Latest news with #Nebraskans
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
When could northern lights possibly be visible in Nebraska, Iowa this weekend?
The Space Weather Prediction Center issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch for June 1 and June 2, which means it could be possible for Nebraskans to see the northern lights.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposal to ban most THC, consumable hemp products in Nebraska delayed until at least 2026
State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha. Dec. 12, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — A legislative effort backed by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers to ban most consumable hemp and other THC products in the state stalled Friday and will now wait until at least 2026. State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of the Millard area, sponsor of Legislative Bill 316, asked that her Legislative Bill 316 be 'passed over' on Friday. She waited to do so until just 10 minutes before a two-hour debate would have ended, a time when Kauth would have needed 33 votes to survive a filibuster. After that, she would have needed 25 votes to pass LB 316 and send it to Gov. Jim Pillen. Kauth had the backing of most of the officially nonpartisan Legislature's 33 Republicans. But Republican State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair held to his promise to oppose LB 316 if it wasn't amended to explicitly protect medical cannabis products. Kauth tried to address Hansen's concerns and would have, said Hansen. But lawmakers ran out of time, because State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha and other opponents successfully blocked LB 316 from being amended. Hilgers has argued that THC products with delta-8 are already illegal, to which Cavanaugh said Friday that if that's true, a bill isn't needed. Hansen said the current 'environment' with Hilgers, who has opposed medical cannabis and has launched a statewide campaign against delta-8, could be 'hostile.' Hansen said there was language in LB 316 that could 'greatly impact' medical cannabis. 'That's something I cannot have,' Hansen said. 'I think the people passed [medical cannabis] for a specific reason, and I think they are then due to have what they voted for.' Hilgers helped lead opposition to Hansen's proposal for clearer medical cannabis regulations and guardrails with 53 sheriffs. His LB 677 fell short 10 votes of advancing on May 20. Part of Friday's last-ditch effort featured pressure on State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln, who said she was concerned about 'bad actors' in the THC arena but didn't want to take away the health products some Nebraskans rely on. Raybould echoed Hansen that lawmakers should allow a new medical cannabis regulatory commission to proceed with directives for those products. Kauth said multiple times during the debate that her bill had nothing to do with medical cannabis and that more than a dozen amendments from Cavanaugh made it 'impossible' to seek the changes needed to keep her bill moving forward. 'No one is going into anyone's homes and searching their medicine cabinets,' Kauth said. 'That is more hyperbole and hysteria from the left.' State Sen. Jared Storm of David City, who prioritized Kauth's LB 316 for this year's session, encouraged Nebraskans not to buy the 'garbage' products. He repeated that he would never jeopardize 'the health or safety of our citizens of this state, especially children and young adults, for revenue.' LB 316 would prohibit raw hemp above 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) of any concentration and with processed hemp prohibit the lesser of 0.3% THC on a total weight basis or 10 milligrams per package, effective Jan. 1. The mature stalks of Cannabis sativa and its fiber, oil, cake and any other naturally derived products would not be considered hemp, leaving a narrow legal path for some hemp-based products such as fibers and textiles. If the bill passed, it would have included a 'consumer safe harbor period' through the end of 2025 to give consumers time to discard any 'illegal hemp' as newly defined under LB 316. Legal products would have faced an additional 10% wholesale tax at the time of purchase. The new excise tax revenue raised would have been directed toward property tax relief. Besides protecting the voter-approved medical cannabis laws, Kauth also worked with State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth to offer an 'affirmative defense' in court if someone could prove they previously legally purchased what would have become 'illegal hemp' under LB 316. That could include a receipt. State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst, a Republican who represents a Pleasanton-based hemp company that has offered tours to state senators of its facilities, said there are good actors that lawmakers should be working with. State Sen. Dan Lonowski of Hastings, a close ally of McKeon, said there are no 'good actors.' Nebraska lawmakers again advance ban of most THC, consumable hemp products Kauth read a letter from Hilgers that had said if LB 316 passed, his office would have announced a pause on new civil enforcement actions against 'businesses operating in good faith' for at least 120 days, exactly through the end of 2025. Kauth declined to provide a copy of the letter because LB 316 did not pass. Kauth and Storm said they now hope Hilgers ramps up his legal efforts against THC stores. Many hemp-focused businesses said the broad language in LB 316 would shut down their industry, even as supporters said the bill wouldn't touch them. Kauth said Friday that some businesses that were fighting the changes are essentially 'admitting that they are selling dangerous, untested, unregulated, synthetic pot products.' 