<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/debate-delayed-on-proposal-to-more-frequently-change-nebraska-lawmaker-compensation/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;A legislative proposal to let an independent, nonpartisan commission set the compensation of future Nebraska state senators is now “on pause” and will fall to the bottom of legislative priorities in 2025.

State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, the sponsor of&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59042" target="_blank">Legislative Resolution 25CA</a>, announced the decision Monday after multiple senators spoke against the proposal during its first two hours of debate on Friday. Hansen said much of the opposition focused on issues that didn’t pertain to the proposal itself, and he wanted to move forward.

“In the good nature of not holding up the session for I don’t know how many more hours, I think we have some other work that needs to get done,” Hansen said.

Hansen said he&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/05/proposal-for-legislative-compensation-commission-advances-from-nebraska-committee/">still hopes to address the proposal</a>&nbsp;later this year, or early next year, which if passed would send the final decision to voters at the November 2026 general election.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/AM/AM526.pdf" target="_blank">intent of the commission</a>&nbsp;is to remove lawmakers’ annual $12,000 salary from the Nebraska Constitution. Because it is in the Constitution, pay increases, or decreases, can’t happen without a statewide vote, unlike other state officials. The commission could also consider health care benefits, per diems or reimbursement rates.&nbsp;

Any compensation changes could occur no earlier than 2029, after lawmakers’ current terms.

Lawmakers ultimately would need to appropriate funds to cover any pay increases, Speaker John Arch of La Vista and Hansen said during debate. State Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha suggested tightening the commission’s authority to make it a requirement.

Voters last approved a salary increase in 1988, bumping salaries up from $400 each month ($3,600 annually) to $1,000 each month ($12,000 annually).

“It’s not dead by any means,” Hansen said of his LR 25CA. “Just want to bring it up later and get the people’s work done first.”

During Friday’s debate, State Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, Danielle Conrad of Lincoln and Megan Hunt of Omaha said lawmakers didn’t deserve raises if they wouldn’t support working families.

Cavanaugh said “we are not doing our jobs,” and she graded the Legislature’s work an “F.”

“We are nickel and diming people of Nebraska on everything,” Cavanaugh said. “I don’t feel that, in good conscience, I can support something to raise our own salary, as measly as our salary is, so long as we can’t also raise resources we give to people who are 50% of the poverty level, who make less than $12,000 a year.”

The progressive lawmakers pointed to proposals that they said could hurt workers or weaken protections for minimum wage, child care, affordable housing, transportation, food or education.

“They think that legislators deserve more than everyday working families, and I disagree,” Conrad said.

Conrad and Hunt said supporters speaking about&nbsp;reinforcing&nbsp;institutional strength and integrity were hypocritical, with Conrad saying they were only doing so “when it has an opportunity to benefit yourself, personally, financially, individually.”

Hunt said strength comes from lawmakers with the personal integrity to stand up for the legislative branch and their constituents, “not from a paycheck.”

“Pay raises are not going to make any lawmakers fight executive overreach,” Hunt said. “That takes leadership and courage.”

State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams, whose LR 7CA would increase legislative salaries up to $30,000, said he worked with Hansen on the commission idea.&nbsp;Dorn and Hansen will be term-limited in January 2027.

Dorn&nbsp;said lawmakers work an hourly wage of about $5.67 during the session and devote two to three days each week full time later in the year. He and others said it very much limits who even considers running for office.

In the lead-up to the debate, Dorn said emails echoed the comments from Cavanaugh, stating: “You’re not doing a good job, you’re not worth the pay that you have now.”

Dorn said he turned that around in his replies based on a philosophy his dad taught him, that “you get what you pay for.”

“When we’re answering those emails, I’m telling those people that if you’re complaining about the senators and low quality of people we have up here, just remember, you get what you pay for, and that happens quite often in life,” Dorn said.

State Sen. Christy Armendariz of Omaha said that when she was considering running for office for the 2022 election, she approached her predecessor, former State Sen. Brett Lindstrom, and told him she needed to keep her full-time job.

Lindstrom hesitated, she said, but told her he thought she could pull it off. And she did for her first two years, working 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the week and working weekends.

But this year, she said she realized that wasn’t a sustainable path and that she wasn’t giving “100%” to either her constituents or her full-time position. So, she quit.

“It just isn’t my nature to do anything part way,” Armendariz said.

Armendariz said she would still run again, knowing it is a volunteer position, but “we’re really, really far away from getting super valuable people on the floor, unless they are self-funded in some other way.”

“I do think it is fair, since the people are the ones that are the recipients of what is done on this floor, the people should be the ones to make a decision whether they want to expand that pool of people that can be elected,” Armendariz said.

State Sens. Terrell McKinney and Ashlei Spivey, both of Omaha, as well as Cavanaugh and Hunt said the Legislature needs more diversity in its membership.

Similar to Armendariz, Spivey said she puts in 18 hours of work each day into her legislative duties and paid work outside the Capitol, while still needing to be a mother and wife.&nbsp;She said LR 25CA was a “weird dichotomy” between what lawmakers say versus what they do.

“I would love to have more women in the body that are parents, more folks of color, working people that can really bring perspectives and advocate for Nebraskans in a way in which I think that doesn’t always happen currently, or in our history,” Spivey said.

McKinney said something needs to change, which could help people “who care” decide to run.

State Sen. Rob Dover of Norfolk said the proposal was a good idea but was “probably the right bill at a wrong time.”&nbsp;

He pointed to the state’s&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/decrease-in-federal-share-of-nebraska-medicaid-costs-increases-state-budget-shortfall/">$457 million projected budget shortfall for the next two years</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/02/18/preliminary-appropriations-committee-budget-unveiled-includes-pillen-cuts-to-nu/">prior to any legislative action</a>. Dover asked why the proposal was coming up while the state is considering cutting dollars for public health, the University of Nebraska, cancer research, dual credit reimbursement and affordable housing.

“It makes no sense to me whatsoever,” Dover said.

Dover, who will be term-limited in January 2029, warned his colleagues running for future office that if they voted for the proposal, it was a matter of when, not if, they’d have a mailer attacking them for doing so.

Conrad agreed and pointed to former State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha who was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/05/proposal-for-legislative-compensation-commission-advances-from-nebraska-committee/">blasted</a>&nbsp;for a similar 2018 proposal. Conrad said LR 25CA was “nothing more than another political trap.”

“It’s not a good faith effort to strengthen the institution,” she said. “It’s an effort to force Nebraska legislators to continually vote on their own pay raise and to use it against them at election time.”

Hansen said that if lawmakers do a “crappy job,” which he said he feels has happened in some years, the commission could decide to cut compensation.

“They could actually lower our pay, that’s what I love about this,” Hansen said. “The onus is on us, as representatives of the people of Nebraska to do a good job, to listen, to do the people’s work. And if we don’t, we could be SOL.”

