Latest news with #OpenMeetingsAct
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission hosts first meeting ahead of major deadlines
The current membership of the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission hosts an inaugural meeting. From left, Commissioners Monica Oldenburg, Kim Lowe and Bruce Bailey. At left is the seat for Commissioner Lorelle Mueting of Gretna. June 9, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission hosted its inaugural meeting Monday ahead of a fast-approaching July 1 deadline to set licensing criteria and an Oct. 1 deadline to begin issuing licenses. Emergency regulations will more than likely need to be adopted to meet the July deadline that voters approved in November, because of public hearing notice requirements for regulatory changes. Next steps remain unclear for the commission, which has a very limited amount of funds for the task. Commissioner Bruce Bailey of Lincoln, who separately chairs the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, said the goal is to come up with something to show the public by July 1 and seek feedback. 'That's where we are at this time,' Bailey told reporters after the meeting. ''Til then, we really don't know anything.' Bailey said his 'gut feeling, realizing what a short window it is,' is that the board will 'most likely' need to consider emergency regulations. Assistant Nebraska Attorney General Ben Swanson, who explained the typical rulemaking process to commissioners on Monday, said he would address the emergency process at the next commission meeting at 10 a.m. on June 26. The commission was still deciding on a location. It was not immediately clear whether the group would hold additional meetings before the July 1 deadline. Under normal rulemaking conditions, an agency or commission drafts guidelines and sets a hearing for public comment. The public must be notified at least 30 days before said hearing. If commissioners approve the proposed rules and regulations later this month, with no significant changes, the guidance will be sent to the Attorney General's Office for constitutional review. The governor has final say on the rules and regulations before they are filed with the Secretary of State's Office. If the commission makes significant changes, there must be another hearing with another 30-day notice. Much of the first meeting focused on administrative hurdles, including the Open Meetings Act for virtual and in-person meetings and support from the Nebraska Department of Administrative Services for budget control and human resources. Bailey and Crista Eggers, executive director of Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, the group that led the new laws through the process to the measures' 2024 wins at the ballot box, described Monday's meeting as a needed 'step.' 'We have to take the wins when we get the wins,' Eggers told reporters. 'Today, having a meeting was a win.' However, Eggers cautioned that major questions remain about how the commission will find funds to work, the timeline for future regulations and how commissioners will respect what the people had in mind when they passed the new laws. 'We have always been committed to sticking in here and advocating and fighting and educating until the day that we see Nebraska patients who need medical cannabis as an option have it, that it's accessible to them, that it's safe for them,' Eggers said. 'That day is not here yet.' State lawmakers in May approved a two-year state budget with a $30,000 increase in the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission's bottom line for staffing related to any of the commission's shared duties with the Nebraska Cannabis Commission, for staff who might take on new duties under the medical cannabis law. Voters placed all three members of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission on the Medical Cannabis Commission. The governor changed the commission's members in recent weeks by choosing not to reappoint Harry Hoch, Jr., to the 2nd Congressional District seat, leaving just Bailey and Commissioner Kim Lowe of Kearney, as first reported by the Nebraska Examiner. However, lawmakers didn't approve creating a new budget line for the Medical Cannabis Commission the way they did when the Asian American Affairs Commission was created in 2024. Lawmakers also declined to pass a bill clarifying the framework within the Liquor Commission for medical cannabis-related spending and revenue collection. The result is an unclear system that commissioners started grappling with on Monday. Jacob Leaver, deputy state budget administrator, said spending from a Liquor Control Commission cash fund should be used for the 'bare minimum.' He suggested that the cannabis commissioners approve a 'subprogram' in the state budget, which can be done administratively but doesn't equate to new spending. He said commissioners 'theoretically have $0 of appropriation.' 