<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/02/03/bill-would-create-new-fund-using-private-donations-for-nebraska-individuals-with-disabilities/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Nebraskans with disabilities would be able to apply for expanded savings accounts propelled by tax breaks for private donations to a new state fund aimed at boosting them, under a new legislative proposal.

<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59009" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 391</a>, from State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, would adopt the Give to Enable Scholarship Act. It would expand the current&nbsp;<a href="https://treasurer.nebraska.gov/able/" target="_blank">Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Program</a>, federally enacted in 2014 and authorized in Nebraska the following year, by&nbsp;creating a new fund to supplement the private donations already made to individual savings accounts used to pay for disability-related expenses.

Individual savings accounts for those expenses can already be created today, and donations to those accounts are tax-deductible, up to $5,000 a year per donor. Murman’s bill seeks to draw more donations from donors who could choose to support the broader pool of account holders, rather than an individual.

Individuals with disabilities are limited in assets or savings they can have in their name before eligibility for benefits like Medicaid or Social Security Income is impacted —&nbsp;$2,000 —&nbsp;under federal law.

Up to $100,000 can be included in Enable Savings Accounts before benefits are impacted.&nbsp;

“The Enable Savings Plan has been life-changing for many Nebraskans with disabilities, having a place to save money, no longer having to needlessly spend money to keep under resource limits, encouraging independence and building confidence,” Murman told the Revenue Committee at a public hearing Thursday.

Eligible individuals can open an ABLE account at any time if the person’s disability exists when the account is opened and the onset of the disability happened prior to the individual’s 26th birthday (or 46th birthday, come Jan. 1, 2026).

<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=77-1401" target="_blank">Qualified disability expenses</a>&nbsp;include:

Murman pointed to service dogs or handicapped-accessible vehicles as examples of costs people might use the expanded accounts for, which are expensive but might not be covered by insurance.

Edison McDonald, executive director of the Arc of Nebraska, the largest statewide organization supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, said the bill would strengthen financial stability for individuals with disabilities.

He said it would also increase opportunity and reinforce Nebraska’s place in disability inclusion.

“The Enable Savings Plan has been an essential tool for promoting self-sufficiency, and LB 391 is a natural extension of that success,” McDonald said.

Because the bill included “scholarship” in its title, it&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/28/nebraska-school-choice-supporters-opponents-ready-for-another-rematch/">concerned some opponents of private school vouchers</a>.&nbsp;

McDonald said that while the accounts can be used for education expenses, it is “not a back-door attempt” to vouchers, which the Arc of Nebraska opposes.

He said the law offers a “fiscally responsible, community-driven solution that expands opportunities without additional government spending programs.”

Stacy Pfeifer, who manages the Nebraska ABLE Program in the State Treasurer’s Office, said her agency is currently managing nearly 4,000 accounts with more than $49 million in assets.

About 68% of those accounts, and 66% of assets, belong to Nebraska residents.&nbsp;

That’s because when the state first enacted the federal law in 2015, it was among the first in the nation, and people around the country utilized and have continued to utilize the Nebraska benefits.

“The Nebraska Treasurer’s Office is honored and humbled to be able to help individuals in this way, and we look forward to helping them more,” Pfeifer said.

Preifer said one-fifth of Nebraskans with disabilities, ages 18 to 64, live in poverty. At the same time, it costs about 28% more for individuals with a disability to live in Nebraska.

The legislation would be a next step for the Treasurer’s Office in expanding the ABLE Program, after launching an&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/08/14/nebraska-treasurer-launches-crowdfunding-website-as-savings-program-for-people-with-disabilities/">online crowdfunding program</a>&nbsp;in August, allowing donations to similar savings accounts&nbsp;for specific high-dollar expenses, such as service dog training.

Pfeifer said some individuals in poverty don’t have the means to participate in that program but that the application process for the pooled program could help the Treasurer’s Office reach more people.

