SENATOR CALLS FOR INCENTIVES TO REDUCE NITROGEN FERTILIZER USE, IMPROVE WATER QUALITY

LINCOLN- A rural state senator called for providing financial incentives for farmers to use less nitrogen fertilizer and help clean up the state’s groundwater. LB1368, introduced by Sen. Teresa Ibach, would pay no less than $10 an acre for farmers who reduce their use of synthetic fertilizers, such as anhydrous ammonia, and switch to “biological” alternatives, such as coating seeds with microbes that draw nitrogen from the air.

Ibach told members of the Legislature’s Agriculture Committee the goal of her “Nitrogen Reduction Incentive Act” is to encourage farmers to adopt “sustainable practices” to avoid and hopefully reduce nitrate contamination of groundwater. Currently, one in five public water supplies and private wells in Nebraska tests high for nitrate contamination, which has been linked to one of the nation’s highest rates of pediatric cancer.

Supporters of the bill said nitrogen fertilizer is often overapplied, allowing it to leech into groundwater or run off into streams and lakes, causing harmful algae blooms and the “dead zone” where the Mississippi River dumps into the Gulf of Mexico. Ibach said it has taken years for excess nitrates to leech into the state’s groundwater and it will take years to reverse that trend, but she said LB 1368 is a “proactive” first step to change farming practices.

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PARENTS, ACLU ALLEGE A NEBRASKA MIDDLE SCHOOL INAPPROPRIATELY OUTED A TRANS GIRL LAST FALL

LINCOLN- A federal complaint is asking the U.S. Department of Education to investigate whether Nebraska school officials outed a transgender middle school student last fall without parental consent. The new complaint alleges administrators violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, which prohibits schools from disclosing “personally identifiable information in education records” without written parental or guardian consent.

The ACLU states the case revolves around a 12-year-old trans girl’s parents who had a private meeting with school administrators at the start of the girl’s time in middle school in August 2023. They learned shortly afterward from the president of a private organization that he had just learned the girl was trans.

“Under FERPA, whether a student is transgender or not is confidential and protected information,” Grant Friedman, ACLU of Nebraska legal fellow, said in a statement. “Sharing that highly sensitive information without permission is a major violation of trust that can easily risk a student’s safety and well-being.” The ACLU declined to identify the middle school in the complaint or provide a copy of it.

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LAWMAKER WANTS TO KEEP OUT-OF-STATE ENTITIES FROM BUYING SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES IN NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- Calling it a means to preserve local homeownership, a state senator has proposed legislation to keep businesses without a tie to the state from buying single-family housing in Nebraska. Under LB1405, introduced by Sen. Justin Wayne, a corporation, hedge fund or other business would not be able to purchase a single-family home in Nebraska unless that entity is domiciled in Nebraska and its principal members are state residents.

Speaking Monday to the Legislature’s Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee, Wayne referred to an Ohio-based private company as an example. He said Vinebrook Homes has snapped up scores of homes in North Omaha to become one of the state’s largest landlords. He said the companies have the financial capacity to outbid average families, and the homes become “perpetual renterships.”

He said he was inspired by the Omaha situation, but also by Gov. Jim Pillen’s idea to prevent foreign adversaries and sanctioned nationals from buying land in Nebraska. “I was like, Let’s just take it a step further and see if we can save some homes,” Wayne said. Three people spoke in support of the bill during the public hearing. No one testified in opposition, though pushback came from Sen. von Gillern.

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKER PROPOSES GRANT FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS TO COMBAT DYSLEXIA

LINCOLN- Several people testified on LB1253 on Monday. The bill aims to create a Dyslexia Research Grant Program for new technologies. State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, who introduced the bill, also has dyslexia and has fought for years to support students with dyslexia. The proposed research program would set aside $1 million for Nebraska businesses researching artificial intelligence-based writing assistance for individuals with dyslexia.

Linehan said that some educators have long discredited the lifelong disorder or cast it off as having to do with a student’s IQ or intelligence. She herself has struggled with the disorder, recalling how “horrified” she felt before her 1995 interview to work for then-U.S. Senate candidate Chuck Hagel. It’s estimated that as many as 15%-20% of the world’s population has dyslexia.

