<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/13/what-if-all-states-adopted-nebraskas-blue-dot-approach-for-president/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — If every state adopted Nebraska’s unique system of awarding its Electoral College votes for president — which provides one electoral vote to the winner in each congressional district and two per state to the overall winner — President-elect Donald Trump would have still won the White House.

But his margin of victory would have been slimmer.

A Nebraska Examiner analysis found that Trump would have won the popular vote in 229 congressional districts compared to wins by Vice President Kamala Harris in 206 districts, according to results compiled by national political analyst Drew Savicki.

Trump would have secured another 62 electoral votes by winning the statewide popular vote in 31 of 50 states, giving him 291 electoral votes, 21 more than needed to win the White House.

That result under a district-led system would have resulted in Trump winning 21 fewer electoral votes than were cast for him Monday, based on the current system of counting electoral votes, in which 48 states award all the electoral votes from those states to the popular vote winner statewide. His margin of victory over Harris would have been a narrower 291-247.

The real 2024 vote, based on the winner-take-all system used by every state except Nebraska and Maine, gave the Republican nominee a victory margin of 312 to 226 over Harris, the Democratic nominee.

The analysis comes as the Nebraska Legislature is poised again to consider whether to rescind the state’s unique system of awarding electoral votes and return to a winner-take-all approach, the law in the state until 1991.

This time, Nebraska provided four of its five electoral votes to Trump — two for winning the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts and two for winning the state overall. Harris secured one by winning in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District.

Two political science professors asked to comment on the Examiner’s analysis said they were not surprised by the results. The so-called “district system” used by Nebraska and Maine would rarely make a difference in the election outcome, they said.

Randy Adkins of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Dona-Gene Barton of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln said there’s no doubt that using the district system has brought additional attention from campaigns and the media to Nebraska’s 2nd District, the so-called “blue dot.”

It did so because it has delivered electoral votes to Democrats three times since 2000 in a Republican-dominated state.

“Most of the time, it doesn’t make a difference,” Adkins said.

But if all states adopted the system of awarding electoral votes by congressional district, more presidential campaigns would be spread out across the country, instead of focusing mostly on a handful of battleground states, Adkins said.

“All of a sudden, Republicans are campaigning in California and Democrats in Texas,” he said.

In this past election campaign, the UNO professor said he was interviewed by 200 reporters, from as far away as Japan, Austria and France. Most wanted to know about the possible impact of the blue dot on the outcome of the November election.

“Omaha got national and international attention from that,” Adkins said of the district approach to electoral votes. “It puts Omaha into discussions that didn’t exist before.”

Had all states adopted Nebraska’s system, it would have made a difference in an outcome at least once: Americans would have elected Mitt Romney president in 2012 rather than Barack Obama.

Obama won the popular vote by nearly 5 million votes and won in the Electoral College by a 332-206 margin. But if the electoral votes had been divided up by who got the most votes in each congressional district, Romney would have won by a margin of 273-262 — three more than needed for the White House.

Nationally, some Republicans sought for a time to change the way their states divvied up electoral votes from a winner-take-all system to the district way because of the 2012 election.

But generally, Republicans have preferred the Electoral College because it tends to favor GOP candidates, who do better in rural, less populated states and do worse in big cities and more populated states.

Public opinion polls, meanwhile, regularly indicate support for getting rid of the Electoral College, which is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, and using the popular vote for president.

Democrats have favored such a switch. After all, two Democrats, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Al Gore in 2008 won the popular vote but lost the presidency in the Electoral College. Given that Trump won both the popular and electoral votes in 2024, there hasn’t been as much talk of ditching the Electoral College.

A major gripe about the Electoral College is that it gives each state two votes for the popular vote winner in that state — one each of its two U.S. senators. That means that the nation’s least-populous state, Wyoming, with about 585,000 residents, has as much clout in that regard as the biggest state, California, which has a population of nearly 39 million.

In Nebraska, GOP leaders, led by Gov. Jim Pillen, have long called for returning to a winner-take-all system. He maintains that it would allow the state’s voters to speak with one voice, and end the “undue influence” of the Omaha-area’s “blue dot.”

Defenders of the district system, meanwhile, say it allows voters’ voices to be heard in states — like Nebraska — where the politics in each congressional district are different.

Republicans in Nebraska’s GOP-dominated Legislature made two last-minute tries in 2024 to get rid of the district system after anxiety rose that Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, in a possibly close election, might tilt the election to Harris.

As it turned out, Harris’ win in the “blue dot” didn’t matter, because Trump easily won the election after sweeping nearly all seven “battleground” states that swing back and forth between favoring Democrats or Republicans.

That is another common criticism of the winner-take-all approach, because a nationwide election comes down to a few battleground states and tend to ignore the others.

Former State Sen. Mike McDonnell, a Democrat-turned-Republican, was a critical “no” vote against switching to winner-take-all despite his change of political party.

McDonnell, who is now a candidate for mayor of Omaha, said the current district system brought increased attention and campaign spending to the Omaha area that would disappear if Nebraska adopted a winner-take-all system.

Harris’ win in the Omaha area was the third time that a Democrat had emerged as the winner in the 2nd District. The other wins came in 2008 by Obama and in 2020 by Joe Biden.

The latest win has prompted Pillen to again urge the Legislature to do away with the state’s district system.

State Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City proposed Legislative Bill 3 on Thursday that would shift the state to a winner-take-all system. It would award all five of the state’s electoral votes to the statewide winner of the presidential popular vote.

Whether or not that happens is up in the air — Republicans have 33 senators in the Legislature, enough to fend off a filibuster and pass a change in voting laws. But it remains to be seen if every GOP state senator would support such a switch.

At least a couple want state voters, at the ballot box via a proposed constitutional amendment, to decide.

Adkins said that 150 years ago, there was more discussion by states about switching to a district system similar to what Nebraska and Maine use.

He said states can adopt the district system without amending the U.S. Constitution, which he said would be easier than amending the constitution to get rid of the Electoral College.

Barton, the UNL professor, said she doesn’t see any momentum nationally to get rid of the Electoral College, given that Republicans control both houses of Congress and the White House.

She said changing back to a winner-take-all system would end the political attention focused on the 2nd District, because Nebraska, as a whole, has reliably voted for Republican candidates for the past 60 years.

“I think that would be a bad move for Neb

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736801172408.jpeg" alt="Nebraska Examiner logo" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska Examiner logo</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/13/what-if-all-states-adopted-nebraskas-blue-dot-approach-for-president/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — If every state adopted Nebraska’s unique system of awarding its Electoral College votes for president — which provides one electoral vote to the winner in each congressional district and two per state to the overall winner — President-elect Donald Trump would have still won the White House.But his margin of victory would have been slimmer.A Nebraska Examiner analysis found that Trump would have won the popular vote in 229 congressional districts compared to wins by Vice President Kamala Harris in 206 districts, according to results compiled by national political analyst Drew Savicki.Trump would have secured another 62 electoral votes by winning the statewide popular vote in 31 of 50 states, giving him 291 electoral votes, 21 more than needed to win the White House.That result under a district-led system would have resulted in Trump winning 21 fewer electoral votes than were cast for him Monday, based on the current system of counting electoral votes, in which 48 states award all the electoral votes from those states to the popular vote winner statewide. His margin of victory over Harris would have been a narrower 291-247.<h2>How the election worked in 2024</h2>The real 2024 vote, based on the winner-take-all system used by every state except Nebraska and Maine, gave the Republican nominee a victory margin of 312 to 226 over Harris, the Democratic nominee.The analysis comes as the Nebraska Legislature is poised again to consider whether to rescind the state’s unique system of awarding electoral votes and return to a winner-take-all approach, the law in the state until 1991.This time, Nebraska provided four of its five electoral votes to Trump — two for winning the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts and two for winning the state overall. Harris secured one by winning in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District.Two political science professors asked to comment on the Examiner’s analysis said they were not surprised by the results. The so-called “district system” used by Nebraska and Maine would rarely make a difference in the election outcome, they said.Randy Adkins of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Dona-Gene Barton of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln said there’s no doubt that using the district system has brought additional attention from campaigns and the media to Nebraska’s 2nd District, the so-called “blue dot.”It did so because it has delivered electoral votes to Democrats three times since 2000 in a Republican-dominated state.“Most of the time, it doesn’t make a difference,” Adkins said.<h2>What the change might mean</h2>But if all states adopted the system of awarding electoral votes by congressional district, more presidential campaigns would be spread out across the country, instead of focusing mostly on a handful of battleground states, Adkins said.“All of a sudden, Republicans are campaigning in California and Democrats in Texas,” he said.In this past election campaign, the UNO professor said he was interviewed by 200 reporters, from as far away as Japan, Austria and France. Most wanted to know about the possible impact of the blue dot on the outcome of the November election.“Omaha got national and international attention from that,” Adkins said of the district approach to electoral votes. “It puts Omaha into discussions that didn’t exist before.”Had all states adopted Nebraska’s system, it would have made a difference in an outcome at least once: Americans would have elected Mitt Romney president in 2012 rather than Barack Obama.Obama won the popular vote by nearly 5 million votes and won in the Electoral College by a 332-206 margin. But if the electoral votes had been divided up by who got the most votes in each congressional district, Romney would have won by a margin of 273-262 — three more than needed for the White House.Nationally, some Republicans sought for a time to change the way their states divvied up electoral votes from a winner-take-all system to the district way because of the 2012 election.But generally, Republicans have preferred the Electoral College because it tends to favor GOP candidates, who do better in rural, less populated states and do worse in big cities and more populated states.Public opinion polls, meanwhile, regularly indicate support for getting rid of the Electoral College, which is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, and using the popular vote for president.Democrats have favored such a switch. After all, two Democrats, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Al Gore in 2008 won the popular vote but lost the presidency in the Electoral College. Given that Trump won both the popular and electoral votes in 2024, there hasn’t been as much talk of ditching the Electoral College.A major gripe about the Electoral College is that it gives each state two votes for the popular vote winner in that state — one each of its two U.S. senators. That means that the nation’s least-populous state, Wyoming, with about 585,000 residents, has as much clout in that regard as the biggest state, California, which has a population of nearly 39 million.<h2>Nebraska Republicans eye ‘blue dot’</h2>In Nebraska, GOP leaders, led by Gov. Jim Pillen, have long called for returning to a winner-take-all system. He maintains that it would allow the state’s voters to speak with one voice, and end the “undue influence” of the Omaha-area’s “blue dot.”Defenders of the district system, meanwhile, say it allows voters’ voices to be heard in states — like Nebraska — where the politics in each congressional district are different.Republicans in Nebraska’s GOP-dominated Legislature made two last-minute tries in 2024 to get rid of the district system after anxiety rose that Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, in a possibly close election, might tilt the election to Harris.As it turned out, Harris’ win in the “blue dot” didn’t matter, because Trump easily won the election after sweeping nearly all seven “battleground” states that swing back and forth between favoring Democrats or Republicans.That is another common criticism of the winner-take-all approach, because a nationwide election comes down to a few battleground states and tend to ignore the others.Former State Sen. Mike McDonnell, a Democrat-turned-Republican, was a critical “no” vote against switching to winner-take-all despite his change of political party.McDonnell, who is now a candidate for mayor of Omaha, said the current district system brought increased attention and campaign spending to the Omaha area that would disappear if Nebraska adopted a winner-take-all system.<h2>The way forward</h2>Harris’ win in the Omaha area was the third time that a Democrat had emerged as the winner in the 2nd District. The other wins came in 2008 by Obama and in 2020 by Joe Biden.The latest win has prompted Pillen to again urge the Legislature to do away with the state’s district system.State Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City proposed Legislative Bill 3 on Thursday that would shift the state to a winner-take-all system. It would award all five of the state’s electoral votes to the statewide winner of the presidential popular vote.Whether or not that happens is up in the air — Republicans have 33 senators in the Legislature, enough to fend off a filibuster and pass a change in voting laws. But it remains to be seen if every GOP state senator would support such a switch.At least a couple want state voters, at the ballot box via a proposed constitutional amendment, to decide.Adkins said that 150 years ago, there was more discussion by states about switching to a district system similar to what Nebraska and Maine use.He said states can adopt the district system without amending the U.S. Constitution, which he said would be easier than amending the constitution to get rid of the Electoral College.Barton, the UNL professor, said she doesn’t see any momentum nationally to get rid of the Electoral College, given that Republicans control both houses of Congress and the White House.She said changing back to a winner-take-all system would end the political attention focused on the 2nd District, because Nebraska, as a whole, has reliably voted for Republican candidates for the past 60 years.“I think that would be a bad move for Neb

