Office of U.S. Senator Deb Fischer

WASHINGTON ­– U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) voted to advance the Laken Riley Act, a bill to secure the southern border and protect Americans. Senator Fischer is a cosponsor of the bill, and its companion version passed the House of Representatives earlier this week. The Laken Riley Act will now proceed to a final vote in the U.S. Senate.

The legislation, led by U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), will require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest illegal immigrants who have been charged with or convicted of theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting. It will also give states standing to bring civil actions against federal officials who refuse to enforce immigration law.

The bill is named in honor of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an illegal immigrant and repeat criminal offender who had previously been detained and released.

“Laken Riley deserved to live. But because of the Democrats’ pitiful neglect of our border security, she was murdered by a man who should never have been in this country,”&nbsp;said Senator Fischer.&nbsp;“Our bill will honor Laken’s all-too-short life by securing our nation against criminal illegal immigrants like her killer.”

In addition to Senators Fischer and Britt, the Laken Riley Act is cosponsored by a bipartisan group of 52 of their U.S. Senate colleagues. It was advanced today by a bipartisan vote of 84-9

Office of U.S. Senator Deb FischerWASHINGTON ­– U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) voted to advance the Laken Riley Act, a bill to secure the southern border and protect Americans. Senator Fischer is a cosponsor of the bill, and its companion version passed the House of Representatives earlier this week. The Laken Riley Act will now proceed to a final vote in the U.S. Senate.The legislation, led by U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), will require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest illegal immigrants who have been charged with or convicted of theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting. It will also give states standing to bring civil actions against federal officials who refuse to enforce immigration law.The bill is named in honor of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an illegal immigrant and repeat criminal offender who had previously been detained and released.“Laken Riley deserved to live. But because of the Democrats’ pitiful neglect of our border security, she was murdered by a man who should never have been in this country,”&nbsp;said Senator Fischer.&nbsp;“Our bill will honor Laken’s all-too-short life by securing our nation against criminal illegal immigrants like her killer.”In addition to Senators Fischer and Britt, the Laken Riley Act is cosponsored by a bipartisan group of 52 of their U.S. Senate colleagues. It was advanced today by a bipartisan vote of 84-9

Fischer Cosponsors, Votes to Advance Laken Riley Act to Detain Criminal Illegal Immigrants

NEW YORK —During an online Teams meeting, President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced Friday in his&nbsp;hush money case. The judge did not impose any prison time, probation, a fine or other conditions.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/event/public-affairs-event/recorded-audio-president-elect-trump-sentenced-in-hush-money-case/430047">Click here </a>to listen to the sentencing hearing

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736520956783.png" alt="File photo President-elect Trump during a meeting with Republic Governors on Thursday night -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo President-elect Trump during a meeting with Republic Governors on Thursday night -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK —During an online Teams meeting, President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced Friday in his&nbsp;hush money case. The judge did not impose any prison time, probation, a fine or other conditions.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/event/public-affairs-event/recorded-audio-president-elect-trump-sentenced-in-hush-money-case/430047">Click here </a>to listen to the sentencing hearing

🎧Listen to Trump sentencing: No prison, probation or conditions

Kearney, Neb. - On Thursday, January 9, 2025, shortly after 2:00pm, a Kearney Police Department (KPD)&nbsp; School Resource Officer (SRO), who was present at Kearney High School (KHS), was contacted by KHS staff. KHS staff indicated Juvenile Probation Officers were requesting&nbsp; assistance with several teens in a vehicle in the east parking lot of KHS. 

The KPD SRO and&nbsp; KHS staff responded to the location and located three teenage students in a vehicle acting&nbsp; suspiciously. The KPD SRO escorted the students back to the building while the vehicle was&nbsp; searched by KHS staff .&nbsp;&nbsp;

During the search by KHS staff, an air pistol, which looked like a realistic Glock 17 handgun,&nbsp; was located in a backpack and several vaping devices were also located inside the vehicle.&nbsp; Additional KPD Officers responded to assist with the teens and assist with scene security.&nbsp;&nbsp;

One 16-year-old male was charged with possession of a firearm on school property, a class IV felony and possession of marijuana less than 1 oz. A 15-year-old male was charged with&nbsp; resisting arrest, a class I misdemeanor and possession of marijuana less than 1 oz. Another&nbsp; 16-year-old male was charged with possession of marijuana less than 1 oz.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Juvenile Probation Officers were present and have been coordinating the services for the&nbsp; teens. KHS staff was also present during this situation and worked with KPD and Juvenile&nbsp; Probation Officers. There was no indication of any safety threat ever made to KHS students or&nbsp; staff related to this incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;

KPD works diligently with our community partners and takes seriously the safety of our&nbsp; community and schools at all times. We appreciate the partnership with KPS and the Office of&nbsp; Juvenile Probation as we work together to ensure a safe learning environment within our&nbsp; schools.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716320706146.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Kearney Police DepartmentKearney, Neb. - On Thursday, January 9, 2025, shortly after 2:00pm, a Kearney Police Department (KPD)&nbsp; School Resource Officer (SRO), who was present at Kearney High School (KHS), was contacted by KHS staff. KHS staff indicated Juvenile Probation Officers were requesting&nbsp; assistance with several teens in a vehicle in the east parking lot of KHS. The KPD SRO and&nbsp; KHS staff responded to the location and located three teenage students in a vehicle acting&nbsp; suspiciously. The KPD SRO escorted the students back to the building while the vehicle was&nbsp; searched by KHS staff .&nbsp;&nbsp;During the search by KHS staff, an air pistol, which looked like a realistic Glock 17 handgun,&nbsp; was located in a backpack and several vaping devices were also located inside the vehicle.&nbsp; Additional KPD Officers responded to assist with the teens and assist with scene security.&nbsp;&nbsp;One 16-year-old male was charged with possession of a firearm on school property, a class IV felony and possession of marijuana less than 1 oz. A 15-year-old male was charged with&nbsp; resisting arrest, a class I misdemeanor and possession of marijuana less than 1 oz. Another&nbsp; 16-year-old male was charged with possession of marijuana less than 1 oz.&nbsp;&nbsp;Juvenile Probation Officers were present and have been coordinating the services for the&nbsp; teens. KHS staff was also present during this situation and worked with KPD and Juvenile&nbsp; Probation Officers. There was no indication of any safety threat ever made to KHS students or&nbsp; staff related to this incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;KPD works diligently with our community partners and takes seriously the safety of our&nbsp; community and schools at all times. We appreciate the partnership with KPS and the Office of&nbsp; Juvenile Probation as we work together to ensure a safe learning environment within our&nbsp; schools.

Teens Charged After Suspicious Activity Report in Kearney High School Parking Lot

On Thursday, the Department of Defense announced additional security assistance support to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs as part of the surge of security assistance the President directed to put Ukraine in the best possible position, according to a media release from the department.

This includes the approval of a Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) package, which has an estimated value of $500 million, to provide Ukraine additional capabilities to meet its most urgent needs, including: missiles for air defense; air-to-ground munitions; and equipment to support Ukraine's use of F-16s.

The capabilities in this announcement include:

This is the Biden Administration's seventy-fourth tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. The United States continues to work together with some 50 Allies and partners that Secretary Austin will convene tomorrow as part of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and its associated Capability Coalitions to provide the support Ukraine needs to prevail in its fight against Russian aggression.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718381433841.png" alt="File photo White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>On Thursday, the Department of Defense announced additional security assistance support to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs as part of the surge of security assistance the President directed to put Ukraine in the best possible position, according to a media release from the department.This includes the approval of a Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) package, which has an estimated value of $500 million, to provide Ukraine additional capabilities to meet its most urgent needs, including: missiles for air defense; air-to-ground munitions; and equipment to support Ukraine's use of F-16s.The capabilities in this announcement include:<ul>
 <li>AIM-7, RIM-7, and AIM-9M missiles for air defense;</li><li>Air-to-ground munitions;</li><li>Support equipment for F-16s;</li><li>Armored bridging systems;</li><li>Secure communications equipment;</li><li>Small arms and ammunition; and</li><li>Spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training, and transportation.</li>
 </ul>This is the Biden Administration's seventy-fourth tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. The United States continues to work together with some 50 Allies and partners that Secretary Austin will convene tomorrow as part of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and its associated Capability Coalitions to provide the support Ukraine needs to prevail in its fight against Russian aggression.

U.S. gives another $500 million in military assistance to Ukraine

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/09/partisan-fight-continues-over-committee-assignments-in-nebraska-legislature/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — The fate of some conservative priorities, such as changing how Nebraska allocates its votes for president or adding a “women’s bill of rights” to state law, could depend on whether Republicans succeed this week in making Democrats a minority on every legislative committee but one.

The leading point of contention Wednesday revolved around the makeup of the eight-member Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. By the end of the first day of the session, Government was set to have five Democrats and three Republicans, including its chair.

The group deciding is the Legislature’s 13-member Committee on Committees, which includes a chair and four representatives each from three legislative “caucuses,” which roughly mirror the state’s three congressional districts to reflect statewide representation.

“Me personally, and I’m one vote, I’m not representing any caucus in this,” State Sen. Christy Armendariz of Omaha, the Committee on Committees chair, said. “I think that the committee assignments should be representative of the makeup of the entire state.”

While the Legislature is officially nonpartisan, Armendariz, a first-time member of the committee, said all 13 members know what is going on: a fight over partisan balance, which impacts all Nebraskans.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Committee on Committees consists of eight Republicans, four Democrats and one nonpartisan independent. There are 33 Republicans in the Legislature, 15 Democrats and one nonpartisan progressive.

“They’ve chosen their party,” Armendariz said of Nebraska voters. “I don’t think it’s fair to exclude anybody in the state from representation on the committee.”

The Committee on Committees met after Republicans in the Legislature swept leadership positions for all but one committee. They left the Urban Affairs Committee in the hands of State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha, a Democrat who chaired the committee the past two years.

Under a set of unofficial, tentative placements discussed Wednesday evening, Republicans would maintain membership leads on all but the Government Committee and Urban Affairs Committee, which would still become more conservative.

