U.S. SENATE APPROVES RETURN OF IOWA LAND TO WINNEBAGO TRIBE OF NEBRASKA

WASHINGTON, D.C.- On Thursday, the United States Senate gave final approval to return to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska over 1,600 acres of land along the Missouri River that the federal government seized decades ago. The legislation, which passed earlier in the U.S. House, now goes to President Biden for his signature.

"This is a truly historic moment for the Winnebago Tribe as lands that were taken from us over 50 years ago will soon be restored to the tribe," said Winnebago Chairwoman Victoria Kitcheyan. The two tracks of land being returned, which previously belonged to Nebraska before the shifting of the Missouri River, were seized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1970s for a recreation project that never materialized.

The bill that helped to restore the land to the Tribe, titled the Winnebago Land Transfer Act of 2023, was introduced by Iowa Rep. Randy Feenstra and co-sponsored by the entirety of Iowa and Nebraska's Congressional delegations. "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was wrong to seize this land through eminent domain in the 1970s," wrote U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer in a statement, "It's time to make this right and finally return this land to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska."

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RENT AID PROGRAM FOR NEEDY NEBRASKANS "ON TRACK," WITH MUCH OF THE $48M STILL AVAILABLE

LINCOLN- A once-controversial rent aid program has, to date, distributed around $11 million to eligible Nebraskans, leaving more than three-quarters of an originally allocated $48 million available following its launch last September. Besides a funding bottleneck at the beginning, administrators of the program are pleased with the rollout of the latest round of pandemic-related Nebraska Emergency Rental Assistance.

"We're pretty happy," said Shannon Harner, executive director of the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority, "The flow of getting funds out continues to speed up. That is also positive." According to Harner, the hiring of extra staff helped get the process to a better pace and allowed for the smoother disbursement of funds.

The funding, having been bucked by former Gov. and current U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, was eventually accepted by Gov. Jim Pillen. By then, certain deadlines had been missed, so much of the original allocation to Nebraska was redirected to other states. State lawmakers had stepped in after Ricketts' refusal of the rental aid, but fell just one vote short of overriding the gubernatorial veto.

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DED IMPLEMENTS 6 REGIONS, ONE NEBRASKA TO HELP SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

LINCOLN- Six Regions, One Nebraska is a new, regional approach to economic development designed to support regional growth by implementing collaborative projects in each of Nebraska's six community college districts, said K.C. Belitz, Director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

The initiative, described as a game changer by Belitz, is being funded by $3 million of unused American Rescue Plan Act dollars, which will be divided evenly among the six regions. "Although we are one state, opportunities and challenges vary throughout the state," said Marc LeBaron, who is set to chair the Southeast Region, "Our approach today of letting each region identify what is the most critical...is truly a unique approach."

Indeed, said LeBaron, what might work in Omaha or Lincoln could very well fail in Scottsbluff, making region-based economic development an exceedingly valuable tool. The new initiative comes with the blessing of both the Nebraska Legislature and Gov. Jim Pillen.

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'EVERYBODY'S GOT TO PLAY': BREAKING DOWN NEBRASKA'S MORE THAN 100 SALES TAX EXEMPTIONS

FREMONT- While Nebraska collects around $2 billion in sales tax per year, another $6.5 billion is left off the table due to more than 100 sales tax exemptions. Governor Pillen says all exemptions are on the table as he attempts to reduce property tax this year, ranging from laundry services and haircuts to agricultural and business inputs. Taxing these inputs has been condemned by some senators across ideological divides. Gov. Pillen's goal is to reduce property tax by eliminating some sales tax exemptions.

The discussion around sales tax revolves around Gov. Pillen's effort to reduce property tax by 40% or $2 billion in his first two years. He has said that he wants to see Nebraska collect less taxes in general. Gov. Pillen hopes to use town halls to rally Nebraskans to press their senators into supporting him. He put pressure on the senators by stating that if one special session fails, he will continue to call them.

Some senators believe that this proposal wouldn't have a huge impact, but others believe that the change would greatly impact lower-income families. Opponent of the bill, State Senator Julie Slama, noted "There’s no guarantee that that money from increased revenue is going to be one-to-one property tax relief." The opposition's main concern is that the change would not reduce taxes, but simply shift the burden to others.