It will ultimately be up to Speaker Arch whether he reschedules the measure. The proposal has about six hours left on first-round debate and would face two more debates, if advanced.&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/articles.php?article=XVI-1#:~:text=When%20two%20or%20more%20amendments,vote%20on%20each%20amendment%20separately." target="_blank">At least 30 lawmakers</a>&nbsp;would need to approve the bill on final reading.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742326802552.jpeg" alt=" State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, left, leans in to listen to State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln at a legislative retreat in Kearney on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, left, leans in to listen to State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln at a legislative retreat in Kearney on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/debate-delayed-on-proposal-to-more-frequently-change-nebraska-lawmaker-compensation/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;A legislative proposal to let an independent, nonpartisan commission set the compensation of future Nebraska state senators is now “on pause” and will fall to the bottom of legislative priorities in 2025.State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, the sponsor of&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59042" target="_blank">Legislative Resolution 25CA</a>, announced the decision Monday after multiple senators spoke against the proposal during its first two hours of debate on Friday. Hansen said much of the opposition focused on issues that didn’t pertain to the proposal itself, and he wanted to move forward.“In the good nature of not holding up the session for I don’t know how many more hours, I think we have some other work that needs to get done,” Hansen said.Hansen said he&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/05/proposal-for-legislative-compensation-commission-advances-from-nebraska-committee/">still hopes to address the proposal</a>&nbsp;later this year, or early next year, which if passed would send the final decision to voters at the November 2026 general election.The&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/AM/AM526.pdf" target="_blank">intent of the commission</a>&nbsp;is to remove lawmakers’ annual $12,000 salary from the Nebraska Constitution. Because it is in the Constitution, pay increases, or decreases, can’t happen without a statewide vote, unlike other state officials. The commission could also consider health care benefits, per diems or reimbursement rates.&nbsp;Any compensation changes could occur no earlier than 2029, after lawmakers’ current terms.Lawmakers ultimately would need to appropriate funds to cover any pay increases, Speaker John Arch of La Vista and Hansen said during debate. State Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha suggested tightening the commission’s authority to make it a requirement.Voters last approved a salary increase in 1988, bumping salaries up from $400 each month ($3,600 annually) to $1,000 each month ($12,000 annually).“It’s not dead by any means,” Hansen said of his LR 25CA. “Just want to bring it up later and get the people’s work done first.”<h2>‘We are not doing our jobs’</h2>During Friday’s debate, State Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, Danielle Conrad of Lincoln and Megan Hunt of Omaha said lawmakers didn’t deserve raises if they wouldn’t support working families.Cavanaugh said “we are not doing our jobs,” and she graded the Legislature’s work an “F.”“We are nickel and diming people of Nebraska on everything,” Cavanaugh said. “I don’t feel that, in good conscience, I can support something to raise our own salary, as measly as our salary is, so long as we can’t also raise resources we give to people who are 50% of the poverty level, who make less than $12,000 a year.”The progressive lawmakers pointed to proposals that they said could hurt workers or weaken protections for minimum wage, child care, affordable housing, transportation, food or education.“They think that legislators deserve more than everyday working families, and I disagree,” Conrad said.Conrad and Hunt said supporters speaking about&nbsp;reinforcing&nbsp;institutional strength and integrity were hypocritical, with Conrad saying they were only doing so “when it has an opportunity to benefit yourself, personally, financially, individually.”Hunt said strength comes from lawmakers with the personal integrity to stand up for the legislative branch and their constituents, “not from a paycheck.”“Pay raises are not going to make any lawmakers fight executive overreach,” Hunt said. “That takes leadership and courage.”<h2>‘You get what you pay for’</h2>State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams, whose LR 7CA would increase legislative salaries up to $30,000, said he worked with Hansen on the commission idea.&nbsp;Dorn and Hansen will be term-limited in January 2027.Dorn&nbsp;said lawmakers work an hourly wage of about $5.67 during the session and devote two to three days each week full time later in the year. He and others said it very much limits who even considers running for office.In the lead-up to the debate, Dorn said emails echoed the comments from Cavanaugh, stating: “You’re not doing a good job, you’re not worth the pay that you have now.”Dorn said he turned that around in his replies based on a philosophy his dad taught him, that “you get what you pay for.”“When we’re answering those emails, I’m telling those people that if you’re complaining about the senators and low quality of people we have up here, just remember, you get what you pay for, and that happens quite often in life,” Dorn said.<h2>Devoting ‘100%’ to the job</h2>State Sen. Christy Armendariz of Omaha said that when she was considering running for office for the 2022 election, she approached her predecessor, former State Sen. Brett Lindstrom, and told him she needed to keep her full-time job.Lindstrom hesitated, she said, but told her he thought she could pull it off. And she did for her first two years, working 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the week and working weekends.But this year, she said she realized that wasn’t a sustainable path and that she wasn’t giving “100%” to either her constituents or her full-time position. So, she quit.“It just isn’t my nature to do anything part way,” Armendariz said.Armendariz said she would still run again, knowing it is a volunteer position, but “we’re really, really far away from getting super valuable people on the floor, unless they are self-funded in some other way.”“I do think it is fair, since the people are the ones that are the recipients of what is done on this floor, the people should be the ones to make a decision whether they want to expand that pool of people that can be elected,” Armendariz said.State Sens. Terrell McKinney and Ashlei Spivey, both of Omaha, as well as Cavanaugh and Hunt said the Legislature needs more diversity in its membership.Similar to Armendariz, Spivey said she puts in 18 hours of work each day into her legislative duties and paid work outside the Capitol, while still needing to be a mother and wife.&nbsp;She said LR 25CA was a “weird dichotomy” between what lawmakers say versus what they do.“I would love to have more women in the body that are parents, more folks of color, working people that can really bring perspectives and advocate for Nebraskans in a way in which I think that doesn’t always happen currently, or in our history,” Spivey said.McKinney said something needs to change, which could help people “who care” decide to run.<h2>‘Another political trap’</h2>State Sen. Rob Dover of Norfolk said the proposal was a good idea but was “probably the right bill at a wrong time.”&nbsp;He pointed to the state’s&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/decrease-in-federal-share-of-nebraska-medicaid-costs-increases-state-budget-shortfall/">$457 million projected budget shortfall for the next two years</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/02/18/preliminary-appropriations-committee-budget-unveiled-includes-pillen-cuts-to-nu/">prior to any legislative action</a>. Dover asked why the proposal was coming up while the state is considering cutting dollars for public health, the University of Nebraska, cancer research, dual credit reimbursement and affordable housing.“It makes no sense to me whatsoever,” Dover said.Dover, who will be term-limited in January 2029, warned his colleagues running for future office that if they voted for the proposal, it was a matter of when, not if, they’d have a mailer attacking them for doing so.Conrad agreed and pointed to former State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha who was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/05/proposal-for-legislative-compensation-commission-advances-from-nebraska-committee/">blasted</a>&nbsp;for a similar 2018 proposal. Conrad said LR 25CA was “nothing more than another political trap.”“It’s not a good faith effort to strengthen the institution,” she said. “It’s an effort to force Nebraska legislators to continually vote on their own pay raise and to use it against them at election time.”Hansen said that if lawmakers do a “crappy job,” which he said he feels has happened in some years, the commission could decide to cut compensation.“They could actually lower our pay, that’s what I love about this,” Hansen said. “The onus is on us, as representatives of the people of Nebraska to do a good job, to listen, to do the people’s work. And if we don’t, we could be SOL.”It will ultimately be up to Speaker Arch whether he reschedules the measure. The proposal has about six hours left on first-round debate and would face two more debates, if advanced.&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/articles.php?article=XVI-1#:~:text=When%20two%20or%20more%20amendments,vote%20on%20each%20amendment%20separately." target="_blank">At least 30 lawmakers</a>&nbsp;would need to approve the bill on final reading.

Debate delayed on proposal to more frequently change Nebraska lawmaker compensation

Alliance, Neb. -&nbsp;In the month of February 2025, the Alliance Police Department received information regarding a manager who works at the Runza restaurant in Alliance, NE.

Law enforcement was informed that this manager (later identified as Tanner Blomenkamp) was engaging in inappropriate and illegal activities with an underage individual. A case was opened, and a subsequent investigation ensued. During this investigation, a cell phone was seized as a result of a search warrant. Based on previously discovered evidence as well as what was located on this cell phone, an arrest warrant was written and signed for Tanner Blomenkamp.

Tanner Blomenkamp W/M DOB 4/9/1993 who resides in Gering, was located and arrested for the following charges: 1) Three counts of Possession of Child Pornography 2) Two counts of Enticement by Electronic Communication 

The Alliance Police Department would like to recognize the officers involved for their hard work and dedication in this case. The Alliance Police Department also recognizes the Nebraska State Patrol, the WING Drug Taskforce, the Box Butte County Sheriff’s Office and the Scottsbluff County Sheriff’s Office for their support and assistance in this case. No further information concerning this case is being released at this time.



<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742223746979.jpeg" alt="Tanner Blomenkamp (Alliance Police Department)" />
 <figcaption>Tanner Blomenkamp (Alliance Police Department)</figcaption>
 </figure>Alliance Police DepartmentAlliance, Neb. -&nbsp;In the month of February 2025, the Alliance Police Department received information regarding a manager who works at the Runza restaurant in Alliance, NE.Law enforcement was informed that this manager (later identified as Tanner Blomenkamp) was engaging in inappropriate and illegal activities with an underage individual. A case was opened, and a subsequent investigation ensued. During this investigation, a cell phone was seized as a result of a search warrant. Based on previously discovered evidence as well as what was located on this cell phone, an arrest warrant was written and signed for Tanner Blomenkamp.Tanner Blomenkamp W/M DOB 4/9/1993 who resides in Gering, was located and arrested for the following charges: 1) Three counts of Possession of Child Pornography 2) Two counts of Enticement by Electronic Communication The Alliance Police Department would like to recognize the officers involved for their hard work and dedication in this case. The Alliance Police Department also recognizes the Nebraska State Patrol, the WING Drug Taskforce, the Box Butte County Sheriff’s Office and the Scottsbluff County Sheriff’s Office for their support and assistance in this case. No further information concerning this case is being released at this time.

Man in the Panhandle Arrested for Child Pornography 

OMAHA, NEB. – The Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation hosted a news conference to emphasize the crucial role agriculture plays in the state’s economy, showcasing its impact on Nebraska's growth and sustainability as they celebrate National Agriculture Day, March 18.

According to economic data, Nebraska’s agricultural sector supports more than 244,000 jobs statewide and contributes $97.4 billion in sales output. The industry also generates over $6 billion in tax revenue, further cementing agriculture as a vital economic driver for the state.

“Nebraska’s agricultural industry continues to be a cornerstone of our economy, providing jobs, economic growth, and tax revenue for our communities,” said Mark McHargue, president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation board of directors. “From small family farms to large agri-businesses, agriculture is integral to every corner of our state.”

Agriculture is responsible for more than 40% of jobs in 54 of Nebraska’s 93 counties, reflecting its far-reaching influence. Douglas County stands out as a major contributor, adding an impressive $3.9 billion in value to the local economy, which is $1 billion more than the next leading county. Lancaster County follows closely, contributing $1.4 billion. Douglas County also leads the state with over 29,000 agriculture-related jobs, solidifying its role as Nebraska's agricultural hub.

“Douglas County’s leadership in agricultural value and job creation highlights the sector’s impact not only in rural areas but also in urban centers,” said David Bracht, president of the Agriculture Council for the Greater Omaha Chamber. “Agriculture offers vast opportunities for Nebraskans, from production and processing to world-leading innovation.”

Agriculture is Nebraska’s driving industry impacting every community across Nebraska-rural and urban. Omaha is a hub for agribusiness creating career opportunities across the agriculture sector.

“Omaha innovators have created a city where you can dig in the dirt or dive into data,” said Sherry Vinton, director of Nebraska Department of Agriculture. “Whether a gearhead, number cruncher, sustainability dreamer or a content creator, Nebraska agriculture has a place for you!”

Agriculture touches everyone’s life! From food on the table to fuel in vehicles and everything in between, agriculture is a part of everything! Today we celebrate National Agriculture Day and the industry that feeds, clothes, and energizes the world!

“Think about everything you’ve done today—the food you ate, the clothes you wore, and the fuel you used to get around—all are made possible by agriculture. The Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness of agriculture’s vital role in both rural communities and urban areas across the state. Agriculture is part of our everyday lives. It starts on the farm and ranch,” McHargue added.