Conservatives would grow their numbers on the previously deadlocked Judiciary Committee as well as on the Business and Labor, Health and Human Services and Natural Resources Committees.

All other daily committees will be led by Republicans, as will the Rules Committee and Executive Board.

Wednesday’s Committee on Committees meeting began with representatives from the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts having already penciled in where the members of their caucuses should be placed on each of the daily committees. Those caucus representatives filled in names of where senators from the 2nd Congressional District might fall, which they defended as merely “placeholders.”&nbsp;

The 2nd District Caucus, which is led by three Democrats and one independent, immediately rejected that suggestion and said the other caucuses had overstepped.

State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, the progressive independent who has served on the Committee on Committees before, described the behavior as unprecedented.

“This was a fantasy for y’all, but that’s not the reality that we were ever going to be working in,” she said.

State Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte responded: “We understand that. I think we just, truly, we’re just trying to figure out what we can live with, in terms of how we want to end up.”

Hunt told Republicans on the committee to ask themselves, “Have you won enough?” The question came after the 2nd District Caucus agreed to swap freshman Omaha State Sens. Dunixi Guereca, a Democrat, and Bob Andersen, a Republican, on the Government Committee.

If accepted, the committee then would be evenly split between progressives and conservatives, 4-4, which State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, the newly elected chair, said would be better. She did not return a call after the meeting requesting further comment.

Other conservatives drew lines in the sand seeking to shift the Government Committee to leaning Republican 5-3, as they had in the framework put forward by senators from the 1st and 3rd District Caucuses.

Bills stuck in a deadlocked committee can still be moved to the full Legislature with 25 votes. If the Government Committee stayed 5-3 for Democrats, and the majority killed a bill they didn’t like, the introducer could still advance the bill to the floor with 30 votes from the full Legislature.

Such bills would likely be filibustered, meaning they would need 33 votes to pass, anyway.

“I don’t see any losers on this sheet,” Hunt said of the initial committee assignments. “If you take the Government [Committee] deal — I know you want a majority, that’s what this is about, but we’re not going to get there. And I don’t think that’s a loss.”

Hunt and the 2nd District Caucus moved to advance the report with the 4-4 Government Committee. The motion failed 7-6.

Sanders voted with the 2nd District Caucus and Democratic State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln to accept the evenly balanced committee and advance the amended report.

‘An attack on the nonpartisan Unicameral’

Part of the contention comes two days after the 2nd District Caucus met in Omaha and progressives secured all four spots on the Committee on Committees, as well as two coveted spots on the Executive Board, which manages the day-to-day operations of the legislative branch. (The full 2nd District Caucus consists of eight Democrats, eight Republicans and one progressive independent.)

That meant kicking off Republican State Sens. Brad von Gillern of Omaha from the Committee on Committees and Merv Riepe of Ralston from the Executive Board.&nbsp;

Von Gillern called the move “the most intentionally partisan thing I’ve experienced since I was sworn in two years ago” and “an attack on the nonpartisan Unicameral Legislature by those who typically wave that flag harder than anyone else.”

He said the decision doesn’t set a “constructive tone” ahead of conversations like winner-take-all when progressives make “such a partisan act.”

“Votes on important issues often fall on party line, but this was not issue-driven and did nothing to improve their vote count on the overall Committee on Committees,” von Gillern said in a text. “There will still be a Republican majority there. There is no discernible strategy that I can see.”

State Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha, who got a spot on both the Executive Board and Committee on Committees, said: “That’s where the votes landed.”

At one point, Jacobson suggested that a path forward might include the 2nd District senators accepting the pre-slated committee assignments from the 1st and 3rd District Caucuses.

Asked by lawmakers whether doing so would be allowed, Clerk of the Legislature Brandon Metzler advised that the committee could. He cautioned senators that if they crossed into the threshold of other caucuses, “you’re not coming back.”

“I think that’s dangerous for not only CD 2, but I think it’s dangerous for CD 3, from an urban-rural split,” Metzler told the committee. “The caucus system is inherently political. We have never had a choice made for a caucus that they were not, as a caucus, on board with. But that’s the determination of this committee to decide.”

State Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus said there are multiple factors to crafting committee assignments, such as:

Moser said there is another important consideration: partisan balance.

Hunt asked him: “Should all committees be 2:1, Republican to Democrat?”

“That’s what the average of —&nbsp;since there’s 66% Republicans and 33% Democrats — that’s about what it should reflect on all the committees,” Moser responded.

Lawmakers said if the Omaha-area lawmakers wouldn’t budge, they could find other solutions, which Jacobson and Moser said would require more deliberation.

“If the Second District is locked in where they’re at, then there may be some actions in response that other caucuses make,” Moser said. “Maybe they’re not going to be pleasant, but we’re going to think about that overnight, talk about it a little bit and come back tomorrow.”

Asked whether that meant some 1st or 3rd District Caucus members might lose committee positions they previously held, or not get their top preferences, Armendariz said that’s up to the districts.

“They get to make their own decisions,” Armendariz said. “I would never want to get in the middle of that, if that’s what they choose to do.”

Committee assignments will ultimately be kicked out to the full Legislature in a preliminary report. The Legislature would then vote to accept, or reject, the placements after the Committee on Committees advances a final report.

However, preliminary reports often become final committee placements.

The Committee on Committees reconvenes shortly after 10 a.m. on Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736448263368.jpeg" alt="Nebraska state senators elected or re-elected in November take their oath during the first day of the 2025 legislative session. With their hands up are State Sens. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha and Beau Ballard of Lincoln. Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha is in the forefront. Jan. 8, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska state senators elected or re-elected in November take their oath during the first day of the 2025 legislative session. With their hands up are State Sens. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha and Beau Ballard of Lincoln. Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha is in the forefront. Jan. 8, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/09/partisan-fight-continues-over-committee-assignments-in-nebraska-legislature/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — The fate of some conservative priorities, such as changing how Nebraska allocates its votes for president or adding a “women’s bill of rights” to state law, could depend on whether Republicans succeed this week in making Democrats a minority on every legislative committee but one.The leading point of contention Wednesday revolved around the makeup of the eight-member Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. By the end of the first day of the session, Government was set to have five Democrats and three Republicans, including its chair.The group deciding is the Legislature’s 13-member Committee on Committees, which includes a chair and four representatives each from three legislative “caucuses,” which roughly mirror the state’s three congressional districts to reflect statewide representation.“Me personally, and I’m one vote, I’m not representing any caucus in this,” State Sen. Christy Armendariz of Omaha, the Committee on Committees chair, said. “I think that the committee assignments should be representative of the makeup of the entire state.”<h2>‘They’ve chosen their party’</h2>While the Legislature is officially nonpartisan, Armendariz, a first-time member of the committee, said all 13 members know what is going on: a fight over partisan balance, which impacts all Nebraskans.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Committee on Committees consists of eight Republicans, four Democrats and one nonpartisan independent. There are 33 Republicans in the Legislature, 15 Democrats and one nonpartisan progressive.“They’ve chosen their party,” Armendariz said of Nebraska voters. “I don’t think it’s fair to exclude anybody in the state from representation on the committee.”The Committee on Committees met after Republicans in the Legislature swept leadership positions for all but one committee. They left the Urban Affairs Committee in the hands of State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha, a Democrat who chaired the committee the past two years.Under a set of unofficial, tentative placements discussed Wednesday evening, Republicans would maintain membership leads on all but the Government Committee and Urban Affairs Committee, which would still become more conservative.Conservatives would grow their numbers on the previously deadlocked Judiciary Committee as well as on the Business and Labor, Health and Human Services and Natural Resources Committees.All other daily committees will be led by Republicans, as will the Rules Committee and Executive Board.<h2>‘This was a fantasy’</h2>Wednesday’s Committee on Committees meeting began with representatives from the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts having already penciled in where the members of their caucuses should be placed on each of the daily committees. Those caucus representatives filled in names of where senators from the 2nd Congressional District might fall, which they defended as merely “placeholders.”&nbsp;The 2nd District Caucus, which is led by three Democrats and one independent, immediately rejected that suggestion and said the other caucuses had overstepped.State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, the progressive independent who has served on the Committee on Committees before, described the behavior as unprecedented.“This was a fantasy for y’all, but that’s not the reality that we were ever going to be working in,” she said.State Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte responded: “We understand that. I think we just, truly, we’re just trying to figure out what we can live with, in terms of how we want to end up.”Hunt told Republicans on the committee to ask themselves, “Have you won enough?” The question came after the 2nd District Caucus agreed to swap freshman Omaha State Sens. Dunixi Guereca, a Democrat, and Bob Andersen, a Republican, on the Government Committee.If accepted, the committee then would be evenly split between progressives and conservatives, 4-4, which State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, the newly elected chair, said would be better. She did not return a call after the meeting requesting further comment.<h2>A line in the sand</h2>Other conservatives drew lines in the sand seeking to shift the Government Committee to leaning Republican 5-3, as they had in the framework put forward by senators from the 1st and 3rd District Caucuses.Bills stuck in a deadlocked committee can still be moved to the full Legislature with 25 votes. If the Government Committee stayed 5-3 for Democrats, and the majority killed a bill they didn’t like, the introducer could still advance the bill to the floor with 30 votes from the full Legislature.Such bills would likely be filibustered, meaning they would need 33 votes to pass, anyway.“I don’t see any losers on this sheet,” Hunt said of the initial committee assignments. “If you take the Government [Committee] deal — I know you want a majority, that’s what this is about, but we’re not going to get there. And I don’t think that’s a loss.”Hunt and the 2nd District Caucus moved to advance the report with the 4-4 Government Committee. The motion failed 7-6.Sanders voted with the 2nd District Caucus and Democratic State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln to accept the evenly balanced committee and advance the amended report.<h2>‘An attack on the nonpartisan Unicameral’</h2>Part of the contention comes two days after the 2nd District Caucus met in Omaha and progressives secured all four spots on the Committee on Committees, as well as two coveted spots on the Executive Board, which manages the day-to-day operations of the legislative branch. (The full 2nd District Caucus consists of eight Democrats, eight Republicans and one progressive independent.)That meant kicking off Republican State Sens. Brad von Gillern of Omaha from the Committee on Committees and Merv Riepe of Ralston from the Executive Board.&nbsp;Von Gillern called the move “the most intentionally partisan thing I’ve experienced since I was sworn in two years ago” and “an attack on the nonpartisan Unicameral Legislature by those who typically wave that flag harder than anyone else.”He said the decision doesn’t set a “constructive tone” ahead of conversations like winner-take-all when progressives make “such a partisan act.”“Votes on important issues often fall on party line, but this was not issue-driven and did nothing to improve their vote count on the overall Committee on Committees,” von Gillern said in a text. “There will still be a Republican majority there. There is no discernible strategy that I can see.”State Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha, who got a spot on both the Executive Board and Committee on Committees, said: “That’s where the votes landed.”<h2>A cautionary tale</h2>At one point, Jacobson suggested that a path forward might include the 2nd District senators accepting the pre-slated committee assignments from the 1st and 3rd District Caucuses.Asked by lawmakers whether doing so would be allowed, Clerk of the Legislature Brandon Metzler advised that the committee could. He cautioned senators that if they crossed into the threshold of other caucuses, “you’re not coming back.”“I think that’s dangerous for not only CD 2, but I think it’s dangerous for CD 3, from an urban-rural split,” Metzler told the committee. “The caucus system is inherently political. We have never had a choice made for a caucus that they were not, as a caucus, on board with. But that’s the determination of this committee to decide.”<h2>Factors in committee assignments</h2>State Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus said there are multiple factors to crafting committee assignments, such as:<ul>
 <li>Incumbency —&nbsp;Not kicking senators off of committees they most recently served on.</li><li>Senator preference —&nbsp;Lawmakers typically provide first and second choice for assignments.</li><li>Caucus balance —&nbsp;The Committee on Committees usually weighs this by giving each caucus a set number of seats on a committee, based on who the chair is and proceeding through the caucuses in order after (such as 1-2-3).</li>
 </ul>Moser said there is another important consideration: partisan balance.Hunt asked him: “Should all committees be 2:1, Republican to Democrat?”“That’s what the average of —&nbsp;since there’s 66% Republicans and 33% Democrats — that’s about what it should reflect on all the committees,” Moser responded.<h2>A path forward?</h2>Lawmakers said if the Omaha-area lawmakers wouldn’t budge, they could find other solutions, which Jacobson and Moser said would require more deliberation.“If the Second District is locked in where they’re at, then there may be some actions in response that other caucuses make,” Moser said. “Maybe they’re not going to be pleasant, but we’re going to think about that overnight, talk about it a little bit and come back tomorrow.”Asked whether that meant some 1st or 3rd District Caucus members might lose committee positions they previously held, or not get their top preferences, Armendariz said that’s up to the districts.“They get to make their own decisions,” Armendariz said. “I would never want to get in the middle of that, if that’s what they choose to do.”Committee assignments will ultimately be kicked out to the full Legislature in a preliminary report. The Legislature would then vote to accept, or reject, the placements after the Committee on Committees advances a final report.However, preliminary reports often become final committee placements.The Committee on Committees reconvenes shortly after 10 a.m. on Thursday.