In the past year, a group of University of Nebraska-Lincoln college students working in this field approached Linehan to discuss their fledgling business, Dyslexico, which they started about two years ago in the UNL Raikes School. Unlike other programs, the Dyslexico software is powered through AI but finds a middle ground in not rewriting sentences.

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NORTH OMAHANS PACK A ROOM TO DISCUSS 'NEXT STEPS' IN SPENDING MILLIONS OF STATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNDS

OMAHA- Not everyone is completely happy with the way $235 million in state development funds are to be doled out in North and South Omaha, Willie Barney of the African-American Empowerment Network told a group of about 100. But the Empowerment Network plans to use some of its grant funding to help fill gaps and multiply the financial impact in North Omaha, he said. It aims to do that in part by hiring a consultant who will guide groups and entities that were awarded grants as well as others that are seeking a financial boost.

Barney and heads of other key organizations called the community meeting Monday to discuss “next steps” since the State of Nebraska announced recipients of the $235 million in state funds on Jan. 26. Award-winners in the room said they were still awaiting the actual funds. “This is really about trying to move forward. To make this community stronger than it’s ever been", said Barney.

The meeting was just announced on Friday, but on Monday almost every seat in the auditorium was filled. Those who came ran the gamut from businesses that didn’t apply for the North-South grants but are seeking funding for their operation to those that were awarded funding but were in search of advice on compliance and other issues.

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GOVERNOR CHANGES COURSE, SAYS HE HAS A 'NEBRASKA WAY' TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FOOD FOR KIDS

LINCOLN- On Monday, Gov. Pillen reversed course and decided to apply for $18 million in federal funding for food over the summer for low-income Nebraska families. The program, according to Pillen's Office, is expected to deliver an additional $40 a month in grocery-buying funds to an estimated 150,000 kids across the state.

Gov. Pillen previously faced backlash after denying the funds in December, which he argued were leftover from a now-over COVID-19 pandemic. Pillen said a recent conversation with Se. Ray Aguilar and a visit to Boys Town last week prompted him to change his mind. "This isn't about winning," said Pillen, "It's about doing what's best for kids in Nebraska."

Pillen announced the change of heart during a Monday morning press conference, where has was joined by a bipartisan group of state senators. "I want to thank the Governor for heeding the call of myself, my colleagues and countless Nebraska who asked the Governor to rethink his decision," said Sen. Jen Day, a Democrat.

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ADVOCATES, PAST DRUG OFFENDERS CALL FOR END TO LIFETIME BAN ON RECEIVING FOOD STAMP BENEFITS

LINCOLN- For some past drug offenders in Nebraska, a punishing Nebraska law prohibits them from obtaining food stamps, or benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. "SNAP would be such a great stepping stone to help me get the stability I need to keep my kids happy and to move forward in my career," said Kayla Tobey, a working mother of two children and passed drug offender.

On Friday, Tobey joined advocates and other offenders at a press conference to call on the Nebraska Legislature and U.S. Congress to pass bills to lift the ban for people who have since moved past drug use. "We continue to see the harm that results from the unnecessary lifetime SNAP ban," said Eric Savaiano of Nebraska Appleseed.

Some in the Legislature, however, are working to change the law. Sen. Hunt's LB88, introduced last year, would allow persons convicted of a felony involving the possession, distribution, or use of a controlled substance to have the ban lifted from them once they complete their sentence. U.S. Rep. Don Bacon is also a co-sponsor of the federal Restore Act proposal, which would do the same thing on a national level.

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SENATORS, SANDHILL RESIDENTS TOUT BILLS TO ADDRESS 'CARE DESERTS' DUE TO CLOSING OF SENIOR CARE CENTERS ACROSS NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- Eleven state senators, as well as a handful of rural residents who must drive hours to receive medical care, called last week for an end to the expansion of 'care deserts' in Nebraska. The coalition of senators addressing this issue argued that such deserts force families to travel further for medical care. "We can't continue at this pace," said Sen. Myron Dorn, "We have to try and find a way to stop this cycle."

To address the issue, Sen. Dorn introduced LB941 and LB942, which will be heard this week before the state's Appropriations Committee. LB941 would increase current Medicaid reimbursement rates for care at assisted-living facilities, while LB942 would appropriate funds to the Department of Health and Human Services to increase Medicaid reimbursement for nursing facility care by 5%.

