PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, COLLEGE OF SAINT MARY PARTNER TO TRAIN MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

LINCOLN- A new partnership between the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services’ Lincoln Regional Center and the College of Saint Mary in Omaha seeks to train future mental health nursing professionals.

DHHS announced the new partnership Tuesday as a way to benefit college students with training and professional experience in a direct mental health setting. It will also provide the regional center with additional staff, where concerns have been raised in the past year about staffing levels, including from mental health technicians who protested over working conditions and safety.

Twenty-two students are enrolled for training at the center through the program, which began in late September.

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OMAHA MAYOR VETOES NEW ELECTRICAL CODE, SAYS CITY COUNCIL VERSION IS COUNTER TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING

OMAHA- Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert has jumped into the fray over the city’s updated electrical code by vetoing a City Council measure that opponents, including area homebuilders, said threatened affordable housing efforts. The city ordinance in question, which passed narrowly last week by a 4-3 City Council vote, was intended to align Omaha’s electrical code with updated national and state codes.

The city’s version, however, included a handful of new national requirements that the Nebraska Legislature earlier this year decided should be carved out of an updated state code. Stothert’s veto letter, sent to the council Thursday, said she favored adopting a local code that mirrored the state one, a position that also was endorsed by Gov. Jim Pillen.

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$8.3M IN FEDERAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS AWARDED TO 18 COMMUNITIES

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Department of Economic Development awarded $8.3 million in federal community development block grant funds to 18 communities across the state for downtown revitalization and other improvements.

Community Development Block Grant funds come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The state DED administers the program for communities outside Lincoln, Omaha, Bellevue, and Grand Island, which are big enough to administer their own CDBG programming.

“For the state to grow, it’s critically important to invest in projects that enhance the attractiveness of our communities,” said K.C. Belitz, DED director. “These initiatives elevate quality of life and strengthen our ability to recruit new residents to Nebraska.”

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UNK TO HOST LISTENING SESSIONS NOV. 18-19 IN SEARCH FOR NEXT CAMPUS CHANCELLOR

KEARNEY- Two days of listening sessions will be hosted at the University of Nebraska at Kearney next week to learn more about desired qualities for the next UNK chancellor. The Nov. 18-19 listening sessions are designed for the UNK community to ask questions, share their hopes and ideas for UNK’s trajectory, and provide other feedback for the regional-focused, central Nebraska campus.

Former UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen retired on May 31 after 22 years. Interim UNK Chancellor Charlie Bicak, an educator and administrator for decades at UNK, took over on June 1. The listening sessions will take place at the UNK Regional Engagement Center, Room 120:

• Nov. 18, 3 p.m., designated for faculty.

• Nov. 18, 5 p.m., designated for students (food provided).

• Nov. 18, 7:15 p.m., designated for community members.

• Nov. 19, 9 a.m., designated for faculty.

• Nov. 19, 10:30 a.m., designed for deans and vice chancellors.

• Nov. 19, noon, designated for staff (food provided).

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NEBRASKA ADVOCACY GROUPS BRACE FOR DONALD TRUMP'S DEPORTATION PROMISE

OMAHA- President-elect Donald Trump has long promised a crackdown on illegal immigration, including the largest mass deportation operation in the country’s history. If Trump succeeds in his plans to return undocumented immigrants to their previous countries, critics say, the plan could send shock waves through the state from South Omaha to western Nebraska.

Though advocates are hopeful that legal and economic challenges to Trump’s proposed plans could diminish the effects, legal aid and advocacy organizations are preparing for the “worst case scenario,” Anna Deal, the legal director at Nebraska’s Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, said. Approximately 40,000 undocumented immigrants are living in Nebraska. However, that number is likely an undercount due to the difficulty of surveying people living in the country illegally. The number could range anywhere from 25,000 to 75,000, according to a 2023 report from Pew Research.

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ATTORNEYS SUMMARIZE ARGUMENTS AGAINST SUCCESSFUL MEDICAL CANNABIS BALLOT MEASURES

LINCOLN- Attorneys summarized their arguments this week for why a district court judge should void the election results last week for Nebraska’s successful medical cannabis ballot measures. On Nov. 5, Nebraskans overwhelmingly voted to legalize and regulate medical cannabis, though a legal challenge continues in Lancaster County District Court.

