GRETNA VOTERS TO HAVE MAJOR SAY IN EXPANSION OF NEBRASKA CROSSING MALL

OMAHA- Voters in Gretna will have a major say in whether a $3.2 billion proposal moves forward to expand Nebraska Crossing into a major destination for shoppers, businesses, and tourists. That's according to legislative bill 1374, which requires local voter approval to allow sales tax generated by the mall to be used for bond financing of the expansion.

The proposed expansion, which would come in tandem with the area being designated a "Good Life" District, would be major according to graphics released earlier this month. "This would be a huge economic boom to Sapry County and Gretna in particular," said Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, who introduced the bill.

The introduction of LB1374 comes just a year after lawmakers approved a measure that allowed for the creation of these "Good Life" Districts, in which half of the 5.5-cent state sales tax revenue generated by shopping there could be used for the cost of development and expansion. However, backers of LB1374 argue that last year's bill fell short with regard to the level of local government involvement, prompting Sen. Linehan to seek local voter approval.

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NEW 7,000-SEAT UNION OMAHA DOWNTOWN SOCCER STADIUM TO ANCHOR $300 MILLION ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT

OMAHA- A new 7,000-seat Union Omaha soccer stadium is the centerpiece of a planned $300 million housing and entertainment district was announced for the downtown riverfront area in Omaha. The outdoor stadium is to be home to the state’s first and only professional soccer club, which has been sharing Sarpy County’s Werner Park with a minor league baseball team.

Poised to take shape southeast of Abbott and Riverfront Drives, the new development would be near two other major entertainment and sports facilities: the CHI Health Center arena and convention center and Charles Schwab Field, home of the College World Series.

The project also is to give rise to a future women’s soccer team that will call the stadium home. A youth training academy also is planned.

If all goes as planned, ground would be broken this fall, and the stadium would open to the public in spring 2026. The stadium is to span about half of the 18-acre district. Restaurants, bars, shops, a 140-room hotel and more than 300 residences set to rise on the broader site are expected to enhance the draw for local and regional crowds.

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SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS LETTER SAYS ITS BALLOT MEASURE IS LEGAL, SHOULD BE PLACED BEFORE VOTERS

LINCOLN- Nebraska advocates for public schools defended the legality of their ballot initiative, answering a push seeking the measure’s removal by State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha, author of the state’s new Opportunity Scholarship Act. Support Our Schools Nebraska wrote to Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen this week, saying his office, as required by law, has already approved the legality of letting voters decide the future of a state tax credit for donors funding scholarships for students in need attending private K-12 schools.

“Consistent with this requirement, you have determined that ‘the constitutional requirements have been met to place the referendum on the November 2024 ballot,” the group wrote. Support Our Schools responding to Linehan’s Jan. 9 letter to Evnen. She argued that the approved ballot measure violated the Nebraska Constitution’s powers granted expressly or solely to the Legislature to set and raise revenues.

Lawyers for school choice advocates argued that a referendum could not repeal a revenue law already in place. The Linehan letter cited Article VIII, Section 1 of the Nebraska Constitution, which says the “necessary revenue of the state and its governmental subdivisions shall be raised by taxation in such manner as the Legislature may direct.”

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CHIEF JUSTICE CALLS FOR MORE PROBLEM-SOLVING COURTS AND JUVENILE DETENTION CENTERS, IMPROVED CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

LINCOLN- The chief justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court used an annual speech to highlight a shortage of problem-solving courts and juvenile detention centers, and an outdated case management system “held together with baling wire and bubble gum.” Chief Justice Mike Heavican, in his annual “State of the Judiciary” address, said that despite an increase in drug courts and other problem-solving courts, a survey indicated that only 5% of eligible accused offenders are being served.

Nebraska now has 33 problem-solving courts in every judicial district in the state, which served almost 1,600 individuals during the last fiscal year. Participation has expanded 27% since 2020, but the judge says the state could do more for what is a “viable” and lower-cost alternative to incarceration.

Another issue, he said, is an outdated, in-house-produced judicial case management system that was launched in 1993 using COBAL programming code and an AS400 operating system. He added that it’s also a cybersecurity issue. Last year in Kansas, a foreign cyberattack shut down the state’s electronic management system for months, requiring a return to paper filing for a time and costing millions of dollars.

