Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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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...
Nebraska’s new voter identification law, which takes effect in the May 14 statewide primary, requires Nebraska voters to present a photo ID before voting. In an effort to ensure all Nebraskans are prepared, the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office is mailing letters to voters who may not have an acceptable form of photo ID to vote. About 97% of registered voters in Nebraska already have a driver’s license or state ID, according to information from county election offices and the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. The letters are a proac...
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...
Much of this week’s activity focused on broadband and the Nebraska Department of Transportation, along with some controversy relating to education policy. The Transportation and Telecommunications Committee heard three of my bills this week. LB1038 would make a small change to the membership requirement of the Nebraska Information Technology Commission, which develops and reviews our state’s information technology plans. The commission currently has nine voting members and one member from the...
LINCOLN--In week six of the 2024 Nebraska Legislative Session, Nebraska lawmakers continued discussion on LB 1339, a bill that would allow school districts to authorize employed security personnel, law enforcement and members of the U.S. Armed Forces to lawfully carry concealed handguns on school grounds. Initially introduced on Jan. 17 by Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, LB 1339 has garnered attention from both sides of the aisle in the Legislature as well as many Nebraskans and organizations. Speaking on behalf of the Nebraska Council of School Adm...
We are now over a third of the way through this short session of the biennium. This week focused on hearings and debate on railroads, daylight saving time, kratom, hemp-derived THC and many other issues. The Legislature has spent its days engaged in debate and committee hearings as per usual, yet that does not mean we have avoided filibuster this session. LB31, put forward by Sen. Jacobson, would require railroads to have a minimum of two individuals on their crews. Three days of debate were...
Nebraska lawmakers are gathering once again in Lincoln for another year of debating and passing legislation. The democratic process is something America prides itself on and one that requires input from citizens to thrive. As new bills are being introduced and debated, lawmakers need to hear directly from their constituents on issues that are important to them. So, how can you make sure your voice is heard? The first way is to share your views by interacting directly with elected officials by...
On Thursday of this past week, Governor Pillen delivered his State of the State address. The governor began his speech by thanking members of law enforcement, first responders and road crews who have worked countless hours in recent days in the brutal winter weather conditions across the state. He next touched on his priorities for this year, which included property tax relief, reducing the regulatory burden of state government and protecting Nebraska from foreign adversaries. He lent support to...
Holt County Supervisors will hold a one- and six-year road improvement program public hearing. The hearing will be held Friday, Feb. 16, at 11:15, in the county board meeting room in O’Neill. Per state statute, counties and municipalities are required to develop a one-year program of road or street improvement. Officials are also required to create a five-year schedule for long-range planning. Following the hearing, supervisors will vote to adopt the program with any revisions that are determined. The plan will then be submitted to the Board o...
Antelope County PRIMARY ELECTION NOTICE & OFFICES TO BE FILLED BY ELECTION AND FILING DEADLINES I, Lisa Payne, Antelope County Clerk/Election Commissioner, hereby give notice of the offices to be filled by election that will appear on the 2024 Primary Election Ballot to be held May 14, 2024, in Antelope County, Nebraska, as per State Statute 32-601. Notice is also given that the filing deadline for such offices are: Feb. 15, 2024, for incumbents and March 1, 2024, for non-incumbents. An incumbent is anyone serving in an elective office, even...
Leadership in Holt County will remain the same. Supervisors elected Bill Tielke, of Atkinson, to serve as chairman for 2024. The vote was taken Friday when the group met for an organizational meeting at the courthouse in O'Neill. Doug Frahm, of Amelia, will lead the board of equalization. In addition to designating committee assignments for the year, supervisors set salaries and/or hourly wages for county employees. Sheriff Ben Matchett said a three-year plan for deputies' wages, with a $2...
TAYLOR – Bailley Leibert walks into civics class and plops her sunflower-print backpack onto an empty table. The 15-year-old rummages for her notebook and colored pens. Around her are enough chairs to seat 10 students. But today, and every day, there are nine empty seats. It's just the ninth-grader and social studies teacher Ken Wright – an unintentional private lesson for the only freshman in this school. At Loup County High School, Bailley is the sole member of the class of 2027. The cla...
Summerland Public School could potentially have a new superintendent selected for the 2024-2025 school year as early as the first part of February. The search is currently being advertised online by the Nebraska Association of School Boards, the organization selected by Summerland’s board of education to aide search efforts. The decision was made Dec. 20, during a special meeting held at the school. Board president Steven Thiele said following the resignation of Supt. Kyle Finke, at the Dec. 13...
PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dec. 13, 2023 The Board of Trustees of the Village of Clearwater met for a regular meeting Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m., in the fire hall meeting room. Meeting opened at 7 p.m. Notice of meeting was given in advance by publication in “Summerland Advocate-Messenger,” was posted at US Post Office in Clearwater, Clearwater Market and Cornerstone Bank-Clearwater and was given to board members prior to meeting. Public was informed of location of Open Meeting Act poster. Present: Kelly Ker...
Nebraska is home to over 100,000 of our most honorable American heroes. These heroes left home and family to follow a call. They showed grit and dedication throughout taxing training. They fought hard for their homeland and made countless sacrifices. Many of them made the ultimate sacrifice - they sacrificed their own lives to protect others. These heroes are our veterans. Earlier this year, three of our own Nebraskan World War II veterans met in Omaha to remember their service so many years...
While neighboring state's officials wait to make decisions on permits for a proposed carbon-capture pipeline, Antelope County Planning and Zoning Commission members voted 6-1 to approve a conditional use permit for Summit Carbon Solutions. Bob Krutz cast the lone vote to deny the permit when the commission reconvened, Oct. 12. A public hearing for the CUP was originally held Sept. 14. During discussion after the hearing, commission members voted to continue the meeting to Oct. 5. At that...
I wonder if people who think nothing cool happens in Nebraska have paid attention to the Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska contest, sponsored by the state’s manufacturing alliance. ICYMI, here’s how it works. Manufacturers and related sectors were invited to nominate their favorite Nebraska-made product. The top 16 were placed in a bracket, with head-to-head voting taking place. What products made the top 16? Chocolate Meltaways from Bakers Candies; M Grills Big M Smokers made by Kinney Man...
The Legislature adjourned shortly after Memorial Day, but my duties as your representative continue at a fast pace. In the interim between the adjournment of the previous session and the convening of the next session, senators remain hard at work serving on special and select committees, studying subjects of local importance and addressing issues brought forward by constituents. During the session, I was appointed to serve on the LR178 Small Modular Nuclear Reactors Select Committee with six of...
It’s a case if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. “And you’ll never get it back,” Summerland Superintendent Kyle Finke said while discussing the board’s decision to raise the district’s tax asking authority by up to 7%. The agenda action item is the result of the recent enactment of LB243, known as the School District Property Tax Limitation Act. For the upcoming fiscal year, the act limits growth at 3%. The act creates a default rule which caps the magnitude of a school district’s prop...
A rural Antelope County road will stay intact following a public hearing and subsequent vote by commissioners on Aug. 1. Highway superintendent Brian McDonald said a road use study on 858 Road, between 521 and 522 Avenue was completed. "It's being actively used," McDonald said. Two individuals offered testimony in opposition of the closure. Testifying via speaker phone, Matt Klabenes, of Neligh, said, "We've got a service line down that for our stock well. It's the reason we took the trees out...
First aid kits in the Antelope County courthouse, in Neligh, will be freshly stocked each quarter, following an Aug. 1 vote by commissioners approving a new provider, Cintas, to fulfill the duties. Zee Medical formerly performed the service. County clerk Lisa Payne told commissioners, "It is nice to have someone check that. I know I can say 'I'm going to do that,' but it's usually one of the last things I do." Cintas will update any products close to or at its expiration date. To get the...
Ask 10 people who they would choose as the most loved television or movie couple and you’ll get 10 different answers. While Ross and Rachel spark excitement for “Friends” followers, the chemistry between Robert Kincaid and Francesca Johnson, in “The Bridges of Madison County,” is undeniable. Questions like this make me chuckle, especially when I receive a press release from a London-based public relations firm, letting me know that Lois and Clark top the most-loved list for a lot of Nebraskan...
NOTICE OF BOARD MEETING NOTICE OF VOTE TO INCREASE BASE GROWTH PERCENTAGE USED TO DETERMINE PROPERTY TAX REQUEST AUTHORITY The Summerland Public Schools Board of Education will meet on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023, at 6:30 p.m., at Summerland Public School for a board meeting. Among other topics to be discussed, pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-3405, the board will vote on whether to increase the school district’s base growth percentage by up to seven percent (7%). A copy of the agenda, kept continuously current, is available for public inspection in...
Holt County Supervisors held a listening session, Monday afternoon, allowing members of the Holt/Boyd E-911 board to present their perceptions of operations in the dispatch center and the role of the board. In late July, supervisors Duane Neiman, Scott Keyes and Bill Tielke and Holt County Clerk Cathy Pavel met with Boyd County officials to hear public comment about day-to-day operations at the center. The meeting arose following a June 20 meeting, where fire department representatives,...
