Latest news with #OmahaPressClub
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to match Lincoln, Omaha elections with Nebraska elections advances
Five candidates for Omaha mayor prepare for a debate in the city's mayoral primary at the Omaha Press Club. Shown, left to right, are Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, former State Sen. Mike McDonnell, Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing, nonprofit executive Jasmine Harris and community advocate Terry Brewer. March 11, 2025. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — Lincoln and Omaha city officials would have the future option to move city elections and line them up with Nebraska statewide elections, under this year's annual election cleanup bill. Legislative Bill 521, from State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, advanced 42-0 on Thursday. Sanders, who chairs the Legislature's Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, said the goal is 'modernizing' elections. 'This bill represents a significant investment in the integrity and efficiency of our electoral system,' Sanders said during debate. LB 521 would make a series of changes, including to allow hospice or disability services patient records to count as a photo voter ID, stop petition signature verification of candidates or new political parties at 110% of the goal (similar to ballot measures), notify a voter if their voter registration is canceled, prohibit petition circulation within 200 feet of ballot drop boxes and permit the secretary of state to distribute petition pages to counties 'by a secure method,' rather than just mail or by law enforcement. Four other bills were amended into LB 521, by a 41-0 vote. They would: Allow Lincoln or Omaha to move odd-year city elections in April and May to instead be in line with statewide primary and general elections (LB 19 from State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha). Exempt local foster care review boards from the Open Meetings Act (LB 238 from State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha). Address situations where a public meeting notice has been sent to a newspaper but can't be published on a proper timeline, and address what happens if a public notice can't be posted online (LB 243 from Sanders). Allow political parties to appoint watchers to monitor county election officials' mandatory three independent tests of vote-counting devices. The results of the tests would later be published online (LB 659 from State Sen. Bob Andersen of north-central Sarpy County). Andersen said his vote-counting reforms 'reflect a commitment to election integrity and ensuring Nebraskans have confidence in the accuracy and security of our vote counting.' LB 521 no longer includes a provision that could have allowed the secretary of state to use software, including artificial intelligence, to assist in processing a filed petition. Sen. John Cavanaugh's LB 19 is different from his introduced version, which would have required Omaha to move its off-year elections beginning in 2028. Under his amended bill, Omaha as well as Lincoln officials would have the option of putting a city charter amendment to a vote of residents to change the election timing. The bill would not affect 2025 elections. In odd-numbered years, Omaha primary elections are the first Tuesday of April, while general elections are the first Tuesday after the second Monday in May. For Lincoln, the general election is the first Tuesday in May, and the primary election is four weeks prior. State law dictates the election timing for cities of the primary class (100,001 to 399,999 residents) and metropolitan size (400,000 or more residents). This year, Omaha will have its general mayoral election May 13. Lincoln will have its city election May 6, but the mayor is not on the ballot until 2027. Any city that changes to be in line with statewide election timing could change the point at which terms in office end, according to Cavanaugh. If not, and if, say, one of the cities had an election in November 2028, it could lead to a lame-duck public official for six months. Today, city terms in office start about four weeks after an election. Cavanaugh said LB 19 would save property tax dollars, such as the $1.5 million Omaha is spending on this off-year election cycle, which he said would probably be a little less for Lincoln. He said it also would help with voter fatigue after sometimes 'grueling' statewide elections. LB 521, a Government Committee priority for the year, faces up to two more rounds of debate. City elections in Lincoln and Omaha are in odd-numbered years under existing state law, in contrast to the hundreds of other municipal elections statewide. Under Legislative Bill 521, as amended, officials would have the option to move city elections to even-numbered years. Terms of office begin in 2025 Current law: Elected May 2025. Term in office June 2025 to June 2029. Next election April/May 2029. City charter amendment is adopted (before 2028): Elected May 2025. Term in office June 2025 to June 2029, or sooner. Next election May/November 2028. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Stothert, Ewing advance in Omaha mayor's primary race