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CAREGIVERS SAY TAX CREDIT WOULD HELP THEM AFFORD CARE OF LOVED ONES AND REDUCE STATE COSTS

LINCOLN- Joyce Beck, a hospital CEO, was forced to retire early to provide the almost constant care her husband needed. That made it even harder to afford the estimated $10,000 a year in out-of-pocket costs for medications and his health care. Beck and others told a state legislative committee that a proposed state tax credit would help her and other family caregivers afford care for their loved ones, keeping them out of nursing homes and off taxpayer support.

State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln said it only makes sense to help family caregivers because of “a surge in older adults” and a decrease in those available to care for them. “We must develop methods to enable caregivers to continue to support their loved ones at home … in the most comfortable environment,” Bostar told the Legislature’s Revenue Committee.

His LB937, patterned after an Oklahoma “Caring for Caregivers Act” passed last year, would allow caregivers who care for an aged, sick or disabled loved one at home to claim a state income tax credit of $2,000 a year. The credit would rise to $3,000 a year if the person being cared for was a military veteran or suffered from dementia.

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PILLEN AMONG 25 REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS SUPPORTING TEXAS BORDER EFFORTS

LINCOLN- Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen is among 25 GOP governors behind a letter supporting Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the state’s “constitutional right to self-defense” at the nation’s southern border. In their letter, the members of the Republican Governors Association blame President Joe Biden’s administration for refusing to take action addressing the border crisis, instead suing the state.

The U.S. Supreme Court this week ordered Texas to allow federal border agents access to the border, where the state has placed miles of razor wire to deter migrants. Texas had sued the federal government after Border Patrol agents cut some of the wire. The governors said that because the Biden administration has failed to stop the “historic levels of illegal immigrants, deadly drugs like fentanyl, and terrorists entering our country, Texas has a constitutional right to defend itself and the nation.

“We stand in solidarity with our fellow Governor, Greg Abbott, and the State of Texas in utilizing every tool and strategy, including razor wire fences, to secure the border. We do it in part because the Biden Administration is refusing to enforce immigration laws already on the books and is illegally allowing mass parole across America of migrants who entered our country illegally,” the governors wrote.

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PILLEN URGES ACTION ON PROPERTY TAX 'CRISIS' AND ENDING 'THE ERA OF SPECIAL INTEREST TAX BREAKS'

LINCOLN- On Thursday, during his annual State of the State Address, Gov. Jim Pillen pitched to the Legislature his proposal for "transformative" property tax relief, calling for broader sales tax, a "hard cap" on local spending, and the elimination of unfair tax breaks. Pillen also used his speech to tout the accomplishments of the Legislature and his administration, including the passage of a billion-dollar trust fund for K-12 education and the passage of an income tax cut that will eventually reduce the state's highest rate to 3.99%.

Pillen also called on the Legislature to increase its efforts to attract more workers to the state. The Governor described the state of property taxes in Nebraska as a "crisis," which Pillen maintained was pricing seniors out of their homes and "hurting Nebraska farmers, ranchers, homeowners, and business for most of our lifetimes."

Gov. Pillen did not, as many expected, express interest in raising the state sales tax by 2-cents in an attempt to decrease property taxes, perhaps because the proposal was panned by conservative and progressive groups alike. Responding to this criticism, Pillen said at a Wednesday briefing that, "If someone wants to call me a tax raiser, they're smoking something funny." Pillen did, however, say that he supported a $2-a-pack increase in cigarette taxes.

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GOV. PILLEN AND SEN. HANSEN PARTNER TO MAKE NEBRASKA MORE COMPETITIVE ON NIL

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, Gov. Jim Pillen and State Sen. Ben Hansen partnered to introduce new legislation aiming to make Nebraska more competitive in the name, image, and likeness (NIL) space. "I am committed to making sure Nebraska has the tools it needs to win," said Pillen in a press release, "We need to encourage young athletes to move here."

The bill, according to the press release from the Governor's Office, is meant to empower postsecondary institutions to utilize all tools available to them to attract the best talent. The bill will also give postsecondary institutions the authority and ability to work more closely with student-athletes to ensure that they are not being misled by NIL organizations.

"I applaud the Governor and University of Nebraska's Athletic Department on seeing the competitive advantage to update these statutes," said Sen. Hansen, "I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to ensure we have all the tools to recruit talent to Nebraska."

