PROBE BY STATE OMBUDSMAN FINDS PAST MISMANAGEMENT AT NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

LINCOLN — An investigation by the State Ombudsman’s Office found “reasonable grounds” to support claims by three Nebraska State Historical Society employees of mismanagement by the agency’s interim managers. In a press release Thursday, State Ombudsman Julie Rogers said a formal investigation looked at claims of mismanagement from July through October of 2024, during which Cindy Drake — an appointee of Gov. Jim Pillen — served as interim director of the agency.

While the Ombudsman’s Office did not detail the complaints, one former Historical Society employee said Drake and two deputy directors had created a toxic work environment at the agency. The probe found mismanagement, but not “gross mismanagement,” Rogers said, adding that the investigation is now considered closed.

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NEBRASKA JOINS BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF TRUMP'S CHALLENGED FEDERAL EMPLOYEE BUYOUT PLAN

LINCOLN — Nebraska this week joined a group of 21 other Republican-led states in seeking to file a brief in support of President Donald Trump's executive order offering a buyout to federal employees. The move comes on the heels of Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers last week joining in friend-of-the-court briefs in defense of Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship in federal cases filed in Washington, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

A federal judge in Seattle, a President Ronald Reagan appointee, called it "blatantly unconstitutional" and entered a preliminary injunction. Two other federal judges since have followed suit, temporarily blocking it from going into effect. In the latest case over Trump's so-called "Fork Directive" to federal employees, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, who led the group of states that include Nebraska, is asking a federal judge in Massachusetts to deny the American Federation of Government Employees AFL-CIO's motion for a temporary restraining order in the case against Charles Ezell, acting director of the Office of Personnel Management.

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CARBON PIPELINE DEVELOPERS SAYS IT HAS 100% OF ROUTE THROUGH NEBRASKA FINALIZED

LINCOLN — The developer of a carbon pipeline seeking to inject the greenhouse gas deep under eastern Wyoming said it’s on track to start operations in Nebraska later this year. Tallgrass Energy, the operator of the 392-mile Trailblazer Pipeline, said it has secured 100% of the right of way needed to connect 10 ethanol plants to the main stem pipeline, which formerly carried natural gas from eastern Colorado as far east as Beatrice.

Bold Alliance, which along with agriculture groups signed a “community benefits agreement” last year with Tallgrass Energy setting forth rigorous protections for landowners and financial contributions for public safety and community development, said the effort worked. Jane Kleeb, founder of Bold Alliance, said the voluntary easements sought for pipeline projects have frustrated landowner advocates who say they are often used as a precursor ahead of an eminent domain filing.

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PROPOSAL WOULD EXPAND DEFINITION OF INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS

LINCOLN — During the debate in the Nebraska Legislature on Thursday, lawmakers considered expanding the definition of who would be considered independent contractors as opposed to employees. It was the second round of consideration for Sen. Bob Hallstrom’s proposal (LB229) to classify people like Uber and Lyft drivers as independent contractors. That’s already the case, but it’s been challenged in other states, so Hallstrom wants to make it clear in state law. On Thursday, he proposed an amendment that would extend it to certain delivery drivers.

“This would apply both to Uber, Lyft, and companies like DoorDash that deliver parcels as opposed to people,” Hallstrom said. He distributed a letter from an Uber driver who said he values the flexibility being an independent contractor gives him to pursue his other jobs as a theater employee and a traveling musician. Hallstrom said many drivers feel the same way.

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LAWMAKERS ADVANCE BILL FOR EXPANDED SYPHILIS BLOOD TESTING FOR EXPECTANT NEBRASKA MOTHERS

LAWMAKERS ADVANCE BILL FOR EXPANDED SYPHILIS BLOOD TESTING FOR EXPECTANT NEBRASKA MOTHERS

LINCOLN — Lawmakers advanced a proposal Monday designed to expand syphilis blood testing for expectant mothers to stem a rising tide of maternal and congenital syphilis. Legislative Bill 41, from State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, would expand blood testing requirements for pregnant women to include two additional tests for syphilis. A test is already required at each woman’s first prenatal examination. Riepe’s bill would add a third-trimester examination and a test at birth.

Riepe said the state has seen a sharp increase in syphilis infections, particularly among women and newborns. Since 2017, overall syphilis cases have risen nearly 400%, but the increase is sharper for women and congenital syphilis for infants at birth, at a 1,100% increase each. “These numbers represent real families impacted by their very first preventable disease,” Riepe said.