The lawsuit, filed by John Kuehn, a former state senator and former member of the State Board of Health, seeks to invalidate those measures, citing allegations of systemic fraud and malfeasance that “permeated” the process. The main arguments from Kuehn and Secretary of State Bob Evnen allege that “cheating is a choice” and that instances of fraud or malfeasance should eliminate the presumption that other signatures a circulator or notary touched were validly collected.

The core of legal arguments advanced by Evnen’s attorneys hinges on a 1919 Nebraska Supreme Court case dealing with an anti-women’s suffrage referendum that allowed all signatures tied to a circulator who had committed fraud to be tossed from the ballot, defeating the anti-suffrage effort.

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TOP STATE LABOR OFFICIAL, JOHN ALBIN, TO RETIRE FOLLOWING A 35-YEAR RUN WITH THE LABOR DEPARTMENT

LINCOLN – Nebraska Labor Commissioner John Albin will retire after 35 years of service, having modernized the Department of Labor and guided it through the COVID-19 pandemic. Albin, who began as an administrative law judge and later served as commissioner under three governors, oversaw the shift to digital unemployment claims. His final day is set for December 20, after which he plans to focus on family and travel.

Albin noted his team’s resilience during the pandemic and his role in expanding JAG Nebraska, a workforce program now in nearly 85 schools. Governor Jim Pillen praised Albin’s dedication, emphasizing his impact on the state. Pillen will soon announce plans for the department's interim leadership.

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NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE RELEASES GENERAL FUND RECEIPTS

LINCOLN- Tax Commissioner James R. Kamm reports that gross General Fund receipts for October were $482 million.

The forecast made by the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board (Board) on October 31, 2024 used actual amounts for receipts through October. The Board forecast was divided into monthly estimates by the Tax Commissioner and Legislative Fiscal Analyst on November 12, 2024. Previous monthly press releases are found at

https://revenue.nebraska.gov/about/news-releases/general-fund-receipts-news-releases

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NEBRASKA VOTERS LOOK TO FUTURE AFTER TRUMP CARRIES STATE BY WIDER MARGIN THAN 2020

LINCOLN- Hundreds of Lancaster County residents attended the Republican and Democratic campaign parties in downtown Lincoln on Tuesday night, expressing optimism and apprehension about what the results could mean for the future.

With 97% of votes counted, Donald Trump had won 60.2% of the vote in Nebraska and secured an Electoral College victory, according to the Associated Press. Trump expanded his vote share in the state from when he ran in 2020, outpacing Kamala Harris by nearly 22 percentage points, as opposed to his 19-point victory in the state over Joe Biden four years ago.

Harris still carried the more heavily populated areas of Lancaster County and Douglas County, as Biden did in 2020, but she did so by smaller margins.

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UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LAUNCHES AI-FOCUSED TASK FORCE, SEEKS COMMUNITY INPUT

LINCOLN- The University of Nebraska system has launched a systemwide artificial intelligence task force and seeks input to enhance and understand AI use. NU President Jeffrey Gold announced the AI task force Wednesday, stating that harnessing the power and potential of AI is an important step on what he has coined “our journey to extraordinary.”

The announcement includes the formation of a 15-member task force, with members from each of NU’s main campuses in Lincoln, Omaha, and Kearney. Gold said the task force’s goal is to understand opportunities for campuses to collaborate and identify shared strengths.

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CIVIC NEBRASKA REPORTS CONFUSION OVER VOTER ID AT SOME POLLING PLACES

OMAHA- Civic Nebraska on Tuesday reported confusion at several polling locations over the state’s relatively new voter ID requirement. The nonpartisan voting rights group, which monitors Nebraska’s elections, said that as of about noon it had received reports that poll workers at five polling places — two in Lincoln, two in Omaha, and one in Bellevue — were incorrectly telling voters they could not cast a ballot if the address on their ID did not match the address on their voter registration.

Civic Nebraska said the reports came from its Voter Helpline and volunteer election observers. In most instances, Civic Nebraska said, the voters in question resorted to casting provisional ballots, known as the “ballot of last resort,” which will not be counted until after Election Day. Civic Nebraska said in the news release that it alerted the Secretary of State’s Office about the reported concerns, and the state’s Election Division reminded all county election offices of actual voter ID requirements.

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NEBRASKA CITIES MAKE KEY STRIDES IN PURSUIT OF ACTIVATING 'GOOD LIFE DISTRICTS'

GRETNA- The pursuit of the “good life” in Nebraska made a few key strides this week as measured by progress toward building Good Life Districts aimed at luring new tourism, retailers, and other additions to the state.

