Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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Last year, I highlighted several ballot initiatives that have been approved by the Secretary of State for circulation ahead of this year's November General Election. This week, I would like to provide another overview of those measures that may still be seeking signatures. Although I provide information about these initiative petitions, this newsletter series is meant to be informative and neither represents an endorsement FOR nor AGAINST any particular measure. The Choose Life Now Amendment...
There's something humbling about realizing your world can shrink to the size of an elevation pillow. Since my left knee replacement surgery on May 7, life has become a carefully choreographed routine of ice packs, physical therapy appointments, medication alarms and trying not to spill tea while balancing a laptop on one leg. The right knee was replaced back in December, so at least this time I knew what I was walking into - eventually literally walking into. Experience helps. The first knee...
Rumors are as common around the State Capitol as brome grass in a roadside ditch. It's not called "The Hall of Hot Winds" for nothing, And that rumor mill gets cranked up big time during election season, when there's speculation aplenty about who is running and who is not, and who can win and who cannot. By the time you've read this, you've probably already voted in the May 12 primary. The rumor mill had Falls City businessman Charles Herbster as a likely primary challenger to incumbent Jim...
On April 30, the House of Representatives passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, moving the nation and rural communities one step closer to a new farm bill. The bill was passed by a vote of 224-200. Fourteen Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the bill, with three Republicans voting against it. Unlike the vote that took place March 5, which was limited to members of the House Agriculture Committee, last week’s vote was made by all members of the House. The debate l...
There's a moment coming on Saturday - somewhere between the last note of "Pomp and Circumstance" and the toss of the caps - when a hard truth quietly settles in. High school wasn't just school. It was the interview. Not the kind with a desk and a résumé and someone asking about your strengths and weaknesses. The longer kind. The kind that lasted four years. The kind where people were watching even when you didn't think they were. And now the question is simple: did you show up like it mattered?...
In this most recent legislative session, I introduced a total of sixteen bills and one constitutional amendment resolution. Additionally, the Agriculture Committee, of which I chair, introduced two committee bills. Last week, I covered seven of these bills which became law. This week, I would like to outline the other seven of these bills which became law. My bill LB869 expands the number of local newspapers that publish the notice of unclaimed property and provides the State Treasurer’s O...
Back in the day, twice each year, a debate would break out at the news bureau where I used to work: "Who is going to write the gas tax story?" It was a story you could write in your sleep. "Nebraska's variable gas tax is rising/dropping to ... blah, blah, blah." But it was kind of important. A rise would mean a couple pennies more paid in taxes per gallon; a drop, a penny or two of a break. Nebraska's gas tax is called "variable" because the rate was set based on the calculated needs of state...
There are a lot of things high school students wish they had more of. Money. Sleep. Gas in the tank. Followers. Time tops the list-and it's the one thing nobody is getting a refill on. Here's the uncomfortable truth: most students don't actually have a time problem. They have a time management problem. And yes, that sounds like something an adult would say right before telling you to clean your room - or be on time for prom or the 8 a.m. bell - but stay with me. Because this isn't about nagging....
Small businesses play a critical role in creating jobs, driving economic growth, and contributing to the overall well-being of rural communities. In many areas, they are the backbone of the local economy, providing essential goods and services. Spring offers a good reminder of the importance of these contributions to our communities, in particular with National Small Business Week celebrated from May 3 to 9. Small-scale entrepreneurship is a proven strategy to strengthen our small towns and...
Almost every time I head over to the local work-out joint, there's some petition circulators waiting. They scurry up and ask for my signature on a proposed ballot initiative that would make it harder for state legislators to change laws that voters have passed at the ballot box. Nebraska is one of only 26 states that allow voters – if they collect enough signatures to put something on the ballot – to directly pass laws and constitutional amendments, or to repeal such measures via a ref...
In this most recent legislative session, I introduced a total of sixteen bills and one constitutional amendment resolution. Additionally, the Agriculture Committee, of which I chair, introduced two so-called committee bills. Fourteen of those measures passed. This week, I would like to outline seven of my bills which became law. LB769 authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to create and issue up to three University of Nebraska State Museum License Plate designs. Alphanumeric plates will...
I'm going to keep it short this week. I'm still trying to recover from the weekend in Lincoln for the press convention. What a great experience! I always come home with so many practical ideas. I cannot wait to implement a few of the ideas. One of my favorite sessions was led by Tom Hallman Jr., a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who writes for The Oregonian. His approach to storytelling is similar to mine. He offered some tips about digging deeper into the psyche of a story. That point...
The 109th Legislature’s second session has adjourned sine die. As of the day of adjournment, the Legislature had passed 150 bills, excluding “A” (Appropriation) bills. Of the 107 priority bills designated this session, 75 bills were passed as standalone measures. Many priority bills were passed: LB525 to create first-of-its-kind agricultural data privacy protections for agricultural producers, LB958 to require Nebraska to pay the maximum amount of coverage for which Medicaid recipients are r...