The mission of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation is to engage youth, educators, and the general public to promote an understanding of the vital importance of agriculture in the lives of all Nebraskans. The Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. For more information about the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nefbfoundation.org/" target="_blank">www.nefbfoundation.org</a>.&nbsp;

Nebraska Farm BureauOMAHA, NEB. – The Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation hosted a news conference to emphasize the crucial role agriculture plays in the state’s economy, showcasing its impact on Nebraska's growth and sustainability as they celebrate National Agriculture Day, March 18.According to economic data, Nebraska’s agricultural sector supports more than 244,000 jobs statewide and contributes $97.4 billion in sales output. The industry also generates over $6 billion in tax revenue, further cementing agriculture as a vital economic driver for the state.“Nebraska’s agricultural industry continues to be a cornerstone of our economy, providing jobs, economic growth, and tax revenue for our communities,” said Mark McHargue, president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation board of directors. “From small family farms to large agri-businesses, agriculture is integral to every corner of our state.”Agriculture is responsible for more than 40% of jobs in 54 of Nebraska’s 93 counties, reflecting its far-reaching influence. Douglas County stands out as a major contributor, adding an impressive $3.9 billion in value to the local economy, which is $1 billion more than the next leading county. Lancaster County follows closely, contributing $1.4 billion. Douglas County also leads the state with over 29,000 agriculture-related jobs, solidifying its role as Nebraska's agricultural hub.“Douglas County’s leadership in agricultural value and job creation highlights the sector’s impact not only in rural areas but also in urban centers,” said David Bracht, president of the Agriculture Council for the Greater Omaha Chamber. “Agriculture offers vast opportunities for Nebraskans, from production and processing to world-leading innovation.”Agriculture is Nebraska’s driving industry impacting every community across Nebraska-rural and urban. Omaha is a hub for agribusiness creating career opportunities across the agriculture sector.“Omaha innovators have created a city where you can dig in the dirt or dive into data,” said Sherry Vinton, director of Nebraska Department of Agriculture. “Whether a gearhead, number cruncher, sustainability dreamer or a content creator, Nebraska agriculture has a place for you!”Agriculture touches everyone’s life! From food on the table to fuel in vehicles and everything in between, agriculture is a part of everything! Today we celebrate National Agriculture Day and the industry that feeds, clothes, and energizes the world!“Think about everything you’ve done today—the food you ate, the clothes you wore, and the fuel you used to get around—all are made possible by agriculture. The Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness of agriculture’s vital role in both rural communities and urban areas across the state. Agriculture is part of our everyday lives. It starts on the farm and ranch,” McHargue added.The mission of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation is to engage youth, educators, and the general public to promote an understanding of the vital importance of agriculture in the lives of all Nebraskans. The Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. For more information about the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nefbfoundation.org/" target="_blank">www.nefbfoundation.org</a>.&nbsp;

Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation Highlights Agriculture’s Economic Impact on Omaha and Nebraska

WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a high-stakes phone call Tuesday on the Ukraine-Russia war.

Shortly after the call, the White House released a brief summary of the conversation. It is below.

&nbsp;Today, President Trump and President Putin spoke about the need for peace and a ceasefire in the Ukraine war. Both leaders agreed this conflict needs to end with a lasting peace. They also stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia.

The blood and treasure that both Ukraine and Russia have been spending in this war would be better spent on the needs of their people.
 
This conflict should never have started and should have been ended long ago with sincere and good faith peace efforts.

The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace.

These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East. 
 
The leaders spoke broadly about the Middle East as a region of potential cooperation to prevent future conflicts. They further discussed the need to stop proliferation of strategic weapons and will engage with others to ensure the broadest possible application.

The two leaders shared the view that Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel. 
 
The two leaders agreed that a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia has huge upside. This includes enormous economic deals and geopolitical stability when peace has been achieved.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742207940676.png" alt="File photo President Trump discussed calling Putin during a flight from Florida to Washington on Sunday-image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo President Trump discussed calling Putin during a flight from Florida to Washington on Sunday-image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a high-stakes phone call Tuesday on the Ukraine-Russia war.Shortly after the call, the White House released a brief summary of the conversation. It is below.&nbsp;Today, President Trump and President Putin spoke about the need for peace and a ceasefire in the Ukraine war. Both leaders agreed this conflict needs to end with a lasting peace. They also stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia. The blood and treasure that both Ukraine and Russia have been spending in this war would be better spent on the needs of their people.
 
This conflict should never have started and should have been ended long ago with sincere and good faith peace efforts. The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace. These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East. 
 
The leaders spoke broadly about the Middle East as a region of potential cooperation to prevent future conflicts. They further discussed the need to stop proliferation of strategic weapons and will engage with others to ensure the broadest possible application. The two leaders shared the view that Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel. 
 
The two leaders agreed that a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia has huge upside. This includes enormous economic deals and geopolitical stability when peace has been achieved.

See the readout : Trump and Putin discuss Ukraine-Russia ceasefire deal 

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/caregivers-rally-urge-nebraska-congressional-delegation-to-protect-medicaid/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;The Nebraska Hospital Association and nearly 10 other organizations rallied Monday in defense of Medicaid ahead of federal budget negotiations.

Jeremy Nordquist, a former state senator and president of the Nebraska Hospital Association, led the rally on the west side of the Nebraska State Capitol on Monday. It came after the U.S. House last month passed a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/02/24/congress/mike-johnson-medicaid-cuts-00205771" target="_blank">budget blueprint</a>&nbsp;directing the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/low-hanging-fruit-gop-puts-target-on-green-energy-after-budget-win/" target="_blank">oversees</a>&nbsp;Medicaid, to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/reconciliation-senate-panel-rejects-energy-tweaks-house-plan-in-limbo/" target="_blank">reduce $880 billion in spending</a>&nbsp;over the next 10 years.

“Medicaid is under threat, and that means Nebraska and Nebraska patients are under threat,” Nordquist said.

The resolution doesn’t mention “Medicaid” by name, but the caregivers and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/low-hanging-fruit-gop-puts-target-on-green-energy-after-budget-win/" target="_blank">outside observers</a>&nbsp;have said that with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/medicaid-cover-congress-proposed-budget-cuts-felt-rcna193897" target="_blank">budget goal that high</a>, Medicaid spending would have to be reduced.&nbsp;

The Congressional Budget Office, in a March 5 letter replying to U.S. Reps. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., and Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J., essentially confirmed that there isn’t enough non-Medicaid or Medicare spending to reach the targeted amount of cuts.

Medicaid costs over the next 10 years, estimated at $8.2 trillion, would account for about 93% of all spending under the House committee’s jurisdiction, excluding Medicare, which it estimated would account for $8.8 trillion over the same span.

Monday’s rally sought to highlight the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republicans-split-spending-cuts-medicaid-they-seek-path-forward-trump-tax-cuts-2025-03-16/" target="_blank">potential Medicaid cuts</a>&nbsp;that Nordquist said would touch all Nebraskans, even those who have commercial health coverage and might think, “I’m fine.”

“The reality is, without Medicaid covering care for vulnerable citizens and low-income workers, very little of that care would be paid for, and therefore those services would no longer be sustainable in communities across our state,” Nordquist said.

Nordquist and others asked Nebraska’s all-Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-senate-gop-approved-competing-budget-plans-now-comes-hard-part-rcna193808" target="_blank">congressional delegation</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;U.S. Reps. Mike Flood, Don Bacon and Adrian Smith and U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts —&nbsp;to be “leaders” and “stand up to the efforts to jeopardize health care in our rural state.”

“We know our delegation understands these issues and how vulnerable access to care is across Nebraska,” Nordquist said. “Now it’s time for them to use that knowledge and push back against these proposed cuts.”

Bacon has voiced some concerns about potential Medicaid cuts but said he was assured by GOP leadership “that the final bill will not affect the quality of healthcare covered by Medicaid.”

“They all said the final numbers will be more moderate,” Bacon said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://bacon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2608" target="_blank">Feb. 25 statement</a>&nbsp;after his vote for the resolution. “We’ll have a chance to vote on these two more times to get it right. Therefore, I am supporting the budget reconciliation because I want to secure the border, expand our energy production, improve our military and extend the tax cuts.”

National and local Democrats have targeted Republicans, including Bacon, for the vote and vowed to use it in the 2026 election cycle. Bacon has fended off challengers in each of his past four election cycles.

“Don Bacon can spread all the falsehoods he wants, but there is no escaping the fact that the House Republican budget will result in massive cuts to Medicaid and hurt millions of families. Another fact: Their terrible, unpopular budget will cost Bacon his seat next year,” Justin Chermol, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a recent statement.

Among other organizations in attendance at the rally or supporting the call to action:

Dr. Robert Wergin, a family physician from Seward and president-elect of the Nebraska Medical Association, said physicians can’t “sit idly by” without making clear what is at stake.

“Cuts will hurt the entire health care system in Nebraska, and cuts will ultimately hurt all Nebraskans by decreasing access, increasing costs of health care and hurting our communities,” Wergin said.

Linda Hardy, a registered nurse for more than 48 years and president of the Nebraska Nurses Association, said 79 million Americans rely on Medicaid for health care. This includes preventive care for chronic diseases and prenatal or postpartum care.

Wergin said the “safety net” helps roughly 350,000 Nebraskans, including 180,000 children, and helps pay for care ranging from immunizations and dental care to speech and physical therapies.&nbsp;

Should Medicaid be cut, Wergin and others said it would lead to an elimination of services, exacerbating maternal health care deserts in Nebraska and would increase the burden on Nebraska’s already strained state budget. In a given year, Medicaid contributes $3 billion to the state economy, Wergin said.

