Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 882
Eminent domain concerns Dear Editor: The Nebraska Constitution states there will be no eminent domain for private gain. Period. But there are plenty of interlopers who choose to ignore that. By allowing public/private partnerships we see the beginning of Fascism. You know, “for the greater good” and disregard the rights of private property.” Right now, there are four aircraft staging out of the ONeill airport flying at 300’ all day long under contract to the US Geological Administration to do a survey. They use lidar to map underground mineral...
This week, the Legislature took up the issues of property taxes and adjustments to the state budget. Much of the focus remained on the package crafted by the Revenue Committee and attached to LB34 by Senator Brewer in place of LB1 and LB9. In a long day of constant changes, LB34 was originally intended to resemble LB1 and LB9. During debate, several concerns were raised, including counties and municipalities who opposed the proposed caps, schools that were hesitant that the Legislature could...
Nebraska isn't known as a battleground state when it comes to presidential elections. That tag usually goes to Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan, along with Georgia, Nevada and Arizona. But the recent pick of Nebraska native and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the vice presidential running mate for Kamala Harris is revving up talk that the Cornhusker State – at least Omaha's congressional district – is in play and may help decide this fall's presidential election. Walz, a 60-year-old former teache...
Au revoir, Paris. See you in 2028, Los Angeles. As the Olympics draw to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the competition storylines that captured my attention during the past two weeks. Who wouldn’t be inspired by Simone Biles and her redemption tour? After withdrawing from Olympic competition four years ago, due to injury, her journey to this year’s podium was inspiring. Not only is Biles one of the most-decorated Olympic gymnasts of all time, her actions on the sidelines show why she is simply the best. Her enthusiasm for her teammates shine...
As we all know, state legislators have been called back to Lincoln for a special session this summer to tackle the state's high property taxes. As has been written here before, good luck with that. It's easy to gripe about property taxes being too high; much more difficult to lower them without shifting the tax load onto someone else. But we need to talk about something that we also all gripe about – gasoline prices. I'm one of those guys who scans the countryside for the cheapest gas p...
This week, the Legislature convened for only two days, choosing to adjourn early after Sen. Linehan, chair of the Revenue Committee, requested additional time for the bill drafters to finalize amendments. The Legislature was previously scheduled to remain in session through Saturday, Aug. 10 but instead, resumed the session on Monday, Aug. 12. During this week’s session, senators and their staffs received a briefing from the Revenue Committee outlining their framework to try to deliver property tax relief. LB9, by Sen. Hughes, is the bill now i...
The Antelope County 4-H shows I viewed were a lot of fun. You could tell members invested a lot of time and energy in their projects. And, despite the heat, animals mostly cooperated. I wish I had been able to see the other shows. Instead, I was battling an infection and made multiple trips to the emergency room to receive IV fluids and antibiotics. The descent into sickness began Tuesday, once the paper was put to bed. A quick whoosh of something washed over me and, within minutes, a 103° fever...
This week, the Legislature concluded bill introduction and public hearings in this special session. Generally, in a special session, few bills are introduced and public hearings are finished in a couple of days. In this special session, a total of 81 bills and 24 constitutional amendments were introduced during three days of bill introduction, the most proposed during any special session since 1937. The large number of introduced proposals required six days of public hearings. Speaker Arch...
Summer is usually a relaxing time in Lincoln. College students have left, state lawmakers have gone home, the weather gets hot, the backyard tomatoes get ripe, and the biggest debate around town is whether this is the year the Huskers become relevant again in football. Optimism always abounds in the pre-season, before the first kickoff. But not sure the same optimism accompanies the special session Gov. Jim Pillen has convened to address the state's traditionally high property taxes. Every...
I don’t pay a lot of attention to television commercials; however, one in particular will always stand out. Picture it: a beautiful river, pastel orange sky and a rock-strewn shoreline. What viewers eventually see is a polluted river, smoke puffing out of factory stacks and garbage covering the shore. The narrator says, “Some people have a deep abiding respect for the natural beauty that was once this country and some people don’t. People start pollution and people can stop it.” Then, the camera...
As expected, the governor called the Legislature into special session on Wednesday, July 24 to enact legislation relating to property tax relief and school funding. The Legislature convened on Thursday, July 25. Deviating from the preannounced schedule, Speaker Arch chose to not bring the Legislature back into session on Saturday to allow the Revisor of Statutes’ Office more time to prepare new drafts of bills and constitutional amendments. The governor’s package is composed of three bills: LB1...
Rural communities across Nebraska have struggled with population loss for decades. The last census indicated that of the state’s 93 counties, 69 had lost population between 2010 and 2020. A University of Nebraska at Omaha study in 2015 made a sobering projection that only 12 counties in the state would have more residents in 2050 than in 1990. That continues a slide in rural areas that’s been occurring since the settlement days. Near a family farm we have in northeast Nebraska, you can scan the...