Some State Capitol watchers say they can't relax until state legislators go home for the year. As a reporter who chased the occupants of the "Hall of Hot Winds" for too many decades, I can attest that the fire drill-like finish to legislative sessions leaves you ready for something different. Or a stiff drink. Late-night sessions – which used to be a rarity – are par for the course these days, with debates extending 12 hours or more in the waning days of a legislative session. Filibusters also u...
What's the saying? It takes 28 days to form a habit. I always have these plans, grandiose ideas in the back of my mind, that I dive into for a short period of time. And then? Crickets. For whatever reason, I get sidetracked (one daughter believes I have adult-onset ADD). Oh look, shiny objects. She may be right. I used to be a master at multi-tasking. Now, not so much. My mind wanders. I have too long of a to-do list. Completing one task at a time seems so much simpler. I was thinking about a...
This week, I would like to provide a broader overview of the proposed changes to the state's Brand Law. This session, I introduced LB1187 to allow the ability for the Brand Committee to adjust its inspection fee to help the Brand Committee manage a difficult budget situation. Due to the closure of the Tyson plant in Lexington earlier this year, as well as other factors, the Brand Committee's cash fund has depleted in recent years. Although the Brand Committee has indicated that it could...
Spring is planting time in Nebraska. But the looming primary election on May 12 for U.S. Senate is also, allegedly, quite a planting session, generating competing claims that candidates are "plants" to help or hurt the two leading candidates. We're referring to the race between U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts and Dan Osborn. Osborn, an independent, is a labor leader and mechanic who ran a surprisingly close race with U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, a Republican, in 2024. Ricketts, a Republican, served two terms...
I've traveled to different places over the years - overpopulated cities and rural villages - and one element makes certain places stand out. You just know when a place has a defined sense of community. It isn't necessarily a bustling downtown or cutesy storefronts. It's a feeling experienced while talking to residents, the pride shown in its collective history, the initiative to look ahead and map a future. It's an energy that encourages collaboration, a chance to dream big and celebrate...
This past week, the Legislature gave final approval to the two budget bills. During the long 90-day legislative session, the state’s biennial budget is crafted. During the short 60-day session, adjustments are made to the budget. Adjusting this session’s budget was a much more demanding task since senators had to weigh what agencies and programs would be cut. Combined, both budget bills contain a large collection of cuts, changes, and cash transfers which will bring the deficit down to abo...
"To the Arch by March." That was the scary slogan circulating throughout Omaha back in the 1980s when both Union Pacific and ConAgra were threatening to move their corporate headquarters out of the River City. (U.P. was said to be looking at St. Louis, home of the Gateway Arch.) That meant that hundreds of good paying jobs would be leaving Nebraska and that Omaha's status as a home of corporate headquarters would be diminished. Never fear, the Nebraska Legislature and then-Gov. Kay Orr... Full story
Despite this week's weather forecast of temperatures in the 30s and 40s, I've been thinking about gardening season. (I'm sure Scott will find this as a surprise, since he handles all of the gardening. I usually take care of canning and freezing detail.) In a typical summer, Scott and I make enough salsa and spaghetti sauce and freeze enough chopped tomatoes to get us through chili season, sometimes beyond. We usually freeze green beans and sweet corn, bag some freezer slaw, and candy enough jala...
Retirement from a farm business may not mean moving away or giving up on mentoring the next generation, but it does entail transferring management decisions to someone else. It can be a gradual or sudden process. It may be driven by long-term goals, by sudden health issues, or events outside your family. When should farmers retire? The answer is related to choices and goals, and can happen at any time. While many can’t imagine doing anything else except farming, their families may have other i...
The Nebraska Legislature began talking about "exterrestrials" the other day, and well, who could pass up writing about that? I have a buddy who insists that an alien craft hovered over his acreage outside of Ashland. There's another buddy who is convinced that he was followed by an alien ship while driving down a remote western Nebraska highway. So I've heard some stories. Thanks to these new-fangled "prediction markets" like Kalshi and Polymarket, we can actually place bets on the chances that...
This past week, Senators gave first-round approval to LB525, a bill introduced by Sen. Jacobson to protect data collected by farmers’ equipment. This measure would create a first-of-its-kind ag data privacy protection for agricultural producers on subjects like soil conditions, weather, and crop yields. This ag data has completely changed the landscape of agriculture thanks to the growing use of precision technologies in agricultural equipment. Senators also advanced LB1165 to the next stage o...
Go Big Red. What an opening to the collegiate basketball tourney. Like I wrote on the paper's Facebook page following Saturday's game, I've waited 60-some years for the Huskers to win a tournament game. Now we have two. Incredible. Watching Reink Mast hug longtime announcer Kent Pavelka following Thursdays win, priceless. Watching Sandfort hit three-point shot after three-point shot, Pryceless. Watching the Husker faithful show up en masse, priceless. Watching Tyler Tanner's last-second shot dro...