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TAX RELIEF AVAILABLE TO NEBRASKANS FOLLOWING ARBOR DAY TORNADOES, OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS

LINCOLN- The handful of natural disasters that Nebraska suffered this spring could lead to specific property tax relief if a storm destroyed a taxpayer's property. State Tax Commissioner James Kamm announced Friday that he is waiving penalties and interest for late tax returns and payments for those directly impacted by the Arbor Day tornadoes in eastern Nebraska. Kamm pushed the due date from April 25 to September 3.

There are 14 ZIP codes identified by the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency whose inhabitants' penalties and interest will be automatically waived if they file and pay by September 3. This is because the specified areas are most likely to have suffered significant damage. Nebraska's Department of Revenue recognized the obstacles that these natural disasters presented concerning tax responsibilities, and they expressed a desire to help. Additional relief may be provided outside of the identified areas depending on the circumstances.

Property tax relief may be offered for those whose property was destroyed by any natural disaster, but the damage must exceed 20% of the current assessed property value as determined by the county assessor. This was done to lower the value of what's standing after a disaster, resulting in less property tax. State Senator Steve Erdman recalled a story where a woman's house burnt down at the beginning of the year, the day after a property evaluation, and was still taxed on everything evaluated for that year. Sen. Erdman found this inappropriate and brought about change in 2019 with LB 512.

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JUDGE DISMISSES FIREARM GROUP'S LAWSUIT OVER LINCOLN'S BAN OF GUNS ON CITY PROPERTY

LINCOLN- Last week, Lancaster County District Judge Andrew Jacobsen threw out a civil lawsuit brought by the Nebraska Firearms Owners Association against the City of Lincoln. The group of gun owners brought this suit in an attempt to make the city rescind its ban on guns in city-owned areas. The judge agreed with the city in that the group lacked standing to bring a case because a weapons policy has to be challenged through an alleged injury or future injury.

Lincoln's mayor, Leirion Gaylor Baird, voiced the city's pleasure at the dismissal of the case. She stressed the importance of protecting public safety for the entire community while in spaces managed by the city. A case was brought in Douglas County over a similar ban, where it was argued that the group was only suing over potential consequences from a loosely enforced rule.

While some believe that state law protects the right to carry in public, in both cases it was concluded that any injury suffered by the policy change is conjectural and hypothetical. There has also been a lack of substantial evidence that there has been any threat of enforcement toward someone violating the ordinance. The ordinance does prohibit weapons in public places, but it has no penalty or enforcement attached to it.

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DISPUTE OVER OVERLAPPING BROADBAND GRANTS IS NOW HEADING FOR COURT

LINCOLN- While a heavily funded effort to bring high-speed internet to all of Nebraska ensues, a dispute over overlapping grants to expand broadband is being brought to court. The internet provider Pinpoint Communications has sued the Gage County Board for its recent choice to deny the company a permit to lay fiber optic cable. The board rejected the permit because they considered it a waste of tax funds to give another grant to an area that had already received money to implement broadband service.

The Gage County District Court accused the board of overstepping its authority when it denied the permit, which is usually approved without discussion. The overlap of funding involves 11 residences northeast of Beatrice, and potentially $200,000 or so in grants to serve the area. Gage County had previously hired another internet provider, NextLink, to extend broadband to rural and underserved sites through a county program, while Pinpoint obtained a $535,000 grant approved by the Public Service Commission through the state's program.

The lawsuit filed by Pinpoint is just the latest tiff in an ongoing dispute over a hypothetical overbuild of broadband internet. There has been a plethora of recent efforts from state and federal governments to bring high-speed internet to rural areas. Pinpoint holds that the county lacks the authority to reject their permit application.

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RACING AND GAMING COMMISSION'S INTERIM LEADER REFLECTS ON WORK, SEEKS PERMANENT JOB

LINCOLN- It wasn't so long ago that what was then called the Nebraska Racing Commission was a two-person operation that oversaw a horse racing scene that was in decline from its heyday a few decades earlier. The approval of casino gambling by Nebraska voters in 2020, however, signaled a change for the agency.

Since then, the agency has grown considerably, especially after WarHorse Gaming opened its temporary Lincoln casino in September 2022. According to Casey Ricketts, interim director of the Commission, change has been hard, especially the kind that comes swiftly and dramatically.

But, said Ricketts, who is attempting to eliminate the interim tag from her job title and assume the role of executive director of the Racing and Gaming Commission, "We have so much to be proud of. It's about teamwork. It's regrowing and building. There are going to be bumps in the road. It's not going to be smooth sailing all the time."

