Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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For the past few weeks, I have continued a series where I highlight several of the priority bills and resolutions that are pending and could be scheduled early next session. This week’s newsletter will provide an overview of several more carryover priority bills and resolutions which could be potentially debated sometime early next year. LB632, by Sen. Hansen, would require healthcare facilities to dispose of fetal tissue following an elective abortion via cremation, interment by burial, or a...
Gov. Pillen and state lawmakers are taking another run at reducing the much despised, high property taxes in our state, this time via a commission on reforming the way we fund K-12 schools. You gotta admire the governor for keeping on trying. It was one of his top campaign pledges – to cut property taxes. But, we seem to have gotten deeper cuts in state income taxes in recent years than real property tax relief. I know, I’m veering off track. Back to property taxes. “Reforming” the way we fund...
NOTICE OF SALE YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the following described property will be sold at auction to the highest bidder at the west entrance of the Antelope County Courthouse, at 501 M. Street, Neligh, Nebraska 68756, on Sept. 4, 2025, at 10 a.m., CST. All that part of the Southeast Quarter (SE¼) of Section One (1), Township Twenty-seven (27) North, Range Seven (7) West of the 6111P.M., Antelope County, Nebraska, lying North of Highway 20, EXCEPT a tract of land described as follows: Beginning at a point 317.7 feet North of the Southwest...
NOTICE OF SALE YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the following described property will be sold at auction to the highest bidder at the west entrance of the Antelope County Courthouse, at 501 M. Street, Neligh, Nebraska 68756, on Sept. 4, 2025, at 10 a.m., CST. All that part of the Southeast Quarter (SE¼) of Section One (1), Township Twenty-seven (27) North, Range Seven (7) West of the 6111P.M., Antelope County, Nebraska, lying North of Highway 20, EXCEPT a tract of land described as follows: Beginning at a point 317.7 feet North of the Southwest...
Well, it's that time of year – when the corn is rising in the fields, the calves are fattening on the pastures, and politicians aplenty are announcing their candidacy for elected office. Those announcements seem to come earlier than ever, as do the negative campaign ads. The next election is the primary in 2026, about a year away. But unfortunately, it's not too early to send out some mud-slinging ads condemning so-and-so for doing something horrible, like once traveling to China, or having s...
NOTICE OF SALE YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the following described property will be sold at auction to the highest bidder at the west entrance of the Antelope County Courthouse, at 501 M. Street, Neligh, Nebraska 68756, on Sept. 4, 2025, at 10 a.m., CST. All that part of the Southeast Quarter (SE¼) of Section One (1), Township Twenty-seven (27) North, Range Seven (7) West of the 6111P.M., Antelope County, Nebraska, lying North of Highway 20, EXCEPT a tract ofJand described as follows: Beginning at a point 317.7 feet North of the Southwest...
The multimillion-dollar project, mostly paid for by Nebraska ratepayers, will feed the energy needs of Jigowatt, which already demands the most electricity of any customer in Stanton County. Justin Kennedy had long envisioned more than a cornfield when he gazed at the plot of family land a half-mile from where he grew up. It was "the perfect setup" for building his dream retirement house in rural Stanton County. He long ago planted a shelterbelt across the dirt road, hoping the trees would one...
July 4th is Independence Day in America. This day commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. I hope that you are able to enjoy time with your friends and family. As we take the day to celebrate our country’s independence, we should remember the many brave men and women who have fought and sacrificed so that we may enjoy the gift of freedom. I also want to make known that July 1, was the implementation date for one final p...
Back in the day, I used to shake my head while watching state lawmakers work late into the night – sometimes till midnight – to get legislation passed at the end of a session. "You couldn't pay me enough to do that kind of work for 12- to 15 hours," I'd think to myself. Actually, the pay for state senators is $12,000-a-year, plus some per-diems for expenses and (as they say around Lincoln) "all you can eat and drink." The salary hasn't changed since 1988. It takes some patience and end...
NOTICE OF SALE YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the following described property will be sold at auction to the highest bidder at the west entrance of the Antelope County Courthouse, at 501 M. Street, Neligh, Nebraska 68756, on July 15, 2025, at 10 a.m., CST: All that part of the Southeast Quarter (SE¼) of Section One (1). Township Twenty-seven (27) North, Range Seven (7) West of the 6.. P.M.. Antelope County, Nebraska, lying North of Highway 20. EXCEPT a tract of land described as follows: Beginning at a point 317.7 feet North of the Southwest cor...
State lawmakers went home recently, ending a 90-day session marked by reductions in spending and borrowing from cash reserves to close a projected budget gap that once topped $400 million. Hard to believe that just a couple of years ago, the state was sitting on a huge surplus of cash. It was enough to set legislators dreaming big dreams, like digging a massive lake between Omaha and Lincoln and financing new marinas and other tourism amenities. But that was then and this is now, and the...
This week, I would like to outline my legislative accomplishments for this year. Bills passed this session include 13 of the 15 bills that I introduced in January. My legislation that made it across to the governor’s desk includes: LB7, which updates legislation I passed last year, LB1301, the Foreign-owned Real Estate National Security Act. LB7 clarifies that (1) Native American tribes are not foreign governments and are not barred from purchasing and owning real property in the state, (2) upda...