Jed Hansen, executive director of the Nebraska Rural Health Association, said the cuts “aren’t just numbers on a budget sheet” and that in rural health care, it’s a “numbers game” where one cut could be the “final blow.”

Amy Behnke, chief executive officer of the Health Center Association of Nebraska, supporting seven community health centers, said Medicaid is integral to patient health and well-being.

Medicaid cuts would eat into services, Behnke said, leading to widespread reductions. Hansen said that when many services are eliminated they don’t come back.

“These cuts translate into real-life consequences: closed hospitals, shuttered clinics and rural families left without access to care that they need,” Hansen said.

Roger Reamer, chief executive officer of Memorial Health Care System in Seward, and Tami Lewis-Ahrendt, chief operating officer of the Lincoln-based nonprofit CenterPointe, also spoke of Medicaid’s importance.

Lewis-Ahrendt said the state’s voter-approved&nbsp;<a href="https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Nebraska-Releases-Plan-for-Medicaid-Expansion.aspx" target="_blank">Medicaid expansion&nbsp;</a>in 2018 has helped the nonprofit provide critical care to 700 more people each month than in 2019. She said many Nebraskans were unable to access care before the expansion, with some delaying care until a crisis arose.

She said it’s not just “numbers on a report” but the “real people,” such as a mother accessing treatment for postpartum depression, a young adult getting support and medication for schizophrenia or an individual in recovery who finally has access to outpatient services.

“Access to Medicaid means more families can find hope in knowing that their loved ones are getting the care they desperately need,” Lewis-Ahrendt said.

Kierstin Reed, chief executive officer of LeadingAge Nebraska, said Medicaid cuts could be detrimental for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, home and community-based services and other post-acute programs.

Reed noted about half of Nebraskans enrolled in Medicaid live in rural communities that have been hit most by the state’s loss of 17% of nursing homes and 11% of assisted living facilities in recent years.

“Families will be forced to shoulder the burden of care for their older family members, which may lead to financial ruin for multiple generations,” Reed said.

Reed and Lewis-Ahrendt said Medicaid “isn’t just about policy.”

“It’s about giving Nebraskans the chance to heal, to thrive, to live in recovery and to contribute fully to our society,” Lewis-Ahrendt said. “That is something worth protecting.”

Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/caregivers-rally-urge-nebraska-congressional-delegation-to-protect-medicaid/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;The Nebraska Hospital Association and nearly 10 other organizations rallied Monday in defense of Medicaid ahead of federal budget negotiations.Jeremy Nordquist, a former state senator and president of the Nebraska Hospital Association, led the rally on the west side of the Nebraska State Capitol on Monday. It came after the U.S. House last month passed a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/02/24/congress/mike-johnson-medicaid-cuts-00205771" target="_blank">budget blueprint</a>&nbsp;directing the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/low-hanging-fruit-gop-puts-target-on-green-energy-after-budget-win/" target="_blank">oversees</a>&nbsp;Medicaid, to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/reconciliation-senate-panel-rejects-energy-tweaks-house-plan-in-limbo/" target="_blank">reduce $880 billion in spending</a>&nbsp;over the next 10 years.“Medicaid is under threat, and that means Nebraska and Nebraska patients are under threat,” Nordquist said.The resolution doesn’t mention “Medicaid” by name, but the caregivers and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/low-hanging-fruit-gop-puts-target-on-green-energy-after-budget-win/" target="_blank">outside observers</a>&nbsp;have said that with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/medicaid-cover-congress-proposed-budget-cuts-felt-rcna193897" target="_blank">budget goal that high</a>, Medicaid spending would have to be reduced.&nbsp;The Congressional Budget Office, in a March 5 letter replying to U.S. Reps. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., and Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J., essentially confirmed that there isn’t enough non-Medicaid or Medicare spending to reach the targeted amount of cuts.Medicaid costs over the next 10 years, estimated at $8.2 trillion, would account for about 93% of all spending under the House committee’s jurisdiction, excluding Medicare, which it estimated would account for $8.8 trillion over the same span.Monday’s rally sought to highlight the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republicans-split-spending-cuts-medicaid-they-seek-path-forward-trump-tax-cuts-2025-03-16/" target="_blank">potential Medicaid cuts</a>&nbsp;that Nordquist said would touch all Nebraskans, even those who have commercial health coverage and might think, “I’m fine.”“The reality is, without Medicaid covering care for vulnerable citizens and low-income workers, very little of that care would be paid for, and therefore those services would no longer be sustainable in communities across our state,” Nordquist said.<h2>Nebraska federal delegation</h2>Nordquist and others asked Nebraska’s all-Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-senate-gop-approved-competing-budget-plans-now-comes-hard-part-rcna193808" target="_blank">congressional delegation</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;U.S. Reps. Mike Flood, Don Bacon and Adrian Smith and U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts —&nbsp;to be “leaders” and “stand up to the efforts to jeopardize health care in our rural state.”“We know our delegation understands these issues and how vulnerable access to care is across Nebraska,” Nordquist said. “Now it’s time for them to use that knowledge and push back against these proposed cuts.”Bacon has voiced some concerns about potential Medicaid cuts but said he was assured by GOP leadership “that the final bill will not affect the quality of healthcare covered by Medicaid.”“They all said the final numbers will be more moderate,” Bacon said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://bacon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2608" target="_blank">Feb. 25 statement</a>&nbsp;after his vote for the resolution. “We’ll have a chance to vote on these two more times to get it right. Therefore, I am supporting the budget reconciliation because I want to secure the border, expand our energy production, improve our military and extend the tax cuts.”National and local Democrats have targeted Republicans, including Bacon, for the vote and vowed to use it in the 2026 election cycle. Bacon has fended off challengers in each of his past four election cycles.“Don Bacon can spread all the falsehoods he wants, but there is no escaping the fact that the House Republican budget will result in massive cuts to Medicaid and hurt millions of families. Another fact: Their terrible, unpopular budget will cost Bacon his seat next year,” Justin Chermol, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a recent statement.<h2>Organizations join call to action</h2>Among other organizations in attendance at the rally or supporting the call to action:<ul>
 <li>Nebraska Medical Association.</li><li>Nebraska Nurses Association.</li><li>LeadingAge Nebraska.</li><li>Health Center Association of Nebraska.</li><li>Nebraska Association of Behavioral Health Organizations.</li><li>Nebraska Rural Health Association.</li><li>Nebraska Nurse Practitioners.</li><li>Nebraska Pharmacists Association.</li><li>Nebraska Home Care Association.</li>
 </ul>Dr. Robert Wergin, a family physician from Seward and president-elect of the Nebraska Medical Association, said physicians can’t “sit idly by” without making clear what is at stake.“Cuts will hurt the entire health care system in Nebraska, and cuts will ultimately hurt all Nebraskans by decreasing access, increasing costs of health care and hurting our communities,” Wergin said.Linda Hardy, a registered nurse for more than 48 years and president of the Nebraska Nurses Association, said 79 million Americans rely on Medicaid for health care. This includes preventive care for chronic diseases and prenatal or postpartum care.Wergin said the “safety net” helps roughly 350,000 Nebraskans, including 180,000 children, and helps pay for care ranging from immunizations and dental care to speech and physical therapies.&nbsp;Should Medicaid be cut, Wergin and others said it would lead to an elimination of services, exacerbating maternal health care deserts in Nebraska and would increase the burden on Nebraska’s already strained state budget. In a given year, Medicaid contributes $3 billion to the state economy, Wergin said.<h2>Impact to services</h2>Jed Hansen, executive director of the Nebraska Rural Health Association, said the cuts “aren’t just numbers on a budget sheet” and that in rural health care, it’s a “numbers game” where one cut could be the “final blow.”Amy Behnke, chief executive officer of the Health Center Association of Nebraska, supporting seven community health centers, said Medicaid is integral to patient health and well-being.Medicaid cuts would eat into services, Behnke said, leading to widespread reductions. Hansen said that when many services are eliminated they don’t come back.“These cuts translate into real-life consequences: closed hospitals, shuttered clinics and rural families left without access to care that they need,” Hansen said.<h2>‘Isn’t just about policy’</h2>Roger Reamer, chief executive officer of Memorial Health Care System in Seward, and Tami Lewis-Ahrendt, chief operating officer of the Lincoln-based nonprofit CenterPointe, also spoke of Medicaid’s importance.Lewis-Ahrendt said the state’s voter-approved&nbsp;<a href="https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Nebraska-Releases-Plan-for-Medicaid-Expansion.aspx" target="_blank">Medicaid expansion&nbsp;</a>in 2018 has helped the nonprofit provide critical care to 700 more people each month than in 2019. She said many Nebraskans were unable to access care before the expansion, with some delaying care until a crisis arose.She said it’s not just “numbers on a report” but the “real people,” such as a mother accessing treatment for postpartum depression, a young adult getting support and medication for schizophrenia or an individual in recovery who finally has access to outpatient services.“Access to Medicaid means more families can find hope in knowing that their loved ones are getting the care they desperately need,” Lewis-Ahrendt said.Kierstin Reed, chief executive officer of LeadingAge Nebraska, said Medicaid cuts could be detrimental for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, home and community-based services and other post-acute programs.Reed noted about half of Nebraskans enrolled in Medicaid live in rural communities that have been hit most by the state’s loss of 17% of nursing homes and 11% of assisted living facilities in recent years.“Families will be forced to shoulder the burden of care for their older family members, which may lead to financial ruin for multiple generations,” Reed said.Reed and Lewis-Ahrendt said Medicaid “isn’t just about policy.”“It’s about giving Nebraskans the chance to heal, to thrive, to live in recovery and to contribute fully to our society,” Lewis-Ahrendt said. “That is something worth protecting.”

