LANCASTER COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSIONER TO ADD VIDEO SURVEILLANCE AT LINCOLN LIBRARY BALLOT BOXES

LINCOLN- By the time the general election rolls around in November, new permanent ballot boxes at four library branches in Lincoln will have video surveillance cameras. County Election Commissioner Todd Wiltgen added $2,500 for the cameras into his proposed 2024-25 budget. The absence of such cameras was a point of contention when Wiltgen added the ballot boxes to these locations last year.

At the time, Wiltgen argued that cameras weren't necessary because stuffing ballot boxes would be very difficult given the processes in place both and after mailing early-voter ballots. Wiltgen said he hasn't changed his opinion on the effectiveness of those protocols, but noted that the addition of cameras helps to counteract unfounded allegations of election fraud.

"One of the ways to counter-measure is to have evidence when people do make unfounded allegations," he said, "We have actual evidence that can disprove their allegations." Certain individuals who regularly attend Lancaster County Board meetings with voter fraud concerns have argued that the cameras are necessary.

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NEBRASKA GOV. JIM PILLEN LOOKS TO LATE JULY FOR POSSIBLE SPECIAL SESSION ON PROPERTY TAXES

LINCOLN- Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen recently announced that he is targeting late July and early August to hold a special legislative session. Pillen plans on bringing state senators back to the Capitol to address his concerns regarding property taxes. While he expressed his intent, he stopped short of officially calling a special session or announcing an agreement on a tax reform plan.

The governor has made reducing property taxes the main focal point of his gubernatorial term. He worked to relieve some of the property tax burden last year, but after falling short in his efforts during this year's regular legislative session, he vowed to call special sessions until the problem is solved. Pillen has been touring the state holding town hall meetings to publicly lay out his ideas for reducing property taxes and encourage attendees to get their senators to support him.

This announcement was no surprise to Nebraska's lawmakers, given Pillen's previous comments. Pillen referenced preliminary estimates that show 57 of the state's 93 counties have had double-digit increases in valuation when emphasizing the importance of addressing this issue. His proposed method of reducing property tax is through increasing sales tax by applying it to more goods and services.

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NEBRASKA GOV. PILLEN TAKING 'POTSHOTS' AT STATE SENATORS WHILE SEEKING TAX RELIEF SUPPORT

NEBRASKA CITY- Tensions are rising as Governor Jim Pillen seeks support for his proposed property tax reform approach. During his tour of town halls across the state, Pillen tried to get attendees to encourage their state senator to support his ideas. State Senator Julie Slama of District 1 was notably absent from Pillen's recent town halls in Auburn and Nebraska City. Pillen outwardly criticized Slama at these meetings because of her persistent opposition to his tax reform proposals.

Slama responded by noting circumstances that excused her absence from the town halls and doubling down on her stance against Pillen's tax approach. She explained that she has an intricate understanding of taxes and banking, despite what Pillen told his town hall attendees. Pillen's plan has yet to materialize in a bill but he has proposed ideas that he claims are concrete, such as eliminating certain sales tax exemptions and accepting more federal dollars.

While Pillen encourages Nebraskans to phone their state senators to tell them to support him, multiple legislators haven't heard from him regarding collaborating on fixing the state's tax issues. He claims to plan on calling special legislative sessions until his reform passes, an approach that has been heavily criticized by his peers. Pillen is also committed to working against the other tax proposal gaining traction, the "EPIC Option".

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GOV. PILLEN PROVIDES UPDATE REGARDING SPECIAL SESSION TO FIX PROPERTY TAX CRISIS

LINCOLN- In a public letter to the state's Speaker of the Legislature John Arch, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen announced his intention to call a special legislative session. "I intend to call the Legislature back into session beginning July 25, 2024, and intend for it to remain in session until it finishes its unfinished business," Pillen stated in the letter. The purpose behind his announcement and main sentiment for the first years of his tenure is reforming property taxes.

Pillen used a graph showing Nebraska's quickly increasing collection of property taxes in the past few decades. The graphs demonstrate a drastic leap since 1985, and Pillen states that the problem is not stopping its acceleration. He recognizes that property valuations across the state are rising at an alarming rate and seeks to solve the issue.

The letter notes that Nebraska is approaching the point where property taxes will grow by more than $1 million daily. Since no reform has passed during the regular legislative session this year, Pillen is following through on his promise to call special sessions until a solution is found. He also added that he is willing to address other time-sensitive issues that require attention.