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PROPOSED BUDGET FOR UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA SYSTEM HAS 'MODEST' TUITION INCREASE AND CLOSES SHORTFALL

LINCOLN- The University of Nebraska System will close its budget shortfall while keeping tuition affordable under a new proposed 2024-2025 budget from interim President Chris Kabourek. The proposed $1.11 billion budget, which is to be presented to the Board of Regents on June 20th, also includes nearly $12 million in permanent cuts and a "modest" tuition increase.

"This is a responsible budget that puts us in a strong position for the year ahead," Kabourek said of his proposal, "We will need to be disciplined in prioritizing our spending, but I'm very pleased that we have built a plan that allows us to make investments that will have a major impact for student, our workforce, and Nebraska's competitiveness."

The budget cuts housed in the proposal will be spread across NU's four campuses and the Office of the President. The tuition increase would equate to a $135 increase per semester, or $1.29 per day for UNL students, $1.14 per day for UNO students, and $1 per day for UNK students. The proposed budget also contains a 3% merit-based salary increase for non-unionized faculty and staff and a $1.5 million expansion of the Presidential Scholars Program.

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RICKETTS, FISCHER CO-SPONSOR LEGISLATION TO REVERSE FEDERAL TITLE IX RULE

WASHINGTON, D.C.- U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts announced this week that they would be co-sponsoring a bill to overturn a U.S. Department of Education rule extending Title IX protections to include gender identity. Ricketts said the rule broadens the original intent of Title IX and could be used to punish students for failing to use an individual's preferred pronouns.

"These rules are anti-common sense and anti-science," he argued, "They violate the will of Congress. Congress passed Title IX to protect women." Ricketts also expressed concern over whether the new rule would hurt women's sports and education. "The rewrite threatens the progress and safety of American girls and women in education," he stated.

Ricketts and Fischer join more than 30 other Republican senators in co-sponsoring the Congressional Review Act, a resolution to overturn the Department's new rule. The resolution, if passed, can be vetoed by the president and would need a two-thirds majority in the House and Senate to be overridden. If unsuccessful, the new Title IX rules take effect on August 1st.

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PEREGRINE FALCONS RETURN, HATCH 'NEW GENERATION' ATOP NEBRASKA STATE CAPITOL

LINCOLN- A trio of peregrine falcon chicks, the first to hatch atop the Nebraska State Capitol in eight years, received ankle bands Wednesday that will aid in tracking, research, and conservation. The baby falcons, believed to be two females and one male, hatched just under three weeks ago and are expected to fledge, or attempt to leave their nest, in around three more weeks.

This year's May hatching is the first since a previous peregrine falcon duo raised 23 young atop the Capitol between 2005 and 2020, with the last successful clutch of eggs coming in 2016. A public Facebook group dedicated to Lincoln's peregrine falcon population is seeking to identify the parents of the new trio.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission offers livestreams of the falcons in their nest atop the Capitol building. "To be up here again after eight years, and then to see a new generation coming up," said Doug Finch, owner of the nonprofit Raptor Conservation Alliance, "that's pretty cool."

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UNPRECEDENTED MOVES SEEK TO RAMP UP AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTONS IN OMAHA

OMAHA- A busload of budding developers snaked through some of the city's oldest neighborhoods this week, guided by an urban planner who pointed out to them abandoned lots freshly prepared for new housing thanks to a state "shovel-ready" grant. The tour came as part of Omaha's two-day Reignite 2 Unite symposium, organized by Omaha's Municipal Land Bank.

The event came on the heels of a separate unprecedented undertaking, when the City of Omaha sold 50 vacant lots it has been maintaining, some for as low as $1. However, developers, in turn, have a deadline to build on the sold land. Both Nebraska's economic development director, K.C. Belitz, and Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert spoke at the Reignite conference, sharing insight into what some have called a crisis-level shortage of workforce housing.

In Omaha alone, said Stothert, more than 55,000 households spend at least 30% of their income on housing, rendering them "cost-burdened." Stothert also highlighted Tuesday's approval of the sale of the 50 undeveloped lots, saying they offer a chance for 10 developer groups to build new single or multi-unit housing projects.