What if all states adopted Nebraska’s ‘blue dot’ approach for president?

CHICAGO&nbsp;‒ The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into an agreement with JBS USA Food Co. in which the nation’s leading meat packing processor and slaughterhouse will provide $4 million to assist individuals and communities affected by unlawful child labor practices nationwide.

The Jan. 13, 2025, agreement commits JBS to holding key elements of its supply chain, third-party contractors and service providers accountable for illegal child labor. They are also creating a targeted advertising campaign to raise awareness about unlawful child labor practices.

“Under this agreement, JBS USA Food Co. has adopted creative and forward-thinking compliance measures to combat illegal child labor,” said Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman. “JBS has taken responsibility for children performing dangerous work at its facilities by proposing concrete and enforceable solutions to address those issues, setting the standard as a market leader in preventing illegal youth employment.”&nbsp;

JBS will fund $4 million towards preventing illegal child labor and supporting victims of child labor nationwide while prioritizing its efforts in the communities of Guntersville, Alabama; Greeley, Colorado; Ottumwa, Iowa; Worthington, Minnesota; and Grand Island, Nebraska.

The funds may provide direct assistance to affected individuals and community organizations in the form of scholarships, stipends and educational aid including assistance to community organizations to fund English as a Second Language teaching positions, literacy, job training and housing.

“Host companies like JBS have enormous leverage to help prevent child labor in their supply chains and even more broadly in the industry,” said Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda. “With this agreement, JBS USA Food Co. is taking significant steps to ensure children are not put in harm’s way at its facilities or by its contractors.”&nbsp;

In addition to the establishment of the $4 million fund for victims of child labor and community-based causes, the agreement requires JBS to do the following:

<a>Headquartered in Greeley, JBS USA Food Co. is a leading producer of beef with nine U.S. facilities, offering beef products to more than 44 countries on six continents and the second-largest fresh pork producer with five U.S. facilities, offering pork products to more than 26 countries on five continents. The company employs more than 37,000 people at these facilities. Its products are sold under dozens of brand names including Pilgrim’s, Primo and Swift in the U.S. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of JBS S.A. in Brazil, the world’s largest processor of fresh beef and pork, with more than $50 billion in annual sales.</a>

Since 2022, the department has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20230217-1">investigated various third-party contractors</a>&nbsp;that provide&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20221206-3">sanitation services at meat packing establishments</a>&nbsp;and service providers of poultry catching operations across the U.S. These investigations discovered that JBS’s third-party service providers employed children in dangerous jobs and during overnight shifts at the company’s facilities in Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska.

In fiscal year 2024, department investigators found&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/data">more than 4,000 children had been employed in violation of federal child labor laws</a>. The division continues to prioritize protecting children and currently has over 1,000 open child labor investigations.

Workers and employers can call the division confidentially with questions and the division can speak with callers in more than 200 languages at its toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd">Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division</a>,&nbsp;including child labor regulations on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/child-labor/what-jobs-are-off-limits">dangerous jobs that are prohibited</a>&nbsp;for workers under age 18.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736801594156.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO&nbsp;‒ The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into an agreement with JBS USA Food Co. in which the nation’s leading meat packing processor and slaughterhouse will provide $4 million to assist individuals and communities affected by unlawful child labor practices nationwide.The Jan. 13, 2025, agreement commits JBS to holding key elements of its supply chain, third-party contractors and service providers accountable for illegal child labor. They are also creating a targeted advertising campaign to raise awareness about unlawful child labor practices.“Under this agreement, JBS USA Food Co. has adopted creative and forward-thinking compliance measures to combat illegal child labor,” said Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman. “JBS has taken responsibility for children performing dangerous work at its facilities by proposing concrete and enforceable solutions to address those issues, setting the standard as a market leader in preventing illegal youth employment.”&nbsp;JBS will fund $4 million towards preventing illegal child labor and supporting victims of child labor nationwide while prioritizing its efforts in the communities of Guntersville, Alabama; Greeley, Colorado; Ottumwa, Iowa; Worthington, Minnesota; and Grand Island, Nebraska.The funds may provide direct assistance to affected individuals and community organizations in the form of scholarships, stipends and educational aid including assistance to community organizations to fund English as a Second Language teaching positions, literacy, job training and housing.“Host companies like JBS have enormous leverage to help prevent child labor in their supply chains and even more broadly in the industry,” said Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda. “With this agreement, JBS USA Food Co. is taking significant steps to ensure children are not put in harm’s way at its facilities or by its contractors.”&nbsp;In addition to the establishment of the $4 million fund for victims of child labor and community-based causes, the agreement requires JBS to do the following:<ul>
 <li>Host or sponsor a symposium focused on preventing illegal child labor for industry leaders, non-profits and other interested parties committed to combating unlawful child labor.</li><li>Hire a child labor compliance specialist to review policies, develop training materials and conduct unannounced audits.</li><li>Maintain a toll-free ethics hotline for the anonymous reporting of compliance concerns.</li><li>Incorporate a zero-tolerance policy in any contract agreements with third-party sanitation firms or poultry catching service providers.</li><li>Notify the department when contracts have been terminated because of child labor violations.</li><li>Conduct community outreach to educate communities about the prohibitions on child labor at meat packing establishments.</li><li>Create targeted advertising campaigns to raise awareness about unlawful child labor in Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska.</li><li>Require nationwide training on prevention of illegal child labor to all third-party sanitation employers at JBS facilities and all JBS employees at meat packing establishments.</li>
 </ul><a>Headquartered in Greeley, JBS USA Food Co. is a leading producer of beef with nine U.S. facilities, offering beef products to more than 44 countries on six continents and the second-largest fresh pork producer with five U.S. facilities, offering pork products to more than 26 countries on five continents. The company employs more than 37,000 people at these facilities. Its products are sold under dozens of brand names including Pilgrim’s, Primo and Swift in the U.S. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of JBS S.A. in Brazil, the world’s largest processor of fresh beef and pork, with more than $50 billion in annual sales.</a>Since 2022, the department has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20230217-1">investigated various third-party contractors</a>&nbsp;that provide&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20221206-3">sanitation services at meat packing establishments</a>&nbsp;and service providers of poultry catching operations across the U.S. These investigations discovered that JBS’s third-party service providers employed children in dangerous jobs and during overnight shifts at the company’s facilities in Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska.In fiscal year 2024, department investigators found&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/data">more than 4,000 children had been employed in violation of federal child labor laws</a>. The division continues to prioritize protecting children and currently has over 1,000 open child labor investigations.Workers and employers can call the division confidentially with questions and the division can speak with callers in more than 200 languages at its toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd">Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division</a>,&nbsp;including child labor regulations on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/child-labor/what-jobs-are-off-limits">dangerous jobs that are prohibited</a>&nbsp;for workers under age 18.

US Department of Labor secures agreement with JBS USA, nation’s  largest meat packing processor, to address child labor compliance

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/11/nebraska-lawmakers-aim-to-define-male-female-for-sports-bathrooms-and-more/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;Nebraska lawmakers will seek to define “male” and “female” in state law, broadening a past effort focused on sex-based restrictions for K-12 school bathrooms and sports teams to colleges and all areas of state government.

<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58025" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 89</a>, the Stand With Women Act from State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha and 20 other lawmakers, builds upon LB 575 from 2023: the Sports and Spaces Act. Now Kauth is trying to codify a “<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/30/nebraska-gov-pillen-enacts-second-governor-led-womens-bill-of-rights/">Women’s Bill of Rights</a>” that Gov. Jim Pillen enacted by executive order in August 2023.

“We have to be able to say that a woman is a woman and a man is a man, and there should be some places where each sex has privacy,” Kauth said at a morning news conference Friday with two University of Nebraska athletes and all but one of her legislative cosponsors.

Abbi Swatsworth, executive director of the statewide LGBTQ nonprofit OutNebraska, described the bill as an “escalation” of Kauth’s past efforts.

“Nobody’s ‘equality before the law’ should ever be put in jeopardy, and that is exactly what this bill does by touching everything that government controls,” Swatsworth said, quoting the state motto.

Kauth’s bill would define female, woman, girl, male, man and boy as follows:

The act would cover any agency, board, bureau, commission “or any other entity whose primary function is to act as an instrumentality or agency of the state.”

