Latest news with #Evnen
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen announces reelection bid
Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen hosts a news conference announcing his bid to seek a third four-year term in 2026. June 6, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen is seeking reelection as the state's chief elections officer. In his campaign kick-off event Friday, the secretary of state touted the state's elections as the nation's most 'secure or accurate.' But he said he wonders whether any non-citizens might have gotten on the voter rolls. Evnen appeared to be trying to balance defending the state's elections his office administers and echoing the concerns of some Republicans and President Donald Trump over election integrity since the 2020 presidential election, national framing that some election experts have warned could undermine trust in elections. 'There is more work to be done, and we must continue to focus on being proactive in the future,' Evnen said. 'Threats to election security are not static.' U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly joined Evnen's reelection announcement, as well as a handful of Nebraska state senators. Evnen is running for his third term as secretary of state, but this race follows his closest contest to date, a 2022 GOP primary in which he faced two populist Republican challengers who combined to hold him under 50% of the vote. He won the general election without any major party opponent. His office, in addition to overseeing elections, also handles business registrations and international relations. Kelly emphasized that the country has seen 'some very poorly orchestrated elections,' but 'not in Nebraska.' 'We've been so lucky to have Bob Evnen,' Kelly said. Kelly and other speakers praised Evnen for how he has represented Nebraska when speaking to other counties about trade opportunities with the state, and for his handling of elections. Nebraskans passed a state constitutional amendment in 2022 requiring the Legislature to implement voter ID in Nebraska. Nonpartisan poll watchers have praised Evnen's office for its implementation of the law, and Fewer voters were turned away under the law than in other states with similar laws. Evnen, in talking about the voter rolls and what he described as the risks of non-citizens voting, said years of the U.S. having an 'open border' left him questioning 'whether some of those people ended up on voter rolls.' Election watchdogs have said that framing from some Republicans is based on the 'myth' of widespread voting by non-citizens. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, analyzed election conduct from 2003 to 2024 and found 24 instances nationally of noncitizens voting out of millions of votes cast. Evnen also reemphasized his support for Trump's executive order overhauling the administration of U.S. elections. The secretary signed on to a joint letter with 19 other Republican secretaries of state this year that requested more access to federal immigration data to help verify voter registrations. Evnen told KETV earlier this year that he would like to investigate whether 46 Nebraskans who have voted over the past several elections are U.S. citizens. When the Nebraska Examiner asked the Secretary of State's Office earlier this year how many non-citizens had been removed from voter rolls or voted in past elections, a spokesperson said the agency has not 'removed anyone due to their status as a non-citizen, nor do we believe that there are many such people registered to vote.' Evnen's office, in the regular course of business, removed 13,550 voters from the voter rolls after the November 2024 election – most due to death or relocation from the state. Such removals are routine and required by federal and state law. Evnen said Friday that his office is working with the Nebraska Attorney General's Office to establish a process to confirm the citizenship of people registered to vote in Nebraska. Current Federal law doesn't require proof of citizenship to register — but it bans noncitizens from voting in elections. Other states, such as Wyoming and Louisiana, have passed state laws requiring anyone registering to vote to provide proof of citizenship. Those bills align with the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which the U.S. House passed in April. The SAVE Act would require proof of citizenship in federal elections. If the SAVE Act passes the Senate and becomes law, it would codify parts of the Trump executive order that Evnen calls a 'new and hopeful chapter.' 'The President's executive order all but points to Nebraska as the model for how free and fair elections should be conducted,' Evnen said. Evnen has talked about potentially requesting more time from the Legislature to verify signatures on petition drives for ballot measures after questions were raised about the validity of some signatures gathered for recent petitions, including ones targeted in a lawsuit aimed at stopping medical marijuana. Legislation seeking to provide more time fell short this year. Evnen also said Friday that he is 'proudly pro-life and pro-Second Amendment' — topics beyond the scope of his office that could signal that the Secretary of State has bigger aspirations. He said he expected a challenger in 2026, whether from his right flank, a Democrat or both. 'If one is going to run for office, the only safe assumption to make is that one will have an opponent,' Evnen said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pillen withdraws line-item budget vetoes Nebraska lawmakers said were unconstitutional
Gov. Jim Pillen talks with reporters after his annual State of the State speech to the Nebraska Legislature. Jan. 15, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen on Tuesday withdrew his intended $14.5 million in general fund line-item vetoes to Nebraska's next two-year budget, ending a possible constitutional dispute among the state's three branches of government. Pillen joined Secretary of State Bob Evnen and Speaker of the Legislature John Arch to announce an end to the short-lived line-item veto saga Tuesday. The line-item vetoes were first identified last Wednesday in a letter to the Legislature, but the actual budget bills with his marked-up objections were not filed with the Legislature until Thursday morning. The latter is important because each line-item veto can be individually overridden, or the changes can be overridden as a group. The Nebraska Constitution requires vetoes to be filed with the Legislature within five days, excluding Sundays, while the Legislature is in session. Pillen had said Thursday he would consult with the Attorney General's Office and other legal counsel on next steps, with the thinking being that a court order could have enforced the vetoes. On Tuesday, Arch, Evnen and Pillen said that while they continue to disagree whether the constitutional requirement for the line-item vetoes was met, 'given how closely the budget bills match the governor's originally introduced budget,' Pillen signed Legislative Bill 261 and LB 264 as passed by the Legislature on May 15. The bills were then refiled in Evnen's office. 'That will render the underlying constitutional dispute moot and bring the matter to a close,' the three officials said in a joint statement. Arch told reporters last week that to his knowledge, nothing like this had happened before. The Legislature, as well as the offices for Pillen and Evnen, are in the Nebraska State Capitol. A spokesperson for Evnen told the Nebraska Examiner that both budget bills intended to be vetoed were received by the office's administrative assistant just before 5 p.m. last Wednesday. 