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Nebraska’s costliest governor’s race left wild numbers in its wake
OMAHA — The costliest election in Nebraska history is over, including a governor’s race with state-record spending in 2022 of $29 million, campaign finance reports show. Even including the general election that University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen won over State Sen. Carol Blood, nobody spent more than the second-place finisher in the GOP primary. […]
Fortenberry and Sasse headline unusual year-end campaign finance reports
OMAHA — The departures of a congressman and a U.S. senator spiced up the final campaign finance reports for Nebraska’s congressional races in 2022. In eastern Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., defeated Democratic State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks in a rare special election. The seat opened when Rep. Jeff Fortenberry resigned […]
County attorney requests special prosecutor in alleged Nebraska GOP break-in
LINCOLN — Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon filed paperwork Friday requesting a special prosecutor to check the work of the Lincoln Police Department regarding last summer’s alleged break-in at the Nebraska Republican Party headquarters. Condon, a Republican prosecutor backed by both the new and old leadership teams at the state GOP, asked a judge to […]
Cardiac-activity abortion ban bill draws hundreds to Nebraska Capitol
LINCOLN — Proponents and opponents were given three hours each Wednesday to argue over State Sen. Joni Albrecht’s bill aimed at outlawing abortions in Nebraska after an ultrasound detects embryonic cardiac activity. Hundreds in an overflow crowd waited hours to testify for two or three minutes to the seven members of the Legislature’s Health and […]
Deb Fischer named to U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, stays on Armed Services
LINCOLN — U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., is now serving on the Senate Appropriations Committee, she announced Wednesday. She is taking on the role in addition to her seat on the Armed Services Committee. Typically, senators are allowed to join one top-level committee, such as Appropriations or Armed Services. Fischer will serve on two. The […]
Lincoln police seek special prosecutor to check GOP headquarters probe
LINCOLN — The Lincoln Police Department is asking that a special prosecutor take a second look at the evidence after its officers concluded no crime was committed during an alleged break-in last summer at the Nebraska Republican Party headquarters. Police started notifying people of the department’s request this week. Lincoln Police Sgt. Chris Vollmer confirmed […]
Ed Committee hears bills aimed at easing Nebraska’s teacher shortage
LINCOLN — Nebraska teachers, administrators and K-12 education advocates testified Monday before the Legislature’s Education Committee about the scale of Nebraska’s teacher shortage. The state’s public schools reported nearly 700 unfilled teaching positions at the start of this school year, officials told the committee. Private schools said they were short another 100. State education statistics […]
Nebraska senators expect no action against Brewer on constituent’s residency complaint
LINCOLN — The Nebraska Legislature likely won’t consider a Cherry County Republican’s allegation that her representative, State Sen. Tom Brewer, doesn’t live in his Sandhills district and should forfeit his seat. That was the consensus among more than a dozen state lawmakers contacted after Valentine resident Sherri Bacon filed a complaint with the Clerk of […]
Lincoln Police Union endorses Geist for mayor
LINCOLN — The city’s police union on Thursday endorsed Republican State Sen. Suzanne Geist for Lincoln mayor over current Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird. Geist said the endorsement gives her candidacy an immediate jolt and signals to voters in the city’s April 4 primary and May 2 general election that she has a viable campaign. “Being […]
Pillen touts his tax cut and education initiatives in State of the State speech
LINCOLN — New Gov. Jim Pillen plans to hold the line on state agency spending, while devoting the state’s massive revenue surplus for tax cuts, increased state aid to K-12 schools and building the Perkins County Canal. The Republican governor’s budget only provides spending growth of 1.3% over the next two years — including only […]
Questions revived about whether Nebraska lawmaker lives in his district
LINCOLN — Nebraska State Sen. Tom Brewer faced questions in 2014 and 2016 over whether he lived in the Sandhills district he aimed to serve. He won election and re-election despite those concerns. Now one of his constituents in Cherry County has filed a complaint with the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and the Clerk of […]
Pillen leans into ‘opportunity scholarships’ debate
LINCOLN — Before a press conference Tuesday promoting a potential state tax break for donors helping low-income parents pay for private school, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen spoke to 15 students from a Catholic grade school in his hometown. The governor high-fived students from Columbus St. Anthony, thanked them for joining the “school choice” event and […]