Five candidates for Omaha mayor prepare for a debate in the city's mayoral primary at the Omaha Press Club. Shown, left to right, are Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, former State Sen. Mike McDonnell, Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing, nonprofit executive Jasmine Harris and community advocate Terry Brewer. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) OMAHA — Incumbent Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert and Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing easily advanced Tuesday to next month's general election for mayor. Despite outspending Ewing by hundreds of thousands of dollars, former State Sen. Mike McDonnell finished a distant third after angering key parts of both major political parties. The Nebraska Democratic Party censured the then-Democrat last year for casting the critical vote to pass new restrictions on abortion and transgender health care. He also angered the right by withholding his vote for shifting Nebraska to winner-take-all in presidential elections after joining the Nebraska Republican Party. McDonnell, who ran for mayor as a Republican, has been highly critical of the incumbent GOP mayor, attempting as a longtime union leader to outflank her on the right. Community activist Jasmine Harris finished fourth after pledging to focus on public safety through investing more in community-based programs. Terry Brewer, the founding pastor of New Covenant Church of God in Christ in North Omaha, finished fifth in the primary election. Much of the race discussed the city's streetcar project, taxes, and housing costs. Stothert is seeking a fourth term as the city's top elected official, a record in the modern era. While the mayor's race is nonpartisan, local parties have campaigned for central candidates. 'Our campaign has been built around our record of progress, determination, and the successes we've had,' Stothert said after the first batch of election results. 'That's the positive message we will continue to deliver for the next six weeks.' McDonnell heavily criticized Stothert during the campaign, emphasizing her spending and the poor quality of city streets, among other issues. Stothert won anyway. As of the 10:25 p.m. results in Douglas County, she had 25,056 votes. Ewing had 21,623 votes. And McDonnell had 13,859 votes according to unofficial election results. McDonnell conceded the race before 10 p.m., saying he was 'proud' of his campaign because he was 'listening to the people.' Ewing has been the Douglas County treasurer for almost two decades and was a former member of the Omaha Police Department. He has campaigned to improve city infrastructure and create more jobs. 'We believed all along that we were going to be in the general election. We believe that citizens of this community appreciate good government,' Ewing told the Nebraska Examiner. Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse had anticipated a voter turnout slightly above average for the local race. McDonnell is known statewide for his stint in the Nebraska Legislature, where he voted no on Republicans' 11th-hour push for winner-take-all before the 2024 presidential election. He also helped Republicans pass the state's stricter law banning abortion after 12 weeks of gestational age. He spent much of his campaign railing against the Omaha streetcar project favored by Stothert and downtown Omaha businesses, including Mutual of Omaha. Other candidates echoed McDonnell's criticism of the $459 million project, but said it was too far along to stop without the city facing legal and financial risk. Ewing told the Flatwater Free Press that the project needs to continue, but that city residents should have been able to vote on it. The Nebraska Democratic Party got one of its two endorsed candidates through with Ewing. U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb, endorsed Stothert. The Douglas County Republican Party endorsed McDonnell. Stothert and Ewing are likely to increase their leads Friday, when Kruse's county election office will count about 7,000 outstanding early votes turned in on Election Day. Those typically follow the same pattern as the first round of counted early votes that Kruse released at 8 p.m. Tuesday, which showed Stothert leading, Ewing second and McDonnell third. Harris said that the results weren't what she had hoped for, but she would continue to prioritize the people of Omaha. 'I'll continue to do the work in front of me, and I look forward to others joining in on how we can continue to build an Omaha that works for everyone, regardless if it's an elected seat or not,' Harris told the Examiner. The general election is set for May 13. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
First Omaha mayor's debate shows top candidates jockeying to face Stothert
Five candidates for Omaha mayor prepare for the first debate in the city's mayoral primary at the Omaha Press Club. Shown, left to right, are Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, former State Sen. Mike McDonnell, Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing, nonprofit executive Jasmine Harris and community advocate Terry Brewer. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) OMAHA — The first debate of the Omaha mayor's race spent Tuesday amplifying what increasingly looks like a four-way fight to join three-term Mayor Jean Stothert in the May 13 general election. Stothert's top challengers in the nonpartisan April 1 primary — Democratic Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing, Republican former State Sen. Mike McDonnell and Democratic nonprofit executive Jasmine Harris — largely targeted the mayor and her record. Also participating in the noon debate organized by WOWT and the League of Women Voters at the Omaha Press Club was community advocate Terry Brewer, who joined the race late. Ewing, a former candidate for the U.S. House, and McDonnell, a former fire chief and fire union leader, criticized Stothert for focusing too much city time and money on the whims of some private developers. Ewing said he wants the city to do a better job strategically planning development instead of being led around by the mayor's favored developers, state incentives and the 'hodgepodge' that results. He told the Examiner that Omaha lags other Midwestern cities in growth because the city isn't doing enough outreach and recruitment of current and future employers seeking long-term ties. 'I absolutely love being a public servant,' Ewing said. 'It's what I've done all my adult life. I believe it's critically important that leaders keep their word.' McDonnell repeated his criticisms of Stothert for wasting money on an outdated streetcar she promised she would let the people of Omaha vote on and didn't. He said the unpopular project should face voters. During testy exchanges on public safety and services for the homeless, McDonnell sarcastically said Stothert has 'a lot of great ideas' and questioned why she hasn't implemented them in 12 years. He mocked Stothert for taking credit for lowering the tax levy in Omaha, saying that reducing the increase in property taxes people pay is not a cut. He said she opposed state efforts to reduce property taxes. 'We have to control spending,' McDonnell said. 'The first day in office … we're going to zero out the budget and do performance-based budgeting. There's something going on here.' Harris, a former U.S. Senate candidate who works with people returning to society from prison, jabbed at both Republicans for their handling of affordable housing and Omaha's homeless. She said Omaha needs a better focus on connecting people without housing to the kinds of services that help them adjust to living in new surroundings with new responsibilities. Harris said much of the root causes of the city's problems with public safety and homelessness are based on the lack of affordable housing being built, which the city could change. She said people need more than just policing to feel safer, including a greater city focus on mental health care and substance abuse treatment. 'I'm not running for mayor to make it a career move,' Harris said. 'I wake up every day to figure out how I can make life better for the people of Omaha. People want a change.' Ewing, Harris and Stothert criticized McDonnell for pushing a proposed state law that they said would have criminalized homelessness as ineffective and costly. McDonnell, who pushed a proposal to help police address homeless encampments, criticized Stothert for letting homelessness increase. Stothert pointed to Omaha's growth during her three terms. She said it's too late to stop the streetcar project without getting the city sued. She said people care most about safety, taxes and roads. Ewing and Harris agreed with Stothert that it was likely too late 'to stop the streetcar now.' Both said Omaha needs a mayor that makes sure the city's transportation system works for residents. Stothert touted crime stats that show Omaha becoming safer, including just 19 homicides in 2024. She acknowledged needing more progress on juvenile crime and officer recruitment. On Tuesday, she announced efforts to recruit more police officer candidates year-round and an effort to make sure Omaha pays more for police officers than any city in Nebraska. 'I love my job and I hope it shows,' Stothert said. 'We've had 12 years of determination, of progress and of success. … Omaha is moving forward in every way.' McDonnell, after the debate, said he was pleased that Stothert was listening to him and the constituents that had come to him with criticisms of how she was not hiring enough police officers. His political team acknowledged that McDonnell faces attacks from all sides as a new Republican running against a GOP incumbent for mayor. Stothert had Gov. Jim Pillen as a guest at her table. 'I know one thing the four of us have in common is we think there should be a new mayor,' McDonnell said of his experience in the first debate. Stothert, after the debate, said it was gratifying to hear candidates agree with her rather than McDonnell that it is too late to stop the streetcar without putting the city in financial jeopardy because of signed contracts. She also said it was too late for a public vote on the streetcar, and that the only group that could call for such a vote is the Omaha City Council, which has already approved the project. Asked about being the target of other candidates Tuesday, Stothert, the city's longest-serving mayor, said it was old hat. She said she 'expects it.' 'They'll come and say you're doing everything wrong and they're going to do everything right,' Stothert said. 'But … we've got an excellent story to tell about the progress we've made over the last 12 years.' Brewer spoke often about the need to help young people engage with education and job opportunities. He said Omaha needs to offer young people more options than the streets, sports or college. 'Discipline is the key for success for us,' Brewer said. 'I want to bring back programs that once helped me. I'm looking for the future of my babies … having a legacy.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