'We fulfilled our responsibility by receiving the bills for filing,' the spokesperson said. No one from Evnen's office delivered the bills to the Clerk of the Legislature's office, which is a responsibility of the Governor's Office. The Legislature remained in session until 9:20 p.m. last Wednesday, but the copies of LB 261 and LB 264 that the governor issued line-item vetoes to, not just the veto letter, were not delivered to the Legislature by a midnight deadline. The line-item vetoes sought $14.5 million in less spending from the state's general fund, Nebraska's main pocketbook that will cover a total of $11 billion in total spending through June 2027: $11.99 million reduction of an increase to the Nebraska Supreme Court because the governor argued 'every branch of government' had to contribute to budget balancing. $2 million cut from public health departments, zeroing out COVID-19 pandemic-era increases because the 'pandemic is over' and 'spending must be shrunk to pre-pandemic size.' $511,972 from the State Fire Marshal for salary and health insurance premium increases because he argues the agency has 'sufficient funding' already. Those spending decreases would not have increased the state's coffers as they would have similarly been offset by $14.5 million in fewer funds being transferred from the cash reserve fund. A fourth veto sought to prevent an $18 million diversion of cash funds for Lake McConaughy recreational upgrades. Pillen said the project's scope has changed over many years, and further discussion is needed about how local casino revenue could support improvements. A copy of those specific objections obtained by the Examiner indicates line-item vetoes in: Six of the eight budget sections for the Nebraska Supreme Court (LB 261). Two of the three sections for the State Fire Marshal (LB 261). One of the 25 sections for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (LB 261). One of the 24 sections for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (LB 261), as well as a companion cash fund transfer (LB 264). One section for cash reserve fund transfer (LB 264). Lawmakers would have had until this Friday to override the vetoes had the reductions been delivered properly. Pillen and Arch said budget adjustment measures for the 2025-27 fiscal years 'will be a priority' when lawmakers reconvene in 2026, just seven months away. 'To avoid a similar future dispute,' the statement continues, 'all parties have agreed to meet during the interim to clarify and confirm procedures that meet the constitutional requirements for transmittal of budget vetoes, and ensure they are maintained in a clear written guidance for future implementation by all offices.' The Governor's Office has not responded to a request for comment on the current process of delivering vetoes and whether there were any variations in this process this time. Pillen in 2023, for example, vetoed $38.5 million in general fund spending for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 fiscal years. Lawmakers overrode about $850,000 of that. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen echoes Trump concerns over elections
Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen. Sept. 13, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen calls President Donald Trump's sweeping executive order overhauling the administration of U.S. elections a 'new and hopeful chapter.' Evnen said state election officials have long faced federal roadblocks to using 'databases that could help confirm the citizenship status of those on the voter rolls.' He pointed to a joint letter from him and 19 other secretaries of state last month that requested more access to federal immigration data to help verify voter registrations. Evnen's statement and recent actions echo national Republican framing that election experts warn could undermine trust in elections. Trump signed the executive order Tuesday, aligning with a House Republican priority to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act. The SAVE Act would require proof of citizenship in federal elections. Nebraskans passed a state constitutional amendment in 2022 requiring the Legislature to implement voter ID in Nebraska. Fewer voters were turned away under the law than in other states with similar laws. If the SAVE Act was signed into law, it would codify parts of the executive order. While Evnen said he welcomes the executive order, his office has defended Nebraska elections in the past. The joint secretaries of state letter from last month outlined several 'enhancements' the group wants in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, which is different from the SAVE Act. Among their requests is the ability to search multiple voters at once, clearer guidance on how and when state election officials may use the database, and free use of the system. 'This is not just a letter from certain states requesting a sort of seemingly bureaucratic access to a database,' Eliza Sweren-Becker, a voting watchdog, said of the joint letter. 'This is a part of a broader effort to restrict voting access for all Americans.' She and other election watchdogs said the framing from Republicans is based on the 'myth' of widespread non-citizen voters. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, analyzed election conduct from 2003 to 2023 and found only 29 instances of noncitizens voting. 'With this action, President Trump is moving the rocks out of the road so that states can access the data they need and should have,' Evnen said in a statement praising Trump's executive order. When the Nebraska Examiner asked how many non-citizens have been removed from voter rolls or voted in past elections, a spokesperson for the secretary of state said earlier this month that the agency has not 'removed anyone due to their status as a non-citizen, nor do we believe that there are many such people registered to vote.' Evnen told KETV earlier this month that the secretary of state would like to investigate whether 46 Nebraskans who have voted over the last several elections are U.S. citizens. The agency spokesperson told the Examiner it is developing a process with the Attorney General to request confirmation of citizenship status from a small number of registrants whose citizenship status is unclear. According to Evnen's office, 13,550 voters were removed from the voter rolls after the November 2024 election – they were removed due to death or relocation from the state. Such removals are routine and required by federal and state law. State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue introduced a bill in the Nebraska statehouse to eliminate online voter registration, restrict absentee voting, provide more security for ballot boxes, and require hand-counting of election results, citing 'election integrity concerns.' Evnen agrees with some provisions of Legislative Bill 541, such as tightening security around ballot boxes. But a spokesperson said he has practical concerns about hand counting and legal concerns about voter registration during its hearing. Trump's Executive order will likely face legal challenges from voting rights groups and Democratic state attorneys general. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