To date, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development has designated four geographical areas as Good Life Districts. Five in total are allowed under recently passed state legislation, which makes the districts eligible for public incentives to help create unique tourist-oriented campuses expected to generate jobs and economic activity.

Per Good Life legislation passed in 2023 and refined in 2024, the state has reduced the state sales tax within the boundaries of the Gretna area and Omaha Good Life Districts, from 5.5% to 2.75%. The idea was for that money to be redirected instead to help develop the respective districts, but first needed is the voter approval.

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GOV. JIM PILLEN LEADING NEBRASKA DELEGATION TO CZECH REPUBLIC, GERMANY

LINCOLN- Gov. Jim Pillen and state leaders will embark on a diplomatic and trade mission to the Czech Republic and Germany later this week. The mission will take place from Thursday to Nov. 14. According to a news release, the delegation includes representatives from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Nebraska Department of Economic Development, Nebraska National Guard, the University of Nebraska, the state’s agriculture and banking industries, and the agricultural technology sector.

In the Czech Republic, Nebraska’s delegation will meet with the national government’s ministries of agriculture and foreign affairs, military leaders, and Czech agribusinesses. The goal of the mission is to deepen existing military, commercial and educational partnerships. Nebraska officials will also explore opportunities for agricultural research collaboration, particularly in livestock production.

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NEBRASKA MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS LEAVING MEDICAID OVER 'AGGRESSIVE', COSTLY AUDITS.

LINCOLN - The envelope didn’t surprise Dru McMillan. But when she opened the letter and read the number, she felt sick.

“If you agree with the determination, please submit a draft in the amount of $21,042.73 within 30 days,” it read.

McMillan is a Lincoln therapist. She has long served a majority of patients who use Medicaid, the government-funded cheap or free insurance, to pay for mental health care.

The letter came from an auditor working for one of three massive insurance companies the State of Nebraska is paying $4.25 billion, over six years, to oversee the state’s Medicaid program. It accused McMillan, through various technical measures, of overbilling the government for services she provided her patients.

Since May the organization has surveyed 126 mental health providers and found about 20% are so unhappy with the state’s Medicaid program that they plan to leave it. The bureaucracy of Medicaid is a hassle, Vandercoy said. Audit anxiety might push more away, even as Nebraska struggles with a shortage of mental health providers.

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LAWMAKERS PROBE SPECIAL EDUCATION, 'OPTION ENROLLMENT' AMONG NEBRASKA SCHOOL DISTRICTS

LINCOLN- Lawmakers are exploring how to help more students who require special education take part in a Nebraska program that allows families the option to enroll in a different public school district. State Sens. Dave Murman of Glenvil and Danielle Conrad of Lincoln each brought interim studies to probe the issue and better support students who need special education services and might be on individualized education plans, or IEPs.

The study also came after a Nebraska Department of Education report in August that about 86% of students who applied for “option enrollment” were accepted into the district of their choice. Among the 14% denied, a portion were students on IEPs. “The goal is that there wouldn’t be any discrimination because of disabilities,” Murman said after the hearing.

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NEBRASKA VOTER TURNOUT IS A NEAR RECORD-BREAKER; SEVERAL LEGISLATIVE RACES OUTCOME STILL UNKNOWN

LINCOLN- The 2024 general election marked Nebraska’s second-highest number of votes cast in the state’s history. That’s according to Secretary of State Bob Evnen’s Office, which reported Wednesday that 934,188 ballots were cast and that several thousand early voting and provisional ballots have yet to be counted. Still on top of the heap, regarding votes cast, is turnout during the pandemic-era general election of 2020, with 966,920 ballots cast.

Preliminary turnout numbers show that 73.9% of Nebraska’s registered voters participated in the 2024 general election. That’s higher than the 72% prediction that Evnen had made earlier in the week. Final turnout results could inch up slightly as remaining ballots are counted, a spokeswoman for the office said.

Several races though are still in flux, especially in the legislature where there are several races within a couple hundred votes, potentially requiring a recount if those numbers close with ballots yet to be counted. County election commissioners said they’ve yet to count early and provisional voting ballots.

According to unofficial election results: Democrat Ashlei Spivey led Nick Batter, a nonpartisan, by 41 votes in northeast Douglas County’s District 13; Democrat Dan Quick led incumbent Ray Aguilar, a Republican, by 125 votes in Grand Island’s District 35; and Democrat Victor Rountree led Felix Ungerman, a Republican, by 181 votes in Sarpy County’s Legislative District 3.