Governing bodies of any public or private K-12 school, as well as those overseeing postsecondary educational institutions, would need to designate all group restrooms or locker rooms for use by only females or males. This would be the same for all state-operated or used facilities, such as prisons, colleges and mental health facilities.

People whose sex does not match the designated bathrooms or locker rooms could enter for custodial, maintenance or inspection purposes or to render emergency assistance. Coaches, athletic trainers and other authorized officials or school employees would similarly be allowed to enter locker rooms.

Parents or caregivers of a minor child or someone with a disability who is a different sex than a parent or caregiver could join the child in the restroom of the parent’s or caregiver’s sex.

Individuals born with a diagnosis of a disorder or difference in sex development would have the “relevant legal protections and accommodations” available under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

These were among concerns raised about Kauth’s Sports and Spaces Act when it&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/05/bathroom-sports-team-restrictions-fall-short-in-nebraska-legislature/">failed to advance by two votes</a>&nbsp;in April 2024.

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/23/trans-health-exercise-specialists-weigh-in-on-nebraska-trans-sports-proposal/">Sports teams</a>&nbsp;sponsored by a school or athletic association would need to explicitly define sports or teams as for males, men or boys; females, women or girls; or coed or mixed.

Female-designated sports or teams would exclude any male student-athletes, as defined by the law. Male-designated sports would be closed to female student-athletes unless there is no female equivalent sport offered.

The Nebraska commissioner of education would be tasked with determining if a school district intentionally refuses to comply with the law and, if after a letter stating the noncompliance and a “reasonable time” to get in compliance, could take remedial action up to a violation for school accreditation.

It’s unclear how the bill might apply to postsecondary institutions, which aren’t overseen by the state education commissioner.

Among speakers at the news conference Friday were Pillen and NU student-athletes: Jordy Bahl from the softball team and Rebekah Allick from Nebraska volleyball. Protesters gathered and shouted in the hallway outside the governor’s hearing room.

The athletes urged transgender Nebraskans to find God and open their hearts to the love of Jesus Christ for an issue they said shouldn’t be partisan.

“Our God makes no mistakes, and I believe it is beautiful that every single one of these souls is in here right now,” Allick said to a crowded room in the Nebraska State Capitol supporting Kauth’s bill. “Honestly, my heart just mostly breaks for the trans community, because I believe a lot of them resorted to that community because people weren’t listening … when they were asking for help and were confused.”

Bahl, who supported Kauth’s previous bill focused on K-12 schools, recalled when she was 7 or 8 growing up in Papillion, Nebraska, and would go to the pool in the summer.

She said she would show up and quickly walk through her designated locker room as quickly as possible.

“If I accidentally saw a woman showering or changing, I just felt so awkward and so uncomfortable, and I just wanted to get out of there,” Bahl said.

“Now, at this day and age, I just stop for a moment and I think: What disturbance and trauma would have come over me if, at that age, if I’m that embarrassed and awkward seeing another woman, had there been a man, or let alone a man watching me shower or watching me change?” she continued.

Kauth said one instance would be too many is why her law was needed and that schools already have policies for following state law, so the bill doesn’t “have to recreate the deal.”

State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston was one of two Republicans to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/22/a-growing-number-of-nebraska-lawmakers-seeks-to-avoid-another-fight-on-trans-youth-in-2024/">oppose</a>&nbsp;Kauth’s Sports and Spaces Act in the spring of 2024.

A self-described “doubting Thomas” of the bill, Riepe said the expansion to all of state government complicates the goal. He said he’s disappointed Kauth didn’t bring two bills for some choice, and he pointed to an&nbsp;<a href="https://nsaahome.org/about/gppolicy.pdf" target="_blank">existing Nebraska School Activities Association gender participation policy</a>&nbsp;that already covers participating K-12 schools.

“I am interested in preserving women’s sports, and that’s about as far as I’ve gone or been able to take myself to,” Riepe said. “If they would keep it simple enough, then I could probably support it.”

A handful of public schools, including&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/09/05/kearney-norfolk-school-officials-explain-trans-student-athlete-policies/">Kearney Public Schools and Norfolk Public Schools</a>, have passed policies similar to the former Sports and Spaces Act. The NSAA policy is not binding on schools.

State Sen. Stan Clouse of Kearney, who was mayor of his city for 18 years until he was elected to the Legislature in November, said lawmakers have a responsibility to protect girls and women in sports, as well as in their intimate spaces. He and Kauth said schools need consistency.

“Now the NSAA, I agree, they have a great policy, but it’s not statute. There’s a big difference,” Clouse said. “I think this is what is best now.”

State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, a former school board member for Omaha Public Schools until she was elected to the statehouse in November, said she had heard of no issues at OPS regarding bathrooms or sports teams. She said officials worked to accommodate and support all students.

“I was pleased to hear that since I had no clue, and because that’s how I feel towards community in general, always wanting people to feel welcomed, because I just think that that’s so critical, especially from a mental health perspective,” Juarez said.

Juarez said she hasn’t questioned if someone was in the “wrong” restroom, but “knowing our environment today and being respectful, I personally, I don’t think that I’d be uncomfortable.”

State Sens. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln and Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, chief opponents of Kauth’s previous bill, said it was a distraction from other bills to help everyday Nebraskans, like Conrad’s efforts to remove taxes on tips,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59224" target="_blank">LB 28</a>, and overtime,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59225" target="_blank">LB 30</a>, and Cavanaugh’s bill to support renters,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59257" target="_blank">LB 107</a>.

Kauth said hasn’t yet secured the 33 votes likely needed for the bill to overcome an expected filibuster. She has 20 cosponsors, and three senators who have not yet signed onto to the bill joined the news conference: State Sens. Jana Hughes of Seward, Glen Meyer of Pender and Dave “Woody” Wordekemper of Fremont.

State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, who supported the Sports and Spaces Act, chairs the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/10/state-sen-jane-raybould-sings-in-opposition-to-nebraska-legislative-committee-assignments/">Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee</a>&nbsp;where Kauth’s LB 89 is likely to be referred for a hearing, because it touches so many areas of government.

Sanders said she would give every testifier a fair chance to speak and a safe space to do so. She said she was abroad on Aug. 30, 2023, the historic Volleyball Day in Nebraska when 92,003 Huskers fans packed Memorial Stadium.&nbsp;

It was the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/09/27/nebraska-advocates-say-womens-bill-of-rights-does-not-focus-on-needed-priorities/">same day Pillen issued his Nebraska Women’s Bill of Rights</a>&nbsp;for state agencies.

“The first thing I thought was, ‘Whose brainchild was this?’” Sanders said of the volleyball record. “But more importantly, from the ‘70s to today of what it’s done [Title IX] for women and women’s sports and being able to leverage what they have.”

Allick said the idea of separating church and state is “one of the biggest things that, personally, really pisses me off.” She asked without church and God if she was “just a speck of dust in this entire universe” or if her “combustion in my mother’s uterus was an accident.”

“I just ask that we continue to pray for our brothers and sisters who feel lost and unloved and have found community elsewhere and are still wrapped in the arms of the devil that we just ask them to come to Jesus,” Allick said.

Jessie McGrath of Omaha, a native of Max, Nebraska, and a prosecutor in Los Angeles, said that as a transgender woman, Kauth’s efforts are troubling because McGrath has gone through efforts for legal changes to her name, birth certificate, passport and Social Security.

“Everything indicates that I’m an adult human female, which means I’m a woman,” McGrath said, adding it was a years-long process for herself. “Why is it that now I’m suddenly a threat to the women everywhere, because I go pee in the ladies room?”

McGrath said the effort is broader — that it’s about Kauth and others not wanting trans people to exist — and inflicting religious beliefs that not everyone shares.

McGrath is Christian and agrees with Bahl that God doesn’t make mistakes.

