GOVERNOR PILLEN TO TRAVEL TO TEXAS FOR BORDER SECURITY UPDATE

LINCOLN- Gov. Jim Pillen and Maj. Gen. Craig Strong of the Nebraska National Guard are traveling to Texas on Sunday for a security update on the situation at the southern border, according to a news release from the governor's office. Pillen and Strong will join Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for a 2:30 p.m. news conference at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas, following the security briefing.

“The mission to secure the border is critical to the security of Nebraskans as well as all Americans,” Pillen said in the release. Pillen expressed the need for Nebraska’s continued support of "Operation Lone Star" and said he would assess additional resources Nebraska could offer to "secure the border."

Nebraska’s previous support of border security involved deploying drone operators from the State Patrol to assist in surveillance last year, and sending more than 60 members of the Nebraska National Guard to aid Texas authorities in illegal border crossings last summer. Gov. Pillen recently posted a video of himself in Texas receiving a briefing on the status of the border.

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PROPOSAL TO REQUIRE TWO-PERSON CREWS ON TRAINS IN NEBRASKA DEAD FOR THE YEAR

LINCOLN — A filibuster stretching over three days derailed a proposal Friday to require two-person crews on trains operated by major railroads in Nebraska.

State Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte — a major railroad center in the state — brought the proposal. He was able to advance it to floor debate in the State Legislature for the first time after years of trying by other senators. But supporters failed to garner the needed 33 votes Friday to halt a filibuster and advance Legislative Bill 31. The vote was 24-19 to invoke cloture.

Opponents argued that lawmakers were interfering in what is a matter for labor negotiations and federal regulation and that Nebraska ought to wait for the feds to act on the controversial issue pitting labor unions against management. Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar said such a bill interfered with interstate commerce, and Omaha Sen. Kathleen Kauth said there’s no proof that two-man crews reduce derailments. Several countries, she added, have safely switched to one-person train crews. Another opponent of the bill, Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, pointed out that Union Pacific is one of the state’s top employers and a top payer of property taxes.

The federal government might soon weigh in on this issue. A ruling from the Federal Railroad Administration is pending on a proposal to require two crew members except “for those operations that do not pose significant safety risks to railroad employees, the public, or the environment.”

COMPLAINTS RISE ABOUT SOUTH, NORTH OMAHA GRANT PROCESS AS FRIDAY ANNOUNCEMENT APPROACHES

OMAHA- Dozens of North and South Omaha groups are expected to be awarded a chunk of up to $234 million in state funds on Friday for a variety of economic development projects. Gov. Jim Pillen and Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert are among the officials poised to announce the recipients of the grants.

However, even before the winners are publicized, complaints have sprung up over the Department of Economic Development's application scoring process, which was used to determine which organizations would be awarded grants. Bob Pelshaw of the Pelshaw group believes that the Department erred in scoring his application and at one point appeared to mistake his project for someone else's.

After reviewing his proposal, the Department ultimately offered Pelshaw $50,000, far below the nearly $10 million he had asked for to launch The Hub in South Omaha, prompting the organizations to file a complaint with the State Ombudsman's Office. In the filing, Pelshaw asked the ombudsman for help in urging the Department to "correct the glaring and intentional errors and fairly rescore our projects using all of the correct inputs. "

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CONTROVERSIAL GUNS TO BE LOCKED AWAY AT RACING AND GAMING COMMISSION UNTIL TRAINING, PROTOCOLS ADOPTED

LINCOLN- Semi-automatic firearms purchased recently by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission will be locked away until proper training and procedures for their use can be adopted, according to a representative from the commission. Shane Greckel, vice chairman of the commission, said the gambling-centered agency had also explored whether they should return the ten Sig Sauer MPX rifles.

However, according to Greckel, the agency would have to pay a 30% "restocking" fee, which made that option, in the commission's eyes, too expensive. The guns cost the commission $30,350, which the agency had portrayed as necessary to respond to any "active shooter" incidents that might occur at the state's new casinos.

The purchase of the firearms raised concerns after it was unveiled that not all commissioners were aware of the situation, only learning about the purchase after it had broken into the news. Investigators for the commission, who would utilize the firearms, argued that the purchase was necessary to "meet force with force" in active shooter situations.