My sincere hope is that I am just one of many people in your life saying this: we need and want you here in Nebraska. Generation Z will have a massive impact in our state, especially in rural Nebraska. You have come of age in a world of constant change and technological advancement, shifting like the braids of the Platte River under a powerful current. Your formative years unfolded amid a pandemic, recessions and political unrest – but also abundance and cooperation. You have, with technology y...
Another trip around the sun. SAM and I have that in common. In 2019, the inaugural issue of the Advocate-Messenger made its debut on my birthday. Now, we're starting our sixth year of publication, a feat that isn't lost on Scott and me. It's been a positive and encouraging journey. Oh sure, there have been days when we wonder what the heck we're doing ... luckily, those days are few and far between. We feel like we're on solid ground and are excited to keep building the quality publication you e...
As you may have read or heard, Governor Pillen announced his intention to call the Legislature back in special session relating to property taxes beginning July 25 until “unfinished business” is resolved. On the last day of session, the Legislature did not take a final vote on the session’s property tax package since that bill’s introducer did not believe they had the votes necessary to overcome a filibuster. Since the Legislature adjourned, senators, including myself, have spent countless hours...
By the time you read this, state senators are expected to be trudging back to Lincoln for a special session on property tax relief. The word "trudging" reflects the general distaste senators have for special sessions, which disrupts the lives of these part-time, underpaid ($12,000 a year plus all you can eat and drink) lawmakers. Generally, special sessions are called to address emergencies, such as a court ruling that renders laws or taxes untenable, or an economic downturn that requires...
It does not matter which side of the political aisle you gravitate toward. Saturday’s assassination attempt of former President Trump should give you pause and make you wonder how this nation has wandered so far apart. In the aftermath, I’ve seen tasteless memes and an abundance of misinformation spread through social channels. I urge you to take a step back, take a deep breath and critically think before clicking the share button or opening mouth (and possibly inserting foot). I’ll offer what...
Dear editor: A Sunday breakfast buffet seems to fit the Lord's Day very well. We go to church first and then have a place of food and fellowship, beore heading home. It gives the cook at home a break and is a good practice in generosity, as we treat others to a good meal and also tip the waitresses for their service. Last Sunday, I was invited to a breakfast buffet at Two Bills in Clearwater, after the 8 a.m. Mass. It was a great experience. There is a complete salad bar and also a plate for...
An expansion of a statewide farm-to-school program that brings Nebraska local food products to classrooms across the state is offering students and teachers an opportunity to learn about and try indigenous foods. The Nebraska Department of Education has offered the Harvest of the Month program for many years that allows teachers to select a crop to focus on during any month. The collection of lessons, activities and recipes has highlighted a number of Nebraska crops, ranging from apples to beef...
Every candidate for governor always promises two things – to cut property taxes, and eliminate the “waste” in state spending. Both of those pledges are awfully easy to make -- and play well on a TV ad -- and much harder to achieve. Current Gov. Jim Pillen is finding that out this year with his property tax reduction ideas. But he’s adopted a different tactic in cutting the fat from state spending by hiring a high-priced consultant to suggest reductions. He enlisted Epiphany Associates, a Utah-ba...
“When there’s a will, there’s a way.” That was a phrase that surfaced regularly at the end of state legislative sessions. It referred to the hope that bills that appeared dead might be resurrected. Somehow, someway – like the zombie in a horror movie that would never die – some of those bills came back to life and were passed. Again, when there’s a will, there’s a way. That was the case at the end of the tumultuous 2023 session of the Nebraska Legislature, when filibusters were a daily routine...
A person may not always verbalize how they feel. Trust me, their actions will always show you the truth. For example, I can tell when Courtney becomes frustrated with me when I voice my opinion and we don’t necessarily see eye to eye. She’s mastered the art of the eye roll, those long, thick lashes fluttering as she defends her way of thinking. Wonder where she learned that behavior? (Looking to my left, checking to my right, searching in the mirror to see if I’m the culprit.) Did I just roll...
Earlier this year, the governor and the Legislature tried and failed to develop a workable plan to reduce Nebraska property taxes through increases in sales taxes. Now, as decision-makers in Lincoln consider coming together in a special session, the options on the table still focus on using sales taxes to pay for cuts in property taxes. Why? Decisions made in the Legislature in 2023 shape what's possible now. In 2023, the Legislature used a historic budget surplus of $1.9 billion to cut income...
If I ask you to define nuance or manifest or antecedent, would you be able to provide an answer? According to a recent study, “nuanced” is the “hardest SAT word.” Shades of gray, I say. Crossword experts at WordDB.com measured “the difficulty of every word listed as an answer option in the reading and writing section of the most-recent SAT practice tests.” The study’s methodology: evaluate the number of times each state searched on Google for the definition of 257 words included in six SAT pr...
Back in the day, a small, "trial balloon" would be sent aloft to discern wind speed and direction before a balloon carrying people was launched. Folks were rightly concerned about rising into the heavens blindly, without knowing if a catastrophic whirlwind was aloft. Right now, we're seeing plenty of trial balloons sent aloft by Gov. Jim Pillen to determine if a plan to dramatically reduce local property taxes might have a shot at success during his special session, scheduled to start July 25....
