Gov. Pete Ricketts’ veto of the Gage County bail out sales tax hike is just another chapter in the financial woes of state and local govern­ment.

Not long ago you learned of the calamity in Omaha Public Schools pension system. It wasn’t alone.

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners and Justice Center Development Corp. have scheduled three public forums for next week to provide updates on the juvenile justice center project.

The public will have an oppor­tunity to share thoughts and ask questions about the proposed plans, according to a news release.

The legal profession owes a debt of gratitude to Creighton University Law Professor G. Michael Fenner.

Fenner helped preserve the Nebraska State Bar Association in the immediate aftermath of its court-mandated transition to a vol­untary membership. Fenner has facilitated visits by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to teach law seminars at Creighton for more than two decades. On a personal level, Fenner has mentored, en­couraged and supported countless law students and young attorneys as they began their careers.

Democracy requires participation from its citizens, who in turn need to have the information and under­standing necessary to evaluate com­plex decisions. 

The First Amendment freedoms that compose this year’s Law Day theme – “Free Speech, Free Press, Free Society” – are the basis of rep­resentative government and are inte­gral to the U.S. Constitution’s prom­ise of the “Blessings of Liberty.”