. It passed with about 83% of the vote. He is now a co-sponsor of Respect Nebraska Voters and said the push could be important for the future of ballot measures. “I fear we’re now in the unfortunate place where many everyday Nebraskans are left wondering if initiatives matter at all, or if lawmakers will simply reach for the eraser after every election,” Davis said. “I believe we can restore trust and do better by putting more power in voters’ hands.”

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GOVERNOR PRESENTS ANNUAL THREAT ASSESSMENT, PRAISES TRUMP'S CAPTURE OF MADURO

LINCOLN —As dominoes tumble to an unseen endpoint in Latin America, Nebraska leaders discussed the state's role in projecting U.S. power and what threats Nebraskans face in their own backyards. Gov. Jim Pillen, Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly and Adjutant General Craig Strong of the Nebraska National Guard presented a summary of the annual threat assessment from the state's Committee on Pacific Conflict in an Air National Guard hangar.

"This year we tried to make sure we made a focus on ag security, agriculture as a strategic infrastructure," Kelly said. "We heard from several witnesses in that regard. But we know that here in Nebraska, our defense starts with the 44 million acres of land that are in ag production." Nebraska ag land and who owns it has been the subject or recent legislation. The Foreign-Owned Real Estate National Security Act looked to tighten up restrictions on adversaries. State leaders also want to push Nebraska toward de-coupling with adversarial economies.

"Stop buying stuff made in China," Pillen said. "Stop buying it. Do business with your neighbors. Do business with Main Street, Nebraska." One of the committee's champions, Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, said the start of the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian War was a wake-up call for the state. "With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, all of the investments we had, all of the trade arrangements that we had, immediately evaporated," Bostar said. Bostar said this committee, in part, is aimed at preventing that possibility in the future. Kelly referred to Nebraska as an "adversary-free zone."

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ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST LOTTERY FUNDS AGAIN TARGETED TO HELP CLOSE STATE BUDGET GAP

LINCOLN — With state government facing a $471 million budget shortfall, one state agency again seeks to use state lottery funds, through the Nebraska Environmental Trust, to help finance its operations.

The proposal was described by trust supporters as a new and probably unconstitutional “raid” of trust funds — state lottery proceeds that are granted out to environmental projects.

A state official, meanwhile, described the transfer as necessary to continue soil and water conservation projects and said it complies with a recently amended state law that expanded the allowable uses of the money. The Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment (NDWEE), in a mid-budget funding request, seeks an $8 million transfer from the Trust, of which $6 million would be used for a soil and water conservation program and $2 million for salaries and administrative costs.

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