UNMC REPORT SEES GROWTH, CONTINUED CHALLENGES FOR NEBRASKA'S HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE

OMAHA- The University of Nebraska Medical Center is projecting "steady growth" in the number of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals working in Nebraska by the end of the decade. The number of physicians, according to the report, is expected to grow by 19% by 2030.

This forecast came from UNMC's "2023 Status of the Nebraska Healthcare Workforce," which is published annually by the college's Office of Rural Health Initiatives. While the report expects growth in certain fields, however, it also indicated that several challenges remain for Nebraska.

According to the report, despite the number of physicians practicing in Cornhusker State rising from 3,950 in 2017 to 4,271 in 2023, an increasing number of those new workers are choosing to work in urban areas of the state. Indeed, the report found that 83% of all diagnosing and treating practitioners were concentrated in metropolitan areas.

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NEBRASKA HOLDS HEARING ON PROPOSAL TO DIVERT WATER FROM THE PLATTE TO THE REPUBLICAN RIVER BASIN

LINCOLN- Following a Nebraska Supreme Court ruling last fall, a review of a proposal to transfer water from one river in Nebraska to another was put back on track. The Nebraska Department of Natural Resources announced that a public hearing would be held on Thursday in Bertrand, Nebraska to receive input on what would be a historic trans-basin diversion of water.

Last October, the Supreme Court ruled that several natural resource districts and a power company in the Platte River Basin lacked standing to object to a water transfer, which two natural resource districts in the Republican basin had proposed in 2018. That ruling left the decision to Tom Riley, the director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources.

Jesse Bradley, the department's deputy director, said the agency is proceeding with the transfer, but that there is no set timeline yet. However, before the transfer can occur, state law requires the agency to receive public feedback on seven factors, including economic and environmental impacts.

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NEBRASKA UNEMPLOYMENT RATE REMAINS STEADY AT 2.5%

LINCOLN- Nebraska's unemployment rate has remained steady for the past eight months, coming in again at 2.5% in April, according to data released last week by the Nebraska Department of Labor. That number is in stark contrast to the national average of 3.9%, which rose slightly from March's 3.8%.

Nebraska's unemployment rate, just as March's did, makes the state the fourth lowest nationally, with North Dakota, South Dakota, and Vermont recording the lowest three rates in April. Also notable this month, according to Labor Commissioner John Albin, is the number of filled jobs in Nebraska's nonfarm sector.

In April, that number reached an all-time high of 1,063,738, up about about 0.7% from March. "This was driven by record highs in Omaha and Lincoln of 516,399 and 198,570 respectively, Albin said of this data. The private industries reporting the most job growth in April were private education and health services.

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NEBRASKA 'EXURBS' OUTSHINE SUBURBS IN LATEST POPULATION GROWTH FIGURES

LINCOLN- According to annual estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau, which measured growth between mid-2022 and mid-2023, Nebraska's population count stalled or backtracked slightly in several key suburban areas around the state. However, the pace of population growth seemingly picked up in smaller communities located on the very fringes of the state's metro areas.

Demographers call these outer areas exurbs, or places that are "farther out than a suburb but still in or close to a metropolitan area." Josie Schafer, who directs the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said she believes the growth communities like Plattsmouth, Wahoo, and Ashland have experienced is due to post-pandemic remote work opportunities.

Families might also be moving away from the core metropolitan areas of Nebraska for either more affordable or more reclusive housing, said Schafer. "Those suburbs have been growing fast, and that's put pressure on house prices to go up," she said, "Now when folks are looking for somewhere to go, moving farther out might mean a little bit cheaper housing."

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STATE ECONOMIC INDEX SHOWS GROWTH IN APRIL

LINCOLN- Following a steep and, for some, concerning decline in March, Nebraska's Leading Economic Indicator, which is operated by economists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and designed to predict economic activity six months in advance, rose 0.42% in April. The indicator had previously declined by 1.31% in March after a record increase in February.

"The monthly report suggests the Nebraska economy will grow during the fourth quarter of 2024," said Eric Thompson, director of the Bureau of Business Research, "Overall, while the Nebraska economy struggled in the first quarter of 2924, growth is expected to accelerate mid-year."

