Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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A field investigator with Nebraska Game and Parks Commission may soon open shop in the Holt County Courthouse. During the Nov. 27 Holt County supervisors meeting, John Bauer with NGPC requested to use office space, if available. "I need room for a desk, chair and a couple filing cabinets," Bauer said. Supervisor Dustin Breiner asked how soon space would be needed. Bauer replied there's "no rush." Chairman Bill Tielke said once the St. Mary's third-grade students move back to the school, an...
On April 18, the Legislature completed its work for this 60-day legislative session. Although the last day is typically reserved for veto overrides and closing remarks, the Legislature also took action on 15 bills remaining on Final Reading. Notably, the governor’s proposed property tax package contained in LB388 stalled when it became clear that the bill did not have the votes to break a filibuster. LB388 was then passed over on the agenda at the request of the introducing senator, meaning t...
The beginning of April brings us closer to the end of this year’s legislative session. There are many bills still left to debate and little time to consider all of the priority bills brought forward this year. The week began with the resumption of debate on the governor’s proposed property tax relief package: LB388 and LB1331. LB388 initially proposed an up-to-1% increase of the sales tax, from the current rate of 5.5% to possibly as high as 6.5%, and raising taxes and eliminating tax exe...
This week, my personal priority bill, LB1301, was put before the Unicameral for the first stage of consideration. LB1301 would modernize our state’s existing laws relating to foreign land ownership. The bill would add greater oversight and tighten restrictions on so-called restricted entities or their agents, trustees or fiduciaries, referenced in two federal lists: the persons and entities designated by the Office of Foreign Assets Control and the six countries designated as foreign a...
We are now two-thirds of the way through the 60-day session and have completed public hearings for the year. Senators will now meet in full-day sessions for floor debate. Discussion will focus on bills that have been given priority status either by a senator, a committee, or the speaker. The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn April 18. LB1087 by Sen. Jacobson would adopt the Hospital Quality Assurance and Access Assessment Act. This bill would have Nebraska join 44 other states in obtaining...
This week saw the Legislature in session for only three days to conclude public hearings on more than 600 bills and resolutions introduced this year. It is also at this point in the legislative session when only bills with priority status make the agenda. Every senator is authorized to designate one bill as his or her personal priority bill. Committees are allowed to select two bills, while the speaker of the Legislature can designate up to 25 bills as speaker priority bills. Since committees...
This week marked the halfway point of the 2024 legislative session, meaning the remaining time will be spent on senator, committee and speaker priority bills. Given the time left in the session, I will be focused on my priority bill for the year, LB1301. LB1301 would adopt the Foreign-owned Real Estate National Security Act, put guardrails and protections in place on foreign ownership of ag land and help safeguard sensitive military installations from threats posed by foreign adversaries. I...
Ed. Note: Sen. Dorn’s letter to the editor is in regards to an editorial by J.L. Schmidt, statehouse correspondent for the Nebraska Press Association. A recent editorial in this publication showed no understanding of the constraints on city governments regarding rundown properties, citing LB 45. While it would be most desirable for all property owners to keep their properties in peak condition, that is not the reality; thus, communities across the state are left with buildings which continue to deteriorate. Let me start at the beginning of h...
In December, President Biden’s team shut down two border rail crossings in Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas. The administration also falsely implied the closures were necessary for enforcement. In reality,Customs and Border Protection agents were reassigned to “quickly process individuals” who had crossed the border illegally. Prioritizing the processing of illegal immigrants over facilitating critical trade routes is unacceptable. Shutting down train traffic cost $250 million in commerce per d...
Wait, what? Governor Jim Pillen has reversed his opposition to a federal summer grocery program that would aid around 150,000 children of low-income families. Pillen succumbed to a lot of outside pressure from a bipartisan group of state lawmakers, a bill introduced by one of them to request the aid and another state senator who made it his priority to ensure it would be debated in the remaining days of the legislative session. Back in December he proclaimed that he didn't "believe in welfare."...
This week, I presented my priority bill for this year before members of the Agriculture Committee: LB1301. This bill would adopt the Foreign-owned Real Estate National Security Act and bring our antiquated foreign land ownership statutes up to date. Our statutes were first enacted in 1889 and many sections were last updated only in 1943. The bill would modernize these statutes by restricting federally-designated foreign adversaries from owning agricultural land, empowering the attorney general...
Chief Justice Michael Heavican delivered his annual State of the Judiciary address this past week. As part of a longtime tradition, I was selected to be a member of the committee to escort the Chief Justice into the legislative chamber; I felt it was a great honor and privilege to be able to serve as a member of his escort committee. In his address, Heavican noted that judiciary staffing has returned to a pre-pandemic level. He also said there was a 27% increase in problem-solving court...