Caregivers rally, urge Nebraskans in Congress to protect Medicaid

Nebraska Department of Transporation

 (Grand Island, Neb.) — Work continues on Interstate 80 (I-80), from reference post 254+80 to reference post 263+70 in Dawson and Buffalo counties, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.  

Koss Construction of Topeka, Kansas, is the contractor for this project. Work includes of full depth concrete replacement of I-80 in the westbound direction of travel, two bridge widening and re-decks, and a box culvert will be built to replace a bridge.  At US-183 and the Elm Creek Interchange there will be concrete joint sealing work, and the Elm Creek ramps will be replaced up to the gore. 

Additionally, guardrail work has begun along the project route. Traffic will be placed in a head-to-head configuration on April 1, weather permitting, using temporary traffic control devices in the eastbound lanes while the westbound lanes are being constructed during the 2025 construction season. A 10-foot width restriction will be enforced throughout the project.  Anticipated completion remains spring 2026. 

Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously in and near work zones, to buckle up, and to put phones down. 

Nebraska Department of Transporation (Grand Island, Neb.) — Work continues on Interstate 80 (I-80), from reference post 254+80 to reference post 263+70 in Dawson and Buffalo counties, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation. Koss Construction of Topeka, Kansas, is the contractor for this project. Work includes of full depth concrete replacement of I-80 in the westbound direction of travel, two bridge widening and re-decks, and a box culvert will be built to replace a bridge. At US-183 and the Elm Creek Interchange there will be concrete joint sealing work, and the Elm Creek ramps will be replaced up to the gore. Additionally, guardrail work has begun along the project route. Traffic will be placed in a head-to-head configuration on April 1, weather permitting, using temporary traffic control devices in the eastbound lanes while the westbound lanes are being constructed during the 2025 construction season. A 10-foot width restriction will be enforced throughout the project. Anticipated completion remains spring 2026. Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously in and near work zones, to buckle up, and to put phones down.

Work continues on I-80 In Central Nebraska, Dawson County Line – Odessa

&nbsp;(LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;—&nbsp; Nebraska State Troopers removed 15 impaired drivers from the road during the Boys State Basketball tournament, thanks in part to a special enforcement effort including troopers across the state.

From Wednesday, March 12, through Saturday, March 15, troopers arrested 15 people for driving under the influence. Troopers also stopped 19 drivers for speeding at 100 miles per hour or more.

“Congratulations to all the teams who claimed state titles, and to all teams that made it to this year’s state tournaments,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Thank you to all the teams and their fans for helping to keep Nebraska roads safe. While the games may be over, we want to encourage everyone to continue to practice safe driving habits during future travel weekends.

In addition to the 15 individuals arrested for impaired driving, troopers issued citations for speeding (438), open alcohol container (11), driving under suspension (20), no seat belt (11), improper child restraints (5), and minor in possession (5). Troopers also completed 150 motorist assists.

The campaign ran from Wednesday, March 12, through Saturday, March 15. This effort was made possible thanks in part to grant funding from the Nebraska Department of Transportation – Highway Safety Office.

Cody ThomasNebraska State Patrol&nbsp;(LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;—&nbsp; Nebraska State Troopers removed 15 impaired drivers from the road during the Boys State Basketball tournament, thanks in part to a special enforcement effort including troopers across the state.From Wednesday, March 12, through Saturday, March 15, troopers arrested 15 people for driving under the influence. Troopers also stopped 19 drivers for speeding at 100 miles per hour or more.“Congratulations to all the teams who claimed state titles, and to all teams that made it to this year’s state tournaments,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Thank you to all the teams and their fans for helping to keep Nebraska roads safe. While the games may be over, we want to encourage everyone to continue to practice safe driving habits during future travel weekends.In addition to the 15 individuals arrested for impaired driving, troopers issued citations for speeding (438), open alcohol container (11), driving under suspension (20), no seat belt (11), improper child restraints (5), and minor in possession (5). Troopers also completed 150 motorist assists.The campaign ran from Wednesday, March 12, through Saturday, March 15. This effort was made possible thanks in part to grant funding from the Nebraska Department of Transportation – Highway Safety Office.

 Troopers Arrest 15 Impaired Drivers During Boys State Basketball

March 17, 2025 (Omaha, Neb.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol, with assistance from several partner agencies, have made an arrest following an aerial pursuit of a motorcycle in and around the Omaha area Sunday evening.

At approximately 8:35 p.m. Sunday, a trooper observed a motorcycle with no license plate driving near 30th&nbsp;Street and Interstate 480 in Omaha. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the rider accelerated and fled. The trooper did not pursue and notified the Omaha Police Department’s ABLE-1, which immediately began following the motorcycle from the air.

ABLE-1 pilots monitored the motorcycle as it drove recklessly throughout areas of Omaha and Council Bluffs over the next 75 minutes. Pilots relayed information to troopers and officers on the ground. At times, the motorcycle drove on sidewalks and medians as well as in the wrong lane of travel. The motorcycle reached speeds over 100 miles per hour.

At approximately 9:50 p.m., the motorcycle was traveling at low speeds on Marcy Street near 46th&nbsp;Street, where it struck a parked vehicle. Troopers discovered that the motorcycle was stolen, and the rider had an active warrant. The rider was also found to be in possession of 81 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

The rider, Dakota Culbertson, 33, of Lincoln, was transported to UNMC and treated for minor injuries. He was then lodged in Douglas County Jail for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, possession of methamphetamine, possession with intent to deliver, theft by receiving stolen property - $5,000+, numerous traffic violations, no motorcycle license, and the active warrant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716320706146.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Cody ThomasNebraska State PatrolMarch 17, 2025 (Omaha, Neb.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol, with assistance from several partner agencies, have made an arrest following an aerial pursuit of a motorcycle in and around the Omaha area Sunday evening.At approximately 8:35 p.m. Sunday, a trooper observed a motorcycle with no license plate driving near 30th&nbsp;Street and Interstate 480 in Omaha. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the rider accelerated and fled. The trooper did not pursue and notified the Omaha Police Department’s ABLE-1, which immediately began following the motorcycle from the air.ABLE-1 pilots monitored the motorcycle as it drove recklessly throughout areas of Omaha and Council Bluffs over the next 75 minutes. Pilots relayed information to troopers and officers on the ground. At times, the motorcycle drove on sidewalks and medians as well as in the wrong lane of travel. The motorcycle reached speeds over 100 miles per hour.At approximately 9:50 p.m., the motorcycle was traveling at low speeds on Marcy Street near 46th&nbsp;Street, where it struck a parked vehicle. Troopers discovered that the motorcycle was stolen, and the rider had an active warrant. The rider was also found to be in possession of 81 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.The rider, Dakota Culbertson, 33, of Lincoln, was transported to UNMC and treated for minor injuries. He was then lodged in Douglas County Jail for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, possession of methamphetamine, possession with intent to deliver, theft by receiving stolen property - $5,000+, numerous traffic violations, no motorcycle license, and the active warrant.

Troopers Arrest One In Eastern Nebraska With Assist from OPD Aviation Unit

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/15/bill-to-benefit-nebraska-immigrant-dreamers-squashed-after-trump-order/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A proposed Nebraska law that had bipartisan support and would have benefited immigrant “Dreamers” has been crushed under the weight of a Trump administration threat that the state could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid.

<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Intro/LB299.pdf" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 299</a>, in part, sought to align Nebraska with what advocates said already had been the practice of most, if not all, other states: allowing immigrants who have legal permission to work in the U.S. but lack permanent residency access to the unemployment insurance benefits their employers pay into.

Before the bill’s sponsors backed off Thursday, LB 299 had cleared a few key hurdles, including a March 6 vote by the Legislature’s Business and Labor Committee that poised the measure for debate by the state’s full lawmaking body.

But a Feb. 19&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/ending-taxpayer-subsidization-of-open-borders/" target="_blank">executive order</a>&nbsp;from President Donald Trump titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders” has since come into play.&nbsp;

State Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner withdrew her name Thursday from the bill. Co-sponsor State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha said she saw no alternative but to drop the effort this year.

Proponents said they were maddened by the latest twist for the proposed law that had gained support from a range of business and civic groups.&nbsp;

A leader of the religious coalition Omaha Together One Community told the Nebraska Examiner on Friday that its members are “outraged.”

“The fact that the federal government would swoop in and block a bill that clearly represented the will of Nebraskans is a blatant insult to our state and should not be tolerated,” said Kathleen Grant.&nbsp;

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s spokesperson, Laura Strimple, said Friday that the governor was pleased with the recent turn of events.&nbsp;

“Governor Pillen strongly opposes giving taxpayer benefits to illegal aliens and is pleased the Legislature will not act on this bill further this session,” she said.

LB 299 sponsors said the bill primarily would have impacted so-called “Dreamers,” who grew up in the U.S. after being brought here illegally as minors by their parents and who obtained legal permission, under the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, to work and live in the country.&nbsp;

DACA recipients don’t have permanent residency, and the program has been challenged in court.

LB 299, they said, also was designed to benefit asylum-seekers who have been granted work authorization while their requests are reviewed and others with Temporary Protected Status, which is granted when returning to a person’s home country is unsafe due to natural disaster, extraordinary conditions or war.

While advocates have mostly focused on opening the door to unemployment benefits, the bill called for “eligible aliens” who are employed in Nebraska to have access to the same public employment benefits offered to any other similarly situated employee, with a few exceptions. Access included participation in certain public retirement and deferred compensation programs.

There’s no way I can fight a threat like that.

– State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha

The 6-0 legislative committee vote that pushed the bill to the debate stage came after state and federal labor officials had resolved what Ibach described last week as a “technical” problem with the bill.