Thompson also pointed out that business expectations were positive in April, with respondents reporting plans to increase sales and employment over the next six months. The six components considered by the Economic Indicator include business expectations, building permits for single-family homes, airline passenger counts, initial claims for unemployment insurance, the value of the dollar, and manufacturing hours worked.

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PILLEN JOINS 23 OTHER GOVERNORS IN OPPOSING WHO POWER INCREASE IN HEALTH EMERGENCIES

LINCOLN- Gov. Jim Pillen has joined the governors of 23 other states in opposing the Biden Administration's anticipated commitment to two international agreements that would enhance the World Health Organization's authority to declare public health emergencies and grant the WHO director more control over member states during such emergencies.

According to a news release from Pillen's office, the agreements in question aim to modify the WHO's current International Health Regulations to allow for the establishment of a new "Pandemic Agreement." Critics, including Pillen, argue that the change would allow the WHO to infringe upon U.S. sovereignty.

In a letter addressed to Pres. Biden, the governors expressed their concerns and warned that the proposed international rule changes would empower the WHO with "the authority to restrict the rights of U.S. citizens including freedoms such as speech, privacy, travel, choice of medical care, and informed consent."

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NEBRASKA LEADS WITH NEW VETERAN JUSTICE PROGRAM, AIMING TO STEER VETERANS BACK TO 'HERO STATUS'

LINCOLN- Last month, Nebraska lawmakers voted 44-0 to approve LB253, a bill to create a new veteran justice program beginning in 2025 that would establish evidence-based treatment and case plans for veterans whose military-related conditions contributed to criminal offenses.

Former U.S. Senator and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, said the program could help restore justice-impacted veterans to "hero status." Sens. Wayne and Brewer, the latter of whom served in the military for 36 years, led the bill through the Legislature. Brewer described the legislation as a tool for supporting combat-impacted veterans who made mistakes upon returning home.

"Many times that exposure causes issues that they would not normally have in their lives," said Brewer, "Therefore, that's why their treatment should be uniquely different." According to data from the Council on Criminal Justice, roughly one in three veterans reports being arrested or booked in jail at least once.

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NEBRASKA DHHS RELEASES DASHBOARD THAT MAPS OVERDOPE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT RESOURCES

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services has released a new overdose prevention dashboard with statistics and a statewide map of related services. Part of the new dashboard, announced in a Wednesday statement, outlines various services across 93 counties, such as no-cost naloxone availability.

Charity Menefee, director of DHHS' Division of Public Health, said that while the state has one of the lowest drug overdose death rates, the resources on the dashboard will strengthen prevention. "This tool is a valuable data access point to educate providers and community members on the treatment and resources that are available to someone who may be struggling with substance use," Menefee said in a statement.

Earlier this year, the Nebraska Legislature passed a package brought by Sens. Tony Vargas and Beau Ballard which distributed funds for opioid treatment and response and requires emergency medical providers to report instances of actual or suspected overdose to help DHHS compile better data.

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GOVERNOR PILLEN, AT BEATRICE TOWN HALL, SAYS HE'S CONFIDENT SPECIAL SESSION WILL YIELD REFORM

BEATRICE – Saying Nebraskans are sick of the conversation, Governor Jim Pillen said it’s time for the State of Nebraska to fix its tax system to relieve the burden of property taxes.

Pillen held another of his townhall meetings Friday at the Beatrice Public Library, to get input from residents about tax and spending issues. Pillen said he plans to call a special session late this summer to pass a comprehensive tax reform package….something that failed to happen in this year’s regular legislative session when the clock ran out and a plan under consideration lacked support.

"It's going to be really hard to get done before the Fourth of July and I've made commitments to sell Nebraska around the world, so it's going to be after the middle of July to before school...that's going to be the goal."

Pillen said the benefit of a special session will be the ability to focus on one issue. He told an audience at the Beatrice Public Library Norva Price Room that the effort to reduce property taxes will take spending restraint, removing sales tax exemptions and instituting a hard cap on local governments to help hold future spending down

Pillen told the Beatrice audience Friday that another component of tax reform is eliminating mandates passed on to local governments that put pressure on their budgets.