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STATE TAX BRIEFING: THE COMING EPIC DISASTER

LINCOLN- As debate over the proposed EPIC Option Consumption Tax continues, some argue that such a drastic change would negatively impact much of Nebraska. The EPIC Option, if passed on the 2024 ballot and regulated by the Nebraska Legislature, would eliminate all property, income, inheritance, and corporate taxes in the state.

According to a fiscal impact analysis conducted last year by the OpenSky Policy Institute, enacting the EPIC Option in Nebraska could result in a $7.4 billion annual tax revenue loss and would require a tax rate of 22.1% for revenue to become neutral. Others have criticized the language of the EPIC Option proposal, including the imposition of a uniform tax, which would prohibit the use of multiple rates of tax for different goods and services.

Others point to the "one-size-fits-all" nature of the proposal, as it would charge all Nebraskans. whether low- or high-income, the same amount of tax. Throughout the history of taxation, governments often designed tax systems so that they wouldn't burden one group or another. Debate over the EPIC Option, both in the Legislature and the state overall, is expected to ramp up as the state nears the 2024 general election, where the fate of the proposal will be decided.

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BILL WOULD ARM SCHOOL PERSONNEL, ANOTHER WOULD BLOCK DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION TRAINING

LINCOLN- Under a new proposal introduced on Wednesday in the Nebraska Legislature, local school districts could choose to allow security personnel or other designated employees to carry firearms to enhance security. "I don't want children to die," said Sen. Tom Brewer, who introduced LB1339 alongside 28 cosignees.

Brewer said he believes this measure will provide local control to schools, and his proposal requires school districts to adopt a written policy on arming school personnel. However, any training requirements would be left to the school to decide. Among other measures introduced on Wednesday was Sen. Dave Murman's LB1330, which would ban state colleges and universities from requiring diversity, equity, and inclusion training for employees.

Another bill, LB1321 introduced by Speaker of the Legislature John Arch, would restore the powers of the legislatively created Inspectors General Office to probe cases of abuse and deaths within state prisons and the child welfare system. Under LB1321, the Legislature's Health and Human Services, Judiciary, and Executive Committees would also be granted subpoena power to gather any information that was denied to the Inspectors General.

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ELECTION BOXES INSTALLED AT 4 LINCOLN LIBRARIES; EARLY BALLOTS CAN BE REQUESTED

LINCOLN- On the first day voters could apply for an early vote ballot for May’s primary election, the Lancaster County election commissioner reminded voters Monday there are drop boxes at four Lincoln city libraries. The permanent drop boxes are at libraries in four quadrants of the city: Gere (southeast); Eisely (northwest); Walt (southwest); and Anderson (northeast).

In last year’s city elections, he said, nearly 18,000 early voters used the drop box at the election commissioner’s office and it created traffic and safety problems. Monday was also the first day for voters to request early vote ballots and it will be the first time voters have to comply with a new voter ID law approved by voters in 2022.

When a voter fills out their early voting application, they will need to do one of the following: Write their driver’s license or state ID number on the application or attach a photocopy of their acceptable form of ID to the application. Once the early voter returns their application with their ID information, the voter ID requirement is fulfilled. Nebraskans can get a free state ID for voting purposes from the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles.

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NEBRASKA'S PRISON SYSTEM SEEKING INTERNAL INSPECTOR AMID OVERSIGHT LOCKOUT

LINCOLN- Nebraska’s prison system is looking to hire an internal inspector who would carry out at least some of the same duties handled by an independent inspector employed by the state’s Legislature. The Department of Correctional Services is seeking a licensed attorney to become the prison system’s chief inspector to, “serve as a resource for constituents and direct internal investigations,” a department spokeswoman said.

The inspector would be responsible for physically inspecting prison facilities, developing and implementing policies for inmate grievance and disciplinary processes, responding to inmate grievances and disciplinary appeals and “overseeing coordination of general operations,” according to an online job posting that lists the starting salary at $36.22 per hour.

The department’s search for an inspector — noted in the news release in which prison officials also announced a reshuffling of wardens overseeing state prisons — comes months after the department largely shut out the Legislature’s watchdog meant to identify and examine systemic issues within the prison system. The announcement drew immediate criticism from lawmakers who disagreed with the oversight process.