“But God made me a trans woman, and I recognize that, and it took me a long time to recognize that,” McGrath said. “It’s my acceptance of the fact that this was God’s path for me that finally allowed me to be able to break free from all of the repression that I put upon myself in order to be able to live free.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736799911325.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, left, is the lead sponsor on the “Stand With Women Act” to define school sports teams, bathrooms and locker rooms, as well as all bathrooms for state agencies, as male or female, as defined in her bill. Jan. 10, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, left, is the lead sponsor on the “Stand With Women Act” to define school sports teams, bathrooms and locker rooms, as well as all bathrooms for state agencies, as male or female, as defined in her bill. Jan. 10, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/11/nebraska-lawmakers-aim-to-define-male-female-for-sports-bathrooms-and-more/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;Nebraska lawmakers will seek to define “male” and “female” in state law, broadening a past effort focused on sex-based restrictions for K-12 school bathrooms and sports teams to colleges and all areas of state government.<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58025" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 89</a>, the Stand With Women Act from State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha and 20 other lawmakers, builds upon LB 575 from 2023: the Sports and Spaces Act. Now Kauth is trying to codify a “<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/30/nebraska-gov-pillen-enacts-second-governor-led-womens-bill-of-rights/">Women’s Bill of Rights</a>” that Gov. Jim Pillen enacted by executive order in August 2023.“We have to be able to say that a woman is a woman and a man is a man, and there should be some places where each sex has privacy,” Kauth said at a morning news conference Friday with two University of Nebraska athletes and all but one of her legislative cosponsors.Abbi Swatsworth, executive director of the statewide LGBTQ nonprofit OutNebraska, described the bill as an “escalation” of Kauth’s past efforts.“Nobody’s ‘equality before the law’ should ever be put in jeopardy, and that is exactly what this bill does by touching everything that government controls,” Swatsworth said, quoting the state motto.<h2>Defining ‘female’ and ‘male’</h2>Kauth’s bill would define female, woman, girl, male, man and boy as follows:<ul>
 <li>Female: A person whose biological reproductive system is organized around the production of ova, including a woman (adult female) and a girl (adolescent female).</li><li>Male: A person whose biological reproductive system is organized around the production of sperm, including a man (adult male) and a boy (adolescent male).</li>
 </ul>The act would cover any agency, board, bureau, commission “or any other entity whose primary function is to act as an instrumentality or agency of the state.”Governing bodies of any public or private K-12 school, as well as those overseeing postsecondary educational institutions, would need to designate all group restrooms or locker rooms for use by only females or males. This would be the same for all state-operated or used facilities, such as prisons, colleges and mental health facilities.<h2>Exceptions to the bill</h2>People whose sex does not match the designated bathrooms or locker rooms could enter for custodial, maintenance or inspection purposes or to render emergency assistance. Coaches, athletic trainers and other authorized officials or school employees would similarly be allowed to enter locker rooms.Parents or caregivers of a minor child or someone with a disability who is a different sex than a parent or caregiver could join the child in the restroom of the parent’s or caregiver’s sex.Individuals born with a diagnosis of a disorder or difference in sex development would have the “relevant legal protections and accommodations” available under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.These were among concerns raised about Kauth’s Sports and Spaces Act when it&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/05/bathroom-sports-team-restrictions-fall-short-in-nebraska-legislature/">failed to advance by two votes</a>&nbsp;in April 2024.<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/23/trans-health-exercise-specialists-weigh-in-on-nebraska-trans-sports-proposal/">Sports teams</a>&nbsp;sponsored by a school or athletic association would need to explicitly define sports or teams as for males, men or boys; females, women or girls; or coed or mixed.Female-designated sports or teams would exclude any male student-athletes, as defined by the law. Male-designated sports would be closed to female student-athletes unless there is no female equivalent sport offered.The Nebraska commissioner of education would be tasked with determining if a school district intentionally refuses to comply with the law and, if after a letter stating the noncompliance and a “reasonable time” to get in compliance, could take remedial action up to a violation for school accreditation.It’s unclear how the bill might apply to postsecondary institutions, which aren’t overseen by the state education commissioner.<h2>‘Our God makes no mistakes’</h2>Among speakers at the news conference Friday were Pillen and NU student-athletes: Jordy Bahl from the softball team and Rebekah Allick from Nebraska volleyball. Protesters gathered and shouted in the hallway outside the governor’s hearing room.The athletes urged transgender Nebraskans to find God and open their hearts to the love of Jesus Christ for an issue they said shouldn’t be partisan.“Our God makes no mistakes, and I believe it is beautiful that every single one of these souls is in here right now,” Allick said to a crowded room in the Nebraska State Capitol supporting Kauth’s bill. “Honestly, my heart just mostly breaks for the trans community, because I believe a lot of them resorted to that community because people weren’t listening … when they were asking for help and were confused.”Bahl, who supported Kauth’s previous bill focused on K-12 schools, recalled when she was 7 or 8 growing up in Papillion, Nebraska, and would go to the pool in the summer.She said she would show up and quickly walk through her designated locker room as quickly as possible.“If I accidentally saw a woman showering or changing, I just felt so awkward and so uncomfortable, and I just wanted to get out of there,” Bahl said.“Now, at this day and age, I just stop for a moment and I think: What disturbance and trauma would have come over me if, at that age, if I’m that embarrassed and awkward seeing another woman, had there been a man, or let alone a man watching me shower or watching me change?” she continued.Kauth said one instance would be too many is why her law was needed and that schools already have policies for following state law, so the bill doesn’t “have to recreate the deal.”<h2>An existing K-12 sports policy</h2>State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston was one of two Republicans to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/22/a-growing-number-of-nebraska-lawmakers-seeks-to-avoid-another-fight-on-trans-youth-in-2024/">oppose</a>&nbsp;Kauth’s Sports and Spaces Act in the spring of 2024.A self-described “doubting Thomas” of the bill, Riepe said the expansion to all of state government complicates the goal. He said he’s disappointed Kauth didn’t bring two bills for some choice, and he pointed to an&nbsp;<a href="https://nsaahome.org/about/gppolicy.pdf" target="_blank">existing Nebraska School Activities Association gender participation policy</a>&nbsp;that already covers participating K-12 schools.“I am interested in preserving women’s sports, and that’s about as far as I’ve gone or been able to take myself to,” Riepe said. “If they would keep it simple enough, then I could probably support it.”A handful of public schools, including&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/09/05/kearney-norfolk-school-officials-explain-trans-student-athlete-policies/">Kearney Public Schools and Norfolk Public Schools</a>, have passed policies similar to the former Sports and Spaces Act. The NSAA policy is not binding on schools.State Sen. Stan Clouse of Kearney, who was mayor of his city for 18 years until he was elected to the Legislature in November, said lawmakers have a responsibility to protect girls and women in sports, as well as in their intimate spaces. He and Kauth said schools need consistency.“Now the NSAA, I agree, they have a great policy, but it’s not statute. There’s a big difference,” Clouse said. “I think this is what is best now.”<h2>Getting to 33 votes</h2>State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, a former school board member for Omaha Public Schools until she was elected to the statehouse in November, said she had heard of no issues at OPS regarding bathrooms or sports teams. She said officials worked to accommodate and support all students.“I was pleased to hear that since I had no clue, and because that’s how I feel towards community in general, always wanting people to feel welcomed, because I just think that that’s so critical, especially from a mental health perspective,” Juarez said.Juarez said she hasn’t questioned if someone was in the “wrong” restroom, but “knowing our environment today and being respectful, I personally, I don’t think that I’d be uncomfortable.”State Sens. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln and Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, chief opponents of Kauth’s previous bill, said it was a distraction from other bills to help everyday Nebraskans, like Conrad’s efforts to remove taxes on tips,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59224" target="_blank">LB 28</a>, and overtime,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59225" target="_blank">LB 30</a>, and Cavanaugh’s bill to support renters,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59257" target="_blank">LB 107</a>.Kauth said hasn’t yet secured the 33 votes likely needed for the bill to overcome an expected filibuster. She has 20 cosponsors, and three senators who have not yet signed onto to the bill joined the news conference: State Sens. Jana Hughes of Seward, Glen Meyer of Pender and Dave “Woody” Wordekemper of Fremont.<h2>Nebraska historic volleyball record</h2>State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, who supported the Sports and Spaces Act, chairs the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/10/state-sen-jane-raybould-sings-in-opposition-to-nebraska-legislative-committee-assignments/">Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee</a>&nbsp;where Kauth’s LB 89 is likely to be referred for a hearing, because it touches so many areas of government.Sanders said she would give every testifier a fair chance to speak and a safe space to do so. She said she was abroad on Aug. 30, 2023, the historic Volleyball Day in Nebraska when 92,003 Huskers fans packed Memorial Stadium.&nbsp;It was the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/09/27/nebraska-advocates-say-womens-bill-of-rights-does-not-focus-on-needed-priorities/">same day Pillen issued his Nebraska Women’s Bill of Rights</a>&nbsp;for state agencies.“The first thing I thought was, ‘Whose brainchild was this?’” Sanders said of the volleyball record. “But more importantly, from the ‘70s to today of what it’s done [Title IX] for women and women’s sports and being able to leverage what they have.”Allick said the idea of separating church and state is “one of the biggest things that, personally, really pisses me off.” She asked without church and God if she was “just a speck of dust in this entire universe” or if her “combustion in my mother’s uterus was an accident.”“I just ask that we continue to pray for our brothers and sisters who feel lost and unloved and have found community elsewhere and are still wrapped in the arms of the devil that we just ask them to come to Jesus,” Allick said.<h2>‘God made me a trans woman’</h2>Jessie McGrath of Omaha, a native of Max, Nebraska, and a prosecutor in Los Angeles, said that as a transgender woman, Kauth’s efforts are troubling because McGrath has gone through efforts for legal changes to her name, birth certificate, passport and Social Security.“Everything indicates that I’m an adult human female, which means I’m a woman,” McGrath said, adding it was a years-long process for herself. “Why is it that now I’m suddenly a threat to the women everywhere, because I go pee in the ladies room?”McGrath said the effort is broader — that it’s about Kauth and others not wanting trans people to exist — and inflicting religious beliefs that not everyone shares.McGrath is Christian and agrees with Bahl that God doesn’t make mistakes.“But God made me a trans woman, and I recognize that, and it took me a long time to recognize that,” McGrath said. “It’s my acceptance of the fact that this was God’s path for me that finally allowed me to be able to break free from all of the repression that I put upon myself in order to be able to live free.”

Nebraska lawmakers aim to define male, female for sports, bathrooms and more

Shelbyville, Tennessee - A Kearney truck driver was arrested on Friday by Tennessee authorities after he tried to meet up with a minor.&nbsp;

According to a press release by the Shelbyville Police Department (SPD), detectives arrested Edwards Charles Cress of Kearney on Friday. Detectives have been investigating Cress for six months. 

SPD reports that Cress altered his truck routes to meet up with a 12-year-old female for sexual purposes and distributed multiple images and videos of child pornography.

Cress is currently being held at the Bedford County Correction. He is being charged with&nbsp;charges of Solicitation of a Minor, Attempted Rape of a Child, and two counts of Aggravated Exploitation of a Minor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736797220005.jpeg" alt="Edward Charles Cress (Shelbyville Police Department)" />
 <figcaption>Edward Charles Cress (Shelbyville Police Department)</figcaption>
 </figure>Shelbyville, Tennessee - A Kearney truck driver was arrested on Friday by Tennessee authorities after he tried to meet up with a minor.&nbsp;According to a press release by the Shelbyville Police Department (SPD), detectives arrested Edwards Charles Cress of Kearney on Friday. Detectives have been investigating Cress for six months. SPD reports that Cress altered his truck routes to meet up with a 12-year-old female for sexual purposes and distributed multiple images and videos of child pornography.Cress is currently being held at the Bedford County Correction. He is being charged with&nbsp;charges of Solicitation of a Minor, Attempted Rape of a Child, and two counts of Aggravated Exploitation of a Minor.Cress's bond is set at $500,000.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FShelbyvillePD%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02TjqfNCDd4KWwqoNv8xwffhhdGtyZufvD2BSdxo2LTnr9RnC8w2HVr9MFsscHJdepl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="730" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>

Kearney Truck Driver Arrested in Tennessee, Faces Numerous Charges Including Attempted Rape of a Child

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/greglarose/">GREG LAROSE</a>&nbsp;

An infectious disease expert says the relatively mild cases of avian influenza detected so far among dairy workers don’t warrant making a vaccine available to them, even as they work to contain and prevent spread of the contagious virus among herds.

Dr. Shira Doron, an epidemiologist and chief infection control officer for Tufts Medicine in Boston, said the minor spread of the H5N1 among humans – and no reported instances of human-to-human transmission – makes any widespread administration of a vaccine premature right now.

“There are also many logistical issues that would be associated with deployment of vaccine to farm workers – language barrier, undocumented status, compliance – so that is not the plan at this time, “ Doron said Friday morning during an Infectious Diseases Society of America teleconference.