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TRUMP WINS IN NEBRASKA, BUT RESULTS SIGNAL ONGOING STRUGGLES TO WIN OVER MODERATE VOTERS

LINCOLN- While former Pres. Donald Trump easily won Nebraska's May Primary Election, collecting 80% of the statewide vote, one in five Republicans who cast a ballot opted for another candidate, while thousands more abstained entirely from voting. Nebraska's Primary results reflect outcomes seen in other states, where the former president has struggled to win over moderate Republicans.

Despite dropping out, former candidate Nikki Haley received 36,872 votes in the Nebraska Republican Primary, giving her nearly 18% of the total. Haley also saw her share of the vote exceed 20% in five Nebraska counties, including Lancaster County. Douglas County saw 23.2% of its presidential vote go to Haley as well.

Other signs that Nebraska Republicans are hesitant to support Trump's campaign include the fact that 8,400 voters who cast a vote in each of the state's Senate races did not fill out the presidential section of the ballot. Following the release of Primary results, the Nebraska GOP released a statement saying it was concerned by "the relatively low participation by voters" compared to previous election cycles.

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STATE BOARD OF ED RACES BECOME CLEARER AFTER PRIMARY VOTES

LINCOLN- Primary voters on Tuesday narrowed the field in two races for the Nebraska State Board of Education. With four of the board's eight districts up for election this year, only two had two candidates each. The two other districts had three candidates, with one being eliminated in each after the Primary Election.

Incumbents Patsy Koch Johns, Patti Gubbels, Jacquelyn Morrison and Lisa Fricke aren't seeking reelection. Given that the board has wrestled in recent years with several hot-button political issues, the election of four new members to the board could change its political and ideological makeup.

In District 1, Kristin Christensen defeated Liz Davids, pulling in more than 60% of the vote. Both candidates will face each other again in the General Election. In District 2, Linda Vermooten, a Republican, garnered 45% of the vote, and will face Maggie Douglas in November. Karen Morgan will not advance. District 3 will see Lisa Schonoff face Bill McAllister in November. Finally, District 4 will see Democrat Liz Renner face LeDonna White Griffin in the General Election, with Stacy Matula not advancing.

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FLOOD, SMITH ADVANCE TO GENERAL TO FACE BLOOD AND EBERS

BELLEVUE- Incumbent House Republicans had a big day in Nebraska’s primary election after hearing months of complaints from GOP partisans saying they wanted change. Republican U.S. Reps. Mike Flood and Adrian Smith both cruised to victory over lesser-funded, lesser-known GOP opponents. Flood secured 81.58% of the vote. Smith secured 74.18% of the vote.

Flood faces Democratic State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue in the 1st District general election. Blood lost a bid for governor in 2022 against Jim Pillen, then a University of Nebraska regent. Flood, of Norfolk, embraced voter concerns about immigration enforcement that Democrats and others say are a long way from his less partisan past, when he served as Speaker of the Legislature.

Smith defeated Hastings discount store owner John Walz, 74%-19%. Walz’s bid embraced former President Donald Trump’s “MAGA approach” and was endorsed by the Nebraska Republican Party. Smith, running for a tenth term, did what he has done in each of his more recent races for re-election, by pointing to his record of working to lower taxes and cut regulations.

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U.S. SENATE INCUMBENTS FISCHER, RICKETTS EASILY ADVANCE

OMAHA- Republican primary voters in Nebraska brushed aside months of populist pushback against elected officials and advanced both incumbent U.S. senators to the general election. As expected, two-term U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, outpaced perennial candidate Arron Kowalski, a central Nebraska farmer, in the GOP primary. Fischer finished by securing 79.8% of the vote.

She said she looked forward to her race this fall. Her likely opponent, Dan Osborn, a nonpartisan former Omaha union leader, has said he collected enough signatures to get his nonpartisan bid on the ballot. His campaign plans to turn in signatures this summer. Sen. Pete Ricketts won the GOP nod to finish the last two years of former Sen. Ben Sasse’s term. Gov. Jim Pillen appointed Ricketts to the Senate in early 2023, after Sasse vacated the seat to become president of the University of Florida.