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS ADVANCE BILL TO SHIELD COMPANIES FROM LIABILITY FOR DATA BREACHES

LINCOLN — Nebraska lawmakers gave first-round approval Wednesday to a bill that would broadly shield private companies from class-action lawsuits stemming from data breaches that occur on their watch. One Democrat joined nearly every Republican in the state's formally nonpartisan Legislature to advance the proposed law, which opponents argued will "make it harder for companies to be held accountable in the event that they actually are negligent with your personal information."

Sponsored by Sen. Bob Hallstrom of Syracuse, the bill (LB241) would prevent companies from being held liable in class-action lawsuits over data breaches unless the breach was caused by their own "willful, wanton, or gross negligence." Hallstrom and his Republican allies in the Legislature cast the proposal as one meant to protect small businesses, which Hallstrom said were at risk of paying "significant settlements" and attorneys fees in the face of class-action lawsuits accusing them of acting with mere negligence — rather than gross negligence — when handling sensitive customer data.

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NU STUDY BOASTS $6.4 BILLION IN ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT TO STATE

LINCOLN — Battered by potential financial cuts on both the state and federal levels, the University of Nebraska on Tuesday released a new study touting its value: a reported $6.4 billion economic impact last fiscal year. National consultant Paul Umbach said his analysis showed a $2.4 billion impact in direct spending by the NU system and another $4 billion generated through re-spending by vendors, staff, students, and visitors.

Commissioned by the university, the report says that for every $1 of investment, $10 is returned to the state. It says one of every seven working Nebraskans was educated by the state’s only public research university — a system of campuses in Lincoln, Omaha, Kearney as well as the Omaha-based University of Nebraska Medical Center.

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NSEA PRESIDENT, SCHOOL CHOICE LAWS AUTHOR DEBATE FUTURE OF NEBRASKA EDUCATION

LINCOLN — Months after a tense election cycle to repeal the state’s two latest school choice laws, the former state senator who wrote those bills and the current president of the state teacher’s union spent Saturday debating the future of education policy, with a focus on Nebraska students in need.

Lou Ann Linehan, the former state senator for the Elkhorn area, and Tim Royers, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, sat side by side for the 50th annual Nebraska Ecumenical Legislative Briefing Day at Christ United Methodist Church in Lincoln. They debated school choice and more for about an hour, offering competing visions for what the next steps should be to change the “status quo.”

The pair have crossed paths in and out of the Legislature, often clashing in recent years in Linehan’s two committees: Revenue and Education. Royers was past president of the Millard Education Association, and Linehan chaired the Revenue Committee for six years.

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REFEREES CALL FOR TOUGHER PENALTIES FOR PARENTS, SPECTATORS WHO ASSAULT THEM

LINCOLN – Sports referees called on Nebraska lawmakers Wednesday to increase penalties for spectators, parents, and coaches who assault them in the heat of an athletic contest. During a legislative hearing at the Capitol, they described growing incidents of verbal and physical abuse and assaults of officials and a need to impose tougher penalties – in this case, a felony with the chance of imprisonment – to quell the threats and head off a shortage of referees.

“Fans are getting out of hand, and it’s starting at the third-grade level,” said Montsho Wilson, who schedules referees for the Metro Conference and youth sports in Omaha. Wilson said that since October, officiating crews had ejected 26 people from buildings due to threatening or abusive behavior. Three of the incidents involved physical violence, he told the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee.

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NEBRASKA AG, CONSERVATION GROUPS SLAM PILLEN'S PLAN TO MERGE TWO STATE DEPARTMENTS

LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen's plan to merge two state agencies to form the Department of Water, Energy and Environment ran into opposition from key agricultural and conservation groups at a public hearing Thursday. Through a proposed law sponsored by Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth at Pillen's request, the governor is asking lawmakers to merge the Department of Environment and Energy with the Department of Natural Resources in a move that Pillen said would create efficiencies and help the state safeguard its water quality and quantity for generations to come.

at a Thursday public hearing on LB317, representatives from Nebraska agricultural and conservation groups argued the bill won't do either of those things — and could distract from the state's focus on shoring up its water supply. Critics also lodged concerns over the uncertainties left by the bill and the governor, who suggested it would save taxpayer dollars but declined to detail where the state might find efficiencies upon merging the two agencies.