Partisan Fight Continues Over Committee Assignments in Nebraska Legislature

WASHINGTON—Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. president, was honored Thursday with a funeral at Washington National Cathedral.&nbsp; (Click the video below)

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/president-jimmy-carter-memorial-service-at-national-cathedral/653929">Click here to watch&nbsp;</a>a replay of the funeral service.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736431340941.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON—Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. president, was honored Thursday with a funeral at Washington National Cathedral.&nbsp; (Click the video below)<a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/president-jimmy-carter-memorial-service-at-national-cathedral/653929">Click here to watch&nbsp;</a>a replay of the funeral service.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden on endorsing Jimmy Carter&#39;s presidential candidacy in 1976: &quot;It was an endorsement based on a belief is Jimmy Carter&#39;s enduring attribute: character, character, character.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/S8HQdlowyN">pic.twitter.com/S8HQdlowyN</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1877401432120283468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736444823928.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Jason Carter: &quot;Yes, they spent four years in the governor&#39;s mansion and four years at the White House but the other 92 years they spent at home in Plains, GA.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/y6kYBzo6Nq">pic.twitter.com/y6kYBzo6Nq</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1877401112220729845?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President-elect Trump arrives at the funeral of President Jimmy Carter, followed by former Presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton. <a href="https://t.co/GTort2M4NT">pic.twitter.com/GTort2M4NT</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1877370637527724233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/garthbrooks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GarthBrooks</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/trishayearwood?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TrishaYearwood</a> perform &quot;Imagine&quot; at President Jimmy Carter&#39;s State Funeral. <a href="https://t.co/XPhnzjqCJS">pic.twitter.com/XPhnzjqCJS</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1877407657658552583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Day of Mourning: A look inside State Funeral for President Jimmy Carter

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/08/first-day-of-2025-nebraska-legislature-underscores-conservative-stronghold/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — The conservative stronghold on the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature became clearer Wednesday, as state lawmakers chose Republicans for the top leadership spots on all but one of 17 key legislative committees.

The lone Democrat elected to a chair position was State Sen. Terrell McKinney — and he ran unopposed in his bid to preside over the Urban Affairs Committee for two more years.

In the couple of races when a Republican competed against another Republican for a committee chair, the lawmaker with the more conservative voting record won. (Republicans this year again hold 33 of 49 seats in the Legislature, the exact size of supermajority needed to break filibusters and advance often contentious legislation. Democrats number at 15, and one state lawmaker is a progressive nonpartisan.)

In yet another contested race, the longest current tenured senator, Democrat Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, lost to the youngest member of the Legislature, Republican Beau Ballard, to preside over the Nebraska Retirement Systems. Also of Lincoln, Ballard served two years as a gubernatorial appointee before being elected in November to his first full term.&nbsp;

This will be Ballard’s first year on the Retirement Systems Committee, which Conrad has served on for four years. He won on a 25-24 vote.

Chairs help steer legislation through their respective committees, scheduling hearings and later votes to advance proposals to the full Legislature. This can sometimes be critical to the survivability of different measures. Any senator can throw their name into the ring for the chairs, or they can be nominated from the floor.

State Sen. Merv Riepe, a moderate Republican from Ralston, said he hoped the Legislature’s ideological divide “does not grind us down” to partisanship when dealing with broader legislative matters.

“This has all the makings of being a contentious session,” said Riepe, who was defeated in his quest to preside over the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee. State Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering, also a Republican, won 28-21.

Perhaps the day’s most sparks came as State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward faced off with State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil for the chair of the Education Committee. Both are Republican.

Hughes, who had served four years in Seward on its school board, said she had no ill will against Murman and that her decision to compete was out of passion for education and school finance reform.

She said others told her it was against “political norms” to challenge an incumbent Republican for chair. To her colleagues, Hughes also asked if the Legislature has become a “union environment,” where time served in a position is the key determinant that matters.

“I thought, ‘This is garbage. I’m going to put my name in,’” she said.

Murman won on a 29-20 vote. He served as chair the previous two years and underscored his work to reduce state talent “brain drain” with more scholarships and internship programs.

Much of the first day of the 2025 legislative session was pomp and circumstance, as one-third of the 49-member Legislature was newly sworn in, along with many of their returning colleagues, following the November election. A crowd including family members and friends of the legislators filled the Unicameral, snapping photos and congratulating new and returning state senators.

Former State Sen. Brenda Council of Omaha was among them and remarked about the diversity in the freshman class.

State Sen. Margo Juarez of South Omaha is believed to be the first Latina elected to the body. State Sen. Dunixi Guereca, also of Omaha, is the son of Mexican immigrants.

State Sen. Victor Rountree of Bellevue and State Sen. Ashlei Spivey of Omaha joined McKinney to be the most Black lawmakers the Legislature has had, said Council. Council in 2009, along with Tanya Cook, became the first two elected African-American women to serve in the Legislature.

“It’s historically diverse,” Council said of the current Legislature.

Guereca on Wednesday was named chair of the Enrollment and Review Committee. It’s a committee, however, that has no competitive race, as the chair traditionally goes to the youngest member of the incoming freshman legislative class, which this year is him.

Despite the partisan showing in committee chair elections, Guereca said he has felt ”nothing but acceptance and welcomed” by his legislative colleagues.

“I’m optimistic we’ll have a good and productive session,” he said.&nbsp;

Also re-elected to a second term as Speaker of the Legislature was John Arch of La Vista, who was unopposed.&nbsp;

He said he has tried to avoid stifling voices and has strived for transparency.

“I’ll be the first to admit there were challenges along the way,” he said of his first term.

