Articles written by J.l. Schmidt
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 28
By 
Bonehead move by state attorney general should not stand
At a time when people's trust in government is waning, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers issued an opinion that the Legislature's Office of the Public Counsel, better known as the Ombudsman's...
Is prison-siting a matter of executive privilege too?
Editor’s Note: This column was written and distributed prior to an Aug. 30 press conference regarding prison location. We’ve known for some time that the state wants to build a new prison because it has the most overcrowded corrections system in...
Suicide prevention is something we can all do
Suicide. It's personal. Sometimes it's up close and personal. Often, it's the 800-pound gorilla in the room. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who has been impacted. I've had one of those...
The petition process is alive and well in Nebraska
Grassroots government is thriving in Nebraska. There are eight petitions circulating with hopes of making the 2024 General Election ballot, according to Secretary of State Bob Evnen. The action is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S....
Could Critical Race Theory be the next Nebraska Legislature hot button?
If you thought that the mostly one-sided filibuster-driven debate on transgender issues and abortion was the thing that dragged the 2023 Nebraska Legislature to a near standstill, steel yourself for...
Brain Drain: Great topic, lousy way to discuss it
In a rare move, seven months into the Jim Pillen reign, I'm going to suggest we cut the new guy some slack. Seems that a social media tweet raised concerns about First Amendment rights and dredged up...
Hold on, motorcycle helmets required until January 1
Disclaimer: I have never owned, driven or ridden a traditional two-wheel motorcycle. I sat on one owned by my late brother. But in more than five decades as a reporter I have covered numerous...
Independence Day - The Fourth of July
It slipped in on an uneventful Tuesday this year, although many towns celebrated on Monday the Third just to give the holiday a long weekend type feel. Maybe it was a little bit easier to remember...
Enjoy the memories governor, the honeymoon is over
The new governor says, jubilantly, the honeymoon cruise with the Nebraska Legislature was a huge success. Sorry governor, I'm seeing flags. Red flags. The cheering I hear is, "See you in court!" So,...
One small step for prison reform in the face of new prison construction
So, this is prison reform? At this point, it's something and we'll cling to every little bit of it while the Republican majority anticipates the building of a new prison, which will do little, if anyt...
The nonpartisan Unicameral Legislature is broken
The 108th Legislature First Session was a hot mess. The fact that three senators could derail the work of 46 others in the nation's only one-house, allegedly nonpartisan Legislature, speaks volumes....
Voter ID bill highlights rift in the party in power
The voter ID measure, a solution in search of a problem, has been thankfully watered down in legislative action that clearly indicates the wheels on the Republican juggernaut are wobbly, if not ready...
Lawmakers pass budget that includes a costly ditch and a new prison
Amid nasty debate about social issues, filibustering and theater playing out in the legislative chamber, lawmakers did manage to meet their constitutional obligation and pass a balanced budget on day...
Legislative session ending as it began, with loud controversy
As the days in the George W. Norris Legislative Chamber dwindle down to a precious few, the Republican majority continues to trip over each other patting themselves on the back while the Democrats...
State budget drags forward
With less than two weeks left in the session, the 108th Legislature is dragging an overburdened $12.975 billion budget to the finish line. Passing the budget is the only thing lawmakers are...
Are the state's coffers really flush? Is a tax cut sustainable?
As if propping up the school aid formula to historic proportions wasn't enough, the new governor appears to be getting his way in the Legislature with a package of tax changes that could cost the...
School financing: Did somebody really push the easy button?
It seems way too easy a solution to a problem that has plagued the Legislature for years, school funding. But lawmakers have advanced Governor Jim Pillen's proposal for the state to pay public school...
Legislature moves toward building a prison, caution remains
The Legislature's Appropriations Committee has signed off on providing the funds to build a $366 million prison in the Lincoln-Omaha area just as the Department of Corrections brings on a new...
Yes, the pot has officially called the kettle black
If you listen carefully, you can hear the strains of that favorite carol "O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree" echoing through the George W. Norris Legislative Chambers. It has been a few years, but...
Maybe it is the giant elephant in the room
Let's talk about the embarrassment formerly known as the Nebraska Legislature. The 49 elected senators are now 60 days into the scheduled 90-day session and the scoresheet is mostly bare. There are...
Where in the world is the governor and what is he doing?
Where is the governor and what is he doing? We probably shouldn't be surprised that stealth candidate Jim Pillen, who refused to debate and was elected governor anyway, hasn't been releasing...
Four more years, proposal would add one more term to limits
Just one more term. Yes, lawmakers are once again considering giving themselves 12 years instead of eight to figure out how things work and try to do something for their constituents. On a good day,...
The consumption tax just won't go away, but it should
The consumption tax, or the transaction tax, or maybe it's the EPIC tax, has reared its ugly, shortsighted head again. Call it what you will, but elimination of the highly sustainable three-pronged...
Just what is the state of the state?
The state of the state on its 156th birthday. It's still a very red, heavily conservative and largely Republican mecca situated in one of those mostly square states out west that a lot of people...
Things not as they seem at the Legislature
Many people touted this year's legislative session as a Republican-dominated conservative body that could easily work with the Republican administration to get things done. They reasoned that 32...