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TESTIFIERS QUESTION NEED FOR PROPOSED NEBRASKA REQUIREMENTS FOR ABORTION PILLS

LINCOLN — Advocates for a Nebraska legislative bill that would add new steps women must take to access abortion pills said they want to make using the pills safer for pregnant women. Opponents testifying during the public hearing Thursday for Legislative Bill 512 said the goal of the measure by State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue is to reduce the use of the drugs.

LB 512 does not outright ban or directly restrict mifepristone or misoprostol, the typical two-drug regimen for a medical abortion. But it adds several required steps. It would require women to see a doctor three to 14 days after being given the pill, in addition to before, which state law already required. It would require testing for an ectopic pregnancy.

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HEARING ON PUBLIC BENEFIT FOR YOUNG IMMIGRANTS SPARKS LAWMAKER REBUKE OF DHHS CEO

LINCOLN — A proposal before Nebraska lawmakers would extend public support to young people aging out of the foster care system, regardless of immigration status, until they reach age 21. Legislative Bill 181, introduced by State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, essentially would allow immigrants lacking permanent residency but who have been in foster care to be part of the state’s existing Bridge to Independence Program.

That effort, available to willing participants from ages 19 until 21, aims to improve the transition of Nebraska foster care youth into independent and productive adulthood. It includes supports such as Medicaid health care coverage, a $1,000 monthly stipend, and case management to guide housing, college or technical training, and employment.

A fiscal note estimated the cost at about $375,000 in the first year. Testimony Wednesday at a public hearing before the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee estimated that 15 young immigrants at any one time would be eligible for services under LB 181.

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WOODSONIA REVEALS NEW MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR RETAIL, SPORTS VENUE OPTION FOR GRETNA GOOD LIFE DISTRICT

GRETNA — An alternative multimillion-dollar retail and entertainment project surfaced Tuesday night as a potential lifeline for the embattled Gretna good life district once led by businessman Rod Yates.

Drew Snyder of Woodsonia Real Estate revealed his vision to the Gretna City Council, showcasing signature features such as a 15,000-seat outdoor concert amphitheater and a multisport facility. His hope, which the City Council mirrored, is to keep alive the 2,000-acre good life district designation and related state financial incentives previously approved by state officials for the creation of a unique destination.

The future of the Gretna district — the largest and most high-profile of five allowed under the state’s Good Life Transformational Projects law — has been up in the air since Yates asked to terminate his state-approved application that established the project site.

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DHHS ISSUES ‘GUARDRAILS’ FOR SERVING NERBASKA KIDS WITH AUTISM AS MEDICAID COSTS SURGE, AUDITS LOOM

LINCOLN — Spurred in part by the rising costs of services to young Nebraskans with autism, the state on Friday announced new “guardrails” they hope to ward off potential misuses of public funds.

Officials with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services signaled a couple of months ago they’d be issuing cost controls and guidelines related to applied behavior analysis (ABA) — a Medicaid service area for youths that has seen state expenses over a three-year period skyrocket by more than 1,000%.

While the state has presented no evidence of fraud or abuse by families or providers of Medicaid-covered ABA services, DHHS officials point out that Nebraska pays among the highest provider reimbursement rates in the nation. They say that with ABA usage rising, they wanted to set clearer parameters, and expectations and to rein in potential over-authorizations of services.

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TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS EMBOLDEN PILLEN, KAUTH PUSH TO DEFINE MALE, FEMALE IN NEBRASKA

LINCOLN — President Donald Trump’s executive orders to define “male” and “female” and mandate that student-athletes participate on sports teams according to their sex are bolstering legislative efforts to do the same in Nebraska.

State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, whose Legislative Bill 89 would accomplish similar goals as Trump, said she “absolutely” would continue pursuing her state-level legislation this year — the Stand With Women Act — regardless of congressional or federal action.

Kauth’s proposal would define “male” and “female” throughout state government, similar to the aims of a 2023 executive order by Gov. Jim Pillen. LB 89 has a public hearing before the Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee on Friday.

Opponents of Kauth’s legislation and other policies like it have argued it singles out young students already at higher risk of bullying or suicide and who, they argue, just want to play sports. Nebraska has had fewer than 10 transgender student-athletes participate in K-12 sports under an existing policy since 2017.

Kauth has said her legislation is “common sense.”

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AUDITOR MIKE FOLEY ALLEGES FRAUD AFFECTING PUBLICLY-FUNDED HOUSING IN CUMING COUNTY VILLAGE

LINCOLN — A Nebraska auditor’s probe has uncovered alleged misuse of public money — including at the local WinnaVegas casino — by the manager of a publicly funded eight-apartment complex in Cuming County.