Arch said his goal again will be to “cultivate a culture that allows for productive debate and decision-making.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736441273304.jpeg" alt="Nebraska lawmakers mingle with newly elected State Sen. Ashlei Spivey of North Omaha. She and others elected in November were sworn into office Wednesday — the first day of the 2025 legislative session. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska lawmakers mingle with newly elected State Sen. Ashlei Spivey of North Omaha. She and others elected in November were sworn into office Wednesday — the first day of the 2025 legislative session. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Cindy Gonzalez<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/08/first-day-of-2025-nebraska-legislature-underscores-conservative-stronghold/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — The conservative stronghold on the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature became clearer Wednesday, as state lawmakers chose Republicans for the top leadership spots on all but one of 17 key legislative committees.The lone Democrat elected to a chair position was State Sen. Terrell McKinney — and he ran unopposed in his bid to preside over the Urban Affairs Committee for two more years.In the couple of races when a Republican competed against another Republican for a committee chair, the lawmaker with the more conservative voting record won. (Republicans this year again hold 33 of 49 seats in the Legislature, the exact size of supermajority needed to break filibusters and advance often contentious legislation. Democrats number at 15, and one state lawmaker is a progressive nonpartisan.)In yet another contested race, the longest current tenured senator, Democrat Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, lost to the youngest member of the Legislature, Republican Beau Ballard, to preside over the Nebraska Retirement Systems. Also of Lincoln, Ballard served two years as a gubernatorial appointee before being elected in November to his first full term.&nbsp;This will be Ballard’s first year on the Retirement Systems Committee, which Conrad has served on for four years. He won on a 25-24 vote.<h2>Why do committee chairs matter?</h2>Chairs help steer legislation through their respective committees, scheduling hearings and later votes to advance proposals to the full Legislature. This can sometimes be critical to the survivability of different measures. Any senator can throw their name into the ring for the chairs, or they can be nominated from the floor.State Sen. Merv Riepe, a moderate Republican from Ralston, said he hoped the Legislature’s ideological divide “does not grind us down” to partisanship when dealing with broader legislative matters.“This has all the makings of being a contentious session,” said Riepe, who was defeated in his quest to preside over the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee. State Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering, also a Republican, won 28-21.Perhaps the day’s most sparks came as State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward faced off with State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil for the chair of the Education Committee. Both are Republican.Hughes, who had served four years in Seward on its school board, said she had no ill will against Murman and that her decision to compete was out of passion for education and school finance reform.She said others told her it was against “political norms” to challenge an incumbent Republican for chair. To her colleagues, Hughes also asked if the Legislature has become a “union environment,” where time served in a position is the key determinant that matters.“I thought, ‘This is garbage. I’m going to put my name in,’” she said.Murman won on a 29-20 vote. He served as chair the previous two years and underscored his work to reduce state talent “brain drain” with more scholarships and internship programs.Much of the first day of the 2025 legislative session was pomp and circumstance, as one-third of the 49-member Legislature was newly sworn in, along with many of their returning colleagues, following the November election. A crowd including family members and friends of the legislators filled the Unicameral, snapping photos and congratulating new and returning state senators.Former State Sen. Brenda Council of Omaha was among them and remarked about the diversity in the freshman class.State Sen. Margo Juarez of South Omaha is believed to be the first Latina elected to the body. State Sen. Dunixi Guereca, also of Omaha, is the son of Mexican immigrants.State Sen. Victor Rountree of Bellevue and State Sen. Ashlei Spivey of Omaha joined McKinney to be the most Black lawmakers the Legislature has had, said Council. Council in 2009, along with Tanya Cook, became the first two elected African-American women to serve in the Legislature.“It’s historically diverse,” Council said of the current Legislature.Guereca on Wednesday was named chair of the Enrollment and Review Committee. It’s a committee, however, that has no competitive race, as the chair traditionally goes to the youngest member of the incoming freshman legislative class, which this year is him.Despite the partisan showing in committee chair elections, Guereca said he has felt ”nothing but acceptance and welcomed” by his legislative colleagues.“I’m optimistic we’ll have a good and productive session,” he said.&nbsp;Also re-elected to a second term as Speaker of the Legislature was John Arch of La Vista, who was unopposed.&nbsp;He said he has tried to avoid stifling voices and has strived for transparency.“I’ll be the first to admit there were challenges along the way,” he said of his first term.Arch said his goal again will be to “cultivate a culture that allows for productive debate and decision-making.”&nbsp;

First Day of 2025 Nebraska Legislature Underscores Conservative Stronghold

(Scottsbluff, Neb.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested three people following a pursuit in western Nebraska.

At approximately 7:50 p.m. MT Tuesday, a trooper observed a Ford F-150 driving with a license plate violation on Highway 385 near Bridgeport. As the trooper attempted a traffic stop, the driver accelerated and fled northbound on Highway 385. The trooper initiated a pursuit.

The vehicle fled westbound on Link 62A, driving in the wrong lane of travel. After approximately two miles, the driver pulled into a residential driveway and came to a stop. The male driver then fled on foot and a female passenger remained in the vehicle. She was taken into custody without incident.

Additional troopers, Morrill County deputies, and a Gering Police Department K9 unit assisted in a search of the area. During the search, troopers located a man in the sleeper berth of a disabled semi cab. The man exited the sleeper, and the driver of the F-150 was located under the bed of the sleeper. Both men were taken into custody. Inside the F-150, troopers located two sets of brass knuckles and suspected methamphetamine.

The driver, Thomas Tagg, 42, of Denver, was arrested for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, obstructing a peace officer, and numerous traffic offenses. The passenger, Corie Kolthoff, 36, of Brighton, Colorado, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, carrying a concealed weapon with no disclosure, and obstructing a peace officer. The third person, Benjamin Franklin, 27, of Mitchell, Nebraska, was arrested for obstructing a peace officer and aiding and abetting a felony.

All three were lodged in Morrill County Jail.

Cody ThomasNebraska State Patrol(Scottsbluff, Neb.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested three people following a pursuit in western Nebraska.At approximately 7:50 p.m. MT Tuesday, a trooper observed a Ford F-150 driving with a license plate violation on Highway 385 near Bridgeport. As the trooper attempted a traffic stop, the driver accelerated and fled northbound on Highway 385. The trooper initiated a pursuit.The vehicle fled westbound on Link 62A, driving in the wrong lane of travel. After approximately two miles, the driver pulled into a residential driveway and came to a stop. The male driver then fled on foot and a female passenger remained in the vehicle. She was taken into custody without incident.Additional troopers, Morrill County deputies, and a Gering Police Department K9 unit assisted in a search of the area. During the search, troopers located a man in the sleeper berth of a disabled semi cab. The man exited the sleeper, and the driver of the F-150 was located under the bed of the sleeper. Both men were taken into custody. Inside the F-150, troopers located two sets of brass knuckles and suspected methamphetamine.The driver, Thomas Tagg, 42, of Denver, was arrested for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, obstructing a peace officer, and numerous traffic offenses. The passenger, Corie Kolthoff, 36, of Brighton, Colorado, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, carrying a concealed weapon with no disclosure, and obstructing a peace officer. The third person, Benjamin Franklin, 27, of Mitchell, Nebraska, was arrested for obstructing a peace officer and aiding and abetting a felony.All three were lodged in Morrill County Jail.

 Three Arrested After Pursuit in Panhandle

YEMEN—U.S. forces conducted multiple precision strikes against two Iranian-backed Houthi underground Advanced Conventional Weapon&nbsp; storage facilities within Houthi-controlled territories of Yemen on Wednesday, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

 The Houthis used these facilities to conduct attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

There were no injuries or damage to U.S. personnel or equipment.

"The strikes are part of CENTCOM's effort to degrade Iranian-backed Houthi attempts to threaten regional partners and military and merchant vessels in the region."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736385717405.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>YEMEN—U.S. forces conducted multiple precision strikes against two Iranian-backed Houthi underground Advanced Conventional Weapon&nbsp; storage facilities within Houthi-controlled territories of Yemen on Wednesday, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command. The Houthis used these facilities to conduct attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.There were no injuries or damage to U.S. personnel or equipment."The strikes are part of CENTCOM's effort to degrade Iranian-backed Houthi attempts to threaten regional partners and military and merchant vessels in the region."

U.S. strikes Terrorist Weapons Storage Facilities in Yemen

WASHINGTON —United States Capitol Police officers prevented a man from bringing a machete and three knives past a screening checkpoint in the Capitol Visitor Center.

Just after 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, during security screening at the CVC’s north doors, USCP officers spotted a machete in a bag, which was going through the x-ray machine. Officers stopped the machine and searched the bag, which contained a machete and three knives.&nbsp;

“Our officers know they cannot let their guard down for one second,” said U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger. “It is this constant focus and attention to detail that helps keep this campus safe.”

44-year-old Mel J. Horne, of Washington, D.C., was arrested for multiple counts of Carrying a Dangerous Weapon.&nbsp;

Security screening was temporarily stopped at the north side of the Capitol Visitor Center, while the USCP investigated, but the checkpoint was reopened approximately an hour later. Public viewing for the lying in state was not stopped and will continue throughout the night, into Thursday morning.&nbsp;

Horne will be interviewed by USCP investigators to determine his motive. At this time there is no on-going threat towards the Congress, the U.S. Capitol, or the public.

WASHINGTON —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an incident Wednesday in Washington.

Just after 2:00 p.m., U.S. Capitol Police officers stopped and arrested a man who tried to get a machete into the Capitol Visitor Center, according to a media release.

Three knives were also found in the bag, along with the machete. Security screening was temporarily stopped at the north side of the Capitol Visitor Center while police investigated.

The man is being held on multiple requested charges of Carrying a Dangerous Weapon. Check the Post for more information once it is available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730837573908.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —United States Capitol Police officers prevented a man from bringing a machete and three knives past a screening checkpoint in the Capitol Visitor Center.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736381404606.png" alt="Photo U.S. Capitol Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Capitol Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, during security screening at the CVC’s north doors, USCP officers spotted a machete in a bag, which was going through the x-ray machine. Officers stopped the machine and searched the bag, which contained a machete and three knives.&nbsp;“Our officers know they cannot let their guard down for one second,” said U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger. “It is this constant focus and attention to detail that helps keep this campus safe.”44-year-old Mel J. Horne, of Washington, D.C., was arrested for multiple counts of Carrying a Dangerous Weapon.&nbsp;Security screening was temporarily stopped at the north side of the Capitol Visitor Center, while the USCP investigated, but the checkpoint was reopened approximately an hour later. Public viewing for the lying in state was not stopped and will continue throughout the night, into Thursday morning.&nbsp;Horne will be interviewed by USCP investigators to determine his motive. At this time there is no on-going threat towards the Congress, the U.S. Capitol, or the public.-----------WASHINGTON —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an incident Wednesday in Washington.Just after 2:00 p.m., U.S. Capitol Police officers stopped and arrested a man who tried to get a machete into the Capitol Visitor Center, according to a media release.Three knives were also found in the bag, along with the machete. Security screening was temporarily stopped at the north side of the Capitol Visitor Center while police investigated.The man is being held on multiple requested charges of Carrying a Dangerous Weapon. Check the Post for more information once it is available.

