Tag Archives: Nebraska

Courthouse News reports: A Nebraska state senator is suing a conservative political action committee for defamation after it called her a groomer on Twitter. According to the complaint filed in Douglas County District Court on Wednesday, the Nebraska Freedom Coalition called state Senator Megan Hunt a “groomer” in a Tweet published March 22, which included childhood photos of her now …

CNN reports: Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, signed a bill into law on Monday that bans most abortions after 12 weeks with exceptions for sexual assault, incest and medical emergencies. The bill does not define “medical emergency” and the legislation includes a clause that will put the rules into immediate effect the day after it is signed. LB 574, …

Courthouse News reports: An effort to advance a bill that would ban abortion around the sixth week of pregnancy fell one vote short of breaking a filibuster in the Nebraska Legislature today. This means the bill is unlikely to move forward this year, despite Republican Gov. Jim Pillen making a public call for just that. The Legislature adjourned immediately after …

The Associated Press reports: Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday to allow people to carry concealed guns in the state without a permit, just as national attention has ramped up over gun violence in the wake of several mass shootings, including the killing last month of six people at a Tennessee school. Despite opponents filibustering the bill for 14 hours …

The Omaha World-Herald reports: A Catholic Charities employee has sued the Omaha nonprofit, alleging leaders intentionally caused her to fear for her life by staging an active shooter drill without telling her and others it was fake. Employees panicked on May 19 when they heard gunshots and saw a masked man brandishing a semiautomatic handgun at the organization’s office at …

Via email from the Family Research Council: Driving kids to Vacation Bible School would become a misdemeanor in Nebraska if a recent proposal by Nebraska Senator Megan Hunt (D) passed into law. Hunt proposed to “amend” a bill that would protect children from adult-themed drag performances (LB371) by striking all the language and replacing it with similar language to bar …

The Associated Press reports: Former Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts was sworn in as the newest member of the U.S. Senate on Monday, replacing Republican Sen. Ben Sasse as the Senate returns from several weeks of recess to begin a new session of closely-divided government. Ricketts is bringing the Senate back to its “full 100-person strength,” said Republican leader Mitch McConnell, …

News Channel Nebraska reports: A bill proposed in the unicameral would place limitations on who can watch drag shows in Nebraska. The bill would ban anyone under 19 from watching a drag show, and it would prohibit anyone under 21 from watching drag shows where alcohol is present. LB371 was introduced by Republican State Sen. Dave Murman and is already …

NBC News reports: Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Thursday announced the appointment of his predecessor, Republican Pete Ricketts, to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Ben Sasse. Ricketts was seen as the heavy favorite to succeed Sasse, having given Pillen hefty financial support in last year’s Republican gubernatorial primary over a Trump-endorsed rival. Ricketts was also the choice of …

CNN reports: Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump after the attack on the US Capitol, officially resigned from the Senate Sunday, opening up his seat for appointment by Nebraska’s Republican Gov. Jim Pillen. Sasse announced last year that he would step down from his position to become the University of Florida’s next president. …

Omaha’s ABC affiliate reports: Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts announced on Tuesday that he will seek an appointment to serve as the state’s next U.S. Senator. The state’s upcoming senate vacancy was created by Ben Sasse’s upcoming resignation. “This decision is the result of many hours of prayer and family discussions,” Ricketts said in a statement. Nebraska Democrats came out swinging …

Politico reports: Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts isn’t going to appoint himself to the Senate when Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) leaves for his new gig in Florida. But when his term as governor is up in January, he’s not opposed to being appointed by the next guy. Unlike a handful of other governors who have passed on opportunities to make the …

The New York Times reports: A federal appeals court on Friday temporarily halted President Biden’s student debt relief plan, preventing the government from moving forward with the debt cancellation it had said could start as early as next week. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit granted a stay in response to an appeal filed by six Republican-led …

From the Justice Department: A Nebraska man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for making multiple threatening posts on an Instagram page associated with an election official. “This sentence makes clear that those who illegally threaten election workers should be prepared to face meaningful penalties,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will not hesitate to …

Politico reports: Ben Sasse is likely to accept a job at the University of Florida and resign his Senate seat in the near future, according to two people familiar with the Nebraska Republican’s plans. The Nebraska governor would then appoint a replacement for Sasse under state law. The second-term Sasse made a name for himself as a consistent Trump critic …

The Lincoln Journal-Star reports: Grand Island Northwest Public Schools administrators eliminated its journalism program and student newspaper in June in what some former students and press freedom advocates call an act of censorship.The school year-ending issue of the Saga newspaper included student editorials on LGBTQ topics, along with a news article titled “Pride and prejudice: LGBTQIA+” on the origins of …

Forbes reports: A Nebraska teenager is facing criminal charges alleging she aborted a fetus in violation of state law, after authorities obtained her Facebook messages using a search warrant. Seventeen-year-old Celeste Burgess, who is being tried as an adult along with her mother Jessica Burgess, is awaiting trial in Madison County District Court on charges that they broke a Nebraska …

PBS reports: The City Council in Nebraska’s capital city has rescinded an anti-discrimination measure that extended protections to sexual orientation and gender identity, just four months after unanimously approving it. The Lincoln City Council voted 4-3 Monday to rescind the February revision to the city’s fairness ordinance in the face of a successful petition effort by a conservative group that …

Axios reports: Republican Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said Sunday he would call a special legislative session to “do more to protect pre-born babies” if Roe v. Wade is overturned. “Nebraska is a pro-life state,” Ricketts told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. “I believe life begins at conception. And those are babies too.” “So, if Roe vs. Wade, which …

NPR reports: In Nebraska, Jim Pillen has won the Republican primary for governor, according to a race call from The Associated Press. Riding the endorsement of Gov. Pete Ricketts and much of the state’s GOP establishment, Pillen, a hog producer and University of Nebraska regent, held off rival candidates that included Charles Herbster – a political newcomer backed by former …