H5N1 has circulated globally for decades, she said. Analysis of the strains currently circulating shows them to be poorly suited for transmission between humans and with low pandemic potential, according to Doron.

Human patients have also responded well to antiviral treatments such as Tamiflu, the doctor said.

The current avian flu strains have led to two severe cases in humans. One involved a 65-year-old person from Louisiana who contracted the virus from exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds, state health officials said. It was&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2025/01/06/avian-flu-louisiana/" target="_blank">the nation’s first ever fatal human case</a>&nbsp;of avian flu, though the patient was reported to have underlying conditions that worsened after they contracted H5N1.

The other severe case was a teen in Canada who had to be admitted to a hospital’s intensive care unit. That patient contracted the virus from wild birds, Doron said.

Dr. Julio Figeroua, LSU Health chief of infectious diseases and a professor at Louisiana State University’s medical school in New Orleans, also took part in the IDSA teleconference. There have been no secondary avian flu cases related to the patient in Louisiana who died, he said.

“We have people who do hunting, hunting of geese and ducks, and so advisories have been put out to those for proper handling of those particular animals,” Figeroua said. “A lot of backyard flocks that are here and in urban and suburban areas are potentially also potential sources for transmission.”

In addition to 919 dairy herds in 16 states, the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu has impacted more than 133 million poultry farms in all 50 states as of Wednesday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Coordination about the various federal and state agencies responding to avian flu outbreaks will be crucial to containing its spread, especially as the incoming Trump administration takes over, Doron and Figueroa said.

Asked to provide an estimate for when the current H5N1 outbreak might be contained or peter out on its own, Doron said it’s difficult to determine at this point.

“I think it really is going to depend on how long immunity lasts, and it’s too early in the outbreak to know that,” she said. “… If the immunity doesn’t last more than a few months, then we could have ongoing spread indefinitely.”

This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2025/01/10/avian-flu/" target="_blank">Louisiana Illuminator</a>, a States Newsroom affiliate.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733747978622.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/greglarose/">GREG LAROSE</a>&nbsp;An infectious disease expert says the relatively mild cases of avian influenza detected so far among dairy workers don’t warrant making a vaccine available to them, even as they work to contain and prevent spread of the contagious virus among herds.Dr. Shira Doron, an epidemiologist and chief infection control officer for Tufts Medicine in Boston, said the minor spread of the H5N1 among humans – and no reported instances of human-to-human transmission – makes any widespread administration of a vaccine premature right now.“There are also many logistical issues that would be associated with deployment of vaccine to farm workers – language barrier, undocumented status, compliance – so that is not the plan at this time, “ Doron said Friday morning during an Infectious Diseases Society of America teleconference.H5N1 has circulated globally for decades, she said. Analysis of the strains currently circulating shows them to be poorly suited for transmission between humans and with low pandemic potential, according to Doron.Human patients have also responded well to antiviral treatments such as Tamiflu, the doctor said.The current avian flu strains have led to two severe cases in humans. One involved a 65-year-old person from Louisiana who contracted the virus from exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds, state health officials said. It was&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2025/01/06/avian-flu-louisiana/" target="_blank">the nation’s first ever fatal human case</a>&nbsp;of avian flu, though the patient was reported to have underlying conditions that worsened after they contracted H5N1.The other severe case was a teen in Canada who had to be admitted to a hospital’s intensive care unit. That patient contracted the virus from wild birds, Doron said.Dr. Julio Figeroua, LSU Health chief of infectious diseases and a professor at Louisiana State University’s medical school in New Orleans, also took part in the IDSA teleconference. There have been no secondary avian flu cases related to the patient in Louisiana who died, he said.“We have people who do hunting, hunting of geese and ducks, and so advisories have been put out to those for proper handling of those particular animals,” Figeroua said. “A lot of backyard flocks that are here and in urban and suburban areas are potentially also potential sources for transmission.”In addition to 919 dairy herds in 16 states, the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu has impacted more than 133 million poultry farms in all 50 states as of Wednesday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Coordination about the various federal and state agencies responding to avian flu outbreaks will be crucial to containing its spread, especially as the incoming Trump administration takes over, Doron and Figueroa said.Asked to provide an estimate for when the current H5N1 outbreak might be contained or peter out on its own, Doron said it’s difficult to determine at this point.“I think it really is going to depend on how long immunity lasts, and it’s too early in the outbreak to know that,” she said. “… If the immunity doesn’t last more than a few months, then we could have ongoing spread indefinitely.”This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2025/01/10/avian-flu/" target="_blank">Louisiana Illuminator</a>, a States Newsroom affiliate.&nbsp;

No need to provide an avian flu vaccine for humans yet, expert says

United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jade Summers, age 42, of Kearney, Nebraska was sentenced on January 10, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of distribution of 5 grams or more of meth. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Summers to a total of 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Summers’ release from prison, she will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.

On April 4, 2023, a Confidential Informant (“CI”) set up a controlled purchase of meth from Jade Summers.&nbsp; Summers agreed to sell ¼ pound of meth.&nbsp; Law enforcement provided the CI with $1,600 to purchase the meth and video/audio recording devices for the controlled buy.&nbsp; The purchase occurred in Grand Island, Nebraska.&nbsp; The CI purchased the meth from Summers and the meth was packaged in three baggies.&nbsp; The State Crime Lab confirmed that the substance was meth and that it weighed over 100 grams.&nbsp; The largest baggie was confirmed to have a purity of 100% and to contain at least 55 grams of meth actual.

This case was investigated by the Tri-City Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT). TRIDENT is a task force with law enforcement personnel from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Hastings Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Kearney Police Department, and the Nebraska State Patrol.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718044225844.jpg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>United States Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jade Summers, age 42, of Kearney, Nebraska was sentenced on January 10, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of distribution of 5 grams or more of meth. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Summers to a total of 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Summers’ release from prison, she will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.On April 4, 2023, a Confidential Informant (“CI”) set up a controlled purchase of meth from Jade Summers.&nbsp; Summers agreed to sell ¼ pound of meth.&nbsp; Law enforcement provided the CI with $1,600 to purchase the meth and video/audio recording devices for the controlled buy.&nbsp; The purchase occurred in Grand Island, Nebraska.&nbsp; The CI purchased the meth from Summers and the meth was packaged in three baggies.&nbsp; The State Crime Lab confirmed that the substance was meth and that it weighed over 100 grams.&nbsp; The largest baggie was confirmed to have a purity of 100% and to contain at least 55 grams of meth actual.This case was investigated by the Tri-City Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT). TRIDENT is a task force with law enforcement personnel from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Hastings Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Kearney Police Department, and the Nebraska State Patrol.

Kearney Woman Sentenced to Over 5 Years for Distribution of Methamphetamine

United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jesse S. Flanagan, age 36, of Hastings, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 10, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Flanagan to a total of 28 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Flanagan’s release from prison, he will begin a 2-year term of supervised release.

On September 23, 2023, Flanagan was travelling on Interstate 80 with another individual.&nbsp; Shortly before 4:00 a.m., two Nebraska State Troopers initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle.&nbsp; Flanagan was identified as the driver and there was another individual in the front passenger seat.&nbsp; Flanagan and the other individual were separated while the troopers asked questions.&nbsp; The front seat passenger admitted that Flanagan had handed her a bag of fentanyl pills to hide from the troopers as they were getting pulled over.&nbsp; The bag was seized, and it was determined that the bag contained 656 pills.&nbsp; The State Patrol Crime Lab confirmed the pills contained fentanyl and that the combined weight of the pills was 69.67 grams.

United States Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jesse S. Flanagan, age 36, of Hastings, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 10, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Flanagan to a total of 28 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Flanagan’s release from prison, he will begin a 2-year term of supervised release.On September 23, 2023, Flanagan was travelling on Interstate 80 with another individual.&nbsp; Shortly before 4:00 a.m., two Nebraska State Troopers initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle.&nbsp; Flanagan was identified as the driver and there was another individual in the front passenger seat.&nbsp; Flanagan and the other individual were separated while the troopers asked questions.&nbsp; The front seat passenger admitted that Flanagan had handed her a bag of fentanyl pills to hide from the troopers as they were getting pulled over.&nbsp; The bag was seized, and it was determined that the bag contained 656 pills.&nbsp; The State Patrol Crime Lab confirmed the pills contained fentanyl and that the combined weight of the pills was 69.67 grams.This case was investigated by the Tri-City Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT). TRIDENT is a task force with law enforcement personnel from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Hastings Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Kearney Police Department, and the Nebraska State Patrol.

Central Nebraska Man Sentenced to Over 2 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen joined state senators and female athletes announcing the&nbsp;Stand With Women Act&nbsp;(LB89). Senator Kathleen Kauth of Omaha introduced the bill at the request of the Governor. The legislation expands portions of the&nbsp;Women’s Bill of Rights, which Gov. Pillen established via Executive Order 23-16 in August 2023, to schools, sports teams and state facilities.&nbsp;

“The&nbsp;Stand With Women Act&nbsp;provides commonsense protections for women and girls in Nebraska. This is an issue of fairness and safety,” said Gov. Pillen. “Biological males should not be allowed to compete against women and girls on female sports teams, and privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms must be protected. It is simple, only girls belong in girls’ sports, and men do not belong in women’s spaces.”

The&nbsp;Stand With Women Act&nbsp;would prohibit biological males from joining female sports teams. It would require group restrooms and locker rooms in schools as well as state agencies to be designated for use by either males or females, and it prohibits individuals of one biological sex from using the restroom or locker room designated for use by the opposite biological sex.

Sen. Kauth said provisions contained in the bill were common sense and would be applicable across a variety of agencies like the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS), Department of Economic Development (DED), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and across education, including secondary institutions.

“I am proud to continue introducing bills that stand with women and protect the privacy, safety and opportunity for all,” said Sen. Kauth. “I am grateful as well to my fellow senators, who also stand with women.”

Husker softball player Jordy Bahl also commended the courage of public officials willing to support LB89.

“Taking a stance on this issue is a no brainer for me. Many more people feel the same way on this issue, but after experiencing the hate one receives for taking this stand, I understand why they don’t all come forward,” said Bahl. “That will never stop me from using my voice to defend the safety of women. Not just in sports, but in all women-designated spaces.”