Jalene Carpenter, of the Health Care Association, argued that it's important that care is adequately reimbursed so care centers can avoid closing. Sen. Dorn echoed a similar sentiment, arguing that inadequate reimbursement rates shift the cost of care onto non-Medicaid residents.

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JUDGE TEMPORARILY HALTS HANDGUN ORDER IN OMAHA UNTIL COURT CASE IS DECIDED

OMAHA- Handguns are legal now in Omaha's city parks, trails, sidewalks and parking areas after a judge issued a preliminary injunction Friday against Mayor Jean Stothert's executive order limiting handgun possession on city property. The order was paused by Douglas County District Judge LeAnne Srb.

Srb's order questioned the City of Omaha's contention that it was restricting guns as a landlord and not as an authority. The judge wrote that the city might own the premises it regulates, but that Stothert's order "appears to be an action taken for the public welfare pursuant to governmental or police power."

The Nebraska Firearms Owners Association sued Omaha and Lincoln last year after both cities issued similar orders restricting handguns. The Lincoln lawsuit is currently headed to the Lancaster County District Court, with a date set for February 27th. On Friday, Sen. Brewer, who introduced the bill allowing the permitless concealed carry of firearms statewide, said he was "very encouraged by Judge Srb's decision to stop Omaha from enforcing Mayor Stothert's illegal executive order."

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NU VOLLEYBALL COACH SAYS NEBRASKA CROSSING COULD BE NEW HOME FOR OLYMPIC VOLLEYBALL TRAINING CENTER

LINCOLN- Backers of turning Nebraska Crossing into a major, regional tourism destination for shopping and youth sports enlisted the help of a major state celebrity during a public hearing concerning the state's Good Life District Economic Development Act. John Cook, the University of Nebraska volleyball coach, told state senators that they should capitalize on the volleyball momentum in Nebraska and lure the Olympic volleyball training center to the state.

Cook told the Legislature's Revenue Committee that the current training site for the US's volleyball team is "abysmal," and that the head of USA Volleyball was "pretty fired up" about the possibility of moving to Nebraska. "They just fell in love with Nebraska," said Cook. Nebraska Crossing owner Rod Yates also told lawmakers that he was in "the final stages" of putting together an agreement to relocate the training facility to Gretna.

Yates said the facility would likely cost between $150 and $200 million, which would be financed via a voter-approved slice of sales tax proceeds from the expanded Nebraska Crossing. According to Yates, who cited Creighton University economic Ernie Goss, an expanded Nebraska Crossing could bring nearly 18 million visitors per year, and create 40,000 full-time jobs.

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NEBRASKA CHILD WELFARE, PRISON WATCHDOGS HAVE TEMPORARILY RESTORED ACCESS FOR OVERSIGHT ROLES

LINCOLN- A six-month battle between Nebraska's legislative and executive branches has gotten a reprieve, with watchdog access at least temporarily restored on Wednesday to the state inspectors general. Speaker John Arch and Executive Board Chair Ray Aguilar joined Gov. Pillen in a memorandum of understanding, which specified what information the executive branch would provide to the state ombudsman and inspectors general for corrections and child welfare.

"Over the years, this effort to provide greater and more effective oversight has now become an opportunity to step back and have a broader assessment of the oversight function of the Legislature and how to better coordinate that function," said Arch. The memorandum is set to expire at the end of the 2025 legislative session unless mutually extended.

Arch said that the varying parties in the oversight battle came up with three separate agreements. Firstly, a special committee to consider legislative oversight will be established. Second, certain statutes will be amended to address concerns from the Nebraska Attorney General. And finally, access to information will be reestablished between the executive branch and the office of the inspectors general.

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HANSEN BILL WOULD CUT NEBRASKA'S EARLY VOTING PERIOD TO 22 DAYS

LINCOLN- The window for voting early in Nebraska would open about two weeks later if the Legislature adopts Sen. Ben Hansen's LB1211, the subject of a public hearing on Wednesday. Several states, including Iowa, have reduced the window for early voting, often in response to Republicans pushing to limit voting by mail.

Early voting by mail in Nebraska currently begins 35 days before the statewide primary and general elections, with in-person voting starting 30 days before elections. "This bill is simple to understand," Hansen told lawmakers, "I believe 22 days is a reasonable amount of time...It limits the amount of time for ballots to lay around."