Police: Man with Machete Attempted to Enter U.S. Capitol 

&nbsp; WASHINGTON ­–&nbsp;Yesterday, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) was appointed deputy whip by newly-elected Majority Whip, Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). In this role, Fischer will unite her caucus around Republican priorities and drive forward the president’s legislative agenda.

“I am honored Senator Barrasso chose me to serve as one of his deputy whips, and I look forward to working alongside him in the upcoming Congress. With a newly elected Republican trifecta, we have the unique opportunity to achieve meaningful progress for our country, focusing on a safer, more affordable America. As deputy whip, I am excited to help lead our caucus in putting the American people first,”&nbsp;said Senator Fischer.

“I’m glad to have Deb as a member of our Whip Team. Deb brings the values of the Heartland to the Senate. That means she keeps her word and works tirelessly to find the best solution. She believes in a stronger America—from national security to economic opportunity. Deb never stops fighting for her team,”&nbsp;said Senator Barrasso.

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer&nbsp; WASHINGTON ­–&nbsp;Yesterday, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) was appointed deputy whip by newly-elected Majority Whip, Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). In this role, Fischer will unite her caucus around Republican priorities and drive forward the president’s legislative agenda.“I am honored Senator Barrasso chose me to serve as one of his deputy whips, and I look forward to working alongside him in the upcoming Congress. With a newly elected Republican trifecta, we have the unique opportunity to achieve meaningful progress for our country, focusing on a safer, more affordable America. As deputy whip, I am excited to help lead our caucus in putting the American people first,”&nbsp;said Senator Fischer.“I’m glad to have Deb as a member of our Whip Team. Deb brings the values of the Heartland to the Senate. That means she keeps her word and works tirelessly to find the best solution. She believes in a stronger America—from national security to economic opportunity. Deb never stops fighting for her team,”&nbsp;said Senator Barrasso.

Fischer Appointed Deputy Whip

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/07/speaker-arch-nebraska-budget-without-a-doubt-biggest-issue-of-2025-session/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;Speaker John Arch of La Vista this week outlined the Nebraska Legislature’s biggest 2025 issue as lawmakers return to Lincoln: the state budget.

Arch, who is so far running unopposed to helm Nebraska’s legislative branch for two more years, said the budget would “without a doubt” be state lawmakers’ biggest issue in 2025 when they return for a 90-day session beginning Wednesday at 10 a.m.&nbsp;

That priority comes as the state budget is forecasted to be running more than&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/Current/PDF/Budget/status.pdf" target="_blank">$432 million short</a>&nbsp;in the next two fiscal years, which begin July 1 and end June 30, 2027. Legislative solutions will likely need to be massaged by the Legislature’s Appropriations and Revenue Committees.

If left unchecked, estimates show that the budget hole could grow to $1.13 billion by the middle of 2029, partly because of 2023 legislative decisions to decrease tax rates for top income and corporate earners.

Now, Arch said, lawmakers will see the reality and real numbers of those changes.

“We’ll have to have some time to digest,” Arch told the Nebraska Examiner on Monday. “We took some pretty big swings in the last couple of sessions.”

This spring will be the final time that corporate taxpayers in Nebraska pay a tiered tax rate based on how much they earn. It’s part of a step-down approach to reducing top individual income tax rates and corporate tax rates to 3.99% beginning in 2027.

The start of the year also ushered in new income tax credits for grocery stores, restaurants and agricultural producers that donate to food banks, pantries or rescues; for family caregivers’ costs for eligible family members; for film and TV production companies’ qualifying expenditures to film in Nebraska; and for contributions to qualifying pregnancy help organizations.

Arch said crafting the 2025-27 budget will be “more normal” than past bienniums, as lawmakers continue to move beyond the COVID-19 pandemic era of being flush with “American Rescue Plan Act” federal relief dollars or a major budget surplus of state cash reserves.

The first duty for state lawmakers will be selecting legislative leadership, including the chairs of the Legislature’s 14 standing committees that consider the vast majority of legislative proposals.

Of those committees, as well as three special or select committees, at least 13 will choose new leaders, most because of term limits, while two current chairs seek other positions.

At least five of the 14 standing committees are expected to have contested elections, based on announced candidates up to Tuesday morning, including the tax-focused Revenue Committee to succeed term-limited State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha.

State Sen. Brad von Gillern of Omaha, the current Revenue Committee vice chair, and George Dungan of Lincoln have announced bids to succeed Linehan.

State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood is so far running unopposed for chair of the Appropriations Committee, which sets the budget.&nbsp;

The Legislature will also vote on slates of senators to serve on the Committee on Committees, which doles out&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/pdf/committees/roster.pdf" target="_blank">committee assignments</a>&nbsp;to all 49 lawmakers, and the Executive Board, which monitors the hiring of legislative employees and the day-to-day operations of the legislative branch.

The 2025 legislative session will see 16 newly elected lawmakers and one former state senator from Grand Island returning.

Arch said he had the chance to meet with new senators&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/12/16/improving-oversight-eyed-as-a-hallmark-issue-of-2025-legislative-session/">at a legislative retreat in December</a>&nbsp;and looks forward to working with them.

“I feel like we’ve got a good group of senators coming in ready to learn and ready to problem solve,” Arch said. “I think with that, we’re setting ourselves up for dealing with some of the difficult issues that we’re asked to deal with.”

Bill introductions will begin Thursday, on the second day of the session, and continue through the 10th day, scheduled for Jan. 22.

Among proposals on the docket is a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/12/09/nebraska-governors-priorities-shift-focus-from-spending-and-tax-changes/">quartet of priorities</a>&nbsp;from Gov. Jim Pillen:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736351761005.jpeg" alt=" Speaker John Arch of La Vista. July 26, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> Speaker John Arch of La Vista. July 26, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/07/speaker-arch-nebraska-budget-without-a-doubt-biggest-issue-of-2025-session/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;Speaker John Arch of La Vista this week outlined the Nebraska Legislature’s biggest 2025 issue as lawmakers return to Lincoln: the state budget.Arch, who is so far running unopposed to helm Nebraska’s legislative branch for two more years, said the budget would “without a doubt” be state lawmakers’ biggest issue in 2025 when they return for a 90-day session beginning Wednesday at 10 a.m.&nbsp;That priority comes as the state budget is forecasted to be running more than&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/Current/PDF/Budget/status.pdf" target="_blank">$432 million short</a>&nbsp;in the next two fiscal years, which begin July 1 and end June 30, 2027. Legislative solutions will likely need to be massaged by the Legislature’s Appropriations and Revenue Committees.If left unchecked, estimates show that the budget hole could grow to $1.13 billion by the middle of 2029, partly because of 2023 legislative decisions to decrease tax rates for top income and corporate earners.Now, Arch said, lawmakers will see the reality and real numbers of those changes.“We’ll have to have some time to digest,” Arch told the Nebraska Examiner on Monday. “We took some pretty big swings in the last couple of sessions.”<h2>Revenue changes</h2>This spring will be the final time that corporate taxpayers in Nebraska pay a tiered tax rate based on how much they earn. It’s part of a step-down approach to reducing top individual income tax rates and corporate tax rates to 3.99% beginning in 2027.The start of the year also ushered in new income tax credits for grocery stores, restaurants and agricultural producers that donate to food banks, pantries or rescues; for family caregivers’ costs for eligible family members; for film and TV production companies’ qualifying expenditures to film in Nebraska; and for contributions to qualifying pregnancy help organizations.Arch said crafting the 2025-27 budget will be “more normal” than past bienniums, as lawmakers continue to move beyond the COVID-19 pandemic era of being flush with “American Rescue Plan Act” federal relief dollars or a major budget surplus of state cash reserves.<h2>Choosing legislative leadership</h2>The first duty for state lawmakers will be selecting legislative leadership, including the chairs of the Legislature’s 14 standing committees that consider the vast majority of legislative proposals.Of those committees, as well as three special or select committees, at least 13 will choose new leaders, most because of term limits, while two current chairs seek other positions.At least five of the 14 standing committees are expected to have contested elections, based on announced candidates up to Tuesday morning, including the tax-focused Revenue Committee to succeed term-limited State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha.State Sen. Brad von Gillern of Omaha, the current Revenue Committee vice chair, and George Dungan of Lincoln have announced bids to succeed Linehan.State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood is so far running unopposed for chair of the Appropriations Committee, which sets the budget.&nbsp;The Legislature will also vote on slates of senators to serve on the Committee on Committees, which doles out&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/pdf/committees/roster.pdf" target="_blank">committee assignments</a>&nbsp;to all 49 lawmakers, and the Executive Board, which monitors the hiring of legislative employees and the day-to-day operations of the legislative branch.The 2025 legislative session will see 16 newly elected lawmakers and one former state senator from Grand Island returning.Arch said he had the chance to meet with new senators&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/12/16/improving-oversight-eyed-as-a-hallmark-issue-of-2025-legislative-session/">at a legislative retreat in December</a>&nbsp;and looks forward to working with them.“I feel like we’ve got a good group of senators coming in ready to learn and ready to problem solve,” Arch said. “I think with that, we’re setting ourselves up for dealing with some of the difficult issues that we’re asked to deal with.”<h2>Other key issues</h2>Bill introductions will begin Thursday, on the second day of the session, and continue through the 10th day, scheduled for Jan. 22.Among proposals on the docket is a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/12/09/nebraska-governors-priorities-shift-focus-from-spending-and-tax-changes/">quartet of priorities</a>&nbsp;from Gov. Jim Pillen:<ul>
 <li>Sex-based restrictions for K-12 bathrooms, locker rooms and sports teams, which could more broadly mirror a Pillen-enacted “Women’s Bill of Rights” and extend to higher education or other areas of state government.&nbsp;</li><li>Changing how the state allocates funding to K-12 schools to take pressure off of property taxes.</li><li>Cracking down on sales of lab-grown meat and how it is labeled.</li><li>Changing how the state awards its Electoral College votes. Lawmakers told the Examiner the proposal might come in one of two ways, either by a legislative bill or a constitutional amendment the public would vote on in 2026.</li>
 </ul>

Speaker Arch: Nebraska Budget ‘Without a Doubt’ Biggest Issue of 2025 Session

On Tuesday, Vice President Harris announced a final rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. This rule will reduce the burden of medical debt and ensure that patients are not denied access to credit for home mortgages, car loans, or small business loans due to unpaid medical bills.&nbsp;

Further, Vice President Harris announced that states and localities have leveraged American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to support the elimination of over $1 billion in medical debt for more than 700,000 Americans. These actions build on the Vice President’s call to action for states to reduce the burden of medical debt, including by directly purchasing the debt from providers and third parties. 