In Hall County, for example, 195 largely provisional ballots in District 35 had yet to be validated and potentially included in the count, said Election Commissioner Tracy Overstreet. She said it would be seven to 10 days before the results are final.

The Douglas County Election Commission plans to tally 7,500 to 8,000 ballots on Friday, about half of the remaining uncounted ballots in the county. Election Commissioner Brian Kruse said he will update unofficial general election results late Friday afternoon.

About 15,000 Douglas County voters’ ballots had not been counted by Thursday. Results within a certain range could trigger a recount. Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse said if there was any recount, it would happen on Dec 4.

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FISCHER SHORTING UP GOP BASE AGAIST OSBORN IN NEBRASKA U.S. SENATE RACE

BELLEVUE, Nebraska — Even as outside polling shows a competitive race for U.S. Senate in ruby-red Nebraska, Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer remains adamant that her challenge from nonpartisan industrial mechanic Dan Osborn is a media-driven fabrication.

Fischer said reporters “wanted to see a race,” so they created one. Nebraskans, she said, know her record of getting results on national defense issues, funding roads, bridges and broadband and fighting profligate spending.

Fischer’s frustrated tone belies her annoyance at needing help from local and national Republican groups to fend off the Omaha union leader. Osborn has had help from some national Democrats, Libertarians and local Legal Marijuana NOW Party members in his upstart campaign. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which typically focuses spending in swing states, has taken the unusual step of investing millions to help Fischer in right-leaning Nebraska.

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LOVE MAKES HISTORY AGAIN WHILE RICKETS LAYS GROUNDWORK FOR SECOND RUN IN 2026

OMAHA — Making history has become a political habit for Preston Love Jr., the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Nebraska, who is facing U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, a Republican incumbent.

In 2020, Love became the state’s first Black candidate for the U.S. Senate backed by a major political party after the Nebraska Democratic Party abandoned its nominee, Chris Janicek. This year, Love became the first Black Nebraskan to win a major party’s Senate nomination. His opponent, Ricketts, is a two-term governor who was appointed to the Senate by his successor.

Love has made no bones about the steep climb he faces Tuesday against Ricketts, the political face of one of the most influential donor families in conservative politics nationally. Love, who has helped run voter turnout efforts in North Omaha, said he wants his campaign to help motivate poorer voters who too often lose hope in the value of the process. He said it could make a difference in Nebraska’s 2nd District U.S. House race between Democratic State Sen. Tony Vargas and U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., and in the presidential contest.

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BALLOT MEASURE FUNDRAISING NEARS $40 MILLION AHEAD OF NEBRASKA 2024 ELECTION

LINCOLN — Nebraskans are facing one of the most expensive elections in state history, including about $38 million raised and at least $32 million spent on campaigns involving six ballot measures.

Five campaigns have measures on the ballot, with the most expensive being the conflicting measures over whether to amend the Nebraska Constitution related to abortion. The three other efforts revolve around medical cannabis, paid sick leave and whether voters should repeal a recent state law that provides state funds to offset private K-12 school attendance costs.  

As of  Oct. 21, the five campaigns reported having a total of $2.21 million cash on hand. About $6.9 million came in just the past two weeks. Final campaign filings are due Jan. 14. 

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SPENDING IN NEBRASKA LEGISLATIVE RACES EXCEEDS $7.4 MILLION, SURPASSES 2022 LEVELS

LINCOLN — Nearly every Nebraska legislative race in this election cycle has surpassed six figures in spending ahead of Tuesday’s election, already climbing above 2022 records. Together, legislative candidates had raised $9.2 million and spent $7.4 million as of the Oct. 21 campaign finance reporting deadline. The latest deadline leaves about two weeks of fundraising and spending before Election Day to report when final reports are due Jan. 14. In the final 10 days of the election, another $505,000 had already been raised.

Spending in 22 of the 25 races exceeded six figures by Oct. 21, and all but one race exceeded six figures in fundraising. The single fundraising exception is South Omaha’s Legislative District 5 between Margo Juarez and Gilbert Ayala. They raised $93,000 combined, most by Juarez. 

The annual salary for a state senator is $12,000. Candidates who spent the most in 2022 legislative races won their elections in all but two cases. The most expensive race that year was about $577,000.

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