LB1211 received the backing of Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, who submitted a letter calling the change a "sensible policy solution that sets uniformity in early voting practices without requiring additional changes to state law." Brian Kruse, the Douglas County Election Commissioner, said more ballots would be rejected if the timeframe was cut short, since, if issues were to arise, voters would have far less time to correct them.

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STATE SEN. SLAMA DECIDES AGAINST RE-ELECTION BID AT LAST MOMENT

LINCOLN- Southeast Nebraska will elect a new state senator this year after State Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar changed course and decided not to run for re-election. Slama, a lawyer who earlier announced that she was running for a second term, said in a statement that she was stepping back to focus on her family, including a newborn child. She called serving in the Legislature an “honor and privilege.”

“I’ve decided to begin a new chapter as an attorney in the private sector and focus on the joys and responsibilities of being a new mom,” she said in a statement, the deadline for incumbents to file for re-election. Slama might not be finished with her political career, however. She steps away from the race with $146,000 raised cash on hand, more than any of her Republican peers in the Legislature.

Slama has made no secret about wanting to run for higher office one day, having applied for Gov. Jim Pillen’s consideration as the state treasurer after John Murante took another job. Local political observers have said she might eventually run for state treasurer, secretary of state or attorney general. She did not address those possibilities in her announcement.

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BLOOD ASKS PILLEN TO RESPOND TO 'WORSENING' VIOLENCE, WORKER SAFETY AT STATE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL

LINCOLN- Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue has ramped up her plea to Gov. Jim Pillen, requesting that he act quickly to improve “worsening” safety conditions for workers at the state psychiatric hospital. In a letter sent to Pillen, she said the safety of patients and staff at the Lincoln Regional Center is “completely compromised.” Blood pointed to various situations she has been informed of.

“It’s our understanding that many of the patients at LRC are more akin to Nikko Jenkins than not,” Blood said in the letter to Pillen, referring to the Nebraska death row inmate who killed four people in a 10-day span in 2013 and has self-mutilated while in prison. “The situation at LRC continues to be dire.” Blood also said the staffing issue has been around for years.

DHHS said the department has already been working to implement improvements, including increasing wages by, he said, “over 50%.” He said 110 new nurse and mental health specialist positions recently were posted. Blood said she and her team continue to listen to workers and share the information publicly because she believes that lives are at risk.

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STATE SEN. MERV RIEPE SEEKS TO EXPAND MEDICAID COVERAGE TO INCLUDE OBESITY

LINCOLN- State Sen. Merv Riepe is looking to expand Medicaid coverage to include obesity, an effort he described Thursday as seeking to tackle the “root cause” of other ailments. LB907 seeks to expand coverage for intensive behavioral therapy and anti-obesity medications. The medications, prescribed in conjunction with diet and exercise changes, would be part of a tiered approach in addressing a chronic disease that affects more than 30% of Nebraskans.

“It’s just one more tool in the toolbox,” Riepe told the Health and Human Services Committee this week .Anti-obesity medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are eligible for use by patients with obesity who have body mass indexes of 30 or greater, or those with a BMI of 27 or greater and at least one or more comorbidity.

LB 907 includes a fiscal note from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services of about $300 million in the first two years, though a high-end estimate, without best practices in providing care or determining Medicaid eligibility, could cost up to $500 million annually. No one testified in opposition to LB907. The committee took no immediate action.

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SEN. MERV RIEPE GIVES TOP PRIORITY BILL TO ALLOWING ABORTIONS IN CASES OF FATAL FETAL ANOMALIES

LINCOLN- Sen. Merv Riepe, who tanked an effort last year by his fellow Republicans to pass a near-total abortion ban has given top priority this year to a bill that would allow abortions beyond the state's 12-week ban in cases of fatal fetal anomalies. The bill would amend Nebraska’s 12-week abortion ban, passed last year, to allow abortions in cases when a fetus is unable to survive outside the womb.

That diagnosis must come from two doctors who determine that, regardless of any life-saving treatment, a fetus is incompatible with life outside the womb and will result in death upon birth or shortly thereafter. The diagnosis and abortion must come before 20 weeks of pregnancy — a timeline consistent with Nebraska's previous 20-week ban on abortions.

The bill also removes criminal penalties for doctors who perform an abortion outside the exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother. Adelle Burk with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska said Riepe’s bill falls well short of restoring full rights to abortion access, but that it “acknowledges some of the harm done by the bill passed last year and tries to control some of that damage.”

