Editorial

Keeping Public Records Open To The Public

Published by Nikki Palmer on Thu, 03/02/2023 - 2:00am

It may not be as riveting as some headlines recently, but there weren’t many more important:

“Judge rules for news nonprofit” told the story of Lancaster County District Judge Ryan Post’s ruling in favor of the Flatwater Free Press, a nonprofit news organization, suing the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy over a $44,000 bill for public records.

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Look Upstream

Published by Nikki Palmer on Wed, 03/01/2023 - 12:00am

Imagine living in a world that always looked upstream to address the problems we face. Instead of repeatedly putting out fires (whether real or metaphorical), we looked at how to prevent them in the first place. That is precisely the approach numerous organizations are taking across Nebraska when it comes to addressing dental health. Intervene early – prevent suffering later.

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Bad Beliefs: Misinformation Is Factually Wrong – But Is It Ethically Wrong, Too?

Published by Nikki Palmer on Tue, 02/28/2023 - 4:00am

The impact of disinformation and misinformation has become impossible to ignore. Whether it is denial about climate change, conspiracy theories about elections, or misinformation about vaccines, the pervasiveness of social media has given “alternative facts” an influence previously not possible.

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In Rural America, Right-To-Repair Laws Are The Leading Edge Of A Pushback Against Growing Corporate Power

Published by Nikki Palmer on Mon, 02/27/2023 - 4:00am

Waiting for repairs can cost farmers time and money. (Shutterstock)

As tractors became more sophisticated over the past two decades, the big manufacturers allowed farmers fewer options for repairs. Rather than hiring independent repair shops, farmers have increasingly had to wait for company-authorized dealers to arrive. Getting repairs could take days, often leading to lost time and high costs.

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Legislature Needs To Figure Out Medical Marijuana

Published by Nikki Palmer on Fri, 02/24/2023 - 12:00am

Neither medical marijuana nor its supporters are going away. The best efforts by opponents to quell the issue have only kicked the can down the proverbial road.

It is time for the Nebraska Legislature, after years of consideration, to take action on medical marijuana. If they don’t, the people — through initiated measure — will.

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Finding Yourself In A Legal Gray Area

Published by jason@omahadail... on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 12:00am

Twice a year, I host a program for the New York State Bar Association targeting young lawyers who are looking to set up solo law practices.

These people ask a million questions, and while there are clear answers to many of them, there are some that simply cannot be answered because there aren’t clear legal precedents.

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Year-Round DST: Do Like Colorado, For Region’s Sake

Published by Nikki Palmer on Thu, 02/16/2023 - 1:00am

We’re glad that one prime concern we’ve raised about switching Nebraska to year-round daylight saving time has been resolved — for now, at least.

Legislative Bill 143, state Sen. Tom Briese’s latest such bill, wouldn’t set up an unacceptable change-your-clock two-step for cross-country drivers in our neck of the woods (er, Plains).

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Not Every Kid Needs A Mentor, But Every Kid Deserves One

Published by Nikki Palmer on Wed, 02/15/2023 - 2:00am

Families, schools, and teachers do a lot to support Nebraska kids, but sometimes they need more. That is where mentors fill the gap. They provide guidance, a hand on the shoulder, a source of support, and more. Nebraska has many such programs. Unfortunately, the need for mentors far outnumbers those who are available.

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Pass-Through Entity Tax Law Would Address Dire Need Of Nebraska’s Competitiveness

Published by Nikki Palmer on Tue, 02/14/2023 - 2:00am

In announcing six priority bills aimed at transforming Nebraska’s tax code on Jan. 18, Gov. Jim Pillen stated: “Our current tax system fails to make Nebraska competitive.” While advocating for these bills, Gov. Pillen further stated on Feb. 3 there is a “dire need” for Nebraska to remain competitive.

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Fewer ‘Friends,’ More Coffee

Published by Nikki Palmer on Mon, 02/13/2023 - 4:00am

As Nebraska’s three House members voted to gut the Congressional Office of Ethics and add $114 billion to the deficit and Nebraska State Sen. Steve Erdman dissed George Norris, I was celebrating being Facebook free, lightening my already reedy-thin social media footprint.