'Essentially, you have to 'borrow' [an] appropriation from the liquor side into that new subprogram for the medical cannabis side,' Leaver said. The Liquor Control Commission has one cash fund, with a maximum annual spending limit of $100,000, which was slightly increased this spring. The fund collects revenue from various liquor-related fees, such as for registration or server training, or from selling copies of governing rules and other documents. The fund is rarely used but tapping into it creates a new juggling act. State law allows those funds to be used for 'any administrative costs' associated with specific liquor statutes. Medical cannabis statutes were placed in a different section of the law, and the budget bills did not expressly authorize additional spending from that fund. Bailey asked whether those funds could be paid back if the Liquor Control Commission authorized diverting funds for the Medical Cannabis Commission. Leaver said 'yes and no,' as the Medical Cannabis Commission collects no general state taxes (income, sales, etc.) but could direct application fees, for instance, back to the cash fund. Liquor commissioners could ask the Legislature for more funds in 2026 or backfill spending, state budget officials have said. Bailey told reporters the commission would look into getting some funds soon in the face of a tight budget but 'a large goal.' 'We'll do our best, as we can,' Bailey said. Bailey and Lowe were sworn into their new roles Monday, as was Dr. Monica Oldenburg of Lincoln. The trio unanimously voted to elect Oldenburg, an anesthesiologist, as chair and approved up to two members to meet with outside consultants or experts and come back with that information. Commissioner Lorelle Mueting of Gretna missed the first meeting. Oldenburg defended Mueting as having had a prior commitment and said commissioners tried to get to work as soon as possible. The AG's Office did not, as it has in the past, threaten the commission Monday with a future lawsuit if licensing moves forward by the Oct. 1 deadline. Attorney General Mike Hilgers and his staff have repeatedly threatened that action, including in court and before the Legislature. Legal action continues in Lancaster County District Court, with a longtime marijuana opponent, former State Sen. John Kuehn of Heartwell, trying to void the new medical cannabis laws. Kuehn's filings argue that the laws are an unlawful delegation of power and run afoul of federal laws against marijuana. Hilgers and his office have argued the AG should be the one to challenge the laws on encroaching on federal constitutional powers and have asked that Kuehn's case be dismissed. Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong is currently considering whether to dismiss the case. However, a June 5 filing from Kuehn now seeks to add Oldenburg and Mueting to the case while removing Hoch from the lawsuit. Hoch was not reappointed to the commission as Gov. Jim Pillen seeks someone with more 'cannabis experience,' according to Hoch. 'This is a constantly evolving and fast-moving controversy as government actors actively seek new ways to use taxpayer resources to implement the measures at issue,' the latest court filing from Kuehn said. One of Kuehn's attorneys, former State Sen. Andrew La Grone, attended Monday's inaugural meeting of the Cannabis Commission. Kuehn's lawsuit also targets Pillen, Secretary of State Bob Evnen, other state officials and the three sponsors of the 2024 campaign, including Eggers. Eggers said she hopes the commission remembers the lives at the center of the fight, including her son who has a severe form of drug-resistant epilepsy. She said the window of opportunity to work together for safe access remains open. 'I hope they approach this remembering that the decisions and the way they do this does impact real people, and those real people and the patients and the voters of the state are watching,' Eggers said of the commission. 'I believe they have a very, very strong expectation to how this goes.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PG Sittenfeld pardoned: A timeline of his political career and corruption case
Former Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, who was convicted on federal bribery and extortion charges, has been pardoned by President Donald Trump. Sittenfeld had been held in a federal prison in Ashland, Kentucky, where he was serving a 16-month sentence on federal corruption charges before he was released pending an appeal that was ultimately denied. It was a stunning fall from grace for the popular and charismatic politician who was on track to be Cincinnati's next mayor. Sittenfeld, 39, was sentenced to serve 16 months for bribery and attempted extortion. PG Sittenfeld: Trump pardons former Cincinnati councilman convicted of bribery, per report Here's how he went from City Hall to federal prison and back home: 2011: At 27, Sittenfeld is the youngest person ever to be elected to Cincinnati City Council. He, Chris Seelbach and Yvette Simpson are hailed as a new generation of leaders. 2013: Council terms are extended to four years. Sittenfeld is the No. 1 vote-getter in the field of nine. 2017: Sittenfeld is re-elected, again the top vote-getter. He would be term-limited after this term and is rumored to be eyeing a 2021 mayoral run. It's a politically tumultuous time at city politics. Unbeknownst to anyone at City Hall, the FBI has opened an investigation into how development deals were being handled, a fact that wouldn't come out until much later at trial. 