LINCOLN- A group of state lawmakers urged Gov. Pete Ricketts on Monday to terminate agreements with three Utah companies the state has contracted with as part of its initiative to ramp up coronavirus testing. In a letter to Ricketts, Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh, Megan Hunt and Rick Kolowski, all of Omaha, and Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue said "several issues of concern" have emerged after the Test Nebraska public-private partnership was announced April 21.

The lawmakers criticized Nomi Health's inexperience in public health and lack of understanding of the state's existing health care system and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.The letter also says the companies, part of Silicon Slopes in Utah, have failed to meet the number of daily tests performed and the time frame for returning test results as stipulated in the no-bid $27 million contracts.

At his daily news briefing Monday, Ricketts defended the contracts and the Test Nebraska initiative, calling the suggestion to terminate the agreements with the trio of Utah companies by the May 19 deadline for doing so "ludicrous."

"I think the senators just don't want to have testing here in the state," Ricketts said. "It's a manufactured complaint."

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