Nebraska volleyball player Rebekah Allick added her support for the&nbsp;Stand with Women Act.&nbsp;“Protecting spaces for women and girls, like locker rooms and bathrooms, isn’t just about safety and security – it’s about upholding truth. We were created as either man or woman. The moment we allow basic truths to be distorted or manipulated is the moment we lose our grasp on fundamental reality. Common sense is at stake here.”

Jennifer Sey, former U.S. gymnast and founder of XX XY Athletics (an athletic apparel company), said it was important that women and girls have their biological-based rights restored. “The fact remains that men and women are different. We are fighting for a future where every girl feels empowered to step onto the field, chase her dreams and claim her opportunities. We’ve fought too hard for too long for safety and fairness. We’re not going back.”

Hannah Holtmeier, a former sorority member at the University of Wyoming talked about transferring to the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, after a biological male was permitted to join her sorority.

“Standing with women should be the easiest thing for every elected official to do, and I am glad that Nebraska is taking action to define a ‘woman’ and preserve our private spaces,” said Holtmeier. “As someone who was forced to share a sorority with a man, I can’t express how important this issue is and I’m glad it will be fixed this year.”

While she was not at the news conference today, NCAA All-American Riley Gaines submitted a statement upon learning about the introduction of LB89. She said: “Nebraska has led the way in defending female athletes’ rights to compete fairly and safely. Now they’re leading the way in protecting the opportunities, privacy, and safety of ALL women. This is common sense legislation that should receive bipartisan support. This bill doesn’t marginalize anyone, but instead protects everyone. I’m grateful for the leadership and steadfast efforts of Senator Kauth and Governor Pillen to ensure this legislation is a priority.”

Office of Governor Jim PillenLINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen joined state senators and female athletes announcing the&nbsp;Stand With Women Act&nbsp;(LB89). Senator Kathleen Kauth of Omaha introduced the bill at the request of the Governor. The legislation expands portions of the&nbsp;Women’s Bill of Rights, which Gov. Pillen established via Executive Order 23-16 in August 2023, to schools, sports teams and state facilities.&nbsp;“The&nbsp;Stand With Women Act&nbsp;provides commonsense protections for women and girls in Nebraska. This is an issue of fairness and safety,” said Gov. Pillen. “Biological males should not be allowed to compete against women and girls on female sports teams, and privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms must be protected. It is simple, only girls belong in girls’ sports, and men do not belong in women’s spaces.”The&nbsp;Stand With Women Act&nbsp;would prohibit biological males from joining female sports teams. It would require group restrooms and locker rooms in schools as well as state agencies to be designated for use by either males or females, and it prohibits individuals of one biological sex from using the restroom or locker room designated for use by the opposite biological sex.Sen. Kauth said provisions contained in the bill were common sense and would be applicable across a variety of agencies like the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS), Department of Economic Development (DED), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and across education, including secondary institutions.“I am proud to continue introducing bills that stand with women and protect the privacy, safety and opportunity for all,” said Sen. Kauth. “I am grateful as well to my fellow senators, who also stand with women.”Husker softball player Jordy Bahl also commended the courage of public officials willing to support LB89.“Taking a stance on this issue is a no brainer for me. Many more people feel the same way on this issue, but after experiencing the hate one receives for taking this stand, I understand why they don’t all come forward,” said Bahl. “That will never stop me from using my voice to defend the safety of women. Not just in sports, but in all women-designated spaces.”Nebraska volleyball player Rebekah Allick added her support for the&nbsp;Stand with Women Act.&nbsp;“Protecting spaces for women and girls, like locker rooms and bathrooms, isn’t just about safety and security – it’s about upholding truth. We were created as either man or woman. The moment we allow basic truths to be distorted or manipulated is the moment we lose our grasp on fundamental reality. Common sense is at stake here.”Jennifer Sey, former U.S. gymnast and founder of XX XY Athletics (an athletic apparel company), said it was important that women and girls have their biological-based rights restored. “The fact remains that men and women are different. We are fighting for a future where every girl feels empowered to step onto the field, chase her dreams and claim her opportunities. We’ve fought too hard for too long for safety and fairness. We’re not going back.”Hannah Holtmeier, a former sorority member at the University of Wyoming talked about transferring to the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, after a biological male was permitted to join her sorority.“Standing with women should be the easiest thing for every elected official to do, and I am glad that Nebraska is taking action to define a ‘woman’ and preserve our private spaces,” said Holtmeier. “As someone who was forced to share a sorority with a man, I can’t express how important this issue is and I’m glad it will be fixed this year.”While she was not at the news conference today, NCAA All-American Riley Gaines submitted a statement upon learning about the introduction of LB89. She said: “Nebraska has led the way in defending female athletes’ rights to compete fairly and safely. Now they’re leading the way in protecting the opportunities, privacy, and safety of ALL women. This is common sense legislation that should receive bipartisan support. This bill doesn’t marginalize anyone, but instead protects everyone. I’m grateful for the leadership and steadfast efforts of Senator Kauth and Governor Pillen to ensure this legislation is a priority.”

Gov. Pillen, Sen. Kauth and Athletes Introduce Stand With Women Act

On Saturday, President Biden spoke with His Holiness Pope Francis and named him as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors. This is the first time that President Biden has awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction.

As a young man, Jorge Bergoglio sought a career in science before faith led him to a life with the Jesuits. For decades, he served the voiceless and vulnerable across Argentina. As Pope Francis, his mission of serving the poor has never ceased. A loving pastor, he joyfully answers children’s questions about God. A challenging teacher, he commands us to fight for peace and protect the planet. A welcoming leader, he reaches out to different faiths. The first pope from the Southern Hemisphere, Pope Francis is unlike any who came before. Above all, he is the People’s Pope – a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world.

On Saturday, President Biden spoke with His Holiness Pope Francis and named him as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Pope Francis, your humility and your grace are beyond words, and your love for all is unparalleled. As the People&#39;s Pope, you are a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world. Today, it was my honor to award His Holiness Pope Francis the Presidential… <a href="https://t.co/q4a0DKoSyi">pic.twitter.com/q4a0DKoSyi</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1878181517068836894?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors. This is the first time that President Biden has awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736637074926.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Citation:&nbsp;As a young man, Jorge Bergoglio sought a career in science before faith led him to a life with the Jesuits. For decades, he served the voiceless and vulnerable across Argentina. As Pope Francis, his mission of serving the poor has never ceased. A loving pastor, he joyfully answers children’s questions about God. A challenging teacher, he commands us to fight for peace and protect the planet. A welcoming leader, he reaches out to different faiths. The first pope from the Southern Hemisphere, Pope Francis is unlike any who came before. Above all, he is the People’s Pope – a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world.

Biden honors Pope Francis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Some researchers question long-term cost savings for state programs.

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/schatlani/">SHALINA CHATLANI</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

Over her three-decade career, weight management physician Dr. Sarah Ro has seen hundreds of patients. Many of them are on Medicaid and have become yo-yo dieters who, despite their best efforts at changing their eating habits and lifestyles, cannot seem to shed the pounds hurting their health.

“They have a tremendous amount of disease burden,” said Ro, medical director of the University of North Carolina Physicians Network weight management program, which serves patients from marginalized communities at clinics across the state. “All the complications that you could think of.”

But the increasingly popular drug therapy known as GLP-1s could help, she said.

GLP-1 drugs mimic a hormone in the intestinal tract to balance the body’s blood sugar levels. And while GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound have been around for years to help patients with diabetes, they are growing in popularity to treat patients in need of significant weight loss. That’s because the drugs also send the brain a signal that reduces hunger.

Due to their high list price in the United States — ranging from about $940 to $1,350 a month before insurance, rebates or discounts — many patients can’t afford them.

But now that these drugs are in greater demand from both patients and doctors, state Medicaid programs are grappling with whether to cover them for weight loss, both for reasons of equity and to save on future health expenditures. Some researchers, however, question whether the drugs can help lower costs in the long run.

Last August, North Carolina became the latest state to begin covering some federal Food and Drug Administration-approved GLP-1s for obesity treatment among some populations, joining a dozen other states.

“For me, it wasn’t ever an option not to cover it,” said Kody Kinsley, who just ended his term as secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services under former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

“The first big reason was just a sense of doing what is right for folks,” Kinsley told Stateline. He also thinks coverage is the right investment economically, estimating that the North Carolina Medicaid program spends about a billion dollars a year on obesity-related expenses.

He told Stateline that funding drugs that can cut those costs down by even a small percentage is worth it over the long run. He also noted that Medicaid covers other expensive drugs. The department expects the cost of covering GLP-1s to be about $16 million a year under the new policy. By comparison, coverage for Dupixent, a drug commonly used to treat eczema, runs the state about $28 million a year.

“It is my experience that the only time we seem to really get up in arms as a society about the cost of a drug — to the point where we are willing to not cover it — is when it is for some sort of stigmatized disease,” Kinsley told Stateline.

Obesity, he noted, is a recognized medical condition.

Medicaid programs cover some GLP-1 drugs to treat obesity in a dozen other states: California, Delaware, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and Wisconsin.

An annual survey from the health policy research organization KFF recently found that half of the remaining state Medicaid programs are considering covering the drugs, but that the high costs are still prohibitive for most despite federal matches and rebate programs with drug manufacturers.

State officials say health equity — the idea that all groups regardless of background deserve equal access to health care — is one of the main reasons they are considering the coverage, but that they worry higher costs will put pressure on their Medicaid budgets, said KFF senior policy analyst Liz Williams, who co-authored the survey of state Medicaid program directors.

Medicaid spending on GLP-1s for all conditions increased from $597.3 million for about 755,000 prescriptions in 2019, to $3.9 billion for 3.8 million prescriptions in 2023, according to KFF. It’s hard to tell, however,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-coverage-of-and-spending-on-glp-1s/#:~:text=From%20Medicaid%20data%20publicly%20available%2C%20there%20is%20no%20way%20yet%20to%20disentangle%20how%20much%20of%20the%20growing%20use%20of%20GLP%2D1s%20is%20related%20to%20treatment%20for%20diabetes%20versus%20obesity%2C%20or%20a%20combination%20of%20both." target="_blank">how much</a>&nbsp;of the increase is solely for obesity vs. diabetes, or a combination of both, the study noted.

Some states in KFF’s survey said they are considering whether coverage expansion in the future may reduce long-term Medicaid spending on chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.

But one researcher, John Cawley, a professor of economics and public policy at Cornell University, and his colleagues found that while obesity “basically doubles a person’s annual health care costs,” the savings associated with public insurance plans covering GLP-1s for just obesity treatment are dependent on the patient’s starting body mass index, or BMI.