2018: Sittenfeld and four other City Council members attempt to wrest power away from Mayor John Cranley, with contentious fights that often erupt during council meetings. Cranley is warring with City Manager Harry Black and wants council to fire Black. That's when five members of council, a majority of members that includes Sittenfeld, text among each other. The group issues a press release, which raises questions about whether they are illegally talking among themselves via text about city business. April 7, 2019: The city settles a civil lawsuit for $101,000, in which Sittenfeld and the other four council members admit those text conversations violated Ohio's Open Meetings Act. All five appear in court and are chastised by Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Robert Ruehlman. July 2020: Sittenfeld announces his mayoral run. Nov. 19, 2020: Federal agents arrest Sittenfeld on corruption charges. Sittenfeld says he is innocent. The charges allege Sittenfeld orchestrated a scheme to funnel money from developers into a political action committee (PAC) that he controlled. According to the indictment, the developers were actually undercover FBI agents who handed Sittenfeld checks totaling $40,000 on three different occasions in 2018 and 2019. The indictment states Sittenfeld solicited the money in exchange for his support of a plan to develop the former Convention Place Mall at 435 Elm St., which Cincinnati developer and former Bengals player Chinedum Ndukwe had wanted to turn into a hotel and office complex with sports betting. Sittenfeld did not pocket the cash himself, the indictment states, but instead funneled it into the PAC. 'Teed up for the Supreme Court': Why PG Sittenfeld's case could have ended up in Washington DC Nov. 20, 2020: Sittenfeld releases a statement on Twitter saying he is innocent and says he intends to keep working and running for mayor. Dec. 7, 2020: Sittenfeld agrees to a suspension from his council job. Councilwoman Liz Keating is appointed to replace him. Feb. 18, 2021: Sittenfeld drops out of the mayoral race. June 21, 2022: Sittenfeld's trial begins in federal court in Cincinnati. It's filled with bombshell moments, including testimony that a fundraiser for former Mayor John Cranley took a bribe. Also, Ndukwe testifies that Sittenfeld would only approve a development at 435 Elm St. if he contributed to Sittenfeld's campaign. Federal prosecutors play numerous videos and recordings, many of them involving undercover FBI agents posing as developers. July 8, 2022: Sittenfeld is convicted on the two charges. He is acquitted on four other counts, including honest services fraud. No sentencing date is set. Aug. 15, 2022: Sittenfeld's attorneys file post-trial motions, arguing alleged juror misconduct because a juror was posting on Facebook as the trial was happening. They ask U.S. District Judge Douglas Cole, who presided over the trial, to declare a mistrial and order a forensic examination of the juror's electronic devices. April 17, 2023: Cole denies Sittenfeld's post-trial motions. June 12, 2023: Sentencing is set for Oct. 10. Sittenfeld's attorneys and federal prosecutors file sentencing memorandums recommending to Cole what they believe should happen. Oct. 10, 2023: Sittenfeld is sentenced to spend 16 months in federal prison and pay a $40,000 fine. The prison term is less than federal sentencing guidelines call for. Prosecutors had requested a longer sentence, between 33 and 41 months. Still, Cole says: "We will not tolerate corrupt people." Cole orders Sittenfeld to report to Federal Correction Institution Ashland located in Ashland, Kentucky, on Dec. 1. Nov. 29, 2023: Sittenfeld had asked the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to allow him to remain free while he appealed his sentence, but received no ruling as the Dec. 1 date approached. Cole delays Sittenfeld's report-to-prison date to Jan. 2. Dec. 1, 2023: Sittenfeld's request to remain free while he appeals his conviction is denied by the federal appeals court. Jan. 2, 2024: Sittenfeld reports to federal prison in Ashland, Kentucky where he was to serve his time at the prison camp. May 9, 2024: The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals hears oral arguments in Sittenfeld's appeals case. At the end Sittenfeld's lawyer, Yaakov Roth, asks the three-judge panel to release Sittenfeld early if they were considering overturning the conviction. May 15, 2024: The three-judge panel releases Sittenfeld early. In a motion, the judges wrote Sittenfeld's appeal presented "a close question or one that could go either way." The panel did say, however, that it was not expressing any opinion about the ultimate outcome of the appeal. A decision will come later. May 29, 2025: President Donald Trump issues a pardon for Sittenfeld, who was preparing to take his case to the Supreme Court. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: A timeline of PG Sittenfeld's career, conviction, pardon by Trump
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gwinnett school board hires search firm amid controversy over superintendent firing