The concern was raised during a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/02/10/nebraska-lawmakers-hear-support-for-opening-unemployment-insurance-to-immigrant-dreamers/">Feb. 10 public hearing</a>. Nebraska Labor Commissioner Katie Thurber told lawmakers that LB 299, as then drafted, could cost the state more than $400 million in federal tax credits.&nbsp;

She said the original language was too broad, created a new state definition for “eligible alien” and would allow benefits even if the immigrant lost legal authorization to work in the U.S.

Ibach and Juarez believed that&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/bill-to-open-unemployment-benefits-to-immigrant-dreamers-advances-to-legislative-debate/">the path had been smoothed</a>&nbsp;— until, they said, a federal labor official reached out to the state Labor Department and Pillen’s office this week, bringing up the Feb. 19 executive order.&nbsp;

Juarez said she was caught off guard and was told that millions of dollars were at risk. “There’s no way I can fight a threat like that.”

Thurber, in a statement to the Examiner on Friday, said that while an amendment addressed an initial concern, “the situation has become complicated with recently proposed federal actions.”

She said, for example, the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services on March 10 issued a proposed rule removing DACA recipients from the definition of “lawfully present” for the purposes of eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. “This coupled with the executive order from President Trump … makes it clear that extending benefits to illegal immigrants, including DACA recipients, is in direct conflict with federal policy.”

Thurber said the bill “poses significant risk that Nebraska’s unemployment insurance system could face consequences if it goes against federal directives” aimed at illegal immigration.

The Trump order, citing a 1996 federal law, said the law “generally prohibits illegal aliens from obtaining most taxpayer-funded benefits.”

The directive gave federal agencies and the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, 30 days to identify federally-funded programs that “permit illegal aliens to obtain any cash or non-cash public benefit.”&nbsp;

Ibach said she retreated from LB 299 after Pillen’s staff alerted her to the executive order and potential fallout.&nbsp;

“We were disappointed but thankful the Governor’s Office called our attention to the reality of how LB 299 was going to be framed going forward,” she said.

Nick Grandgenett, an attorney with Nebraska Appleseed, views the executive order as applicable to federal public benefits and said the proposed legislation pertained to state employment benefits.

“It really is outside the scope of that executive order,” he said.

But adding the Trump order to an already complex marriage of immigration and employment systems muddies the waters, he said.

“I don’t think there is truly a problem with the bill,” Grandgenett said. “The confusion is kind of winning the day.”

State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha said the situation signals trouble for Nebraska. She characterized LB 299 as an important bill with bipartisan support and challenged Nebraska Republican officials at all levels of government to stand up.

“When we have people in leadership not standing up for vulnerable populations like those covered in this bill, then we are going to be in a really bad place,” she said.

Representatives of organizations such as the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nebraska Catholic Conference, and the Nebraska Alliance for Thriving Communities spoke in support of the bill during the public hearing. The alliance is a coalition that includes labor unions, hospitals, banks, cattlemen and pork producers.

Ibach sees the effort as dead for now, unless labor officials can find a path forward. She said she’d continue to work on immigration and DACA reform.

Juarez said she had made LB 299 her priority bill because she felt strongly that the targeted immigrant populations working with U.S. authorization deserved access to benefits — and that Nebraska businesses needed their talent.&nbsp;

She said she is left “extremely frustrated,” but won’t give up and hopes for a revival during a different legislative session.

Cindy Gonzalez<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/15/bill-to-benefit-nebraska-immigrant-dreamers-squashed-after-trump-order/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A proposed Nebraska law that had bipartisan support and would have benefited immigrant “Dreamers” has been crushed under the weight of a Trump administration threat that the state could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid.<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Intro/LB299.pdf" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 299</a>, in part, sought to align Nebraska with what advocates said already had been the practice of most, if not all, other states: allowing immigrants who have legal permission to work in the U.S. but lack permanent residency access to the unemployment insurance benefits their employers pay into.Before the bill’s sponsors backed off Thursday, LB 299 had cleared a few key hurdles, including a March 6 vote by the Legislature’s Business and Labor Committee that poised the measure for debate by the state’s full lawmaking body.But a Feb. 19&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/ending-taxpayer-subsidization-of-open-borders/" target="_blank">executive order</a>&nbsp;from President Donald Trump titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders” has since come into play.&nbsp;<h2>‘Outraged’</h2>State Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner withdrew her name Thursday from the bill. Co-sponsor State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha said she saw no alternative but to drop the effort this year.Proponents said they were maddened by the latest twist for the proposed law that had gained support from a range of business and civic groups.&nbsp;A leader of the religious coalition Omaha Together One Community told the Nebraska Examiner on Friday that its members are “outraged.”“The fact that the federal government would swoop in and block a bill that clearly represented the will of Nebraskans is a blatant insult to our state and should not be tolerated,” said Kathleen Grant.&nbsp;Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s spokesperson, Laura Strimple, said Friday that the governor was pleased with the recent turn of events.&nbsp;“Governor Pillen strongly opposes giving taxpayer benefits to illegal aliens and is pleased the Legislature will not act on this bill further this session,” she said.<h2>‘Technical’ problem</h2>LB 299 sponsors said the bill primarily would have impacted so-called “Dreamers,” who grew up in the U.S. after being brought here illegally as minors by their parents and who obtained legal permission, under the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, to work and live in the country.&nbsp;DACA recipients don’t have permanent residency, and the program has been challenged in court.LB 299, they said, also was designed to benefit asylum-seekers who have been granted work authorization while their requests are reviewed and others with Temporary Protected Status, which is granted when returning to a person’s home country is unsafe due to natural disaster, extraordinary conditions or war.While advocates have mostly focused on opening the door to unemployment benefits, the bill called for “eligible aliens” who are employed in Nebraska to have access to the same public employment benefits offered to any other similarly situated employee, with a few exceptions. Access included participation in certain public retirement and deferred compensation programs.There’s no way I can fight a threat like that.– State Sen. Margo Juarez of OmahaThe 6-0 legislative committee vote that pushed the bill to the debate stage came after state and federal labor officials had resolved what Ibach described last week as a “technical” problem with the bill.The concern was raised during a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/02/10/nebraska-lawmakers-hear-support-for-opening-unemployment-insurance-to-immigrant-dreamers/">Feb. 10 public hearing</a>. Nebraska Labor Commissioner Katie Thurber told lawmakers that LB 299, as then drafted, could cost the state more than $400 million in federal tax credits.&nbsp;She said the original language was too broad, created a new state definition for “eligible alien” and would allow benefits even if the immigrant lost legal authorization to work in the U.S.Ibach and Juarez believed that&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/bill-to-open-unemployment-benefits-to-immigrant-dreamers-advances-to-legislative-debate/">the path had been smoothed</a>&nbsp;— until, they said, a federal labor official reached out to the state Labor Department and Pillen’s office this week, bringing up the Feb. 19 executive order.&nbsp;Juarez said she was caught off guard and was told that millions of dollars were at risk. “There’s no way I can fight a threat like that.”<h2>Situation grew ‘complicated’</h2>Thurber, in a statement to the Examiner on Friday, said that while an amendment addressed an initial concern, “the situation has become complicated with recently proposed federal actions.”She said, for example, the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services on March 10 issued a proposed rule removing DACA recipients from the definition of “lawfully present” for the purposes of eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. “This coupled with the executive order from President Trump … makes it clear that extending benefits to illegal immigrants, including DACA recipients, is in direct conflict with federal policy.”Thurber said the bill “poses significant risk that Nebraska’s unemployment insurance system could face consequences if it goes against federal directives” aimed at illegal immigration.The Trump order, citing a 1996 federal law, said the law “generally prohibits illegal aliens from obtaining most taxpayer-funded benefits.”The directive gave federal agencies and the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, 30 days to identify federally-funded programs that “permit illegal aliens to obtain any cash or non-cash public benefit.”&nbsp;Ibach said she retreated from LB 299 after Pillen’s staff alerted her to the executive order and potential fallout.&nbsp;“We were disappointed but thankful the Governor’s Office called our attention to the reality of how LB 299 was going to be framed going forward,” she said.Nick Grandgenett, an attorney with Nebraska Appleseed, views the executive order as applicable to federal public benefits and said the proposed legislation pertained to state employment benefits.“It really is outside the scope of that executive order,” he said.But adding the Trump order to an already complex marriage of immigration and employment systems muddies the waters, he said.“I don’t think there is truly a problem with the bill,” Grandgenett said. “The confusion is kind of winning the day.”<h2>‘Really bad place’</h2>State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha said the situation signals trouble for Nebraska. She characterized LB 299 as an important bill with bipartisan support and challenged Nebraska Republican officials at all levels of government to stand up.“When we have people in leadership not standing up for vulnerable populations like those covered in this bill, then we are going to be in a really bad place,” she said.Representatives of organizations such as the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nebraska Catholic Conference, and the Nebraska Alliance for Thriving Communities spoke in support of the bill during the public hearing. The alliance is a coalition that includes labor unions, hospitals, banks, cattlemen and pork producers.Ibach sees the effort as dead for now, unless labor officials can find a path forward. She said she’d continue to work on immigration and DACA reform.Juarez said she had made LB 299 her priority bill because she felt strongly that the targeted immigrant populations working with U.S. authorization deserved access to benefits — and that Nebraska businesses needed their talent.&nbsp;She said she is left “extremely frustrated,” but won’t give up and hopes for a revival during a different legislative session.