"Overall, jurisdictions are on track to eliminate roughly $15 billion in medical debt for up to nearly 6 million Americans.&nbsp;“No one should be&nbsp;denied economic opportunity because they got sick or experienced a medical emergency. That is why President Biden and I cancelled over $1 billion in medical debt – part of our overall plan to forgive $7 billion by 2026 – with support from our American Rescue Plan, legislation that I advanced with my tie-breaking vote in the Senate."

We also reduced the burden of medical debt by increasing pathways to forgiveness and cracking down on predatory debt collection tactics,”&nbsp;said Vice President Harris.&nbsp;“Today, we are building on this meaningful work by announcing an unprecedented final rule that will make it so medical debt is no longer included in your credit score. This will be lifechanging for millions of families, making it easier for them to be approved for a car loan, a home loan, or a small-business loan. As someone who has spent my entire career fighting to protect consumers and lower medical bills, I know that our historic rule will help more Americans save money, build wealth, and thrive.”&nbsp;More than 100 million Americans struggle with medical debt. Medical debt is the largest source of debt in collections, making up a larger proportion of debt tradelines than credit cards, utilities, and auto loans. 

However, medical debt is not like other forms of debt because it is often the result of unavoidable medical complications and medical bills often contain significant errors, such as inflated or duplicative charges and fees for services never received or already paid. Reducing the burden of medical debt has been a key priority in President Biden and Vice President Harris’s effort to lower cost for American families.&nbsp;

Removing Medical Debt from Consumer Credit Reports&nbsp;The CFPB is finalizing a rule that will remove medical debt from the credit reports of more than 15 million Americans, raising their credit scores by an estimated average of 20 points and leading to the approval of approximately 22,000 additional mortgages every year. 

Under the CFPB rule, there will be zero Americans with medical debt listed on their credit reports, down from 46 million in 2020.&nbsp;CFPB’s research indicates that medical bills are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-study-finds-medical-debt-overly-penalizes-consumer-credit-scores/">poor predictors</a>&nbsp;of an individual’s ability to repay a loan and that medical bills are often&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-report-spotlights-medical-billing-challenges/">confusing and erroneous</a>.

In March 2022, the CFPB released a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-estimates-88-billion-in-medical-bills-on-credit-reports/">report</a>&nbsp;estimating that medical bills made up $88 billion of reported debts on credit reports. After the March 2022 report, the three largest credit reporting agencies announced that they would no longer include paid medical debts, unpaid medical debts less than a year old, and medical debt under $500 from credit reporting.&nbsp;Despite these voluntary changes,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-finds-15-million-americans-have-medical-bills-on-their-credit-reports/">15 million Americans</a>&nbsp;still have $49 billion in outstanding medical bills in collections appearing in the credit reporting system.

Today’s action will remove these outstanding $49 billion in unpaid medical bills from the credit reports of the remaining 15 million impacted Americans.&nbsp;Vice President Harris’s Call to Action, Leveraging Federal Funds to Eliminate Medical Debt&nbsp;In June 2024, Vice President Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/06/11/fact-sheet-vice-president-harris-announces-proposal-to-prohibit-medical-bills-from-being-included-on-credit-reports-and-calls-on-states-and-localities-to-take-further-actions-to-reduce-medical-debt/">called on states, local governments, and health care providers to take action</a>&nbsp;to reduce the burden of medical debt. States and localities have responded to this call by directly relieving debt and launching innovative programs to improve their health systems. Thanks to the President Biden and Vice President Harris’s American Rescue Plan, states, counties, and cities have already eliminated more than an estimated $1 billion in medical debt for over 750,000 Americans, including:

These and other jurisdictions are on track to eliminate an estimated up to $7 billion in medical debt for nearly 3 million Americans by the end of 2026 thanks to ARP-supported efforts.

In addition to directly relieving debt, states and localities have responded to Vice President Harris’s call by launching innovative programs to improve their health systems. For instance, North Carolina&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/2024/08/12/north-carolina-hospitals-sign-relieve-medical-debt">recently announced</a>&nbsp;that all of the state’s 99 eligible hospitals have committed to participate in medical debt relief program that will eliminate up to $4 billion in existing medical debt for nearly 2 million low-and middle-income North Carolinians.&nbsp; The program also ensures that hospitals have policies in place to reduce the chance individuals will end up in debt in the first place. North Carolina’s program utilizes a novel approach, where hospital systems become eligible for enhanced Medicaid reimbursements under the State Directed Payments Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program by implementing policies that:

Preventing the Accumulation of Medical Debt Through Increased Oversight

Today’s announcements build on efforts by the Biden-Harris Administration to reduce the burden of medical debt, including:

On Tuesday, Vice President Harris announced a final rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. This rule will reduce the burden of medical debt and ensure that patients are not denied access to credit for home mortgages, car loans, or small business loans due to unpaid medical bills.&nbsp;Further, Vice President Harris announced that states and localities have leveraged American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to support the elimination of over $1 billion in medical debt for more than 700,000 Americans. These actions build on the Vice President’s call to action for states to reduce the burden of medical debt, including by directly purchasing the debt from providers and third parties. "Overall, jurisdictions are on track to eliminate roughly $15 billion in medical debt for up to nearly 6 million Americans.&nbsp;“No one should be&nbsp;denied economic opportunity because they got sick or experienced a medical emergency. That is why President Biden and I cancelled over $1 billion in medical debt – part of our overall plan to forgive $7 billion by 2026 – with support from our American Rescue Plan, legislation that I advanced with my tie-breaking vote in the Senate."We also reduced the burden of medical debt by increasing pathways to forgiveness and cracking down on predatory debt collection tactics,”&nbsp;said Vice President Harris.&nbsp;“Today, we are building on this meaningful work by announcing an unprecedented final rule that will make it so medical debt is no longer included in your credit score. This will be lifechanging for millions of families, making it easier for them to be approved for a car loan, a home loan, or a small-business loan. As someone who has spent my entire career fighting to protect consumers and lower medical bills, I know that our historic rule will help more Americans save money, build wealth, and thrive.”&nbsp;More than 100 million Americans struggle with medical debt. Medical debt is the largest source of debt in collections, making up a larger proportion of debt tradelines than credit cards, utilities, and auto loans. However, medical debt is not like other forms of debt because it is often the result of unavoidable medical complications and medical bills often contain significant errors, such as inflated or duplicative charges and fees for services never received or already paid. Reducing the burden of medical debt has been a key priority in President Biden and Vice President Harris’s effort to lower cost for American families.&nbsp;Removing Medical Debt from Consumer Credit Reports&nbsp;The CFPB is finalizing a rule that will remove medical debt from the credit reports of more than 15 million Americans, raising their credit scores by an estimated average of 20 points and leading to the approval of approximately 22,000 additional mortgages every year. Under the CFPB rule, there will be zero Americans with medical debt listed on their credit reports, down from 46 million in 2020.&nbsp;CFPB’s research indicates that medical bills are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-study-finds-medical-debt-overly-penalizes-consumer-credit-scores/">poor predictors</a>&nbsp;of an individual’s ability to repay a loan and that medical bills are often&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-report-spotlights-medical-billing-challenges/">confusing and erroneous</a>. In March 2022, the CFPB released a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-estimates-88-billion-in-medical-bills-on-credit-reports/">report</a>&nbsp;estimating that medical bills made up $88 billion of reported debts on credit reports. After the March 2022 report, the three largest credit reporting agencies announced that they would no longer include paid medical debts, unpaid medical debts less than a year old, and medical debt under $500 from credit reporting.&nbsp;Despite these voluntary changes,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-finds-15-million-americans-have-medical-bills-on-their-credit-reports/">15 million Americans</a>&nbsp;still have $49 billion in outstanding medical bills in collections appearing in the credit reporting system. Today’s action will remove these outstanding $49 billion in unpaid medical bills from the credit reports of the remaining 15 million impacted Americans.&nbsp;Vice President Harris’s Call to Action, Leveraging Federal Funds to Eliminate Medical Debt&nbsp;In June 2024, Vice President Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/06/11/fact-sheet-vice-president-harris-announces-proposal-to-prohibit-medical-bills-from-being-included-on-credit-reports-and-calls-on-states-and-localities-to-take-further-actions-to-reduce-medical-debt/">called on states, local governments, and health care providers to take action</a>&nbsp;to reduce the burden of medical debt. States and localities have responded to this call by directly relieving debt and launching innovative programs to improve their health systems. Thanks to the President Biden and Vice President Harris’s American Rescue Plan, states, counties, and cities have already eliminated more than an estimated $1 billion in medical debt for over 750,000 Americans, including:<ul>
 <li>Cook County, Illinois has eliminated over $382 million in medical debt for over 210,000 residents.</li><li>New Jersey has eliminated $220 million in medical debt for over 120,00 residents.</li><li>Cleveland, Ohio has eliminated nearly $137 million in medical debt for over 130,000 residents.</li><li>Toledo and Lucas County, Ohio partnered to eliminate over $87 million in medical debt for over 140,000 residents.</li><li>New Orleans, Louisiana has eliminated nearly $70 million in medical debt for 75,000 residents.</li><li>St. Paul, Minnesota has eliminated $40 million in medical debt for over 30,000 residents.</li><li>Washington, DC has eliminated $42 million in medical debt for over 60,000 residents.</li><li>Connecticut has eliminated $30 million in medical debt for 23,000 residents.</li><li>Wayne County, Michigan has eliminated $27 million in medical debt for more than 46,000 residents.</li><li>Oakland County, Michigan has eliminated $9 million in medical debt for more than 14,000 residents.</li>
 </ul>These and other jurisdictions are on track to eliminate an estimated up to $7 billion in medical debt for nearly 3 million Americans by the end of 2026 thanks to ARP-supported efforts.In addition to directly relieving debt, states and localities have responded to Vice President Harris’s call by launching innovative programs to improve their health systems. For instance, North Carolina&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/2024/08/12/north-carolina-hospitals-sign-relieve-medical-debt">recently announced</a>&nbsp;that all of the state’s 99 eligible hospitals have committed to participate in medical debt relief program that will eliminate up to $4 billion in existing medical debt for nearly 2 million low-and middle-income North Carolinians.&nbsp; The program also ensures that hospitals have policies in place to reduce the chance individuals will end up in debt in the first place. North Carolina’s program utilizes a novel approach, where hospital systems become eligible for enhanced Medicaid reimbursements under the State Directed Payments Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program by implementing policies that:<ul>
 <li>Relieve all medical debt deemed uncollectible dating back to Jan. 1, 2014, for any individuals not enrolled in Medicaid with incomes at or below at least 350% of the federal poverty level (FPL) or for whom total debt exceeds 5% of annual income.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Relieve all unpaid medical debt dating back to Jan. 1, 2014, for individuals who are enrolled in Medicaid.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Sets a charity care floor in the state that provides discounts on medical bills of between 50-100% for patients with incomes at or below 300% FPL, with the amount of the discount varying based on the patient’s income.</li><li>Automatically enroll people into financial assistance, known as charity care, by implementing a policy for presumptively determining individuals eligible for financial assistance through a streamlined screening and income validation approach.&nbsp;</li><li>Not sell any medical debt for consumers with incomes at or below 300% FPL to debt collectors.&nbsp;</li><li>Not report a patient’s debt covered by these policies to a credit reporting agency.</li>
 </ul>Preventing the Accumulation of Medical Debt Through Increased OversightToday’s announcements build on efforts by the Biden-Harris Administration to reduce the burden of medical debt, including:<ul>
 <li>The Internal Revenue Service&nbsp;<a href="https://news.bloombergtax.com/daily-tax-report/irs-plans-more-nonprofit-hospital-audits-as-scrutiny-heats-up">announced</a>&nbsp;new steps to ensure that non-profit hospitals provide free and reduced-price care for patients that need it, as is required by law. This includes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-counsel/2024-2025-priority-guidance-plan-initial-version.pdf">issuing new guidance</a>&nbsp;in the coming months to clarify the obligations of tax-exempt hospitals&nbsp; to offer and publicize financial assistance policies and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5313.pdf">committing to prioritizing enforcement actions</a>&nbsp;against tax-exempt hospitals that violate these responsibilities.</li><li>The CFPB issued an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-takes-aim-at-double-billing-and-inflated-charges-in-medical-debt-collection/">Advisory Opinion</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/consumer-advisory-pause-and-review-your-rights-when-you-hear-from-a-medical-debt-collector/">Consumer Advisory</a>&nbsp;clarifying the responsibilities of debt collectors to confirm that debts are accurate, valid, and substantiated before engaging in collection actions and explaining to consumers what actions they can take when they suspect that they have been improperly billed or if they have had improper or illegal collection actions taken against them.</li><li>The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) implemented&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/01/fact-sheet-supporting-veterans-experiencing-financial-hardship-and-addressing-the-harmful-effects-of-military-environmental-exposures/#:~:text=VA%20will%20streamline%20the%20request%20process%20and%20set,effect%20in%20the%20next%2090%20to%20120%20days.">a streamlined process</a>&nbsp;to make it easier and faster for lower-income veterans to get their VA medical debt forgiven, already&nbsp;providing relief to over 10,000 veterans and saved them more than $10 million in copay debt.</li><li>The Department of Defense has proposed a rule aimed at providing financial relief for civilians receiving medical care at military medical treatment facilities (MTFs). &nbsp;If finalized as proposed, this rule would implement fee reductions through a sliding scale discount program as well as catastrophic cap waivers. &nbsp;Through these measures, the DoD aims to significantly reduce the financial burden on patients while maintaining high-quality care.</li><li>The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhfa.gov/Media/PublicAffairs/Documents/CS-Fact-Sheet-2022.pdf">validated and approved</a>&nbsp;the use of VantageScore 4.0, along with FICO 10T, for the underwriting of mortgages by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, marking the first time that a credit score that excludes medical debt has been approved for mortgage underwriting of Enterprise loans.</li><li>The Small Business Administration (SBA) is taking steps to reduce the role of medical debt in the underwriting of loans&nbsp;for its flagship 7(a) guaranteed loan program, including revising its lender Standard Operating Procedures and Lender Match tool to discourage consideration of medical debt.</li><li>The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued memorandum&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/M-22-17.pdf">M-22-17</a>&nbsp;to direct agencies to reduce the impact of medical debt in the underwriting of Federal credit programs, helping to spur the actions by VA, FHFA, and SBA listed above.</li><li>The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of the Treasury&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/rules-policy/notice-opportunities-comment/archive-closed/request-for-information-on-medical-payment-products/">issued a joint request for information</a>&nbsp;seeking comment on the prevalence, nature, and impact of medical payment products.</li><li>CMS and CFPB issued guidance clarifying protections against inappropriate patient billing and costs for the approximately 8 million low-income Medicare beneficiaries who are enrolled in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program.&nbsp;</li><li>The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury have prioritized implementing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/03/06/fact-sheet-president-biden-takes-new-steps-to-lower-prescription-drug-and-health-care-costs-expand-access-to-health-care-and-protect-consumers/">surprise billing protections</a>, preventing 1 million surprise medical bills every single month.</li><li>As a part of the Inflation Reduction Act, President Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/03/02/fact-sheet-president-bidens-cap-on-the-cost-of-insulin-could-benefit-millions-of-americans-in-all-50-states/#:~:text=Eli%20Lilly%20announced%20they%20are%20lowering%20the%20cost,diabetes%20in%20all%20fifty%20states%20and%20U.S.%20territories.">capped the cost of insulin at $35</a>&nbsp;for a month’s supply of each covered insulin&nbsp;and capped out-of-pocket prescription drug costs at $2,000 in 2025 for seniors and others with Medicare. Thanks to the $3500 cap, nearly 1.5 million Medicare enrollees saved nearly $1 billion on prescription drugs in just the first half of 2024. Since taking these actions, President Biden has called on Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/03/06/fact-sheet-president-biden-takes-new-steps-to-lower-prescription-drug-and-health-care-costs-expand-access-to-health-care-and-protect-consumers/#:~:text=Expand%20Cap%20on%20Out%2Dof%2DPocket%20Prescription%20Drug%20Costs.&amp;text=The%20President%20is%20calling%20on,putting%20food%20on%20the%20table.">to expand the cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs</a>&nbsp;to cover all Americans.</li><li>President Biden has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/08/10/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-lowers-health-care-costs/">called on states</a>&nbsp;to close the Medicaid coverage gap and create new pathways to health coverage by expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.</li><li>Secretary Becerra directed HHS to evaluate how providers’ billing practices impact access and affordability of care and the accrual of medical debt. HHS, CFPB, and the Treasury Department requested information and data on medical bill collection practices, lawsuits against patients, financial assistance, financial product offerings, and 3rd party contracting or debt buying practices. HHS, for the first time, considered weighing this information in their funding decisions.</li><li>The CFPB and the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a joint letter affirming that nursing homes that participate in Medicare and Medicaid are prohibited from forcing a resident’s family or friends to assume responsibility for the cost of care as a condition of admission or continued stay in the facility.</li><li>HHS is collecting evidence and data to inform future actions by adding new questions on medical debt to Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey and Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, two of the most important sources of data on health care in the United States.</li><li>HHS released a set of&nbsp;<a href="https://oig.hhs.gov/faqs/general-questions-regarding-certain-fraud-and-abuse-authorities/#13-does-the-federal-anti-kickback-statute-or-the-beneficiary-inducements-cmp-prohibit-hospitals-from-waiving-their-patients-cost-sharing-amounts-pursuant-to-hospitals-financial-assistance-policies-also-known-as-charity-care-policies.">frequently asked questions</a>&nbsp;clarifying that hospitals have the ability to provide relief to uninsured and underinsured patients who cannot afford their hospital bills and to Medicare beneficiaries who cannot afford their Medicare cost.</li><li>The Biden-Harris Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/03/28/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-landmark-rule-to-protect-americans-from-junk-health-insurance/#:~:text=Under%20the%20new%20rules%2C%20new%20plans%20that%20claim,they%20in%20fact%20provided%20little%20to%20no%20coverage.">issued</a>&nbsp;a final rule that protects consumers from junk health insurance and makes sure Americans aren’t scammed into low-quality coverage that leaves consumers on the hook for thousands of dollars in medical bills.</li><li>CMS is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/10/10/2024-23103/patient-protection-and-affordable-care-act-hhs-notice-of-benefit-and-payment-parameters-for-2026-and">soliciting comment</a>&nbsp;on how hospital-based personnel who help consumers enroll in Marketplace coverage could connect consumers to hospital financial assistance programs designed to reduce medical debt.</li><li>The White House<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/12/08/readout-of-the-white-house-state-convening-on-medical-debt/">&nbsp;convened state and local leaders</a>&nbsp;to discuss initiatives to further lower health care costs and reduce the burden of medical debt, including addressing medical payment products, unfair debt collection practices, surprise billing and facility fees, and charity care.</li>
 </ul>

Medical Debt Banned from Credit Reports by New Biden Admin Rule

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission conservation officers are investigating a Scotts Bluff County hunting incident in which a woman was shot by a firearm.

Jeff Clauson, Game and Parks law enforcement administrator, said the 24-year-old woman was shot by another member of the hunting party and later treated for non-life-threatening injuries in Scottsbluff.