Omaha Senator Justin Wayne, chair of the Judiciary Committee, has offered a bill that would put Nebraska's Legislature in charge of the state's prison system, which is currently under the purview of the executive branch. Given the way things have been going with the Department of Correctional Services, especially the selection of a site for a new prison in northeast Lincoln that was changed to an allegedly more acceptable site at the last minute, I like Wayne's proposal. If made law, it would pu...
This past week, senators commenced floor debate on possibly amending the rules adopted by the Legislature last year. Following a public hearing, the Rules Committee considered 34 rules proposals and advanced 17 of them to the floor for deliberation. Several of the proposals are purely technical in nature and aim to improve the overall process within the body, such as changes to when bills involving judges’ salaries or transfers from the Cash Reserve Fund are scheduled. Other proposals aim to t...
Comments from two state senators from Omaha have pretty much diminished hopes for a "normal" session of the Nebraska Legislature this year. "I think it will be a difficult session again. I'm not backing down," said Sen. Kathleen Kauth as she gave priority designation to the Sports and Spaces Act that would bar biological males from participating in K-12 sports designed for females and would block trans students from using a bathroom designated for other than their gender at birth. "I will do...
Wednesday, Jan. 3 marked the first day of the 108th Legislature, Second Session. This session also marks the beginning of the second year that I am serving as the representative of the 40th Legislative District. The 40th District covers the counties of Antelope, Cedar, Dixon, Holt, Knox and Pierce. Legislative sessions in even-numbered years last for 60 days. During the short session, senators will make any necessary adjustments to the two-year budget that was developed during the 90-day session...
In life and legislative work, a new year brings new opportunities and new undertakings. As we enter 2024 and the second session of the 118th United States Congress, there is much work to do and I’m optimistic we can achieve results for the American people. Commonsense policies promoting economic growth and productivity in our communities can benefit our country as a whole. With no shortage of obstacles to overcome to curb wasteful spending, deliver tax relief and manage federal programs, it i...
With the election of Speaker Mike Johnson, the House is back to work. We certainly have our work cut out for us as we fulfill our responsibilities to the American people. Speaker Johnson hit the ground running to responsibly fund our priorities, including our support for Israel. Supporting our greatest ally in the Middle East as they battle the ruthless enemy that is Hamas is an urgent priority. Regionally, Israel is in a precarious position and our support for them is vital as their neighbors...
The heinous attack on Israel by Hamas this month sent shockwaves throughout the Middle East and across the world. War in one part of the world has a ripple effect — we all feel its impact. In this case, the United States is especially affected. Hamas killed American citizens in its assaults on innocent people across Israel. It is holding American citizens hostage underground in Gaza. Hamas has American blood on its hands. The United States and Israel have always been bound by shared values and s...
This weekend, Congress narrowly avoided a government shutdown. After a turbulent week, the House of Representatives passed a short-term bipartisan spending bill. The Senate approved the bill hours before the deadline of Oct. 1. From 2005 to 2013, I served as a member of the Nebraska Legislature. During that time, we ran into a major budget shortfall. All of us in the Unicameral worked together and compromised to find solutions to that fiscal crisis. We were legislators, so we legislated. In the...
The 108th Legislature, First Session, has adjourned sine die. This past year, lawmakers passed some important bills and failed to agree on other critical issues. Excluding A bills, of the 820 bills and 274 resolutions introduced this year, only 33 bills and one resolution actually received a final vote. However, the bills passed included many expansive Christmas tree packages, meaning the Legislature actually passed 291 bills in total, including A bills. This figure is comparable to the last...
The Legislature gave second-round approval to the budget bills this past week. This effort will allow the budget to be read on Final Reading next week, meeting the requirement to have it pass by the 80th legislative day. The budget would provide money for capital construction projects such as the Perkins County Canal Project and a new prison facility. Additional funds are appropriated to cover salary increases recently negotiated with the state employee’s union and for staff at correctional f...
As if propping up the school aid formula to historic proportions wasn't enough, the new governor appears to be getting his way in the Legislature with a package of tax changes that could cost the state more than $3 billion over the next six years. The plan would increase Nebraska's two property tax credit programs, cap school property tax growth and eliminate almost all community college property taxes. Oh, and this bill works in concert with one that would cut the state's top income tax rate...
If you listen carefully, you can hear the strains of that favorite carol "O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree" echoing through the George W. Norris Legislative Chambers. It has been a few years, but that age-old almost end-of-session practice is back in vogue. It has been around since before most of the young senators complaining about it were born. It's a simple practice, attaching bills that have survived the committee process and been sent to the floor to bills that are further along in the...
Using a laptop at her farm near Clatonia, and some help from the state’s public power districts, a rural broadband advocate has uncovered oversights that may brings millions of extra federal dollars to Nebraska to expand high-speed internet service. Emily Haxby, who also serves on the Gage County Board, said she started doubting the accuracy of federal maps showing areas that were “unserved” by broadband. Just in her own rural neighborhood, Haxby said, she could tell there were at least a dozen rural homes, machine shops and other locat...
