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Voter turnout in the May 10 primary election was more than 40% in Holt and Antelope counties. Summerland Board of Education A summary report from Antelope County Clerk Lisa Payne shows 49.68% of voters cast ballots in Royal; 46.63% voted in Clearwater and 46.39% made their way to the polls in Orchard. Holt County Clerk Cathy Pavel confirmed 41% of registered voters visited the polls. Summerland Board of Education Three seats are up for election for the Summerland School Board of Education. Six...
It’s an exciting time of year. The robes, mortar boards and tassels are on display as Nebraska’s graduates are celebrating with their friends and loved ones. I am always so encouraged to see our state’s young people succeed and pursue new opportunities. Graduates, congratulations on your achievements. I know I join Nebraskans all across our state in saying how proud we are of you. These moments can feel bittersweet as you reflect on what you have accomplished and the fond memories of your past...
Update: 11:05 p.m.: Jim Pillen has won the Republican primary in the Nebraska governor's race. With 810 precincts reporting, Pillen received 72,197 votes. All election results are unofficial until verified by a county's canvassing board. 8:15 p.m. Nebraska polls closed at 8 p.m., May 10, and early results from across the state show Brett Lindstrom leading Jim Pillen, in the Republican race for Governor. Lindstrom currently has 20,987 votes, or 41%, while Pillen has received 29.1% - or 14,885 - o...
The 107th Legislature, second session, has adjourned sine die. The last day was filled with last-minute items, the governor’s closing speech and ceremonial procedures. The 13 senators who won’t be back in January, either due to term limits or deciding not to seek a second term, were recognized. Although I won’t be running for another term, I will miss my colleagues and am thankful for being given the chance to serve with them in representing the State of Nebraska. When I ran for office, my pr...
With their approval of several key pieces of legislation, Nebraska lawmakers solidified the importance of small entrepreneurs, local meat processors and family farms to our state’s economy and way of life. Their support also preserves a healthy future for rural Nebraska. Entering this legislative session, lawmakers faced tough decisions regarding how to spend the state’s allotment of recovery funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. For rural senators, priorities included support for...
The Legislature passed nearly 100 bills during the first three days of this past week. We will now recess for several days, thereby giving the Legislature the opportunity to override any potential governor veto prior to adjourning sine die. Governor Ricketts has five days (not counting Sunday) to either sign or veto the bills. He also has the option to let the legislation become law without his signature. Bills passed include all five bills that I introduced this year, in addition to one...
Many major issues were dealt with this past week in the Legislature, with the most significant being the passage of LB 873. When fully implemented, LB 873 will result in almost $900 million in annual tax relief. The legislation sets a floor for the refundable income tax credit of $548 million in 2022 and $560.7 million in 2023. This guarantees an approximate 25% refund for property taxes paid to school districts. Additionally, a similar income tax credit will be implemented for property taxes pa...
The Legislature gave final approval to the budget bills. During the 90-day legislative session, the biennial budget is crafted. During the 60-day session, adjustments are made. This was a much more demanding task this year due to the increased revenue projections and the influx of federal money due to the pandemic. The budget was filibustered at every stage of debate, not because of what was in it, but due to possible amendments that could have been added. The budget sets aside $175 million for...
The Legislature gave second-round approval to budget bills this past week, working late each evening. This will allow the budget to be read on Final Reading next week, meeting the requirement to have it passed by the 50th legislative day. The budget provides funding to cover salary increases recently negotiated with the union and the state for employees at correctional facilities and other 24/7 facilities that were experiencing dangerous staffing shortages. Worker shortages and competition also...
In 2011, the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services wrote a bill that would allow well-behaved prisoners the chance to shorten their time behind bars. Eleven years later, that same department is applying the resulting law in a way neither the state senator who sponsored the bill nor the then-director of Nebraska’s prisons intended. Prison officials now shorten a prisoner’s final release date, but never change the day that prisoner becomes eligible for parole. The result: Thousands of prisoners sentenced under the law have potentially sta...
After existing for 42 years, Holt County's comprehensive plan will be updated. But, a proposed 18-month moratorium on industrial pipelines, wind and solar power, will not be in effect while updates take place. Supervisors voted 6-0, Wednesday, March 16, to deny the moratorium, following a public hearing in O'Neill. The moratorium request came from the county's planning and zoning commision, which voted 6-2 in favor of the moratorium, March 7, following a two-hour public hearing. At that time, la...
We change our clocks twice a year, switching from standard time to daylight saving time and back again, even though we may not like it. This could soon change. The Legislature gave first-round approval to LB 283, which would keep daylight saving time year-round, if given approval on the federal level and three adjacent states adopt similar laws. To date, Wyoming has passed this legislation and the proposal is pending in Colorado, Iowa and Missouri. In total, 18 states have passed bills to...
Nebraska Farm Bureau will sponsor a District 40 candidate forum, Thursday, March 31, at 7 p.m., at Mary's Restaurant, at 108 S. West Street, in Plainview. Individuals interested in learning more about the four candidates running for the District 40 seat in the Nebraska Legislature are invited to participate in the forum, sponsored by Antelope, Cedar, Dixon, Holt, Knox and Pierce County Farm Bureaus. The four candidates who have filed to represent District 40 have been invited to participate,...