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REP. MIKE FLOOD FILES TO RUN AGAIN FOR U.S. HOUSE

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Mike Flood filed to run for re-election just one day after drawing a Democratic challenger in the form of State Sen. Carol Blood. Flood previously won the 1st District seat in a 2022 special election held after former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry resigned following three felony convictions.

Flood won a first full term in November 2022, beating then-State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks both times. He has spent much of his time in Congress discussing taxes, spending, and cryptocurrency, with a more recent focus, in line with the National GOP Caucus, on border security. Flood's Democratic critics argue that he has been straying too far from what they described as his more middle-ground approach.

"In Congress, I've kept my promises to Nebraskans by standing against government overreach, cutting $2.1 trillion from the federal budget, and voting for a comprehensive border security package," Flood said in a campaign statement announcing his re-election bid. Blood, who represents eastern Sarpy County in the Nebraska Legislature, is set to formally announce her bid on Saturday.

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UNL ECONOMIC INDICATOR SHOWS STRONG GROWTH IN DECEMBER

LINCOLN- An index produced and released by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln indicated that Nebraska had its best economic performance in December compared to the previous nine months. "The increase in the leading indicator suggests that the Nebraska economy will grow at a moderate pace in the first half of 2024," said Eric Thompson, director of the Bureau of Business Research.

The indicator, which is designed to predict economic activity six months into Nebraska's future, has six different components. Three of those components improved significantly in December, according to Thompson. These included an increase in air travel, increased sales and employment, and a decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar, which was advantageous for the state.

"An increase in leisure travel implies that households feel confident about their jobs and income, while an increase in business travel suggests that firms are coordinating new activity with customers and suppliers," said Thompson.

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BILL WOULD BAR NEBRASKA SCHOOLS FROM USING COLLECTIONS AGENCIES TO PURSUE SCHOOL LUNCH DEBT

LINCOLN- As the federal government waivers that made school lunches free during the COVID pandemic end, unpaid meal debt in Nebraska has skyrocketed from $2.8 million in 2020 to $14.8 million in 2022. However, many of those who find themselves in debt are from families just outside the threshold to qualify for free and reduced lunches.

To recoup losses, school districts across the state have used a wide variety of strategies, including turning families over to debt collection agencies. In response to this, Sen. Danielle Conrad introduced LB855, which would prohibit school districts from using such agencies to pursue unpaid meal debt, and from charging interest, assessing fees, or placing any other penalties on those families.

"I just think it's wrong from a moral perspective," Conrad told the Legislature's Education Committee on Tuesday. "It stays on their credit report, it impacts their ability to rent, it impacts their ability to pursue other productive areas in their lives," continued Conrad, "and it really spirals and spirals and spirals and spirals."

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SCHOOLS OPPOSE BILL REQUIRING NEBRASKA VOTERS TO APPROVE SPENDING FUNDS FOR MAINTENANCE PROJECTS

LINCOLN- A bill that would require school districts to seek voter approval before spending more than $250,000 from the special building fund,LB1063 introduced by Sen. Steve Halloran, received wide opposition from education leaders during a hearing on Tuesday. Halloran argued that the bill would promote accountability, transparency, and "appropriate use of the special building fund," which he said has been abused by some school districts.

"I think it's necessary to have a bill acknowledging the fact that we shouldn't be using the special building fund without, at some level, approval of the voters," Halloran said. Despite this, school board members and administrators from across the state said the measure would hamper local control and potentially increase costs for taxpayers.

Scott Wieskamp, director of operations for Lincoln Public Schools, said the district would need to seek voter approval to complete even routine annual maintenance work on its 81 facilities if the bill passed. Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools board member Suzanna Sapp said voters have already empowered their local school boards to make tough decisions on how best to spend resources in the district's best interests.

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POVERTY ELIMINATION IS GOAL OF PROPOSAL AIRED BEFORE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- The Poverty Elimination Act, introduced to the Nebraska Legislature by Sen. Terrell McKinney through LB840, aims to urge cities in the state to create a five-year anti-poverty plan. The bill received resounding support from the body during a legislative hearing on Tuesday, but a few opponents worried such an undertaking would be too expensive for smaller towns.