Bill to benefit Nebraska immigrant ‘Dreamers’ squashed after Trump order

A U.S. airstrike in Iraq last week killed the Islamic State terror network's No. 2 leader, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

&nbsp;On March 13, U.S. Central Command forces, in cooperation with Iraqi Intelligence and Security Forces, conducted a precision airstrike in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, that killed the Global ISIS #2 leader, chief of operations and the Delegated Committee Emir – Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, alias “Abu Khadijah”, and one other ISIS operative.

As the Emir of ISIS’ most senior decision-making body, Abu Khadijah maintained responsibility for operations, logistics, and planning conducted by ISIS globally, and directs a significant portion of finance for the group’s global organization.

After the strike, CENTCOM and Iraqi forces moved to the strike site and found both dead ISIS operatives. Both terrorists were wearing unexploded “suicide vests” and had multiple weapons. CENTCOM and Iraqi forces were able to identify Abu Khadijah through a DNA match from DNA collected on a previous raid where Abu Khadijah narrowly escaped.

“Abu Khadijah was one of the most important ISIS members in the entire global ISIS organization. We will continue to kill terrorists and dismantle their organizations that threaten our homeland and U.S., allied and partner personnel in the region and beyond,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander, U.S. Central Command.

A U.S. airstrike in Iraq last week killed the Islamic State terror network's No. 2 leader, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.&nbsp;On March 13, U.S. Central Command forces, in cooperation with Iraqi Intelligence and Security Forces, conducted a precision airstrike in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, that killed the Global ISIS #2 leader, chief of operations and the Delegated Committee Emir – Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, alias “Abu Khadijah”, and one other ISIS operative.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">CENTCOM Forces Kill ISIS Chief of Global Operations Who Also Served as ISIS #2 On March 13, U.S. Central Command forces, in cooperation with Iraqi Intelligence and Security Forces, conducted a precision airstrike in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, that killed the Global ISIS #2 leader,… <a href="https://t.co/rWeEoUY7Lw">pic.twitter.com/rWeEoUY7Lw</a>&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1900737395915440260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>As the Emir of ISIS’ most senior decision-making body, Abu Khadijah maintained responsibility for operations, logistics, and planning conducted by ISIS globally, and directs a significant portion of finance for the group’s global organization.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;Today the fugitive leader of ISIS in Iraq was killed. He was relentlessly hunted down by our intrepid warfighters. His miserable life was terminated, along with another member of ISIS, in coordination with the Iraqi Government and the Kurdish Regional Government. PEACE THROUGH… <a href="https://t.co/gB68jMpd64">pic.twitter.com/gB68jMpd64</a>&mdash; President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1900741103424286723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>After the strike, CENTCOM and Iraqi forces moved to the strike site and found both dead ISIS operatives. Both terrorists were wearing unexploded “suicide vests” and had multiple weapons. CENTCOM and Iraqi forces were able to identify Abu Khadijah through a DNA match from DNA collected on a previous raid where Abu Khadijah narrowly escaped.“Abu Khadijah was one of the most important ISIS members in the entire global ISIS organization. We will continue to kill terrorists and dismantle their organizations that threaten our homeland and U.S., allied and partner personnel in the region and beyond,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander, U.S. Central Command.

🎥Trump: ISIS leader’s 'miserable life' ended in US strike in Iraq

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Two Lincoln state senators clashed Friday at a hearing over a governor-backed priority to reconsider what to do with Nebraska retirement plans once they are fully funded, starting with schools.

The proposal in question,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59645&amp;docnum=LB645&amp;leg=109" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 645</a>&nbsp;by State Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln, seeks to lower annual contribution rates to the statewide school retirement plan for eligible teachers and school employees, excluding those in the Omaha Public Schools, who have a separate retirement plan.

The initial bill, introduced at Gov. Jim Pillen’s request, had received<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/02/03/school-retirement-changes-to-play-role-in-nebraska-school-funding-budget-conversations/">&nbsp;broad condemnation from the Nebraska State Education Association and teachers statewide</a>, prior to a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/AM/AM248.pdf" target="_blank">latest amendment</a>&nbsp;that shifted the NSEA to neutral because it would lower the payroll deductions for employees, increasing take-home pay.

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, the current Legislature’s longest-serving lawmaker in her 11th year, repeatedly asked Ballard if lawmakers should pause given “great risk and significant economic volatility.”&nbsp;

She also pinned Ballard over whether he would have proceeded differently knowing the “heartache” that teachers had over the version of LB 645 that he introduced on the last day of bill introductions without much heads up.

Part of that opposition came because NSEA leaders described the bill as a “raid” on the retirement fund, which Ballard and the governor’s staff adamantly denied and said was never an option.

“If you had to do it over again would you proceed forward in such a haphazard and careless manner, or would you have clearer communication and more stakeholder buy-in?” Conrad asked.

“I disagree with your framing,” Ballard, chair of the Retirement Committee, responded. “I was confident in my ability to bring stakeholders to the table and talk about a reduction for teachers, and I think that this is going to be a huge win.”

The Lincoln senators faced the closest committee chair election on the first day of the 2025 legislative session for the Retirement Committee. After a 24-24 vote,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/08/first-day-of-2025-nebraska-legislature-underscores-conservative-stronghold/">Ballard prevailed over Conrad by one vote</a>, 25-24.

This is Ballard’s first year on the committee, while it is Conrad’s fifth. During Conrad’s first stint in the Legislature, 2007 to 2015, she was part of a major 2013 compromise partly led by three key school organizations to keep the retirement plan afloat after rough economic downturns.

Those compromises have since brought the school retirement plan from around 77.1% actuarially funded to 99.9% as of last summer, which led to LB 645. The&nbsp;<a href="https://npers.ne.gov/SelfService/public/howto/publications/ActuarialReports/ActuaryJudges2024.pdf" target="_blank">retirement plan for judges</a>&nbsp;is also fully funded, which Ballard told Conrad he is open to modifying.

The school retirement plan is annually funded via&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=79-958" target="_blank">contributions</a>&nbsp;from:

Statewide school employee payroll for this fiscal year was estimated to be about&nbsp;<a href="https://npers.ne.gov/SelfService/public/howto/publications/ActuarialReports/ActuarySchool2024.pdf" target="_blank">$2.5 billion</a>.

When the plan requires more funding than legally required, the obligation falls on the state, which was the case in 2013. The compromise that year&nbsp;was championed in part by the NSEA, Nebraska Association of School Boards and Nebraska Council of School Administrators to provide long-term stability to the plan and lower the shortfall that the state needed to cover.

The NSEA&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/12/not-quite-there-yet-nebraska-teachers-union-now-neutral-on-proposed-retirement-tweaks/">shifted its stance</a>&nbsp;on LB 645 after a Feb. 13 amendment from Ballard was introduced to streamline stepped-down contributions for the state and employees to three tiers, based on whether the plan is less than 96% actuarially funded, 96% to less than 100% actuarially funded or fully funded.

At 96% funding, the contributions drop to 0.7% of statewide school employee payroll for the state and 7.28% of payroll for employees. Once the plan is fully funded, the state would fully pull out of annual contributions, while teachers would remain at the 7.28% level.

If the plan is less than 96% funded, contribution levels would return to the current levels.

School districts are currently set at&nbsp;101% of what employees contribute, equating to 9.88% of employee payroll.&nbsp;Ballard’s amendment would lock that 9.88% contribution into law, foregoing a benefit to the school districts funded by property taxes or state tax dollars.

Jeremy Knajdl, business manager for Minden Public Schools in central Nebraska, said employers would effectively pay the same portion of payroll taxes if LB 645 is adopted.&nbsp;However, he said employers would end up paying about 136% of what employees contribute under lowered contribution rates.

The state would receive its modified contribution rate after the start of each fiscal year on July 1, but employees would get a new contribution rate after Jan. 1 of each year.

Knajdl, representing the Nebraska Council of School Administrators, told the committee that this timing could be hard for some employees who go into winter break with one paycheck and then come back facing a 2.5% increase in required contributions, lowering their take-home pay.

Colby Coash, a former Lincoln state senator representing the Nebraska Association of School Boards, said leaving the plan alone makes sense.

“It’s always when things are good, pull money out, it changes, and then you’re not able to be responsive to that,” Coash said.