During her year as the sole employee of Barber’s Sunrise Villa Apartments in Bancroft, Neb., a town of fewer than 500 residents, the manager is alleged to have paid herself more than double her authorized salary, gaining an extra $11,000 over 14 months, according to findings released Thursday.

The 11-page auditor’s report identified the manager as Kayla Logeman. It said she also used the company debit card to make $820 in withdrawals at the casino resort in Sloan, Iowa, and made a $27.51 fuel purchase at the nearby Pony Express gas station.

The auditing team’s report said it confirmed that Logeman’s “gambling activity” coincided with the withdrawals in question, and pointed to state theft laws that might have been violated. The auditors forwarded the findings to the Nebraska State Patrol, Attorney General, and Cuming County Attorney for further review.

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STATE COMPUTER SYSTEM NETWORK BACK UP AFTER OUTAGE, CAUSE UNKNOWN

LINCOLN- A network outage crippled computer systems across state agencies and offices on Thursday morning, leading the Legislature to adjourn its work early.

According to the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), the outage began at about 10 a.m. and affected all state network connectivity — including the Nebraska State Office Building, the Department of Correctional Services and the State Patrol. Perhaps the most visible evidence of the outage to those in the State Capitol, however, was the darkened board that displays the votes taken by state senators.

The cause of the outage was still under investigation Thursday afternoon, but a spokesman for the OCIO said the effects were widespread. “If a task required connectivity to the state’s network, it was affected,” said Ezra Effrein, a public information officer in the OCIO.

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YEAR-ROUND STANDARD TIME, DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BILLS BOTH ADVANCE FROM COMMITTEE

LINCOLN — Nebraska lawmakers are another step closer to ending the twice-a-year switching of clocks back and forth one hour, but whether that is by shifting year-round to standard time or daylight saving time hasn’t been decided.

The Legislature’s eight-member Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee voted unanimously Thursday to advance Legislative Bill 34 for year-round daylight saving time, from State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, and LB 302 for year-round standard time, from State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil.

Standard time refers to how most clocks in the U.S. are set in the winter, while daylight saving time is the period between the second Sunday in March (to “spring ahead” one hour) and the first Sunday in November (to “fall back” one hour to standard time). Daylight saving leads to the sun setting at a later time in the summer, which organizations supporting youth sports and golf urged the committee last week to embrace.

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SCHOOL RETIREMENT CHANGES TO PLAY ROLE IN NEBRASKA SCHOOL FUNDING, BUDGET TALKS

LINCOLN — Public school teachers statewide say they are alarmed at a legislative proposal led by Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen to change how much the state annually puts into its school retirement plan.

Legislative Bill 645, introduced by State Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln at Pillen’s request, would create stepped-down contribution levels from the state to the school retirement plan, depending on the actuarial funding level of the pension plan. The state currently gives 2% of the payroll for school employees statewide each year — about $50 million.

Ballard’s bill would maintain that funding level if the plan drops below 92% funded. It is currently 99.9% funded and growing, funded at about $16.3 billion as of July of last year. The goal is to divert the contribution amount to other education-related investments, including school finance reform.

If the pension plan is fully funded, the state would not contribute to the plan unless it drops below 100%, which would adjust depending on the level of funding.

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SOME LAWMAKERS SEEK EXEMPTION IN VOTER-LED PAID SICK LEAVE LAW, AS OTHERS PROTEST

LINCOLN — After Nebraskans voted to require paid sick leave for eligible employees in November, two dozen state lawmakers are seeking to carve out exceptions, including for more of the state’s small businesses.

Legislative Bill 698, introduced by State Sen. Paul Strommen of Sidney and co-sponsored by 24 others, seeks to exempt seasonal agricultural workers and youths under 16 from the mandate and the smallest employers, those with 10 or fewer workers. During a public hearing Monday before the Legislature’s Business and Labor Committee, Strommen said his proposal should not be viewed as an effort to thwart the will of the people.

About 75% of Nebraska voters supported Initiative 436, which is to take effect in October and requires employers with fewer than 20 employees to provide up to five days of sick leave annually, and larger employers, with 20 or more workers to provide up to seven days. Strommen described the measure as an attempt to “clean up” initiative language and shield workers from “unintended consequences” that would result when small businesses that cannot absorb additional costs downsize or shutter.

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