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7 NEBRASKA GOLF COURSES NAMED IN GOLFWEEK'S BEST 200 MODERN COURSES LIST

VALENTINE- Seven of Nebraska's golf courses made Golfweek's 2024 list of best modern courses. Most notably, CapRock Ranch, the private club of Valentine, was listed at No. 15, receiving the highest-ranked debut for a new course this year.

The compilation is still championed by Sand Hills Golf Club in Mullen, which debuted at No. 1 after its 1995 opening and hasn't been dethroned since. Below is a listing of all Nebraska courses included and where they ranked.

• No. 1, Sand Hills Golf Club, Mullen, NE

• No. 15, CapRock Ranch, Valentine, NE

• No. T40, Landmand Golf Club, Homer, NE

• No. 51, Dismal River Golf Club, Mullen, NE

• No. 94, The Prairie Club (Dunes), Valentine, NE

• No. 113, Wild Horse Golf Club, Gothenburg, NE

• No. T147, Lost Rail Golf Club, Gretna, NE

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NEBRASKA GOV. JIM PILLEN CUTTING HALF AS MANY VACANT STATE JOBS AS ANNOUNCED

LINCOLN- Governor Jim Pillen's executive order from April 30th required the elimination of state government positions that had been vacant for at least 90 days, with several exceptions. At the time, he announced that nearly 1,000 positions were in jeopardy of being terminated, but his plan only ended up wiping out half of them. An updated list showed 489 positions being eliminated as well as a significant decrease in estimated savings.

Pillen expressed pleasure with this outcome but recognized that it was only the first step. “We have proven we can work without them, so we will eliminate them and return the money to the taxpayers,” said Pillen last month. The state will continue monitoring vacant positions to determine whether they qualify for review or elimination. It was noted that savings generated will be included in ongoing efforts to reduce the state budget and reform property tax.

The updated list of government positions to be terminated is smaller than the initial number because the order allowed agencies to request exemptions if they could justify the need for them. Multiple agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services and the Racing and Gaming Commission, were greatly affected by the policy. The order includes multiple built-in exemptions for public safety services and other essential workers, even those not covered under state personnel.

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MUSEUM OF NEBRASKA ART IN KEARNEY GETS ADDITIONAL STATE FINANCIAL BOOST FOR EXPANSION, RESTORATION

LINCOLN- A lucrative expansion of the Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney got a sizable financial boost this week, partially due to other projects in District 3 either missing their project launch deadlines or needing less than what was granted. Governor Jim Pillen announced that the expansion project will receive an additional $730,000 in state and federal grant funds to assist in their efforts to double the facility's size.

Amidst other funds granted, the state's investment in this expansion project amounts to over $1 million. The additions to the museum will include a community studio, modernized galleries, an expanded sculpture garden, and space to host events and performances. The Museum of Nebraska Art's Executive Director Andrew Dunehoo said that the project will expand the possibilities of the museum to be able to host larger and more diverse exhibitions.

The expansion of the museum will not only physically add to the structure but also revamp its influence and importance to Kearney. Pillen describes the facility as the state's "official collection of art" from Nebraskan artists, and many are recognizing the importance of preserving it. After its opening in 1986, funds have been allocated to maintain the beloved museum.

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NEBRASKA HIGH COURT NAMES NEW LEADER OF OFFICE THAT SERVES AS PUBLIC GUARDIAN OF LAST RESORT

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Supreme Court has appointed a new director for the Office of Public Guardian, Marla Fischer. The court chose Fischer to replace Michelle Chafee, who retired. Fischer has served as the deputy director and has over nine years of experience with the Nebraska Judicial Branch.

As the new director, Fischer will be responsible for overseeing guardian and conservator services in the state. The office serves both rural and urban areas of Nebraska. The Office of Public Guardian was established by the legislature in 2014 to provide a public guardian or conservator for someone when there is no other alternative.

This service not only produces advocates for those in need but also provides education, training, and support for volunteer guardians and conservators. They also do recruiting across the state to expand their office. Fischer and her office provide an invaluable service to vulnerable Nebraskans.

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NEBRASKA GOV. PILLEN APPOINTS INAUGURAL MEMBERS TO COMMISSION ON ASIAN AMERICAN AFFAIRS

LINCOLN- Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen recently appointed 13 inaugural members to the state's new Commission on Asian American Affairs. Similar to other state commissions in sentiment, they will focus on "enhancing the cause of Asian American rights." Their duties as advocates for Asian Americans in Nebraska are outlined in Legislative Bill 1300. Members of the commission serve four-year terms and a fourteenth member will be named in the future.