'They are pushing the health and well-being of their pocketbook above the health and well-being of Nebraskans,' Kauth said. 'I'm extraordinarily disappointed that that is where we have come.' Cavanaugh, who again led opposition to the bill, said regulations and not a ban were still the best path forward. He said LB 316 would go in the 'opposite direction' of economic development for budding businesses who are 'good actors.' His LB 16, to implement regulations on THC products, did not advance from the Judiciary Committee this year, and lawmakers repeatedly rebuffed his efforts. Cavanaugh repeated Friday that he is 'ready, willing and able to work on a regulatory scheme that will actually do this the right way and answer all the concerns that people have.' State Sen. Terrell McKinney of North Omaha, who also pushed for regulations, said Kauth's bill could cause more harm than good and that the state should let people be adults. 'Why do we have to act as if we're the moral compass for the state? We're senators. We're not people's parents,' said McKinney. State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha said she had purchased CBD with hemp in it for her nearly 101-year-old mother, but she didn't have a receipt for the product. Cavanaugh said the proposed defense provision only dealt with individuals, so businesses would have needed to destroy or sell all products by September, when the bill, if passed, would have taken effect. If not, business owners would risk 'countless felonies,' Cavanaugh argued. The debate on LB 316 has seen senators forcefully disagree with what would be banned, with supporters arguing it would only ban 'synthetic' chemically modified hemp or THC, while opponents said the bill would stretch to CBD, creams, ointments and most other products. Part of that is because LB 316 would count the THC level based on all concentrations — delta-8, delta-9, delta-10, etc. — and not just 0.3% delta-9 THCc. Cavanaugh and State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha have said that it could criminalize possessing a gummy as a felony. Supporters of LB 316, however, say that only chemically modified 'synthetic' products would be banned. Nebraska lawmakers in 2011 already banned 'synthetic' marijuana, such as K-2 or spice. Most hemp or other hemp-derived products require chemical modifications, such as heat. State Sen. Tanya Storer of Whitman said that while, as a conservative, she doesn't think government should be in the way of business or entrepreneurship, government does have a role to protect people 'from things that they couldn't otherwise do for themselves independently.' 'Individuals do not have the capacity to know the processes that go into developing a product. That's what we have things like the FDA for,' Storer said, referring to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Cavanaugh, McKinney, Raybould and State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln repeatedly said that was part of the reason why regulations, not a ban, would be better, treating the products similarly to alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. Kauth said that with lawmakers' failure to move forward, senators must own that the next time someone dies because of the products, they will know: 'We could have stopped it.' LB 316 will return next year one vote away from passing, with eight minutes to go in the third round of debate, though it's unclear what amendments might come. Rescheduling would be up to Speaker John Arch of La Vista. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announces reelection bid amid Herbster speculation
A screenshot from Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen's reelection campaign kickoff video. (Courtesy of Jim Pillen for Governor) LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, a day after passage of a bill he supported limiting participation in women's sports to a student athlete's sex at birth, kicked off his second campaign for governor with a red-meat appeal to his Republican base. The first-term governor's campaign video emphasized his role in signing 'the largest income tax cut in Nebraska history' and says he 'reduced property taxes,' done mainly by having the state absorb more of the costs of community colleges from property taxpayers. Pillen touted his rural roots as Nebraska's first active farmer as governor in at least a century. His family runs a massive hog operation based in Columbus, Pillen Family Farms. He is also a veterinarian and former University of Nebraska regent. He also vocally backs law enforcement, including pay raises for the Nebraska State Patrol. He plans to run again with Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, a former top prosecutor in the Nebraska Attorney General's Office and Lancaster County. The kickoff video jumped back into controversies from his 2022 campaign for governor, including tough talk about illegal immigration and his willingness to keep spending state tax dollars deploying the Nebraska National Guard to the Texas-Mexico border. Some opponents have argued he says one thing and does another by attacking immigrants while running a major agricultural operation, many of which rely heavily on immigrant labor, including some who are not in the country legally. Pillen also highlighted culture war changes he supported, including his push to 'keep men out of girls' sports,' limiting gender-affirming care for minors and federal efforts to ban diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in schools, colleges and universities. 