Ricketts secured 79.1% of the vote. “I think what this shows is our incumbents in the federal delegation are doing a great job representing Nebraskans,” Ricketts said. “And that Nebraskans are rewarding by sending them to D.C.” Ricketts next faces Democrat Preston Love Jr., a civil rights and neighborhood advocate who served as manager of Jesse Jackson’s barrier-breaking presidential campaign in 1984.

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VOTERS NARROW CANDIDATES IN 15 CROWDED PRIMARY RACES FOR NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- Three incumbent state lawmakers were trailing opponents in unofficial votes for the Nebraska Legislature after Tuesday’s primary election for the officially nonpartisan body. In total, 25 races are up for election, and more than half had three or more candidates running. As of unofficial results early Wednesday, the top two candidates had significant leads over their competitors in 14 of those 15 races.

But in north-central Omaha’s District 13 to succeed term-limited State Sen. Justin Wayne, only five votes separated the second- and third-place finishers, Ashlei Spivey and Tracy Hightower-Henne, both Democrats, with votes still to be counted. That race appears headed for a recount under state law. In North Omaha, State Sen. Terrell McKinney is fending off a challenge from 46-year lawmaker Ernie Chambers, who was leading McKinney by 21 votes at night’s end.

Elsewhere, a rematch preview occurred in Grand Island’s District 35 between State Sen. Ray Aguilar, a Republican, and former State Sen. Dan Quick, a Democrat. At night’s end, Quick led by 84 votes, or 2.6%. State Sen. Robert Dover of Norfolk, appointed to the Legislature in 2022 by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts, is running for a full term in District 19. He trailed Jeanne Reigle of Madison by nearly 200 votes, or 2.4%.

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NE OFFICIALS SAY VOTING WENT MOSTLY SMOOTHLY IN STATE'S FIRST ELECTION REQUIRING VOTER ID

LINCOLN- The biggest change that Nebraskans saw in voting procedures — the new legal requirement that they show a form of identification to cast a ballot at the polls — caused no widespread problems or concerns as of early evening, according to a check with various Nebraska officials. “This has been a pretty smooth day,” said Steve Smith, spokesman for Civic Nebraska.

He said earlier outreach efforts by the Nebraska Secretary of State — whom he called the “MVP” of the day — and advocacy groups appeared to have helped educate voters about requirements under the recently passed law. Overall, Civic Nebraska as of about 6:30 p.m. Central Time reported an “efficient” Election Day. Smith said about four dozen observers visited a total of about 100 precincts.

Besides a few unexpected mishaps, the day went extremely smoothly. Officials said that voters had their ID ready to go when they reached their polling place. It is being reported that driver's licenses and state IDs were the bulk of the identification cards presented. The Secretary of State hopes the smooth voting process will continue into the general election in November.

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DAN OSBORN SPURNS DEMOCRATS, OTHER PARTIES WHOSE HELP HE SOUGHT IN SENATE RACE

OMAHA- Dan Osborn, a non-partisan candidate for the U.S. Senate, seems to have burned all bridges with the Nebraska Democratic Party, which he had been courting support from for months. During a Wednesday announcement at a press event in his Chalco Hills garage, Osborn stated that he would no longer be seeking endorsements from any political party. Along with expressing his lack of desire to forcibly adhere to the rigid requests of a political party, Osborn stated he wouldn't accept a party's endorsement even if he were chosen.

Democrats feel betrayed by Osborn's decision, being that it was confirmed by election officials to be too late to add a Democratic candidate to the ballot for the fall election. Some are speculating that Osborn's distancing from the Democratic Party and centrist statements are a tactic to persuade Republican-leaning voters. Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb voiced her disappointment with Osborn's decisions and stated that there will be a write-in candidate endorsed by the Democratic Party.

Disdain for Osborn's independent status has been voiced clearly by liberal affiliates who have assisted in his campaign, characterizing him as dishonest and untrustworthy. It's believed that his chances are slim to none without Democratic support, but Osborn is adamant that his anti-establishment sentiments and blue-collar demeanor will win progressives over.

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OMAHA SAW NARROWEST PRIMARY ELECTIONS FOR NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE, WITH A RECOUNT POSSIBLE

OMAHA- Nebraska's largest city had some of the closest primary races for the state legislature this year, with one headed towards a possible recount. The state voted on 25 seats up for election still being decided by about 13,000 uncounted ballots as of Wednesday.