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NEBRASKA APPLESEED SUES STATE, ARGUES MEDICAID RECIPIENTS BOOTED WITHOUT PROPER NOTICE

LINCOLN- On Tuesday, Nebraska Appleseed, a local criminal and social justice advocacy group, filed a lawsuit against two state Department of Health and Human Services officials, accusing them of terminating a North Platte woman's Medicaid coverage without adequate notice in what the organization described as an "unconstitutional deprivation of (her) due process rights."

In its termination letter to Gillian Filyaw, a 23-year-old mother of two whose Medicaid coverage was terminated on May 1st, HHS provided "only a conclusory reason for her termination--that 'income exceeds standards,'" according to the lawsuit. The notice, Appleseed argued, did not identity Filyaw's household income, size, or the income limit used to determine her Medicaid eligibility.

In the 16-page lawsuit, lawyers for Appleseed contend that the notice sent to Filyaw, identical to the notices issued to more than 2022 Medicaid enrollees in the state since March 2023, "does not satisfy due process requirements and are therefore unconstitutional." The nonprofit will now seek to convince a federal judge that the complaint against HHS Director Steve Corsi and Matt Ahern, interim director of the Division of Medicaid and Long-Term Care, should be a class-action lawsuit.

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MORE OF NEBRASKA'S TOP TEST SCORERS CHOOSE NU FOR NEW PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM

LINCOLN- Four months after a new, full-ride scholarship and stipend was launched to attract top-performing Nebraska scholars, more of them are seemingly choosing to attend the University of Nebraska. Interim NU President Chris Kabourek, Gov. Jim Pillen, and NU Board of Regents launched the Presidential Scholars Program in February, offering a full ride and an annual $5,000 stipend to students who choose to attend NU after obtaining a perfect ACT score.

On Monday, Kabourek, Pillen, and Nebraska Education Commissioner Brian Maher celebrated the 28 top ACT performers from this year at the Nebraska Capitol. "I pray that all of your dreams come true," Pillen told the scholars, "and they bring you back here to Nebraska." According to Melissa Lee, an NU spokesperson, fewer than nine students with a perfect ACT chose to attend NY last year.

That number "roughly doubled" for an inaugural 16-student cohort in the fall. "Each has a dream, they're such incredibly bright kids," said Kabourek, "and I know they'll achieve them." Other students honored at the event chose instead to attend John Hopkins, Texas A&M, Purdue, MIT, and the University of California-Berkely.

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PILLEN, SOON TO CONTROL HISTORY NEBRASKA, WANTS TO PICK HIS OWN DIRECTOR

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, Gov. Pillen called for applicants for the job od director of History Nebraska, setting a July 3rd deadline for the position. In announcing this job search, Pillen essentially abandoned a search process being conducted by the History Nebraska Board of Trustees that had already identified four finalists.

Pillen's decision is in line with the recently passed LB1169, which allows the governor, with the approval of state lawmakers, to appoint the director of the agency. The director will serve at the pleasure of the governor under the new law, which will go into effect on July 18th. In the past, the director served at the pleasure of the History Nebraska Board of Trustees, a 14-member panel of elected leaders.

According to Sean Flowerday, the current president of the Board of Trustees, the four previously selected finalists were offered to Gov. Pillen for selection. "At this point, we're just trying to make it as smooth of a process as possible and make it as easy as we can on the staff while keeping the agency operating," said Flowerday, "We're waiting to see what changes the administration wants to make, and we'll do our best to work with those."

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SUMMER CAMP PUTS HIGH SCHOOLERS IN THE SHOES OF SENATORS

LINCOLN- On Wednesday morning, a legislative session took place at the State Capitol Building, but the faces filling the seats of George W. Norris Chamber looked a bit younger than usual. The mini, unofficial legislative session came as part of the annual Unicameral Youth Legislature, a week-long event that invites 25 high schools from Nebraska and Kansas to spend time in the Legislature and learn from senators, city council members, and the governor.

Wednesday's mini-session saw students take on the names of real senators and work to pass legislation sponsored by lawmakers this past session. "It's a wonderful experience for them to learn more about the Nebraska Legislature," said Kate Heltzel, Deputy Director of Information at the Capitol, "They're in the actual room, they're speaking on the microphone, they're pushing the buttons."

For nearly the entire two-hour session, students were given the opportunity to write amendments, vote on legislation, and debate topics ranging from healthcare to religion in the classroom. A filibuster even took place, with students reading from their favorite books to buy time for their fellow "senators."

