LINCOLN — A record-high 19 Nebraskans lost their lives in distracted driving crashes in 2020, and a state legislative committee was urged Tuesday to do something about it.

But judging from the response from members of the Legislature’s Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, one step to do that — making texting while driving a primary offense — faces a tough road ahead, as in past years.

The sound of a helicopter cut through the brisk fall air as police surrounded Annette Harris’ red brick home. Around 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 21, Omaha police arrived looking for a carjacking suspect who had abandoned a vehicle near her house, according to police and tow truck records.

Sen. Terrell McKinney has the right idea with LB919, a bill he introduced recently that would require the state to demolish the Nebraska State Penitentiary once a new prison north of Lincoln opens in 2027.

When you use your fingerprint to unlock your smartphone, your phone is looking at a two-dimensional pattern to determine whether it’s the correct fingerprint before it unlocks for you. But the imprint your finger leaves on the surface of the button is actually a 3D structure called a fingermark.