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Prominent progressive Nebraska lawmaker leaves Democratic Party
LINCOLN — State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, one of Nebraska’s most prominent progressive lawmakers, has changed her party registration from Democrat to nonpartisan. Hunt, along with State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, has drawn national attention this year for standing against proposed restrictions on abortion and gender-affirming care for minors. She said Friday that Nebraska […]
Lawmakers reject attempt to narrow costs of proposed $574 million canal
LINCOLN — Nebraska lawmakers rejected a proposal Thursday to reduce the cost of a multimillion-dollar canal that supporters say would protect the state’s water rights from Colorado. State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha had questioned why Nebraska was planning to build a larger Perkins County Canal than permitted under a 1923 compact with Colorado over […]
‘Water is everything’: Nebraska senators tour site for Perkins County Canal
LINCOLN — Nearly a dozen state senators on dual trips toured western Nebraska and parts of Colorado to survey the area that could be part of the proposed Perkins County Canal. On the respective Friday and Monday trips, two groups toured areas that would be served by the multimillion-dollar effort started by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts in […]
Nebraska advocates honor life of Brandon Teena, a transgender man murdered in 1993
LINCOLN — Advocates for transgender rights hosted a Monday night viewing of a 1998 documentary that details the murder of 21-year-old Brandon Teena, a transgender man and Lincoln native, nearly 30 years ago. Teena was raped on Christmas Eve 1993 in Falls City, Nebraska, and later murdered, along with two others, on New Year’s Eve […]
Omaha beekeeper encourages vigilance to protect honeybees from contagious, deadly disease
OMAHA — An Omaha beekeeper is raising awareness to fight American foulbrood, a deadly, contagious disease that strikes honeybees. Mark Welsch, a beekeeper who owns Elmwood Park Honey in Omaha, destroyed 50,000 bees last week in three colonies owned by Linda Lundeen in Omaha after determining the colonies were infected with the disease. “Beekeepers, be […]
Nebraska State Patrol responds to car crash within feet of State Capitol
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include additional comment from the Nebraska State Patrol. LINCOLN — The Nebraska State Patrol’s unit at the Nebraska State Capitol responded Monday afternoon to a car crash within feet of the Capitol. In a tweet, the State Patrol said the driver of the vehicle was experiencing a […]
‘Not in Nebraska’: Public school advocates rally against ‘opportunity scholarship’ bill
LINCOLN — Public school advocates flooded the steps of the State Capitol on Saturday morning in anticipation of a final vote on whether Nebraska should finally adopt some form of public funding for private schools. The Legislature is preparing for a final vote in the coming weeks on Legislative Bill 753, proposed by State Sen. […]
U.S. Reps. Smith, Dingell introduce legislation to increase access to home-based health services
LINCOLN — U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., has introduced bipartisan legislation meant to increase access to home-based health services and modernize Medicaid reimbursement. Smith introduced the Expanding Care in the Home Act on Tuesday with Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich. The legislation is meant to bring house calls back to Medicare beneficiaries and bolster the accessibility […]
Nebraska lawmakers defend colleague for ‘out of bounds’ conflict of interest complaint
LINCOLN — Several Nebraska lawmakers came to the defense of State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha on Wednesday after a complaint was filed alleging she has a potential conflict of interest on proposed restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors. Frank Daley, executive director of the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, on Wednesday hand-delivered the complaint, […]
Gov. Jim Pillen signs bill for concealed carry of handguns without permit or training
LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen on Tuesday celebrated signing a bill to allow Nebraskans to carry concealed handguns legally without a state permit or state-mandated gun safety training. Legislative Bill 77, the long-fought proposal championed by State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, passed April 19 on a 33-14 vote. The new law will strip the […]
DHHS encourages updating information as 145,000 Nebraskans at risk of losing Medicaid
LINCOLN — Medicaid renewals have been paused for the past three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but as renewals restart, about 145,000 Nebraskans are at risk of losing coverage. Changes in federal law mean the eligibility of Medicaid recipients is now being reviewed, returning to “normal” eligibility requirements. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human […]
North Omaha residents installing air quality monitors near coal-burning station
LINCOLN — Residents in North Omaha are stepping up to install air quality monitors in the neighborhood, a move designed to empower citizens as coal burning continues in the area. The Omaha Public Power District determined in August it would need to delay the cessation of burning coal at its North Omaha station for at least […]