A healthy weight is a BMI of up to 25. People who are obese, based on their height and weight, have an amount of fat on their bodies representing a BMI of 30 or higher.

“You shouldn’t expect to see almost any cost savings for somebody whose BMI is around 30 or 31,” Cawley told Stateline. He noted that most significant savings would happen at a starting BMI of around 40, but added that “those savings still may not be great enough to pay for the current list price of these drugs.”

Cawley said there are numerous other reasons to cover the drug, though, such as improving someone’s quality of life.

Ro, the weight management doctor, told Stateline that across North Carolina, people in vulnerable communities can be predisposed to developing obesity because they often live within what’s known as an “obesogenic environment” — a combination of physical, economic and social factors that promotes obesity.

Residents struggle with losing weight not only due to a diet of unhealthy foods, but also because of generational genetics, a dearth of grocery stores with healthy foods, and busy schedules with multiple jobs and a lack of child care. Many cities in the state aren’t that “walkable,” leaving many residents with few options for basic exercise.

And some of the state’s most popular foods are high-fat, high-sugar dishes such as pork shoulder slathered in sugary and smoky barbecue sauce, peach cobbler, fried shrimp and fried green tomatoes. North Carolina is the “buckle of the barbecue belt,” Kinsley said.

There, 70% of residents are either overweight or obese. Obesity is linked to several comorbidities, such as diabetes and heart failure. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 34% of North Carolina adults — compared with 40% nationally — are obese.

That rate rises across demographic groups. While white North Carolinians experience an obesity rate of 32%, Hispanic populations sit at 34%, Indigenous North Carolinians are at 38%, and Black North Carolinians have a rate of 48%.

Most Medicaid enrollees in the state are people of color.

In late November, the Biden administration proposed a new rule to require Medicaid and Medicare programs to cover GLP-1s for weight loss. The incoming Trump administration will have to decide whether to approve those changes.

The Biden administration estimates that the change would cost the federal government about $11 billion over the course of 10 years for Medicaid. States would have to pay an estimated $3.8 billion.

While states assess their capacities and the federal government considers its plans, Ro said her patients are getting a better shot at getting healthier by having access to the coverage.

“GLP-1s are not the answer for everybody,” Ro told Stateline. “But If I have a high-risk patient with heart disease, with sleep apnea and advanced liver disease, this could be a lifesaving medication.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736176419950.png" alt="Ozempic was originally approved to treat people with Type 2 diabetes, but demand has surged because of the drug’s weight-loss benefits.&nbsp;Thirteen states cover GLP-1 drugs through their Medicaid programs, and others are considering following suit.- courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Ozempic was originally approved to treat people with Type 2 diabetes, but demand has surged because of the drug’s weight-loss benefits.&nbsp;Thirteen states cover GLP-1 drugs through their Medicaid programs, and others are considering following suit.- courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Some researchers question long-term cost savings for state programs.</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/schatlani/">SHALINA CHATLANI</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a> Over her three-decade career, weight management physician Dr. Sarah Ro has seen hundreds of patients. Many of them are on Medicaid and have become yo-yo dieters who, despite their best efforts at changing their eating habits and lifestyles, cannot seem to shed the pounds hurting their health.“They have a tremendous amount of disease burden,” said Ro, medical director of the University of North Carolina Physicians Network weight management program, which serves patients from marginalized communities at clinics across the state. “All the complications that you could think of.”But the increasingly popular drug therapy known as GLP-1s could help, she said.GLP-1 drugs mimic a hormone in the intestinal tract to balance the body’s blood sugar levels. And while GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound have been around for years to help patients with diabetes, they are growing in popularity to treat patients in need of significant weight loss. That’s because the drugs also send the brain a signal that reduces hunger.Due to their high list price in the United States — ranging from about $940 to $1,350 a month before insurance, rebates or discounts — many patients can’t afford them.But now that these drugs are in greater demand from both patients and doctors, state Medicaid programs are grappling with whether to cover them for weight loss, both for reasons of equity and to save on future health expenditures. Some researchers, however, question whether the drugs can help lower costs in the long run.Last August, North Carolina became the latest state to begin covering some federal Food and Drug Administration-approved GLP-1s for obesity treatment among some populations, joining a dozen other states.“For me, it wasn’t ever an option not to cover it,” said Kody Kinsley, who just ended his term as secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services under former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.“The first big reason was just a sense of doing what is right for folks,” Kinsley told Stateline. He also thinks coverage is the right investment economically, estimating that the North Carolina Medicaid program spends about a billion dollars a year on obesity-related expenses.He told Stateline that funding drugs that can cut those costs down by even a small percentage is worth it over the long run. He also noted that Medicaid covers other expensive drugs. The department expects the cost of covering GLP-1s to be about $16 million a year under the new policy. By comparison, coverage for Dupixent, a drug commonly used to treat eczema, runs the state about $28 million a year.“It is my experience that the only time we seem to really get up in arms as a society about the cost of a drug — to the point where we are willing to not cover it — is when it is for some sort of stigmatized disease,” Kinsley told Stateline.Obesity, he noted, is a recognized medical condition.<h2>Medicaid spending</h2>Medicaid programs cover some GLP-1 drugs to treat obesity in a dozen other states: California, Delaware, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and Wisconsin.An annual survey from the health policy research organization KFF recently found that half of the remaining state Medicaid programs are considering covering the drugs, but that the high costs are still prohibitive for most despite federal matches and rebate programs with drug manufacturers.State officials say health equity — the idea that all groups regardless of background deserve equal access to health care — is one of the main reasons they are considering the coverage, but that they worry higher costs will put pressure on their Medicaid budgets, said KFF senior policy analyst Liz Williams, who co-authored the survey of state Medicaid program directors.Medicaid spending on GLP-1s for all conditions increased from $597.3 million for about 755,000 prescriptions in 2019, to $3.9 billion for 3.8 million prescriptions in 2023, according to KFF. It’s hard to tell, however,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-coverage-of-and-spending-on-glp-1s/#:~:text=From%20Medicaid%20data%20publicly%20available%2C%20there%20is%20no%20way%20yet%20to%20disentangle%20how%20much%20of%20the%20growing%20use%20of%20GLP%2D1s%20is%20related%20to%20treatment%20for%20diabetes%20versus%20obesity%2C%20or%20a%20combination%20of%20both." target="_blank">how much</a>&nbsp;of the increase is solely for obesity vs. diabetes, or a combination of both, the study noted.Some states in KFF’s survey said they are considering whether coverage expansion in the future may reduce long-term Medicaid spending on chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.But one researcher, John Cawley, a professor of economics and public policy at Cornell University, and his colleagues found that while obesity “basically doubles a person’s annual health care costs,” the savings associated with public insurance plans covering GLP-1s for just obesity treatment are dependent on the patient’s starting body mass index, or BMI.A healthy weight is a BMI of up to 25. People who are obese, based on their height and weight, have an amount of fat on their bodies representing a BMI of 30 or higher.“You shouldn’t expect to see almost any cost savings for somebody whose BMI is around 30 or 31,” Cawley told Stateline. He noted that most significant savings would happen at a starting BMI of around 40, but added that “those savings still may not be great enough to pay for the current list price of these drugs.”Cawley said there are numerous other reasons to cover the drug, though, such as improving someone’s quality of life.<h2>An ‘obesogenic environment’</h2>Ro, the weight management doctor, told Stateline that across North Carolina, people in vulnerable communities can be predisposed to developing obesity because they often live within what’s known as an “obesogenic environment” — a combination of physical, economic and social factors that promotes obesity.Residents struggle with losing weight not only due to a diet of unhealthy foods, but also because of generational genetics, a dearth of grocery stores with healthy foods, and busy schedules with multiple jobs and a lack of child care. Many cities in the state aren’t that “walkable,” leaving many residents with few options for basic exercise.And some of the state’s most popular foods are high-fat, high-sugar dishes such as pork shoulder slathered in sugary and smoky barbecue sauce, peach cobbler, fried shrimp and fried green tomatoes. North Carolina is the “buckle of the barbecue belt,” Kinsley said.There, 70% of residents are either overweight or obese. Obesity is linked to several comorbidities, such as diabetes and heart failure. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 34% of North Carolina adults — compared with 40% nationally — are obese.That rate rises across demographic groups. While white North Carolinians experience an obesity rate of 32%, Hispanic populations sit at 34%, Indigenous North Carolinians are at 38%, and Black North Carolinians have a rate of 48%.Most Medicaid enrollees in the state are people of color.In late November, the Biden administration proposed a new rule to require Medicaid and Medicare programs to cover GLP-1s for weight loss. The incoming Trump administration will have to decide whether to approve those changes.The Biden administration estimates that the change would cost the federal government about $11 billion over the course of 10 years for Medicaid. States would have to pay an estimated $3.8 billion.While states assess their capacities and the federal government considers its plans, Ro said her patients are getting a better shot at getting healthier by having access to the coverage.“GLP-1s are not the answer for everybody,” Ro told Stateline. “But If I have a high-risk patient with heart disease, with sleep apnea and advanced liver disease, this could be a lifesaving medication.”

As demand for weight-loss drugs rises, states grapple with Medicaid coverage

LINCOLN —&nbsp;Lawmakers have formally introduced a “fix” to Nebraska’s summer special session changes to a key property tax relief program, which closed off some tax relief for Nebraskans.

State Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58807" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 81</a>&nbsp;on Thursday, a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/17/lawmakers-propose-2025-legislation-to-fix-missing-year-of-property-tax-relief/">promise</a>&nbsp;he and five other lawmakers made in October. The legislation would allow all Nebraskans to claim a credit on any property taxes paid in 2024 when they file their tax returns this spring, in the middle of the 90-day legislative session. The aim is to make whole the people who missed out on claiming an income tax credit for property taxes assessed in December 2023.

LB 81 would offer a one-time extension for the income tax credit program established in 2020 and designed to offset K-12 school taxes, which make up the majority of local property taxes.&nbsp;

The credits will now be immediately applied against school taxes on property tax statements, beginning in December 2024.

For some Nebraskans who didn’t know about the program previously or weren’t able to request the relief, it will be the first time they benefit from the program. About 50% of such eligible credits were left unclaimed.