The Gwinnett County school board voted 3-2 Thursday night to hire a Chicago-based firm to conduct a nationwide search for a new superintendent, despite concerns about the firm's experience and cost. The board selected Alma Advisory Group to lead the search, though board members Steve Knudsen and Steve Gasper voted against the decision. 'Alma has been a part of 20 superintendent searches. The other two have been over 800 and over 1,000,' Knudsen said during the meeting. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The search begins three months after the board terminated former Superintendent Calvin Watts' contract, a decision that cost taxpayers an estimated $750,000 and has generated criticism from community groups. Board member Dr. Tarece Johnson-Morgan defended hiring Alma and the additional estimated $25,000 required to bring them aboard. 'The people who have used them have overwhelmingly said very positive things about them,' she said Thursday. TRENDING STORIES: Judge rules that deputy who shot DeKalb airman can't seek employment Fannin County school play canceled over copyright violation, principal says Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms officially announces run for Georgia governor The Gwinnett County NAACP has raised concerns about the board's transparency regarding Watts' termination, claiming the board may have violated Georgia's Open Meetings Act by discussing his firing behind closed doors. 'The public wasn't given any answers. Everybody, even to this day, still doesn't have any clarity on why they did what they did,' said Edward Paul, president of the Gwinnett County NAACP branch. Paul told Channel 2 Action News that he requested records from the executive sessions that discussed Watts' termination. While district officials have provided few specifics about the termination, Board Chair Dr. Adrienne Simmons cited student performance issues during a recent town hall. 'We have 38% of students from underserved communities at third grade not reading proficiently,' Simmons said. 'Our Hispanic student performance is declining in ELA.' Whoever is hired will become the third Gwinnett superintendent in four years. The NAACP warns that frequent leadership changes could harm the district's effectiveness. 'Gwinnett is on a sort of destructive path by following some of these bad habits,' Paul said. The school board did not respond to requests by Channel 2 Action News for comment Thursday. Officials hope to have a new superintendent in place before the start of the next school year. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dixon Public Schools District 170 Board repeatedly splits vote over leadership role; tables decision
May 9—DIXON — The Dixon Public Schools District 170 Board was unable to elect its next vice president after a series of tie votes during an organizational meeting Tuesday. At the routine meeting, the four board members reelected in April — Linda Wegner, Brandon Rogers, Linda Leblanc-Parks and Jon Wadsworth — took the oath of office, and the board was tasked with selecting new officers. The three positions — president, vice president and secretary — are for a two-year term and come with specific responsibilities on top of those given to a board member. With board member Kathleen Schaefer absent, six board members were left to vote. Wegner, who has served as president for the past six years, was unanimously reelected president. But when deciding who would be vice president, the board repeatedly landed on a 3-3 vote count split between Rogers and Wadsworth. The duties of the vice president are to fill the role of the president if the office is vacant, the president is absent from a meeting, or if they're unable to perform the duties of president, according to board policy 2:110. The president leads all board meetings and sets the tone and climate of the board meeting to create an environment that allows for decision-making. Other duties include calling special meetings, signing official documents of the district and serving as the public body head for things relevant to the Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act, according to board policy. The board's choices for the role were either incumbent Rogers, nominated by LeBlanc-Parks, or Wadsworth, who nominated himself. Rogers has been on the board for six years. He was elected secretary in 2021 and then vice president in 2023. Wadsworth has been on the board for four years. "It's good to have some kind of change," Wadsworth said. "I think that's healthy. We don't have term limits, so you can get into a situation where we get stuck in our ways, and I think we want to avoid that." He said his motivation for running mostly stemmed from wanting to change things up since the board members remained the same after the April election. "I think it's good to change up the officers," board member David Fritts said. "I'm disappointed that all three officers voted" to retain themselves. Rogers, Wegner and LeBlanc-Parks voted for Rogers; Wadsworth, Fritts and board member Melissa Gates voted for Wadsworth. Wadsworth said he feels like he would do well in the role because he's attentive, asks questions and has a different perspective, which would add some diversity to the officers. "I appreciate all the different personalities we have. I think that's a strength of our board," Wegner said. Rogers said he thinks he should retain the role because he's been consistent in being present at meetings and maintaining a good working relationship with Wegner in the past six years that he's been a board member. At meetings, "we're productive and on topic ... and don't waste time going on unnecessary tangents," Rogers said. In the end, the board tabled the vote and will revisit it at the next regular meeting at 6 p.m. May 21 at the district building, 1335 Franklin Grove Road in Dixon. Meetings also can be viewed online on the district's YouTube channel.