'Here in Nebraska, it's what you do, not how you look, that still determines how far you go,' he said in the announcement. 'If you learn anything growing up on the farm, there's always more work to do.' The message and its timing, as the Legislature closes Pillen's third regular session in charge, appear aimed at asserting himself to a GOP audience of two: President Donald Trump and Trump donor Charles Herbster, Pillen's top GOP primary election opponent from 2022. Herbster, a multi-state businessman with southeast Nebraska ties, has announced no timeline for deciding on a bid. His spokesman, Rod Edwards, said Thursday that Herbster has been 'hearing from a lot of Nebraskans wanting him to run.' Pillen's campaign had no immediate comment beyond a statement issued alongside the announcement. In it, the governor said he 'proudly advanced President Trump's agenda.' Pillen has made more first-term White House trips than recent predecessors. Some of that appears aimed at keeping Trump on the sidelines in a potential GOP primary rematch with Herbster, whom Trump endorsed in 2022 against Pillen. Pillen had the backing of departing Gov. Pete Ricketts, whom Pillen appointed to the U.S. Senate one week after becoming governor and won a special election in November to serve out the final two years of former GOP U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse's term. Several Republican operatives expect Pillen to draw one or more primary challengers, if not more. Among the criticisms he is likely to face are those about increased spending, the effectiveness of state investments in property tax relief and some of his budget decisions, including recent troubles turning in line-item vetoes to the right office at the right time. Nebraska Democrats have also been recruiting a potential challenger for Pillen but have not announced one yet. Some Democratic political observers have speculated that a state senator might run against him or Herbster. Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, said the state deserves a leader who 'prioritizes our economic livelihoods, not Donald Trump's culture wars.' 'Governor Pillen will have to answer for why he is choosing slum lords and bed bugs over Nebraskans,' Kleeb said. 'Or why he has failed to lower property taxes. Or why he chooses to attack vulnerable kids and our public schools.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
John Barrett of Great Plains Communications Named Chairman of Nebraska Telecommunications Association Board of Directors
Blair, Nebraska, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Great Plains Communications (GPC), the leading Midwestern telecommunications provider, is proud to announce that John Barrett, the Company's Vice President of Government Affairs, has been elected Chairman of the Nebraska Telecommunications Association (NTA) Board of Directors. In this leadership role, Barrett will help guide and shape strategic initiatives aimed at expanding broadband access across Nebraska. 'John has been a thoughtful and effective leader of our government affairs efforts at GPC, working to support the expansion of broadband and the long-term benefits of fiber connectivity,' said Todd Foje, CEO of Great Plains Communications, who served as NTA Chairman from 2013-2015. 'His natural leadership ability, experience and understanding of public policy make him well-suited for this role.' With more than 30 years of experience in government affairs, Barrett plays a critical role at GPC, working closely with elected officials in Nebraska, Indiana and Washington D.C. to advocate for policies and funding programs that expand broadband access including the Nebraska Universal Service Fund (NUSF) and other state and federal broadband initiatives. His efforts help drive the deployment of high-speed fiber infrastructure that supports economic development, education, healthcare and overall quality of life across the Midwest. 'I'm honored to serve as Chairman of the NTA Board of Directors,' said John Barrett, Vice President of Government Affairs at GPC. 'Expanding reliable, high-performance broadband to all areas of Nebraska requires coordinated policy, smart investment and ongoing collaboration. I look forward to working with fellow NTA members to strengthen programs like the Nebraska Universal Service Fund and support infrastructure development that meets the long-term connectivity needs of our state.' 'We are excited to have John Barrett as the new NTA Chairman,' said NTA President Tip O'Neill. 'He is well-known by policymakers in Lincoln, Nebraska and Washington, D.C. and will be an effective spokesperson and leader for the NTA's efforts to provide advanced and sustainable service to our customers.' About Nebraska Telecommunications AssociationThe Nebraska Telecommunications Association represents the local telecommunications industry in Nebraska. Members of the Nebraska Telecommunications Association (NTA) provide quality, affordable, and reliable communications services to all Nebraskans. From urban to rural areas, the services we provide enhance our communities by investing in the critical communications infrastructure that empowers Nebraskans to connect and compete on a global level. NTA members are committed to accelerating the deployment of broadband across Nebraska. About Great Plains Communications Great Plains Communications (GPC) is the leading privately-owned communications and fiber technology provider in the Midwest. The company