There will be an executive board to oversee operations and ensure that meetings are held quarterly at the least. State Senator Rita Sanders of District 45, the only current Nebraska lawmaker of Asian descent, introduced the legislation last year before it was approved this session. Sanders emphasized the importance of the commission's development to a small but growing population in the state. The members so far are listed below.

• Maureen Brase of Raymond (founder and director of Kokyo Taiko, Nebraska’s only Wadaiko performance group — Japanese style drumming).

• Weysan Dun of Omaha (a former FBI special agent).

• Dr. Deepak M. Gangahar of Elkhorn (a thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon).

• Maorong Jiang of Omaha (director of Creighton University’s Asian World Center).

• Tram Kieu of Lincoln (grants manager for the Cooper Foundation).

• Joanne Li of Omaha (chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha).

• Yunwoo Nam of Lincoln (professor of community and regional planning at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln).

• Arunkumar Pondicherry of Lincoln (president of the India Association of Nebraska Lincoln and member of the Nebraska Library Commission).

• Rebecca (Jueyezi) Reinhardt of Lincoln (cultural program coordinator and Chinese community advocate for the Asian Community and Cultural Center).

• Vickie Sakurada Schaepler of Kearney (Japanese Hall and History Project coordinator for the Legacy of the Plains Museum).

• Ryo Suzuki of Kearney (senior director for strategic marketing and external relations at the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s College of Business and Technology and the Nebraska Safety Center).

• Hiep Vu of Lincoln (associate professor at UNL’s Nebraska Center for Virology).

• Carol Wang of Omaha (executive director of the Metro Omaha Medical Society).

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NU PROPOSES INFLATIONARY TUITION INCREASES TO HELP CLOSE BUDGET DEFICIT

LINCOLN- The University of Nebraska's top financial leader expects to wipe out a deficit from their budget next year through tuition increases and expense cuts connected to inflation. Giving the new university President-elect a clean slate was one of the chief financial officer's main goals. The proposed tuition increase would accumulate $12 million more annually.

These changes will translate to about $135 more annually for 15-credit semesters at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with students at the Omaha and Kearney campuses seeing slightly smaller increases. Nonresident, international, and graduate students will face larger increases, although they already pay more. These numbers vary across the University of Nebraska's multiple campuses and programs.

The NU Board of Regents voted to increase tuition for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic by 3.5% across the board. The proposal also anticipates raising about $5 million in additional revenue from stabilizing or increasing enrollment. Budget cuts are also a large part of the plan due to inflationary costs. This approach is said to be a good starting point for a problem that requires a long-term solution.

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FORMER SEN. COASH'S MEMOIR CONFRONTS SOMETIMES PAINFUL, BUT OFTEN INSTRUCTIVE SMALL-TOWN BEGINNINGS

LINCOLN- "Running Naked" is an apt title for the recently published memoir of former State Senator Colby Coash, who once ran naked across a theater stage during a performance while he was studying acting at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The 246-page "coming of age memoir" also bares all about growing up in Bassett, a small Nebraska ranching town, as well as the pain of divorce and the farm crisis.

The book also deals with the struggle of whether to stay in rural areas or move to bigger cities, which many young people face in Nebraska. According to Coash, he was once caught in that dilemma. Although Coash was expected to operate his long-time family business in Bassett, Coash said he was restless and rebellious, and sought to run from his family.

Coash did just that, choosing to move to Lincoln and later representing south Lincoln in the Nebraska Legislature in 2008 when he was 33. One of Coash's most famous acts as a legislator was his vote to repeal the death penalty in 2015. "I wrote this book so readers could see the impact of family, legacy, and the small towns that shape our journey," said Coash, "I hope readers, especially Nebraskans, will see the hopefulness in their own story by reading mine."

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PORHUB INTENDS TO BAN NEBRASKA USERS AFTER PASSAGE OF LB1092

LINCOLN- Pornhub, one of the busiest websites for sexually explicit videos, is less than a month away from going dark in Nebraska. The company blames LB1092 for its closure in the state, a bill introduced by Sen. Dave Murman that would require the pornographic site to digitally verify the IDs of people using its site. Pornhub representatives argued that such a requirement would put users' data at risk.