The North Omaha lawmaker, in testimony to the Legislature's Urban Affairs Committee, said he grew up poor. "It wasn't easy," he told committee members. But, McKinney said he hoped a mandate such as LB840 would help to establish a more concerted, purposeful strategy to spare thousands of Nebraska youth from a similar economic journey.

Lynn Rex, executive director of the League of Nebraska Municipalities who was among the opponents of the bill, said her objection was not a sign that poverty elimination was not important. Rather, Rex argued that such poverty elimination endeavors would require a consultant and adequate staffing, which might prove a financial struggle for smaller cities and towns.

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BILL TO HELP ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN SMALLER CITIES ADVANCES, DESPITE QUESTION ABOUT FUNDING

LINCOLN- An amended form of last year's LB600, an economic development bill designed to help cities such as Grand Island and Ralston, moved forward on Tuesday despite concerns over the bill's $10 million fiscal impact. The measure was touted as a way to help Grand Island extend sewer and water infrastructure to the site of the former Cornhusker Ammunition Plant, thereby making the area more attractive to new businesses.

If passed, LB600 would allow communities with less than 100,000 inhabitants to obtain state grants of up to $5 million for infrastructure projects. However, communities must first demonstrate to the state the benefits of the proposed projects and provide a 25% financial match. While state lawmakers voted 41-0 to advance the bill, Sen. Rob Clements questions whether the initial $10 million in state funding for grants would even be available.

"Today, I'm not in support of that funding," Clements said during debate, "We'll see how we are in budgeting close to the end of the session." LB600, introduced by Sen. Loren Lippincott, would transfer the $10 million out of the state's cash reserve fund and into a "municipality infrastructure fund" administered by the Department of Economic Development.

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NEW SENATOR TRIES AGAIN TO MAKE TEXTING WHILE DRIVING A PRIMARY OFFENSE

LINCOLN- A record-high 19 Nebraskans lost their lives in distracted driving crashes in 2020, and a state legislative committee was urged on Tuesday to do something about it. However, based on the response from members of the Legislature's Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, one step to do that, making texting while driving a primary offense, faces a tough road, as in past years.

"Where do you draw the line?," asked Sen. Mike Moser, who chairs the committee. What would a law enforcement officer have to witness, how could you prove someone was texting, and why not go after other forms of distraction were among the questions aired at the hearing. These questions have helped to derail several past legislative attempts to make texting while driving a primary offense.

Currently, texting while driving in Nebraska is a secondary offense, for which a driver can be ticketed only if stopped for another infraction or involved in an accident. To change this, Sen. Loren Lippincott introduced LB1033, stating to the committee that Nebraska ought to join the growing number of states that are cracking down on cell phone use.

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NEBRASKA TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CONTROVERSIAL DRAFT REGULATIONS FOR YOUTH GENDER CARE

LINCOLN- DHHS will move forward with controversial proposed regulations to govern access to gender-affirming care for the state’s transgender youth, marking a blow to advocates who had sought changes to the regulations they say create a burden on trans youths and their families. The restrictions will now be sent to the Attorney General’s Office for review.

An HHS spokesman confirmed later Monday that Nebraska’s chief medical officer opted not to make substantial changes to the regulations he drafted in October, which faced backlash at a 12-hour public hearing in November. Crafted by Dr. Timothy Tesmer, the restrictions require that patients under 19 undergo at least 40 hours of therapy and wait another seven days after having their prescription approved before receiving any puberty-blocking or hormone medication.

“I can’t imagine having sat and listened to what was shared at that hearing and not make changes,” Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha said. “And maybe that’s part of the problem — that Dr. Tesmer wasn’t there in person. But there are some very serious flaws with the regulations that have been put forward.” The permanent regulations will remain in effect until March 29.

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NEBRASKA BILL TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO WORKFORCE LICENSES ADVANCES IN LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- A bill that would remove existing barriers to occupational licensure has made it through the first round of debate in the Nebraska Legislature. Lawmakers advanced Legislative Bill 16 in a 41-1 vote Monday. The bill includes multiple proposals to ease regulations on obtaining individual work licenses in Nebraska in an attempt to help the state’s ongoing labor shortage.