However, Coash said, if state and employee contributions are lowered, employers should receive an adjustment, too, which he noted would help lower property taxes. His legislative tenure between 2009 and 2017 crossed paths with Conrad and included the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=18547" target="_blank">2013 retirement compromise</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/103/PDF/Journal/r1journal.pdf#page=1348" target="_blank">both supported</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742216344443.jpeg" alt="State Sens. Danielle Conrad and Beau Ballard, both of Lincoln, clashed at a Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee hearing regarding a proposal to change annual contribution levels to the state's school retirement plan, depending on actuarial funding levels. The Lincoln senators vied for the committee chair position in January. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sens. Danielle Conrad and Beau Ballard, both of Lincoln, clashed at a Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee hearing regarding a proposal to change annual contribution levels to the state's school retirement plan, depending on actuarial funding levels. The Lincoln senators vied for the committee chair position in January. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Two Lincoln state senators clashed Friday at a hearing over a governor-backed priority to reconsider what to do with Nebraska retirement plans once they are fully funded, starting with schools.The proposal in question,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59645&amp;docnum=LB645&amp;leg=109" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 645</a>&nbsp;by State Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln, seeks to lower annual contribution rates to the statewide school retirement plan for eligible teachers and school employees, excluding those in the Omaha Public Schools, who have a separate retirement plan.The initial bill, introduced at Gov. Jim Pillen’s request, had received<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/02/03/school-retirement-changes-to-play-role-in-nebraska-school-funding-budget-conversations/">&nbsp;broad condemnation from the Nebraska State Education Association and teachers statewide</a>, prior to a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/AM/AM248.pdf" target="_blank">latest amendment</a>&nbsp;that shifted the NSEA to neutral because it would lower the payroll deductions for employees, increasing take-home pay.State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, the current Legislature’s longest-serving lawmaker in her 11th year, repeatedly asked Ballard if lawmakers should pause given “great risk and significant economic volatility.”&nbsp;She also pinned Ballard over whether he would have proceeded differently knowing the “heartache” that teachers had over the version of LB 645 that he introduced on the last day of bill introductions without much heads up.Part of that opposition came because NSEA leaders described the bill as a “raid” on the retirement fund, which Ballard and the governor’s staff adamantly denied and said was never an option.“If you had to do it over again would you proceed forward in such a haphazard and careless manner, or would you have clearer communication and more stakeholder buy-in?” Conrad asked.“I disagree with your framing,” Ballard, chair of the Retirement Committee, responded. “I was confident in my ability to bring stakeholders to the table and talk about a reduction for teachers, and I think that this is going to be a huge win.”The Lincoln senators faced the closest committee chair election on the first day of the 2025 legislative session for the Retirement Committee. After a 24-24 vote,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/08/first-day-of-2025-nebraska-legislature-underscores-conservative-stronghold/">Ballard prevailed over Conrad by one vote</a>, 25-24.<h2>Current status of the plan</h2>This is Ballard’s first year on the committee, while it is Conrad’s fifth. During Conrad’s first stint in the Legislature, 2007 to 2015, she was part of a major 2013 compromise partly led by three key school organizations to keep the retirement plan afloat after rough economic downturns.Those compromises have since brought the school retirement plan from around 77.1% actuarially funded to 99.9% as of last summer, which led to LB 645. The&nbsp;<a href="https://npers.ne.gov/SelfService/public/howto/publications/ActuarialReports/ActuaryJudges2024.pdf" target="_blank">retirement plan for judges</a>&nbsp;is also fully funded, which Ballard told Conrad he is open to modifying.The school retirement plan is annually funded via&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=79-958" target="_blank">contributions</a>&nbsp;from:<ul>
 <li>Teachers and other employees: 9.78% of payroll.</li><li>Employers (school districts): 9.88% of employees’ payroll.</li><li>State of Nebraska: 2% of statewide school employee payroll.</li>
 </ul>Statewide school employee payroll for this fiscal year was estimated to be about&nbsp;<a href="https://npers.ne.gov/SelfService/public/howto/publications/ActuarialReports/ActuarySchool2024.pdf" target="_blank">$2.5 billion</a>.When the plan requires more funding than legally required, the obligation falls on the state, which was the case in 2013. The compromise that year&nbsp;was championed in part by the NSEA, Nebraska Association of School Boards and Nebraska Council of School Administrators to provide long-term stability to the plan and lower the shortfall that the state needed to cover.The NSEA&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/12/not-quite-there-yet-nebraska-teachers-union-now-neutral-on-proposed-retirement-tweaks/">shifted its stance</a>&nbsp;on LB 645 after a Feb. 13 amendment from Ballard was introduced to streamline stepped-down contributions for the state and employees to three tiers, based on whether the plan is less than 96% actuarially funded, 96% to less than 100% actuarially funded or fully funded.At 96% funding, the contributions drop to 0.7% of statewide school employee payroll for the state and 7.28% of payroll for employees. Once the plan is fully funded, the state would fully pull out of annual contributions, while teachers would remain at the 7.28% level.If the plan is less than 96% funded, contribution levels would return to the current levels.School districts are currently set at&nbsp;101% of what employees contribute, equating to 9.88% of employee payroll.&nbsp;Ballard’s amendment would lock that 9.88% contribution into law, foregoing a benefit to the school districts funded by property taxes or state tax dollars.<h2>‘Three boats all rising’</h2>Jeremy Knajdl, business manager for Minden Public Schools in central Nebraska, said employers would effectively pay the same portion of payroll taxes if LB 645 is adopted.&nbsp;However, he said employers would end up paying about 136% of what employees contribute under lowered contribution rates.The state would receive its modified contribution rate after the start of each fiscal year on July 1, but employees would get a new contribution rate after Jan. 1 of each year.Knajdl, representing the Nebraska Council of School Administrators, told the committee that this timing could be hard for some employees who go into winter break with one paycheck and then come back facing a 2.5% increase in required contributions, lowering their take-home pay.Colby Coash, a former Lincoln state senator representing the Nebraska Association of School Boards, said leaving the plan alone makes sense.“It’s always when things are good, pull money out, it changes, and then you’re not able to be responsive to that,” Coash said.However, Coash said, if state and employee contributions are lowered, employers should receive an adjustment, too, which he noted would help lower property taxes. His legislative tenure between 2009 and 2017 crossed paths with Conrad and included the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=18547" target="_blank">2013 retirement compromise</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/103/PDF/Journal/r1journal.pdf#page=1348" target="_blank">both supported</a>.“The proposal that got us to where we are was three boats all rising,” Coash said. “Now we’re in a situation where that’s a little off balance.”Ballard said employers were left out “to maintain a certain level of funding.”“I believe that this is a recruitment and retention piece for employers,” Ballard testified.<h2>Impact to budget negotiations</h2>State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, chair of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee, asked whether the 2% state contribution increase passed in 2013 was meant to be for “forever,” or “until we fix the problem.”Coash responded that it was intended “to get us out of the hole.”Clements’ committee is leading efforts to fill a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/decrease-in-federal-share-of-nebraska-medicaid-costs-increases-state-budget-shortfall/">$457 million projected budget shortfall over the next two years</a>. The committee&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/02/18/preliminary-appropriations-committee-budget-unveiled-includes-pillen-cuts-to-nu/">preliminarily identified about $171 million in cuts</a>&nbsp;and could use&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/02/28/new-nebraska-economic-forecast-spurs-cautious-optimism-shrinks-state-budget-shortfall/">another $100 million</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;more revenue than initially anticipated in the next few months.State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, a former paraeducator and former school board member for OPS, suggested cutting back on&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/07/02/nebraskas-2024-border-deployments-cost-1-27-million/">sending the Nebraska National Guard to the southern border</a>&nbsp;could save money.&nbsp;She asked why 100% funded should be the threshold and not a “greater cushion,” such as when the plan is 105% or 110% actuarially funded.“Just because we’re at 100%, to me, I just don’t think that that should be the reason why we’re doing this,” Juarez said.While the lower state contributions could be used toward the projected budget shortfall, Kenny Zoeller, director of the governor’s Policy Research Office, reiterated the governor’s stance that the freed-up dollars should remain separate and be used for&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/15/gov-pillen-proposes-his-answer-to-432-million-projected-budget-shortfall/">state investments in education</a>.Zoeller said the governor identified the dedicated education investments as a “North Star” for the committee’s continued work. Zoeller said it is an opportunity to be forward-thinking.Two other “North Stars” for the governor, Zoeller said, are ensuring the financial longevity, growth and health of the school retirement plan while finding a proper balance in increasing teacher take-home pay and providing tax relief in state dollars.&nbsp;“This bill is truly an exciting opportunity for the state to deliver wins for teachers and the taxpayer,” Zoeller said.<h2>‘I have nothing to hide’</h2>Another contentious moment Friday came when Conrad pressed Ballard on whether the bill was “retribution” for the efforts of the teachers union and other advocates the past few years to stop state “voucher schemes.”&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/11/05/nebraska-voters-reject-state-funding-for-students-attending-private-k-12-schools/">About 57% of Nebraskans</a>&nbsp;in November rejected using state dollars to help offset the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/28/nebraska-school-choice-supporters-opponents-ready-for-another-rematch/">cost of attending private K-12 schools</a>.Ballard said “that was never a consideration,” and Zoeller shook his head “no” during the questioning.Conrad, an attorney, pushed further and asked if public records would confirm Ballard’s position. He said any records involving his office would.Ballard said he, like other committee members, had received feedback from thousands of teachers statewide and interacted with more in person and over the phone.Conrad asked Ballard if he would personally publish his communications with the governor’s office online. Ballard declined, describing them as “private” communications.&nbsp;“I have nothing to hide in this,” he added.Lawmakers’ communications are shielded from records requests, but the executive branch does not have that same privilege.<h2>Ensuring proposal’s viability</h2>Tim Royers, president of the NSEA representing 26,000 public K-12 school teachers statewide, repeated that the LB 645 amendment was a “step in the right direction,” but expressed openness to bringing employers to the table.Royers cautioned that the committee needs more information before acting and shouldn’t “rush.”“My fear is in your quest to reduce an appropriation, I fear you’re setting yourself up for a much larger gap in the future,” Royers said.Such changes to state retirement plans&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/Current/PDF/Rules/RuleBook.pdf" target="_blank">require an actuarial study</a>&nbsp;before they can be enacted, to ensure the proposals are feasible.&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/LB645-school-retirement-audit.pdf">One such study</a>&nbsp;was completed one week ago, but Royers said Friday it was a “coin flip” to whether the state could afford the increased risk and volatility or if employees or the state could be harmed in the long run.“I would love to live in a world where we could do a two-and-a-half percent increase in pay to our teachers, but I can’t in good conscience advocate for that if the data tells me that 10, 15, 20 years from now we’re going to actually see us go in the opposite direction,” Royers said.He continued: “Absent additional information that tells us for sure this is a viable plan, no, we can’t be comfortable moving forward with this.”Ballard committed to working with districts, administrators, the governor’s team, teachers and his committee members to figure out how to move forward. On Friday, he identified LB 645 as a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/session/priority.php" target="_blank">2025 committee priority bill</a>, increasing the chances it could be debated on the floor this year.The committee took no immediate action on the legislation.