LB1092, passed in April on a 35-3 vote, creates liability for knowingly or intentionally publishing or distributing material harmful to minors on the internet. Murman and other advocates of such age-verification laws argue they are necessary to protect children from exposure to pornography. Aylo, Pornhub's parent company, confirmed that the website would be blocked in Nebraska on July 15th, when the new law goes into effect.

Nebraska would be the latest state where Aylo blocks users based on such laws. Others include Arkansas, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. During debate on the bill, Sen. Carol Blood and other critics warned that the state should not require such websites to collect personal information. She said the requirements puts users at risk of being embarrassed by bad actors or fleeced financially by having their identity stolen.

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ALTEN PILOT PROJECT RESUMES USING NEW, LESS MECHANICAL PROCESS

MEAD- A pilot project to discover how best to remove and dispose of a 14-acre pile of pesticide-laden "wet cake" from the site of the now-notorious AltEn ethanol plants has resumed after a delay that was blamed on equipment breakdowns. Two excavators began work on Monday to mix the wet cake with bentonite so it could be shipped to a landfill outside of Omaha without creating odor or dust issues.

The odor generated by the spent grain had been described as "putrid" by residents near the former plant, which was ordered closed by the state in February of 2021 after the owners failed to comply with orders to properly clean up the piles of wet cake and wastewater left behind. After a nearby landfill stopped accepting the waste grain, it began piling up at the site south of Mead.

The pile grew to cover 14 acres, and is estimated to contain 115,000 tons of waste. Last fall, NewFields, the company hired to clean up the AltEn site, shipped roughly 10,000 tons of spent grain to a landfill near Bennington. Cold weather suspended efforts throughout winter. Officials had hoped to resume the project in early May, but more preparation work was necessary to avoid mechanical breakdowns.

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DUST IN THE WIND: NEBRASKA'S OLDEST OPERATING WIND TURBINES TO BE REMOVED

LINCOLN- The state's oldest continuously operating wind turbines are set to be torn down in July, changing a landmark seen while driving into northeast Lincoln along Interstate 80. According to Lincoln Electric System, the company's two 290-foot-tall turbines have reached the end of their productive runs and need to be removed.

The two wind turbines marked some of the earliest examples of what utility-class wind production in Nebraska might require when they were installed in 1998 and 1999. Scott Benson, an LES representative, said the Lincoln turbines helped LES learn enough wind power to enter its first small contracts for wind farms. "We learned a lot from them," he said.

LES now has contracts for 100 megawatts each of wind power from wind farms in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. Combined, the two turbines being torn down generated around 1.3 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 300 average-sized homes in the Lincoln area. One of the turbines was set to be removed after the city had swapped land with the state to build a new prison.

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SCOTTS BLUFF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS EXTEND MORATORIUM ON RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT PERMITS

SCOTTSBLUFF- On Monday, the Scotts Bluff County Commissioners voted to extend a moratorium on conditional use permits related to renewable energy projects. The moratorium was originally approved on January 16th, and was suggested because of questions raised by the Situla Solar Energy Project.

Although the moratorium had no influence on that project, County Commissioner Charlie Knapper said it helped to shine a light on the lack of concrete regulations in the county's plan. "My goal with this moratorium is to have some basic building blocks in place for the next permit to follow," said Knapper.

The board eventually went on to reject a conditional use permit for the Situla project last month, reaffirming this decision in June and refusing to reconsider the permit for Dunileh Energy, the company behind the project. A motion to extend the moratorium by six months, which Knapper argued would help the board fulfill the purpose of the original moratorium, was approved.

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CITY OF LINCOLN'S CFO TAKES NEW JOB WITH STATE OF NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- In a press release, Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird announced that Lincoln's Chief Financial Officer Lyn Heaton had accepted the position of Director of Innovative Finance at the Nebraska Department of Transportation. Heaton's last day with the city will be July 8th, after which an interim CFO will be announced by the mayor.

Heaton joined the city as CFO in 2022, succeeding Brandon Kauffman who served in the role from 2016 to 2020. "I thank Director Heaton for his outstanding service to the City of Lincoln over the past two years," wrote Gaylor Baird, "His leadership has been instrumental in guiding our award-winning Finance Department with excellence and integrity."

Heaton, according to the release, previously served as CFO of the Nebraska Department of Transportation, deputy state budget administrator, and budget analyst in the Nebraska Department of Administrative Services before his tenure with the city of Lincoln. "I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the residents of Lincoln," Heaton said in his own press release.

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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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