Political News

Nebraska State Senators Elect New Leaders On Day 1, Put Off Fight Over Secret Ballot Voting

Published by Nikki Palmer on Mon, 01/09/2023 - 5:00am

Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Heavican, left, swears in the new senators for 2023, on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln. (Kenneth Ferriera / Lincoln Journal Star via AP Photo)

LINCOLN — State senators put off until later a fight over legislative rules, then spent the first day of the 2023 session on Wednesday electing a new speaker and leaders of legislative committees.

The day opened with the possibility of a session-paralyzing debate over whether a tradition of electing chairs of legislative committees by secret ballot should be changed to an open vote.

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Biden Toughens Border, Offers Legal Path For 30,000 A Month

Published by Nikki Palmer on Mon, 01/09/2023 - 3:00am

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Thursday the U.S. would immediately begin turning away Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans who cross the border from Mexico illegally, his boldest move yet to confront the arrivals of migrants that have spiraled since he took office two years ago.

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Two Recent Polls Found Majority Of Nebraska Respondents Oppose More Abortion Restrictions

Published by Nikki Palmer on Mon, 01/02/2023 - 3:00am

LINCOLN — Two recent polls found that a majority of respondents were opposed to adding more restrictions to abortion rights in Nebraska.

One poll, released Wednesday by the ACLU of Nebraska, found that 59% of 604 registered voters polled in mid-November either “somewhat opposed” or “strongly opposed” the enactment of “more restrictive abortion bans” in the state.

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Q&A With Gov.-Elect Jim Pillen: Taxes, School Finance Top Legislative Priority List

Published by Nikki Palmer on Mon, 01/02/2023 - 12:00am

LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov.-elect Jim Pillen says he wants to work with the Legislature to knock some sense into the state’s property taxes, income taxes and school finance.

Pillen, who takes office Jan. 5, detailed the top priorities for his first legislative session during a Dec. 21 interview with the Nebraska Examiner in his transition office at the Capitol.

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Supreme Court Asked To Bar Punishment For Acquitted Conduct

Published by Nikki Palmer on Fri, 12/30/2022 - 5:00am

WASHINGTON (AP) — A jury convicted Dayonta McClinton of robbing a CVS pharmacy but acquitted him of murder. A judge gave McClinton an extra 13 years in prison for the killing anyway.

In courtrooms across America, defendants get additional prison time for crimes that juries found they didn’t commit.

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Nebraska State Troopers To Get 22% Raises Under ‘Historic,’ New Labor Contract

Published by Nikki Palmer on Mon, 12/26/2022 - 5:00am

LINCOLN — The state troopers union and incoming Gov. Jim Pillen have agreed to a new labor contract granting 22% raises in the first year for the state’s top law enforcement agency.

The raises, announced Wednesday, come after the Nebraska State Patrol’s wages for its uniformed troopers had slipped compared to other law enforcement agencies, and as the Patrol struggles with a shortage of about 60 troopers.

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The Cost Of Low Pay: The $12,000 Salary Is Warping The Nebraska Legislature

Published by Nikki Palmer on Mon, 12/26/2022 - 4:00am

Third-party ads that targeted state Sen. Tony Vargas during his recent run for U.S. Congress featured incredulous voices, baffled over a seemingly selfish move: He wanted to “double his own salary” with taxpayer money.

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Ballard Appointed To Legislature

Published by Nikki Palmer on Mon, 12/26/2022 - 3:00am

Gov. Pete Ricketts held a press conference Dec. 22 to announce the appointment of Beau Ballard of Lincoln as the next representative for District 21 in the Nebraska Legislature.

Ballard, a former legislative aide and small business owner, will be sworn in at the start of the 2023 legislative session on Jan. 4 to complete the final two years of Lincoln Sen. Mike Hilgers’ term.

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Zelenskyy Pledges A Fight For ‘Common Victory’ Against Russian Tyranny In Visit To U.S.

Published by Nikki Palmer on Mon, 12/26/2022 - 2:00am

WASHINGTON — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy evoked images of the “great American soldiers” of World War II as he appealed to Congress Wednesday night to continue U.S. assistance in defending Ukraine from deadly Russian shelling and targeting of civilian infrastructure.

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What The Criminal Referral Of Trump Means – A Constitutional Law Expert Explains The Jan. 6 Committee Action

Published by Nikki Palmer on Fri, 12/23/2022 - 4:00am

After 18 months investigating, the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol held its final public meeting on Dec. 19, 2022. The panel recommended that the U.S. Department of Justice bring criminal charges against former President Donald Trump for his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.