Robert E. Johnston, a fifth-generation farmer and producer from Clearwater, recently announced his candidacy for Nebraska Legislature District 40. Johnston, a staunch advocate for rural Nebraska and lifelong community leader, filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State for the upcoming election. "I have always been intrigued by the legislative process and, with a growing rural-urban divide across the state, now is the time for a strong voice to represent the voters of the 40th District," said...
A new event center and lodge at Niobrara State Park, a new boat launch near the village of Niobrara and expanding the Weigand Marina at Lewis and Clark State Recreational Area, are one step closer to reality, as the Legislature gave first-round approval to LB 1023 on a 29-4 vote. LB 1023 carries out the recommendations of the State Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability (STAR WARS) Special Committee, of which I am a member. The bill also includes funding for road...
A decision on a perpetual easement for the Graham Crowe Ranch, LLC, in northeastern Holt County, will be revisited at 10:30 a.m., during a March 16 meeting of the Holt County supervisors. Supervisor Don Butterfield, of Atkinson, made a motion to table a decision, Feb. 28, following a public hearing which lasted more than 90 minutes. "I need to have a little time to mull this over," Butterfield said. Chairman Bill Tielke said it's unfair to make a quick decision. "Don, I'll agree with you. This...
On April 1, Nebraska State Senator Tim Gragert plans to be visit Neligh and hold an informal meet-and-greet with constituents. He will take time to discuss the ongoing legislative session, bills he is working on and answer questions. The event will be held at the Antelope County Ag Society Event Center, 709 East Highway 275, in Neligh, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Gragert was elected to represent District 40 since January 2019. His term concludes in January 2023. Prior to taking office, he served in the military for 40 years and worked for the...
The public hearing process is now complete. A hearing was held on every bill that was introduced before the committee with jurisdiction over the subject matter. The Legislature began meeting in full-day sessions March 8. The following week, we will begin meeting into the evenings, in order to complete our work by April 20. On Monday of this past week, senators focused on consent calendar bills. Consent calendar is a process to allow noncontroversial bills, without priority status, to be debated...
The Legislature has passed the midway mark in this 60-day legislative session. The priority bill designation process is also complete. From this point on, generally only bills with priority status will be debated by the Legislature. Every senator gets to select one bill as their priority bill, every committee can pick two and the speaker is authorized to designate 25 bills as speaker priority bills. I selected LB 925 as my priority bill and it received first-round approval this past week on a...
Nebraska’s agricultural economy relies on soil and water, so when the quality of those natural resources are in jeopardy, so too is the health of our state at large. Since the beginning of modern agriculture, Nebraska has lost nearly one-third of its topsoil. Wind and water erosion have shifted valuable organic matter from fields, where it provides vital plant nutrients, to watersheds where runoff negatively impacts the safety of our water. Just as unhealthy soil can cause a chain reaction t...
The Legislature spent four hours this past week debating LB 906, which focuses on employer vaccine mandates. As amended by Health and Human Services Committee amendments, LB 906 would apply to businesses with one or more employees but would only pertain to the COVID-19 vaccine. LB 906 clarifies that if an employer requires employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, an exemption to the mandate is allowed for a medical reason, accompanied by a signed statement from their health care...
The public hearing on LB 1023 was held Thursday, Feb. 10 before the Natural Resources Committee. It reflects the work of the Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability Special Committee and proposes to adopt the Lake Development Act and the Water Recreation Enhancement Act. I was appointed to serve on the STAR WARS Committee, stemming from the passage of LB 406, last year. In addition to recommendations to construct a 3,600-acre lake in or near Sarpy County and...
As the U.S. Supreme Court considers the fate of Roe v. Wade, Nebraska lawmakers will face a range of abortion bills that will either restrict or expand abortion access. Sen. Julie Slama of Sterling introduced LB781 — the Heartbeat Act — on Jan. 5, which is one of three anti-abortion related bills introduced in the Nebraska Legislature in January. Sandy Danek, executive director of Nebraska Right to Life, said she also is a part of the Nebraska Catholic Conference and Nebraska Family Alliance. The three organizations work in a coalition to lobby...
We have reached the one-third mark of this 60-day legislative session but still have a great deal of work to do. The various standing committees are busy holding public hearings on the 600 bills that were introduced in January. As of Feb. 3, public hearings have been conducted on 257 bills during the first three weeks of hearings, but 343 bills have yet to be heard during the next four weeks, before the public hearing process concludes and the Legislature begins to meet on the floor in full-day...
SUBMITTED ARTICLE Barry DeKay of Niobrara announced recently he has filed paperwork with the Nebraska Secretary of State to run for the Nebraska Legislature in District 40. On Jan. 26, State Senator Tim Gragert of Creighton announced he will not be seeking a second term in the Legislature. "I appreciate Senator Gragert and his service to our district," DeKay said. "I consider Tim a friend and value his service to our country and our state. He and Donna certainly deserve to live a great...