“This is about removing needless red tape,” said State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln. LB16 was originally introduced last year by former Sen. Tom Briese, who has since resigned from the Legislature to take up the post of state treasurer. Conrad, who was a co-sponsor of the bill last year, took ownership of the bill in Briese’s absence and made it her priority bill for this session.

Among other things, LB 16 would make it easier for the state’s licensing boards to issue licenses to experienced workers outside Nebraska and would clarify what criminal offenses would exclude someone from getting a license. Officials said the bill would pave the way for skilled workers entering Nebraska, therefore aiding the state’s economy.

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS ADVANCE PROPOSAL TO CONSIDER WHETHER BIDS ARE 'RESPONSIBLE' AND 'REASONABLE'

LINCOLN- State lawmakers quickly advanced a bill Monday designed to avoid future multimillion-dollar mistakes in awarding state contracts. The proposal grew out of the failed contract with Saint Francis Ministries, which underbid its lone competitor by 40% in 2019 to obtain the contract to handle child welfare services in eastern Nebraska. Eventually, the contract was cancelled amid financial mismanagement and under-performance by Saint Francis.

State Sen. John Arch of La Vista, the speaker of the Legislature, said his LB461 would allow the state to discern whether a bid is “reasonable” and “responsible” and not just the lowest bid. The bill advanced Monday from first-round debate on a 45-0 vote.

The experience with Saint Francis, Arch said, illustrated “a huge red flag” in the state contract procurement process, as did some other contracts that experienced cost overruns and failure to deliver services.

Arch said that the state’s procurement statutes hadn’t been updated in 20 years and have placed too much emphasis on accepting the lowest bid. “This was a terrible, terrible, terrible lesson learned ,” said Fremont Sen. Lynne Walz of the Saint Francis contract. LB 461, Arch said, allows the state to reject a bid if it is deemed not reasonable or realistic.

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NEBRASKA STATE SEN. CAROL BLOOD POISED TO RUN AGAINST REP. MIKE FLOOD FOR CONGRESS

BELLEVUE- Two years after running for Nebraska governor and securing 36% of the statewide vote as a Democrat, State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue appears poised to run for Congress. Blood, who represents a Republican-leaning slice of Sarpy County in the Legislature, tipped her hand in recent social media posts encouraging people to attend an announcement this weekend.

An Instagram account called Carol Blood for Congress shared a campaign poster from 1st District U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb. The “F” in Flood is marked out and replaced with a “B.” Scrawled above it is a simple message: “Fixed it!” “In case you haven’t heard, we are going to rock this campaign,” the post says. It invites people to her kickoff at the electrical workers’ union hall in Lincoln at 1 p.m. Saturday.

A campaign website at www.carolbloodforcongress.com also briefly went live, including a not-yet-activated link to raise funds against a congressional incumbent. Political observers say Blood could make Flood work in the GOP-leaning 1st District, which includes Lincoln, Norfolk (Flood’s hometown) and Bellevue, but they consider him the favorite.

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'APPRENTICESHIP GRANT ACT' AIMS TO RAISE NEBRASKANS OUT OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE

LINCOLN- A workforce development proposal that would direct an annual $4 million in state funds to a new apprenticeship initiative received mostly positive feedback during a Monday legislative hearing. State Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner introduced Legislative Bill 993 to create the Apprenticeship Grant Act.

Under the program, a business would apply to the Department of Economic Development for reimbursement of wages or tuition for apprentices, who also must be in a public assistance program such as SNAP Next. Ibach said the participating business, in turn, is to have a full-time job waiting for the apprentice that offers wages high enough to reduce the worker’s reliance on government economic aid.

Grants are limited to $37,000 per apprentice and 100 apprentices per business. The business must certify that the apprenticeship is part of a registered program. The initiative is modeled after the Ignite Nebraska program launched at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska in 2022. A few who spoke during the legislative hearing before the Business and Labor Committee suggested tweaks to the bill, including raising the state’s annual contribution and providing more flexibility in the post-training hiring process.