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'STAND YOUR GROUND' BILL WOULD ALLOW NEBRASKANS TO USE DEADLY FORCE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES IN PUBLIC

LINCOLN- Nebraskans could use deadly force to defend themselves, whether they are at home, at work, in their vehicle or out in public under a bill introduced in the Nebraska Legislature. Sen. Hardin, who introduced LB1269, said it would add Nebraska to the list of states that allow people to defend themselves or others in all four locations. The bill also would protect anyone who used lethal force under the law from being charged with a crime or sued in civil court.

Current state law requires people to retreat, if they can do so safely, when facing a violent confrontation in their vehicle or in public. The law does not require people to retreat if they are in their home or workplace. Hardin believes people should have a right to use lethal force against an aggressor while out in public or in their vehicle.

"People everywhere have a legal right to stand their ground, in a nutshell," he said, while adding that the bill "certainly doesn't give somebody a license to kill." Some 25 states have passed some form of such laws since 2025, including most of Nebraska's neighbors. The law is commonly referred to as a "shoot first" law and is very controversial.

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NEBRAKA 911 OUTAGES SPARK BILLS AIMED AT SHORING THINGS UP

LINCOLN- Multiple outages of 911 systems in Nebraska from cut lines and power failures prompt new legislation demanding faster deployment of next-generation upgrades and clearer accountability when service providers fall short. Legislative Bills 1255 and 1256, offered by State Sens. John Fredrickson and Wendy DeBoer, both of Omaha, would accomplish both of those tasks.

LB1255 would accelerate the years-long transitioning of Nebraska to next-generation 911. LB1256 would require 911 outages to be reported to the Nebraska Public Service Commission and require a public hearing after major outages that explores the reasons behind troubles with a backbone of the state’s emergency response systems.

Fredrickson’s bill would clarify that the PSC has regulatory authority over 911, new and old. It would set a six-month goal and a one-year deadline to finish the transition to data-rich 911, requiring companies to notify the state of any delays. DeBoer’s bill would define a 911 outage as a “significant degradation in the ability of an end user to establish and maintain a channel of communications services as a result of failure or degradation in the performance” of a service network.

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PETE RICKETTS MAKES IT OFFICIAL, FILES FOR U.S. SENATE BID

OMAHA- Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts made it official Tuesday. He filed to run for the office Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen appointed him to last January. “With Nebraskans’ help, I will carry on the fight for our shared values and continue to be a voice in Washington for the common sense, conservative policies that have worked here in Nebraska,” Ricketts said Tuesday in a statement.

Political observers consider Ricketts a heavy favorite to win the GOP nomination and the general election. But he enters a different political environment in 2024 than in his past races. Many Nebraska Republicans, like some of their peers in other states, have swung toward the more populist brand of conservatism espoused by former President Donald Trump. Ricketts would be considered a fiscal conservative.

Ricketts faces criticism from some in his own party for being noncommittal about which GOP presidential candidate he supports in the 2024 primary. The party’s base backs Trump. This spring, Ricketts faces at least one Republican competitor, John Glen Weaver, who lost a primary run in 2022 to U.S. Rep. Mike Flood in the 1st District.

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NEBRASKA GOVERNOR GRATEFUL FOR SOUTH DAKOTA'S AID AFTER SEVERE WINTER STORM

LINCOLN- Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen expressed gratitude on Saturday for the collaborative efforts undertaken with South Dakota in response to the winter storm that swept through the state. According to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, Nebraska received two truck-mounted blowers and two loader blowers along with a support crew from South Dakota.

"The partnership with South Dakota through the EMAC will allow us to attack those sections of highway that remain closed at this time," said Pillen, "We appreciate the assistance from South Dakota as well as the coordinated efforts of our state and local agencies. They have been working around the clock to ensure public safety, while mitigating the impact to our farmers, ranchers, and businesses, as much as possible."

Over the weekend, and according to Nebraska Department of Transportation Director Vicki Kramer, snow removal shifts extended to 16 hours or more. "NDOT has been all hands on deck 24/7 for a week now, bringing in equipment and people from other areas of the state," said Kramer. U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer expressed readiness to support federal assistance requests from Nebraska, emphasizing the importance of ensuring safety during the ongoing dangerous conditions.