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Licking County governments in legal fight over proposal to address growth
GRANVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) — Licking County municipalities are at odds over control of resources as development shakes up small Ohio communities. Johnstown, Alexandria and Granville united under the Municipal Utility Coalition of Licking County, a water and wastewater treatment coalition intended to give the local governments more control amid rapid development. On May 1, the coalition announced a services plan and submitted it to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for review. The same day, Jersey Township sued the coalition for allegedly developing the plan out of the public eye, and some residents worry the plan will raise taxes. The coalition proposed short- and long-term solutions for centralized wastewater treatment in west and northwest Licking County. The plan accounts for the significant growth the area is projected to see and expands water treatment system capacity. If approved by the Ohio EPA, it would cost $108.3 million over the next five years, and $327.5 million over the next 20 years. East Columbus development sparks resident concerns Jersey Township and Township Administrator Rob Platte sued the coalition governments, alleging the utility proposal was discussed in violation of the Open Meetings Act by discussing the plan in executive sessions without public input. Jersey Township and Platte are asking for $500 per violation and for all decisions made in those meetings to be declared invalid. According to the complaint, the governments discussed the utility plan without reflecting those discussions in official meeting minutes. Platte and Jersey Township allege the other governments entered executive session for 'imminent court action' but instead discussed the utilities plan, violating public meeting law. Granville, Johnstown and Alexandria mayors 'vigorously' denied the lawsuit's allegations. The mayors also said a Jersey Township trustee threatened litigation against the city of Johnstown in July 2024, which city leaders said contradicted claims made in the lawsuit. 'If Mr. Platte and Jersey Township are serious about a sustainable future they could be part of the solution. Our door remains open,' Johnstown Mayor Donny Barnard said. Major tech developments from companies like Google, Intel and Amazon are helping spur rapid growth in western Licking County. In November, Granville Village Manager Herb Koehler said the Coalition was formed to give local municipalities a seat at the table amid development. Koehler said the utility coalition prioritizes community needs in important discussions about growth. Moreno on immigration, Trump, stocks Jersey Township is not covered by the Municipal Utility Coalition and instead gets its water services from the Licking Regional Water District. This year, the Licking Regional Water District expanded its board of trustees, including a new representative from Jersey Township. Jersey Township is not the only Licking County organization concerned with the utility expansion proposal. The Licking County Conservatives spoke out against the plan on Facebook, fearing it could invite even more development or drive municipalities to bankruptcy. The group also condemned the Coalition's delay in presenting the plan to the public. The Coalition disagrees, saying the plan will allow affordable, locally controlled resources amid development. Koehler said the new water plan was based on the Licking County FRAMEWORK report, which was developed by local residents, businesses and governments to balance growth while maintaining local character. 'We want to encourage thoughtful, organic growth while ensuring that our local schools and other critical community needs are not neglected,' Koehler said. 'Our 'inside-out' approach will allow us to increase treatment capacity and construct centralized sewers as the need arises, allowing us to keep sewer rates affordable.' The lawsuit is pending in Licking County Common Pleas Court. The Coalition's plan awaits feedback from the Ohio EPA, after which the Coalition will submit a final plan the the agency. Once the final version is submitted, the Ohio EPA will make a recommendation to the Governor's office, which will then request approval from the national EPA. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