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LAWMAKER PROPOSES BILL THAT WOULD AVOID SKYROCKETING VALUES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS

LINCOLN- Proponents of a bill that tweaks how county assessors value certain affordable housing projects say it addresses problems that resulted in skyrocketing values for some Lancaster County properties last year. But the bill (LB1217) doesn’t appear to directly address constitutional issues raised in an appeal now before the Nebraska Supreme Court, though that issue could be moot.

Earlier this month, the Nebraska attorney general’s office filed a brief in the case, arguing that the existing law is constitutional, and it appears, at least at this point, that the high court doesn’t plan to hear the constitutional issues. The current approach alarmed affordable housing advocates and others who say the lack of affordable housing makes such housing a priority.

Lancaster County Commissioner Sean Flowerday, who works for Lincoln Sen. Eliot Bostar and was part of a group looking for a legislative fix, said the bill adds a provision requiring assessors to use a three-year rolling average of income and expenses. “I believe this will solve the problem of zero values, and that’s really the crux of the issue,” Flowerday said. “That’s the thing no one can live with.”

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OMAHA'S EPPLEY AIRFIELD TO GET $950 MILLION MAKEOVER BY 2028

OMAHA- Roomier boarding gates. Larger baggage claim. One unified passenger concourse. More restaurants and shops. A giant glass-domed entrance. All that is in the works at Eppley Airfield as part of the airport’s $950 million terminal modernization program, announced by the Omaha Airport Authority. The expansion will add 646,000 square feet.

“We are transforming Eppley Airfield,” said Dave Roth, the airport authority’s chief executive officer. “I don’t think there’s a square foot (of the terminal) we aren’t touching.” Work will start within a few weeks and be completed in 2028, although travelers will use some parts of the new terminal well before that. The expansion comes as the yearly traffic continuously increases.

But the transformation won’t be cheap. The cost has risen sharply from the last published estimate of $600 million, in 2022. Roth said the earlier estimate actually dates to 2013 and the current price tag reflects inflation that has affected the building industry since then, including post-pandemic construction and labor costs.

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$90M BUSINESS PARK GRANT AND MORE DISCUSSED AT OMAHA FORUM ORGANIZED BY NEBRASKA AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMISSION

OMAHA- A North Omaha community forum that drew three elected officials and around 25 people touched upon an array of topics on Saturday and dug further into discussions surrounding a $90 million state grant for an airport area business park. The event, which was organized by the Nebraska Commission on African American Affairs, was held in part to hear how the state's Black community can work together to have more influence on high-dollar projects.

Some on the commission were concerned because elected leaders of North Omaha, Sens. Justin Wayne and Terrell McKinney, were not invited to be part of a dignitary lineup on January 10th that announced the recipients of nearly $125 million in public funding going towards North Omaha. Both senators, as well as Omaha City Councilwoman Juanita Johnson, were in attendance at Saturday's event.

"The community is last to the table," said Sen. McKinney, who also questioned why officials did not engage with members of the community during the planning and funding allocation process. Michael Maroney of the Omaha Economic Development Corp., which is helping to lead the development of a proposed business park in North Omaha, said that the development team did not want to reach out to members of the community to create "undue expectations" and "fear" before funding had been awarded.

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DAN FREI MAKES IT OFFICIAL, FILES TO CHALLENGE REP. DON BACON IN 2ND DISTRICT

OMAHA- Former Tea Party member Dan Frei filed last week to challenge U.S. Rep. Don Bacon in the 2024 GOP primary in the state's 2nd Congressional District. Frei has no immediate comment upon filing the challenge, but Frei had previously expressed interest in ousting Bacon from the seat.

Some leaders in the Nebraska GOP have stated that they prefer candidates who express more loyalty to former President Donald Trump than Bacon does. Although Bacon backed Trump in 2016 and 2020, he has since stated that he will not support the former president in 2024. Frei previously lost a narrow GOP primary bid in 2014 against then-Rep. Lee Terry.

Frei said that he was frustrated by a lack of progress by Congress on national debt, border enforcement, and the repeated use of short-term funding measures. He described himself as a fiscal and social conservative. Rep. Adrian Smith, who represents the state's 3rd District, also picked up a contender last week after John Walz of Hastings, an engineer who has worked in the biofuels industry, filed to run.

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