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PUBLIC SAFETY, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND CHINA: RENEWABLE ENERGY DEBATE RUNS HOT IN NEBRASKA

GREELEY- Better to walk out than get thrown out. And with that, Robert Bernt, an organic farmer in central Nebraska, turned and left the old school gymnasium where the county zoning board was evaluating a proposed wind farm. The project was being sought by area farmers who viewed it as a way to shore up their family incomes and feed tax revenue into local schools and government.

Most of the several dozen people in attendance shared Bernt’s anger. They accused local officials of aiding China, a major player in renewables, and jeopardizing neighbors’ health and property values. And they disputed the project’s promised economic benefits. One opponent called on the group to join him in prayer as he beseeched God to steer officials away from the plan. Most stood with him.

NextEra Energy Resources, the world’s largest developer of wind and solar projects, said it has already invested about $814 million in Nebraska and remains committed to continuing despite the opposition. That includes in Greeley County, where it’s developing the proposed wind farm. “We … believe that well-sited projects can provide significant benefits to the counties where they are built," said NextEra.

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BILL ADVANCED TO CLOSE LOOPHOLE IN INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR PROCEDURES DURING A COLONOSCOPY

LINCOLN- On Tuesday, the Nebraska Legislature voted 36-6 to advance a bill Sen. Carol Blood introduced to "close a loophole" in the Affordable Care Act. The ACA, according to Blood, intended to require coverage of colonoscopies as well as the removal of any polyps found during the procedure. However, a loophole makes the removal of a polyp "diagnostic" and a procedure whose cost is the patient's responsibility.

Under Sen. Blood's LB829, polyp removal, a biopsy, and lab tests will be covered by insurance. Omaha Sen. Kathleen Kauth opposed the bill, questioning whether requiring insurers to cover polyp removals would increase costs for all patients. Blood argued that those who refuse to pay the current extra fees can face life-threatening consequences.

Lincoln Sen. Eliot Bostar, in response to Sen. Kauth, said costs would be saved if a patient's polyps are removed, since this would likely prevent future instances of cancer. Blood cited the fact that colon cancer kills 53,000 Americans each year, and that it is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths.

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SEN. CONRAD INTRODUCES BILL TO ALLOW CHILDREN TO REPEAT A GRADE IN K-12 WITH PARENTAL PERMISSION

LINCOLN- In select circumstances under Sen. Danielle Conrad's LB1193, parents or guardians would have the final say in whether their children should repeat a grade in K-12 schools. More specifically, parents would be allowed to let their children repeat a grade in K-4 due to academic needs, illness, or excessive absenteeism. For students in grades 5-12, the reason would be limited to excessive absenteeism.

"In the rare instances where there are disagreements with the parent, and to be clear, most of the time there's not," said Conrad, "the parent's decision should really carry the day." Elizabeth Eynon-Kokrda, general counsel for the Education Rights Counsel and a proponent of the bill, argued that school districts currently contain "the entire body of rights here."

Eynon-Kokrda offered two examples to show the importance of this issue. In one, a ninth grade student survived being trafficked and missed the entire school year, but her parents were denied the opportunity to place their daughter back into ninth grade. "The current rule basically is, your age dictates where you go, specifically without regard to your circumstances," said Eynon-Kokrda.

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GOV. PILLEN, SEN. DEKAY LOOK TO PREVENT FOREIGN ADVERSARIES FROM OWNING NEBRASKA REAL ESTATE

LINCOLN- LB1301, introduced by Sen. Barry Dekay at the behest of Gov. Jim Pillen, would modernize a law that they argue is designed to prevent foreign adversaries and sanctioned nationals from buying land in Nebraska. "What we're doing is not something that is radically different," DeKay told the Legislature's Agriculture Committee on Tuesday.

A draft amendment for the bill would expand restricted land statewide, rather than specifically within 10 miles of Nebraska's military installations. It would also specify that a "nonresident alien" must disclose agricultural land purchases in line with federal law. Under the bill, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture would determine whether a violation of the "Foreign-Owned Real Estate National Security Act" occurred, and could forward the matter to the Attorney General's Office.

Restricted entities within the bill include those who are listed on any sanctions lists maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and those who are determined by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to have "engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States."

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