“[The] challenge is that, in so doing, we did not realize that, inadvertently, we caused a problem as we set about the solution,” Hardin said at an afternoon news conference in the Nebraska State Capitol Rotunda.

“It’s lovely to get that shot in the arm right now because most of us got lowered rates for this year,” Hardin added. “We’re looking at that saying, ‘Hey, that’s good.’ The problem is when you look across those years, 2023 is missing.”

Hardin and State Sens. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln and Tom Brandt of Plymouth, who cosponsored LB 81, were among 40 lawmakers to vote to pass legislation during the special session to “front-load” the existing relief program so more people received it. But the change closed the door for relief on 2024 tax returns for anyone who decided to pay property taxes assessed in December 2023 in arrears, or throughout 2024.

“We didn’t realize it at the time but what ended up effectively happening is we ended up making life more miserable,” Hardin said, saying about 85% of Nebraskans didn’t pay their 2023 assessed taxes by December 31, 2023.&nbsp;<a href="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/lost-in-switcheroo-loophole-in-new-law-allowed-a-few-nebraskans-to-get-money-back-many-lost-the-chance/" target="_blank">One person who did pay early</a>: Gov. Jim Pillen.

The legislation, as written, would not be limited to taxes assessed in December 2023 taxes. It would include anyone who paid their 2024 property taxes assessed just last month, if they paid by Dec. 31, 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736537855853.jpeg" alt=" State Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering, center, hosts a news conference on his legislation for a one-time extension to an income-tax based property tax relief program. Behind him are, from left: State Sens. Margo Juarez of Omaha, Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, Tom Brandt of Plymouth, Jana Hughes of Seward and Glen Meyer of Pender. Jan. 9, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> State Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering, center, hosts a news conference on his legislation for a one-time extension to an income-tax based property tax relief program. Behind him are, from left: State Sens. Margo Juarez of Omaha, Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, Tom Brandt of Plymouth, Jana Hughes of Seward and Glen Meyer of Pender. Jan. 9, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="http://V">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;Lawmakers have formally introduced a “fix” to Nebraska’s summer special session changes to a key property tax relief program, which closed off some tax relief for Nebraskans.State Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58807" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 81</a>&nbsp;on Thursday, a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/17/lawmakers-propose-2025-legislation-to-fix-missing-year-of-property-tax-relief/">promise</a>&nbsp;he and five other lawmakers made in October. The legislation would allow all Nebraskans to claim a credit on any property taxes paid in 2024 when they file their tax returns this spring, in the middle of the 90-day legislative session. The aim is to make whole the people who missed out on claiming an income tax credit for property taxes assessed in December 2023.LB 81 would offer a one-time extension for the income tax credit program established in 2020 and designed to offset K-12 school taxes, which make up the majority of local property taxes.&nbsp;The credits will now be immediately applied against school taxes on property tax statements, beginning in December 2024.For some Nebraskans who didn’t know about the program previously or weren’t able to request the relief, it will be the first time they benefit from the program. About 50% of such eligible credits were left unclaimed.“[The] challenge is that, in so doing, we did not realize that, inadvertently, we caused a problem as we set about the solution,” Hardin said at an afternoon news conference in the Nebraska State Capitol Rotunda.“It’s lovely to get that shot in the arm right now because most of us got lowered rates for this year,” Hardin added. “We’re looking at that saying, ‘Hey, that’s good.’ The problem is when you look across those years, 2023 is missing.”<h2>Tax credit timing changes</h2>Before, in LB 1107 (2020)<ul>
 <li>December 2019 assessed taxes. Most paid in 2020. Income tax credits in 2021.</li><li>December 2020 assessed taxes. Most paid in 2021. Income tax credits in 2022.</li><li>December 2021 assessed taxes. Most paid in 2022. Income tax credits in 2023.</li><li>December 2022 assessed taxes. Most paid in 2023. Income tax credits in 2024.</li><li>December 2023 assessed taxes. Most paid in 2024. Income tax credits in 2025.</li>
 </ul>After, in LB 34 (2024)<ul>
 <li>December 2023 assessed taxes. No tax credits available (unless paid by Dec. 31, 2023).</li><li>December 2024 assessed taxes. Discount automatically applied upon payment, typically in 2025.</li><li>December 2025 assessed taxes. Discount automatically applied upon payment, typically in 2026.</li>
 </ul>Proposed, in LB 81 (2025)<ul>
 <li>December 2023 assessed taxes. Most paid in 2024. Income tax credits in 2025.</li><li>December 2024 assessed taxes. Discount automatically applied upon payment, typically in 2025.</li>
 </ul><h2>‘Making life more miserable’</h2>Hardin and State Sens. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln and Tom Brandt of Plymouth, who cosponsored LB 81, were among 40 lawmakers to vote to pass legislation during the special session to “front-load” the existing relief program so more people received it. But the change closed the door for relief on 2024 tax returns for anyone who decided to pay property taxes assessed in December 2023 in arrears, or throughout 2024.“We didn’t realize it at the time but what ended up effectively happening is we ended up making life more miserable,” Hardin said, saying about 85% of Nebraskans didn’t pay their 2023 assessed taxes by December 31, 2023.&nbsp;<a href="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/lost-in-switcheroo-loophole-in-new-law-allowed-a-few-nebraskans-to-get-money-back-many-lost-the-chance/" target="_blank">One person who did pay early</a>: Gov. Jim Pillen.The legislation, as written, would not be limited to taxes assessed in December 2023 taxes. It would include anyone who paid their 2024 property taxes assessed just last month, if they paid by Dec. 31, 2024.Implementing LB 81 would cost up to $750 million, plus the allowable growth rate of all real Nebraska property, as determined by the Nebraska Department of Revenue. The actual cost of the fix would likely be less because not all Nebraskans would request the additional year’s credit.Meanwhile, the state is facing a more than $432 million projected budget shortfall by summer 2027 that lawmakers must tackle.Hardin said lawmakers might draft an amendment to limit the additional relief to the desired fix: to target only the taxpayers who lost out on the credit for property taxes paid in 2023 if they didn’t pay those taxes by Dec. 31, 2023.“There was no sleight of hand going on by the Revenue Committee or anyone involved in that process,” Hardin said. “We truly didn’t realize that what we made was an expensive error, but we’re saying: Here’s an opportunity for us to talk about it and fix it.”<h2>‘Nobody had a crystal ball’</h2>Former State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha, as chair of the Revenue Committee, led LB 34 through the special session for the tax credit changes she championed four years prior. Linehan, a former six-year chair of the Revenue Committee, and her successor as committee chair, State Sen. Brad von Gillern of Omaha, have said the cash flow to taxpayers is improved by the special session’s changes.&nbsp;“Nobody had a crystal ball that that was going to happen, that LB 34 was going to happen the way that it happened,” von Gillern told reporters. “To say that anybody prepaid their taxes knowing that they were going to get a ‘double dip’ on this is not reasonable.”Linehan and von Gillern have noted that if the relief program is funded twice in the same year, the double $750 million credit has a total $1.5 billion price tag.Hardin envisions paying for the one-time extension of tax credits using billions of dollars sitting in Nebraska agency cash funds, “sweeping the accounts” and recouping money that he said departments were “hoarding.”<h2>‘The people’s money’</h2>The effort to plug the “missing year” of relief that led to LB 81 was in part drafted by another former lawmaker before he was term-limited this week: Steve Erdman of Bayard.Erdman was among the first to identify what he saw as a “retroactive property tax increase,” to the tune of 20-22% for some Nebraskans he said, shortly after the special session ended in August, as first reported by the Nebraska Examiner.He and two other term-limited senators were the sole opponents of LB 34, largely for wanting more relief, not, as Erdman described the changes, “a decrease in the increase” of property taxes.“You can go on forever and never make up that loss,” Erdman said in October of the “skipped” relief. “The question I have is, ‘Whose money is it?’ It’s the people’s money.”<h2>The EPIC Option</h2>Erdman drafted the legislation for his western Nebraska partner, Hardin, who also is taking the mantle from Erdman on seeking to more broadly rewrite Nebraska’s tax code by eliminating property, income and corporate taxes (the “EPIC Option”) and creating a wholesale consumption tax, but not on groceries.“EPIC is alive and well,” Erdman told the Examiner last week. “The next effort that we put forward will be a far more involved and specific plan on how to get this on the ballot.”Erdman says it takes time to make “big, bold changes,” but supporters aren’t deterred because of decades of inadequate policies and have learned how to improve their efforts. They are “more focused today than they were before.”“Going forward, we will have a whole new look,” he continued. “I think it’ll be an opportunity for the Nebraska people that are being taxed out of their homes and farms and businesses to understand that there’s only one option, and that’s to change the whole system.”&nbsp;<h2>Tax relief priority in rural Nebraska</h2>Brandt said property tax relief is top of mind for his constituents.“They want to know what happened,” Brandt said, adding that the 85% of Nebraskans who didn’t pay their 2023 taxes by the end of that calendar year are in rural districts.“I would like to tell the people of the state: We’re here,” he continued. “We’re trying to make a difference.”State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward said farmers in her district also preplan how they’ll pay their taxes and are good about claiming the income tax credit when available. The Nebraska Farm Bureau has been pushing for an LB 81-style fix.“They didn’t know the rules were changing,” Hughes said, adding the quick fix left taxpayers in the hole without time to choose their next steps, who might have paid early if they had known.<h2>Finding the money</h2>The special session was the longest and most expensive in state history, costing $173,134 over 17 days, based on a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/leg-council-2025-deficit.pdf">deficit budget request</a>&nbsp;made&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58115" target="_blank">after the special session</a>. That’s a daily cost of $10,184.35, the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/05/30/property-tax-special-session-could-be-among-costliest-in-nebraska-history/">highest of any special session</a>&nbsp;in Nebraska.LB 81 would require an early hearing and would need to be passed, and signed into law, by the time Nebraskans start turning in their tax returns this spring.Hardin would also need at least 33 lawmakers, regardless if the bill is filibustered, for his bill to take effect for this tax season. And he would need Pillen’s blessing.Conrad said that in a state budget of&nbsp;<a href="https://statespending.nebraska.gov/CurrentFiscalYearBudget" target="_blank">more than $12 billion</a>, lawmakers can find the money while also closing the projected budget shortfall.“It is easily ascertainable to find resources to make it right for Nebraska taxpayers,” Conrad said. “If indeed there is a political will, if indeed there is consensus, we have to come together to make things right for Nebraskans who were negatively impacted by the special session.”