One main highlight of this primary election was in north-central Omaha's highly-contested second-place spot for Legislative District 13. Nick Batter, the frontrunner, leads by a comfortable margin while Ashlei Spivey and Tracy Hightower-Henne fight for second place. As of now, Spivey emerged victorious by a minuscule five-vote margin. Hightower-Henne has stated she is currently awaiting the final vote count.

Other close races in Omaha include Legislative District 7, whose top candidates were separated by 26 votes, Legislative District 11, whose top candidates were separated by 21 votes, and Legislative District 5, whose top candidates were separated by 18 votes. Aside from Omaha's elections, three other races in eastern Nebraska could decide the ideological split of the officially nonpartisan legislature. In Legislative District 49, State Senator Jen Day looks to be gearing up for a second term, while in Legislative District 3, Republican Felix Ungerman looks to replace the term-limited State Senator Carol Blood, a Democrat. Republicans are expected to gain a Democrat's seat in District 15 replacing State Senator Lynne Walz.

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BIDEN REELECTION CAMPAIGN HIRES NEBRASKA ORGANIZERS TO KEEP OMAHA ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE

OMAHA- Pres. Biden's reelection campaign has hired two seasoned Nebraska political organizers--Precious McKesson and Meg Mandy--as senior advisors to lead a campaign in the state to provide an Electoral College vote for the incumbent president. McKesson and Mandy have been charged with continuing Omaha's reputation as the "blue dot" on the Electoral College map.

"Precious and Meg are leaders with deep Nebraska ties who will be critical to delivering Omaha for President Biden again this November," said Dan Kanninen, Biden-Harris battleground states director. Despite repeated Republican efforts to return the state to a winner-take-all allocation, Nebraska remains one of two states that allows its Electoral College votes to be split.

The most recent attempt to change the vote allocation came during this year's legislative session, following pressure from former Pres. Donald Trump. McKesson, who previously worked on the Biden-Harris campaign in 2020, currently serves as the executive director of the Nebraska Democratic Party. Mandy is a partner at One House Strategies and the campaign manager for congressional candidate Tony Vargas.

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BRUISING BACON-FREI PRIMARY BLEEDS INTO BACON-VARGAS REMATCH THIS FALL

OMAHA- The expected rematch between Democratic State Sen. Tny Vargas and Incumbent Republican Rep. Don Bacon is set for November. However, unlike in 2022, when these candidates first battled for Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District seat, the incumbent who largely built his reputation by catering to centrist voters is coming off of a primary that forced him to bank to the right.

Dan Frei, Bacon's populist opponent in this month's GOP primary, utilized guerilla tactics to organize and energize GOP partisans unhappy with the status quo, and was quick to criticize Bacon for waiting so long to endorse former Pres. Donald Trump. Several political observers argued that Bacon's margin of victory showed that conservative populists aren't reflective of the broader GOP electorate.

However, others have said that Frei's ability to motivate this vocal group could signal potential trouble for Bacon in November, since his campaign may not be able to generate such enthusiasm. Thus far, Vargas has raised $2.4 million, while national Democratic groups have spent roughly $2 million on digital, TV, and radio ads to criticize Bacon.

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STATE GOP PUSHES UNITY AFTER PRIMARY FIGHT WITH INCUMBENT, DELEGATES DISAGREE

LINCOLN- Days after losing the three high-profile races it had endorsed this spring, leaders of the Nebraska Republican Party encouraged unity this weekend but faced pushback from delegates. State GOP Chairman Eric Underwood said he would keep pushing for Republican unity, but that he would also need reciprocity from the elected officials angered by the party.

Relations are in need of mending after the state GOP decided not to endorse any of the state's five-member, all-GOP congressional delegation. All five easily won their respective primaries, despite the fact that Ricketts, Smith, and Bacon were challenged by populist GOP candidates supported by the state party.

During the State GOP Conference, held Saturday in Lincoln, party delegates balked at a resolution to endorse the five candidates in November, delaying a decision until the next central committee meeting. Former U.S. Rep. Hal Daub led the resolution, saying his intention was "to have unity projected to the public."

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