By Nebraska Game and ParksNebraska Game and Parks Commission conservation officers are investigating a Scotts Bluff County hunting incident in which a woman was shot by a firearm.Jeff Clauson, Game and Parks law enforcement administrator, said the 24-year-old woman was shot by another member of the hunting party and later treated for non-life-threatening injuries in Scottsbluff.

Panhandle Woman Shot During Hunting Incident

As 2025 begins, the Alzheimer’s Association encourages everyone to prioritize brain-healthy habits as part of their New Year’s resolutions. Research shows that adopting a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. More than 6 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s, including nearly 36,000 Nebraska residents.

While age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s, studies suggest that healthy lifestyle changes—including nutritious eating, regular exercise, and cognitive engagement—may promote better brain health. Recent findings highlight key actions that can make a difference:

“Research into how healthy behaviors impact cognitive health is rapidly evolving,” said Sadie Hinkel, Programming Director of the Alzheimer’s Association Nebraska Chapter. “While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, simple steps can help reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Small changes today can have lasting benefits.”

Five Tips for Brain-Healthy Living&nbsp;The Alzheimer’s Association recommends these strategies to support brain health:

“Incorporating these habits at any age is beneficial,” Hinkel added. “Start with one or two changes and build from there. Every step counts toward better health.”

The Alzheimer’s Association Nebraska Chapter offers free educational programming about symptoms, care resources, and prevention tips for community members statewide. To see a full list of our upcoming programs, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://alz.org/Nebraska" target="_blank">alz.org/Nebraska</a>&nbsp;or call our 24/7 Helpline (800.272.3900). If your business or organization is interested in hosting an educational program, please contact the Nebraska Chapter at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:nebraskainfo@alz.org" target="_blank">nebraskainfo@alz.org</a>.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Alzheimer’s AssociationAs 2025 begins, the Alzheimer’s Association encourages everyone to prioritize brain-healthy habits as part of their New Year’s resolutions. Research shows that adopting a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. More than 6 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s, including nearly 36,000 Nebraska residents.While age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s, studies suggest that healthy lifestyle changes—including nutritious eating, regular exercise, and cognitive engagement—may promote better brain health. Recent findings highlight key actions that can make a difference:<ul>
 <li>Eating a diet rich in whole foods and limiting ultra-processed foods (like chips, candy, and soft drinks) can slow cognitive decline.</li><li>Engaging in regular physical activity, even light exercise such as stretching, may help protect brain cells from damage.</li>
 </ul>“Research into how healthy behaviors impact cognitive health is rapidly evolving,” said Sadie Hinkel, Programming Director of the Alzheimer’s Association Nebraska Chapter. “While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, simple steps can help reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Small changes today can have lasting benefits.”Five Tips for Brain-Healthy Living&nbsp;The Alzheimer’s Association recommends these strategies to support brain health:<ol>
 <li>Exercise regularly&nbsp;— Cardiovascular exercise boosts blood flow to the brain, improving memory and thinking.</li><li>Maintain a heart-healthy diet&nbsp;— Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. The Mediterranean and DASH diets are linked to better brain health.</li><li>Get proper sleep&nbsp;— Aim for seven or more hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. A regular sleep schedule promotes brain health.</li><li>Stay socially and mentally engaged&nbsp;— Connect with friends and family, try puzzles or strategy games, or learn a new skill to keep your mind active.</li><li>Keep your heart healthy&nbsp;— Managing high blood pressure and other heart conditions can significantly reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).</li>
 </ol>“Incorporating these habits at any age is beneficial,” Hinkel added. “Start with one or two changes and build from there. Every step counts toward better health.”The Alzheimer’s Association Nebraska Chapter offers free educational programming about symptoms, care resources, and prevention tips for community members statewide. To see a full list of our upcoming programs, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://alz.org/Nebraska" target="_blank">alz.org/Nebraska</a>&nbsp;or call our 24/7 Helpline (800.272.3900). If your business or organization is interested in hosting an educational program, please contact the Nebraska Chapter at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:nebraskainfo@alz.org" target="_blank">nebraskainfo@alz.org</a>.&nbsp;

A New Year’s Resolution to Reduce Risk of Cognitive Decline

&nbsp;(Kearney, Neb.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested one person following a pursuit in central Nebraska Tuesday.

At approximately 10:15 a.m., a trooper saw a BMW SUV traveling eastbound at 125 miles per hour on Interstate 80 near Kearney at mile marker 268. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the driver refused to yield. The trooper initiated a pursuit.

The vehicle exited I-80 at the Kearney interchange and began traveling southbound on Highway 44. The driver continued southbound for several miles until it ran the stop sign at the intersection of Highway 44 and Highway 6. The vehicle then crossed railroad tracks at a high rate of speed, lost control, and crashed into a field.

The driver, Elias Areyzaga, 23, of Wheaton, Illinois, was taken into custody without further incident. Areyzaga refused medical transport but was transported by a trooper to Kearney Regional Medical Center for medical clearance. He was then lodged in Buffalo County Jail for flight to avoid arrest and willful reckless driving.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736339333101.jpeg" alt="Elias Areyzaga (Buffalo County Jail)" />
 <figcaption>Elias Areyzaga (Buffalo County Jail)</figcaption>
 </figure>Cody ThomasNebraska State Patrol&nbsp;(Kearney, Neb.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested one person following a pursuit in central Nebraska Tuesday.At approximately 10:15 a.m., a trooper saw a BMW SUV traveling eastbound at 125 miles per hour on Interstate 80 near Kearney at mile marker 268. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the driver refused to yield. The trooper initiated a pursuit.The vehicle exited I-80 at the Kearney interchange and began traveling southbound on Highway 44. The driver continued southbound for several miles until it ran the stop sign at the intersection of Highway 44 and Highway 6. The vehicle then crossed railroad tracks at a high rate of speed, lost control, and crashed into a field.The driver, Elias Areyzaga, 23, of Wheaton, Illinois, was taken into custody without further incident. Areyzaga refused medical transport but was transported by a trooper to Kearney Regional Medical Center for medical clearance. He was then lodged in Buffalo County Jail for flight to avoid arrest and willful reckless driving.

Illinois Man Arrested After Central Nebraska Pursuit

&nbsp;President Jimmy Carter will continue to lie in state at the Capitol Rotunda Wednesday ahead of his state funeral.

The 39th president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-carter-dies-18c198c20352c835bca3eec276020dd7">died Dec. 29 at the age of 100</a>.

Jimmy Carter's state funeral moved to Washington on Tuesday after observances in Georgia. The 39th president's remains will lie in state through Wednesday. President Joe Biden will deliver a eulogy at his funeral on Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736283143560.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;President Jimmy Carter will continue to lie in state at the Capitol Rotunda Wednesday ahead of his state funeral.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Jimmy Carter&#39;s casket arrives in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. <a href="https://t.co/t1YMjvbLHt">pic.twitter.com/t1YMjvbLHt</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1876754969094758700?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The 39th president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-carter-dies-18c198c20352c835bca3eec276020dd7">died Dec. 29 at the age of 100</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">U.S. <a href="https://twitter.com/NavalAcademy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NavalAcademy</a> Glee Club performs &#39;My Country, &#39;Tis of Thee&#39; at President Jimmy Carter Memorial Service. <a href="https://t.co/PVd51SHLwp">pic.twitter.com/PVd51SHLwp</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1876762661955760293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Carter served as president from 1977-81.-----------Jimmy Carter's state funeral moved to Washington on Tuesday after observances in Georgia. The 39th president's remains will lie in state through Wednesday. President Joe Biden will deliver a eulogy at his funeral on Thursday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Jimmy Carter arrival ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland (<a href="https://twitter.com/Andrews_JBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Andrews_JBA</a>). <a href="https://t.co/iO2fnY7zvl">pic.twitter.com/iO2fnY7zvl</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1876718862659465265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Jimmy Carter procession from the U.S. Naval Memorial to U.S. Capitol. <a href="https://t.co/sb2PkfYIcI">pic.twitter.com/sb2PkfYIcI</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1876736917779169666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Jimmy Carter&#39;s casket arrives at the U.S. Capitol. <a href="https://t.co/hSc7alh0lj">pic.twitter.com/hSc7alh0lj</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1876754915273441546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">U.S. <a href="https://twitter.com/NavalAcademy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NavalAcademy</a> Glee Club performs &#39;My Country, &#39;Tis of Thee&#39; at President Jimmy Carter Memorial Service. <a href="https://t.co/PVd51SHLwp">pic.twitter.com/PVd51SHLwp</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1876762661955760293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Jimmy Carter Continues to Lie in State at Capitol Rotunda Ahead of State Funeral

President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;held a news conference at his Palm Beach, Florida resort on Tuesday.&nbsp; He discussed a variety of topics including the Panama Canal, Greenland, renaming the Gulf of Mexico and pardons for the January 6th defendants.

President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;held a news conference at his Palm Beach, Florida resort on Tuesday.&nbsp; He discussed a variety of topics including the Panama Canal, Greenland, renaming the Gulf of Mexico and pardons for the January 6th defendants.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Question on Greenland and Panama Canal: &quot;Can you assure the world that as you try to get control of these areas you are not going to use military or economic coercion? President-Elect Trump: &quot;No...I can&#39;t assure you on either of those two. We need them for economic security...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/zJ8Fb67ZrX">pic.twitter.com/zJ8Fb67ZrX</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1876678479053259091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President-elect Trump: &quot;We&#39;re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America...what a beautiful name. It&#39;s appropriate.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ZspLXgkgcZ">pic.twitter.com/ZspLXgkgcZ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1876674752741314677?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President-Elect Trump pardoning January 6th defendants: &quot;We&#39;re be looking at the whole thing, but yes I&#39;ll be making major pardons, yes.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/arHvANly7j">pic.twitter.com/arHvANly7j</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1876679962188468655?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President-Elect Trump: &quot;If those hostages aren&#39;t back...If they&#39;re not back by the time I get into office all hell will break out in the Middle East. It will no be good for Hamas. It will not be good frankly for anyone.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/iz5yiATPA2">pic.twitter.com/iz5yiATPA2</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1876681429322445012?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>