prides itself on a high performing network and high performing people, delivering world-class technology solutions that connect, inspire and empower customers, communities, employees and partners. With over a century of experience, the company delivers fiber-based services including high-speed internet, Ethernet, GPC Cloud Connect, SD-WAN, video and voice solutions to business and residential customers in over 200 communities in Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky and Nebraska while also meeting the unique needs of regional and national telecommunications carriers, LECs, ISPs, wireless carriers, hyperscalers and other service providers. All services are powered by the company's growing MEF-certified 19,000+ mile fiber network that reaches 13 states, monitored by the company's 24/7/365 Network Operations Center. Learn more at CONTACT: Laura Kocher Great Plains Communications 4024566429 lkocher@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nebraskans to decide in 2026 whether to allow three four-year terms in Legislature
State Sen. Robert Dover of Norfolk holds a stack of binders containing the budgetary work spearheaded by the Legislature's Appropriations Committee. March 12, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — Nebraskans now know the first ballot measure or constitutional amendment voters will consider in 2026: whether state lawmakers can serve up to three consecutive four-year terms, instead of two. The change comes with the 39-10 approval Wednesday of Legislative Resolution 19CA, from State Sen. Rob Dover of Norfolk and 22 other senators. Nebraskans implemented the current limits of two four-year terms for state senators via a voter-led initiative in 2000. It passed with 55.8% of the vote. Senators can sit out one term after being term-limited and run again. A term is counted if it lasts more than two years. So an appointed senator, such as State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, who was appointed in 2017, can serve up to 10 years straight. Dover has said term limits have particularly hurt Nebraska because of its Unicameral Legislature, limiting 'institutional knowledge' in the lawmaking body. 'In all other states in the U.S., there are two chambers, so that when a representative is termed out, they go to the other chamber and serve, taking their eight years of experience with them to continue to serve their state,' Dover said in a previous statement. Senators rejected multiple attempts from State Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City to change LR 19CA so that the three four-year terms led to a lifetime ban or service, or prevented someone from returning to the Legislature until they had sat out eight years. Lawmakers advanced an identical measure to Dover's in 2012, in a 31-14 vote, which failed to pass at the ballot box, garnering 35.4% support. Lawmakers that same year, in a 31-15 vote, also advanced a constitutional amendment to increase lawmakers' salaries to $22,500 (up from $12,000). It failed with 31.6% support. The list of senators who have returned after being term-limited is relatively short: State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln is the only current senator to have done so, joining former State Sens. Ray Aguilar, Ernie Chambers, Steve Lathrop, Mike Flood and Rich Pahls. Chambers, across 46 years of service in two separate periods, is the only senator to be term-limited twice, in 2009 and 2021. He was a top target of the 2000 ballot measure. If voters approve LR 19CA next year, Dover is one senator who would be able to run for a third term in 2028. He was appointed in 2022, as was State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of the Millard area. Due to the timing of their appointments, Kauth had to run in a 2022 special election, but Dover did not have to run until 2024. Both supported LR 19CA. The remaining four-member class of senators elected in 2020 also would be allowed to run for a third term if voters approve LR 19CA: State Sens. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, Terrell McKinney of Omaha, Eliot Bostar of Lincoln and Rita Sanders of Bellevue. All four approved the measure. LR 19CA has supporters that include Civic Nebraska, the Civic Engagement Table, League of Nebraska Municipalities, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nebraska Farm Bureau and the OpenSky Policy Institute. Civic Nebraska has also been working with State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair to increase lawmaker pay through LR 25CA. This time, the proposal would create an independent lawmaker compensation commission that could more regularly raise (or lower) senators' pay. In efforts to not repeat the dual electoral defeats of measures to increase term limits and increase lawmaker pay in 2012, Hansen sought to get his lawmaker compensation change on the November 2026 ballot. He steered Dover's term-limit proposal to the May 2026 primary election instead. Such a tactic would have required Dover's LR 19CA to pass with at least 40 votes. Dover abandoned seeking a primary election vote when some supporters began to get cold feet at that approach. Had it passed unchanged and been approved by voters next May, the 10 senators who will be term-limited after 2026 could have instead run a write-in campaign for a third term that November. Hansen's effor to create the lawmaker compensation commission will not move forward in 2025 but could return in 2026. Other bills that passed on Wednesday include: LB 192, from State Sen. Dan Quick of Grand Island, to extend the current SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) income eligibility before it would return to pre-pandemic levels this October. An amendment from State Sen. Bob Andersen of north-central Sarpy County prohibited the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services from waiving SNAP work requirements. DHHS 'may' require SNAP recipients to participate in an employment and training program. Passed 41-8. LB 290, from the Urban Affairs Committee and led by committee chair State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha, to allow flexibility for a planned North Omaha area business park to be located outside a two-mile radius of Eppley Airfield. Problems complicated two proposed sites that a development team had prioritized for the project, which is seeded with a $90 million state grant. Passed 31-18. LB 346, from Speaker John Arch of La Vista at the governor's request, to eliminate or modify the membership or duties of 39 boards, commissions, committees, councils, task forces and panels. These range from the Nebraska Potato Development Committee and Advisory Council on Public Water Supply to the Women's Health Initiative Advisory Council and Whiteclay Public Health Emergency Task Force. Entities that faced opposition, such as the Racial Profiling Advisory Committee, were preserved as LB 346 worked through the Legislature. Passed 49-0. LB 371, from State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha, to provide civil damages for the creation and release of computer-generated or digitally manipulated intimate, 'private' or nude images without the depicted person's consent. DeBoer created the underlying civil law for the nonconsensual sharing of any intimate images in 2019. Passed 49-0. LB 382, from State Sen. Glen Meyer of Pender, to appropriate $4 million over the next two years for the state's eight designated agencies on aging in part to help keep Meals on Wheels afloat. The bill at one point included McKinney's LB 48, to create a family resource and juvenile assessment center pilot program in Omaha, which had previously failed to advance. McKinney's LB 48 was revived and removed from Meyer's bill. Passed 48-1. LB 398, from State Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus, chair of the Legislature's Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, would increase fees for driver and vehicle records beginning July 1. It also includes bills to create license plates honoring Arbor Day (LB 568, from State Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha) and for those who have served or are serving in the U.S. Space Force or have been awarded a U.S. Army Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal (LB 134, from State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue). Holdcroft's provisions would also allow disabled veterans or recipients of a Purple Heart to apply for specialty license plates. Passed 45-4. LB 504, from State Sen. Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln, and a priority of Gov. Jim Pillen and Attorney General Mike Hilgers, requires online services to explicitly protect minor users' data and personal information in the physical design of certain applications or websites, including social media. It would require default parental tools up to their child's 13th birthday, including ways to crack down on screen time, external communications, 'unnecessary' design features, in-game purchases, personalized recommendations and geolocation tracking. Notifications and push alerts for minors would also be prohibited during certain hours of the day. Passed 42-7. LB 513, also from Bosn, to give all 148 judges in the state a 1.5% raise each of the next two fiscal years. Judges have gotten increases in 30 of the past 36 years back to 1989, the last time that state lawmakers got a raise. Passed 38-11, the narrowest passage in about two decades. LB 521, from State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, as an election 'cleanup' package to allow hospice or disability services patient records to count as photo ID, stop petition signature verification on candidates or new political parties at 110% of the goal, prohibit petition circulation within 200 feet of ballot drop boxes, notify a voter if their voter registration is canceled and permit the Secretary of State's Office to distribute petition pages to counties 'by a secure method' rather than just by mail or law enforcement. The package included LB 659, from Andersen, which would allow political parties to appoint watchers to monitor county election officials' already mandatory three independent tests of vote-counting devices, the results of which would be published online. Also included was LB 19, from State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, to allow Lincoln or Omaha to move odd-year city elections in April and May to be in line with even-year statewide primary and general elections. Passed 49-0. LB 558, from State Sen. Brad von Gillern of the Elkhorn area, to create an Infrastructure Review Task Force to review past, present and future transportation infrastructure needs every year. The task force would include the governor, a designee of the governor, director of the Nebraska Department of Transportations, the speaker of the Legislature, the chair of the Legislature's Revenue Committee (currently von Gillern), the chair of the Legislature's Transportation and Telecommunications Committee (currently Moser), tax commissioner and three other state senators. Passed 49-0. Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Cindy Gonzalez contributed to this report. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
