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Bill advanced to allow ‘progressive design-build’ of highways, bridges
LINCOLN — The state would have a new tool to help complete the long-delayed state expressway system, and other highway and bridge projects, under a bill that appears headed for approval in the Nebraska Legislature. With little debate Monday, lawmakers gave 31-0 first-round approval for Legislative Bill 1016, which would allow the Nebraska Department of […]
Nebraska lawmakers pledge work to improve handling of workplace harassment complaints
LINCOLN — The Nebraska Legislature appears headed for a review of how it handles workplace harassment complaints by employees and how it handles senators who breach ethical standards. State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha said Monday that a recent complaint filed against then-Sen. Mike Groene pointed up the “inadequacies” in the current complaint process. She […]
State’s $1 billion ARPA budget moves forward but faces uncertain future
LINCOLN — A group of state lawmakers worked into the night Monday in hopes of crafting a grand compromise among three major issues in the 2022 session. Amid that work, legislators gave second-round approval to the bill outlining proposed spending of the state’s $1 billion allocation from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). But […]
School officials say ‘furries’ talk is ridiculous after Nebraska lawmaker raises the issue
LINCOLN — Officials with the Seward and Adams Central school districts on Monday labeled as “ridiculous” and “an ugly rumor” talk that students have dressed up as cats and dogs and have requested litter boxes to handle their bathroom needs. Officials with both the Millard and Omaha public schools also said they were unaware of […]
Fortenberry resignation sets up unique situation with special election
LINCOLN — Nebraska’s voters, and election officials, are about to enter new territory. Because of the impending resignation of U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, voters in eastern Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District will be asked to vote in three elections in 2022 concerning the post Fortenberry is vacating. The three are the May primary, a special election […]
Carol Blood picks former State Sen. Al Davis as her running mate in Nebraska governor race
LINCOLN— Former State Sen. Al Davis, a Sandhills rancher with a second home in Lincoln, was picked Sunday by Democratic gubernatorial candidate State Sen. Carol Blood as her running mate. Blood, of Bellevue, said she was seeking a lieutenant governor who would be “servant-hearted, hard working,” who had past political experience and who had “the […]
Fortenberry resigns two days after jury finds him guilty of lying to federal investigators
LINCOLN — U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry on Saturday announced his resignation, stating that due to his conviction on three federal felonies, “I can no longer serve you effectively.” “I will resign from Congress shortly,” he said, in a three-paragraph statement. In a letter to his congressional colleagues, in which he quotes from a poem posted […]
Nebraska Legislature to explore expanded abortion ban
LINCOLN – A rarely employed “pull motion” in the Nebraska Legislature on Friday revived an impassioned debate on abortion. Lawmakers Friday voted 28-13 to bring Legislative Bill 933 to a full floor discussion after the bill had failed to advance from the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee. Introduced by State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston, LB 933 […]
Attempt to create super-sized tax break bill falls one vote short in Nebraska Legislature
LINCOLN — An attempt to add a major package of income and property tax cuts to a bill providing a tax break on Social Security checks ran into a logjam Friday in the Nebraska Legislature. In the end, the attempt to create a super-sized collection of tax relief proposals failed, with a vote to stop […]
Ricketts, House GOP leader, Speaker call on Fortenberry to resign
LOS ANGELES — Gov. Pete Ricketts, the Republican leader in the U.S. House and the House Speaker called Friday for U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry to resign, following his conviction for lying to federal investigators and trying to conceal illegal campaign donations. “I hope Jeff Fortenberry will do the right thing and resign so his constituents […]
U.S. Rep. Fortenberry found guilty of three felonies in stunning and swift jury verdict
LOS ANGELES — With stunning swiftness, a California jury found U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry guilty Thursday of lying to federal investigators and trying to conceal illegal campaign donations. The jury of eight women and four men took just over two hours to render a verdict on three felony charges faced by the 61-year-old Republican. The […]
Federal jury finds U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry guilty on all three counts
Editor’s note: This report was updated at 9 p.m. CDT Thursday with a verdict. LOS ANGELES — In stunning swiftness, a California jury ruled Thursday that U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry was guilty of lying to federal investigators and trying to conceal illegal campaign donations. The jury of eight women and four men took just over […]