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GOV. PILLEN ANNOUNCES $845,000 BOOST FOR MONA EXPANSION PROJECT

KEARNEY- With a new $845,000 boost from Nebraska American Rescue Plan Act funds, the Museum of Nebraska Art is set to sprint toward the finish line. It was just two years ago when MONA launched a $36 million modernization campaign, with an anticipated completion date of 2024. That milestone is now more of a possibility thanks to Wednesday's announcement.

With MONA's original building, as well as its modern addition, as a backdrop, Gov. Jim Pillen announced that the Nebraska Department of Economic Development would be steering the funding toward MONA to help them meet their completion date. "We're very close," said MONA Executive Director Andrew Dunehoo of the project.

Besides receiving generous donations to help MONA achieve its modernization goals, the Legislature had also previously earmarked $7.5 million for the project. "It's incredible, the amount of support this community gives MONA," continued Dunehoo, "It inspired me to decide to come here." Pillen, at the announcement, said art and history enrich Nebraskans' love of their state, and help to attract more visitors.

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STATE SUPREME COURT NAMES NEW LEADER OF OFFICE THAT SERVES AS PUBLIC GUARDIAN OF LAST RESORT

LINCOLN- Marla Fischer has been appointed by the Nebraska Supreme Court to serve as the new director of the Office of Public Guardian, an office established by the Legislature in 2014 to serve as a conservator for someone when no other alternative or family member is available.

Fischer previously served as deputy director of the office, and has more than nine years of experience with Nebraska's Judicial Branch. The office also provides education, training, and support for volunteer and family guardians and conservators.

Recruiting such people to serve in guardian roles for Nebraska's vulnerable residents is another function of the office. Fischer is set to replace Michelle Chaffee, who retired from the role in early June after serving for 14 years in the court system.

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NEBRASKA DEMOCRATS HOLD OFF DECISION ON WRITE-IN CANDIDATE TO CHALLENGE SEN. DEB FISCHER

HASTINGS- During the party's annual convention, Nebraska Democrats gave little indication as to whether they plan on proposing a write-in candidate to challenge Deb Fischer in the Senate race. Until he decided to decline all party endorsements, Democrats considered endorsing Dan Osborn. Despite an initial commitment to providing a write-in candidate, the party is rethinking its options. They fear that they would only help Fischer win a third term, as there would be a slim chance of winning as a write-in candidate. Some do find the merit in providing a write-in candidate because it gives liberal Nebraskans proper recognition and the chance to support a Democratic option.

The convention was mainly centered around supporting Democrats on the November ballot, including the announcement of an approved $40,000 to help Nebraska Democrats hire a rural coordinator to focus on helping the party win in more rural districts, such as District 33 and District 35. The Democrats are also receiving national support in their effort to register an additional 10,000 Democratic voters before November, with hopes of obtaining half that number from Omaha's District 2. State Senator Tony Vargas looks to unseat incumbent Republican Don Bacon and President Joe Biden seeks an electoral vote in District 2

Multiple people voiced that Osborn significantly hurt his chances by refusing party endorsements because many aren't comfortable voting for a candidate who hasn't said who he would caucus with if elected. The door was left open for the Democrats to endorse a nonpartisan Osborn, which he heavily criticized in response. It seems that the party plans to focus on candidates that they have on ballots.

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NATIONAL, NEBRASKA DEMS SPENDING $80K ON A NEBRASKA POLITICAL STAFFER

OMAHA- National Democrats are investing funds into helping the Nebraska Democratic Party reach voters in and beyond the most highly-contested congressional district in the Republican state. The Democratic National Committee announced Monday that it will spend $40,000 on a political staffer who will work with Democrats in Nebraska, with another $40,000 raised locally for the same staffer.

This has just been the most recent step in the long process of trying to rebuild the Democratic Party in rural states. There has been increased spending on support for state parties from the DNC in an attempt to combat single-party GOP rule. Much of the staffer's time will be spent assisting Democratic State Sen. Tony Vargas in the rural parts of his Omaha-based 2nd District House race against Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon.

In addition, the staffer will work to help turn out Democratic voters in local and state races, particularly rural races with Democrats on the ballot. They will also help President Joe Biden's presidential bid against former President Donald Trump as Nebraska's Republicans attempt to abolish the state's split electoral vote. On Sunday, the Nebraska Republican Party stated that the Republican National Committee had not yet funded a Nebraska campaign staffer, but that it could in the future.

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