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OWNER OF PRAIRIE SEED FARM AND A STATE SENATOR SAY REGULATIONS NEEDED FOR CO2 PIPELINES

LINCOLN- Praire seed farm owner Kay Kottas got a shock when a land agent called seeking permission to survey her farm for a planned carbon-dioxide pipeline by another kind of tallgrass, Houston-based Tallgrass Energy. She got a further shock when she discovered there were no state regulations or local ordinances governing such a pipeline. This is different from neighboring states Iowa and South Dakota.

In Nebraska, Kottas said, “they could probably build it under my driveway if they wanted” because of the lack of regulations. In the Nebraska Legislature last week, State Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard introduced a bill to ban carbon-dioxide pipelines and sequestration of carbon in the state. Counties can make ordinances, but there is currently nothing stopping these pipelines on the state level.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission, which dealt with the controversial route of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, has no similar power over pipelines that carry CO2. And a state legislative proposal in 2022 to govern reclamation of carbon pipelines, once they are shut down, went nowhere. “It’s time to have a discussion (here),” Erdman said.

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MEETINGS SET TO GATHER PUBLIC INPUT ON NEBRASKA'S GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION PLAN

LINCOLN- A series of meetings have been scheduled to gather public input and provide a progress report on the state's plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Last year, Nebraska was awarded a $3 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Inflation Reduction Act to develop and implement a "priority climate action plan" as well as a "comprehensive climate action plan" to reduce emissions.

At the public meetings, a short presentation about the newly-created program will be presented to the public, as well as emission reduction measures brought up in stakeholder sessions held late last year. The public can weigh in on these proposed measures, ask questions, and provide comments on the proposed priority rankings of the measures created by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.

The sessions are scheduled as follows:

• Alliance: Knight Museum, 908 Yellowstone Ave., Jan. 30, from 5:30-7 p.m.

• North Platte: Mid-Plains Community College, North Campus, Rooms 105 and 107, 1101 Halligan Drive, Jan. 31, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

• Norfolk: Northeast Community College, Lifelong Learning Center, Rooms E and H, 801 E. Benjamin Ave., Feb. 6, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

• Lincoln: Location to be announced on NDEE’s website, Feb 8, from 6 to 8 p.m.

• Grand Island: Public Library, Meeting Room B, 1124 W. Second St., Feb. 12, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

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FATE OF BIG LAKE PROPOSAL IN GRETNA/ASHLAND AREA TO BE KNOWN BY SUMMER, OFFICIALS SAY

LINCOLN- A panel of state lawmakers heard from Tom Riley, director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, about the fate of a proposed $1 billion, 4,000-acre recreation lake between Omaha and Lincoln. According to Riley, the state will know by the summer whether or not the project is feasible.

That's when two studies concerning the lake should be completed. Riley spoke to members of the Legislature's special Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability Committee on January 9th, focusing specifically on the progress of LB1023, which authorized $200 million worth of projects to enhance recreation, economic development, and flood control along the lower Platte River.

One report, according to Riley, will determine whether there's even enough fiscal interest in the lake from the state's philanthropic community, with proposals for the lake aiming to be 90% funded by this source. Riley told lawmakers that the project would likely be dropped if another study shows that it would harm or hinder drinking water supplies as well.

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OPS MAKES PAY CHANGES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION, PARAPROFESSIONAL STAFF

OMAHA- The Omaha Public Schools district is making several policy changes in an effort to increase staff during a critical workforce shortage. The first change is an extra bump in pay for special education teachers because of the required work outside a standard school day. The second is a new agreement that allows paraprofessionals to step in as a substitute teacher if one isn’t available, in exchange for an hourly pay raise.

Special education teachers will get a 10% pay boost to help compensate them for paperwork and meetings outside the school day. That is an increase from the current 7% boost. Kathy Poehling, president of the Omaha Education Association, said the district brought the proposal to the union and it was agreed that special education teachers would receive back pay for the extra 3% raise, going back to Aug. 1, 2023.

Paraprofessionals with a local substitute permit will now receive a $9.65 per hour increase when they are asked to substitute for a half or whole day when a substitute isn’t available. Starting paraprofessionals receive from $14.86 to $16.26 per hour, depending on the position. During the 2025-26 school year, the extra pay for substitute work will rise to $10.40 an hour.

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