PUBLIC HEARING PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES June 3, 2025 The Board of Trustees of the Village of Clearwater met for a public hearing Tues., Jun. 3, at 7:30 p.m., at the American Legion. Hearing opened at 7:30 p.m. Notice of hearing was given in advance by publication in Summerland Advocate-Messenger, was posted at US Post Office in Clearwater, Clearwater Market, and Cornerstone Bank-Clearwater and was given to board members prior to hearing. Public was informed of location of Open Meeting Act poster. Present: Kelly...
NOTICE OF SALE YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the following described property will be sold at auction to the highest bidder at the west entrance of the Antelope County Courthouse, at 501 M. Street, Neligh, Nebraska 68756, on July 15, 2025, at 10 a.m., CST: All that part of the Southeast Quarter (SE¼) of Section One (1). Township Twenty-seven (27) North, Range Seven (7) West of the 6.. P.M.. Antelope County, Nebraska, lying North of Highway 20. EXCEPT a tract of land described as follows: Beginning at a point 317.7 feet North of the Southwest cor...
As entrepreneurs face uncertainty because of the defunding of state grant programs and worries over global tariffs, Nebraska state leaders and organizations continue to voice strong support for small businesses. Earlier this month, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen issued a proclamation for Nebraska Small Business Week 2025 in conjunction with National Small Business Week. The May 20 event at the Capitol was an opportunity to highlight small businesses' contributions to their communities and the work of...
This past week marked the final full week of the 109th Legislature’s first session. Since the beginning of April, senators have been spending four days a week in session and also having debate go into the evening three days a week. Late-night debate can take its toll on senators who spend many hours trying to pass legislation or stop bills from reaching the governor’s desk. One such example occurred during Select File debate on LB306, a bill which would create the School Financing Review Commiss...
NOTICE OF SALE YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the following described property will be sold at auction to the highest bidder at the west entrance of the Antelope County Courthouse, at 501 M. Street, Neligh, Nebraska 68756, on July 15, 2025, at 10 a.m., CST: All that part of the Southeast Quarter (SE¼) of Section One (1). Township Twenty-seven (27) North, Range Seven (7) West of the 6.. P.M.. Antelope County, Nebraska, lying North of Highway 20. EXCEPT a tract of land described as follows: Beginning at a point 317.7 feet North of the Southwest cor...
This past week, the Legislature considered a measure to increase property tax relief. LB170 by Senator Brandt would raise revenue through (1) the removal of sales tax exemptions on eighteen luxury goods and services like limousine rentals, (2) increasing the excise tax on cigarettes, and (3) creating new taxes on cigars and vapes. The purpose of this bill was to raise revenue which would then be allocated to help offset school district property taxes paid. During debate, however, it soon became...
When it comes to the whys and hows of state tax policy, it's hard to beat public hearings of the Revenue Committee at the Nebraska Legislature. There's a fascinating mix of folks testifying, from dark-suited corporate lawyers and accountants asking for tax cuts, to blue jean-wearing farmers wondering why property taxes are so high. But you always heard a common refrain from the state's business community: Our income and property tax rates are so high, we've got to remain competitive with...
PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF PAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES April 14, 2025 The regular monthly meeting of the village board of Page was held Monday, April 14, 2025, at the village office. Notice was published in the Summerland Advocate and was also posted at three public places within the Village of Page. This meeting was conducted in compliance with the Nebraska Open Meetings Act and Open Meeting Laws posted at the Village Office. Chair Linquist opened the meeting at 7 p.m. Trustees Cunningham, Tyrrell and Sobotka present. Also present: Dennis VanEvery and...
The Legislature is now two-thirds of the way through this year’s 90-day legislative session. One prominent topic of discussion this week was winner-take-all. Earlier this year, Sen. Lippincott introduced LB3 to reinstate the winner-take-all system for electing a presidential candidate. This system would award all of Nebraska’s votes to the candidate who received the highest number of votes throughout the state. Today, only two states, Maine and Nebraska, allocate votes for a presidential can...
Even in the best of times, farming is a precarious enterprise. There's drought, floods, hail, wind storms and pests of all kinds to deal with. The cost of fertilizers and pesticides always seems to be on the rise, equipment always seems to break down at the worst moment, and now, prices paid for the crops are below the expected break-even point. And then, in Nebraska, there's property taxes. But now the state's farmers are being thrown a nasty curveball - again - as part of President Trump's...
Only 12 parcels with delinquent taxes remained following the March 10 tax sale, held at the courthouse annex in O'Neill. On March 17, Holt County Treasurer Shelly Ross told county supervisors that 13,000 parcels exist in Holt County. "When we advertised the sale, there were 110 parcels. By the time we had the sale, we had 68 left to purchase," Ross said. Forty-nine parcels were paid for on sale day, adding $43,000 to the county coffers. "Twelve did not sell, which is really awesome," Ross said....
This past week, senators gave first-round approval to two bills advanced to the floor by the Agriculture Committee: LB7 and LB372. My bill LB7 would make a number of technical updates to the Foreign-owned Real Estate National Security Act. This Act was created last year by my priority bill, LB1301. More specifically, LB7, as amended, would do three main things: (1) clarify that Native American tribes are not considered “foreign governments” under the Act, (2) update federal regulations in Neb...
The old joke around the State Capitol is that legislators get paid "$12,000 a year and all you can eat and drink." That is a reference to all the free meals – and, OK, maybe a drink or two – dispensed at the almost daily events hosted by lobbying groups during legislative sessions. But in reality, it's no laughing matter that state senators in Nebraska get paid so little for representing us. George Norris, the founder of the one-house Unicameral Legislature in our state, argued that such a sys...