If enacted, LB 391 would take effect Jan. 1, 2026. Individuals could apply for an account in the first five months of each year, and the state treasurer could approve as many applications for the program as funds allow.&nbsp;

“The Enable Program is, for some Nebraska families, not just another benefit but an economic lifeline, and, as the name implies, a way to empower Nebraskans to achieve a better life experience,” Murman said. “This bill is just one of the ways I hope we can strengthen it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738597431473.jpeg" alt=" Nebraska's version of a federal savings plan for people with disabilities is the "Enable Savings Plan." It was expanded to include a state-sponsored crowdfunding website and could soon include a dedicated state fund for broader tax-deductible donations. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> Nebraska's version of a federal savings plan for people with disabilities is the "Enable Savings Plan." It was expanded to include a state-sponsored crowdfunding website and could soon include a dedicated state fund for broader tax-deductible donations. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/02/03/bill-would-create-new-fund-using-private-donations-for-nebraska-individuals-with-disabilities/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraskans with disabilities would be able to apply for expanded savings accounts propelled by tax breaks for private donations to a new state fund aimed at boosting them, under a new legislative proposal.<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59009" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 391</a>, from State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, would adopt the Give to Enable Scholarship Act. It would expand the current&nbsp;<a href="https://treasurer.nebraska.gov/able/" target="_blank">Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Program</a>, federally enacted in 2014 and authorized in Nebraska the following year, by&nbsp;creating a new fund to supplement the private donations already made to individual savings accounts used to pay for disability-related expenses.Individual savings accounts for those expenses can already be created today, and donations to those accounts are tax-deductible, up to $5,000 a year per donor. Murman’s bill seeks to draw more donations from donors who could choose to support the broader pool of account holders, rather than an individual.Individuals with disabilities are limited in assets or savings they can have in their name before eligibility for benefits like Medicaid or Social Security Income is impacted —&nbsp;$2,000 —&nbsp;under federal law.Up to $100,000 can be included in Enable Savings Accounts before benefits are impacted.&nbsp;“The Enable Savings Plan has been life-changing for many Nebraskans with disabilities, having a place to save money, no longer having to needlessly spend money to keep under resource limits, encouraging independence and building confidence,” Murman told the Revenue Committee at a public hearing Thursday.Eligible individuals can open an ABLE account at any time if the person’s disability exists when the account is opened and the onset of the disability happened prior to the individual’s 26th birthday (or 46th birthday, come Jan. 1, 2026).<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=77-1401" target="_blank">Qualified disability expenses</a>&nbsp;include:<ul>
 <li>Education.</li><li>Housing.</li><li>Transportation.</li><li>Employment training and support.</li><li>Assistive technology and personal support services.</li><li>Health, prevention and wellness.</li><li>Financial management and administrative services.</li><li>Legal fees.</li><li>Expenses for oversight and monitoring</li><li>Funeral and burial services.</li>
 </ul>Murman pointed to service dogs or handicapped-accessible vehicles as examples of costs people might use the expanded accounts for, which are expensive but might not be covered by insurance.Edison McDonald, executive director of the Arc of Nebraska, the largest statewide organization supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, said the bill would strengthen financial stability for individuals with disabilities.He said it would also increase opportunity and reinforce Nebraska’s place in disability inclusion.“The Enable Savings Plan has been an essential tool for promoting self-sufficiency, and LB 391 is a natural extension of that success,” McDonald said.Because the bill included “scholarship” in its title, it&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/28/nebraska-school-choice-supporters-opponents-ready-for-another-rematch/">concerned some opponents of private school vouchers</a>.&nbsp;McDonald said that while the accounts can be used for education expenses, it is “not a back-door attempt” to vouchers, which the Arc of Nebraska opposes.He said the law offers a “fiscally responsible, community-driven solution that expands opportunities without additional government spending programs.”Stacy Pfeifer, who manages the Nebraska ABLE Program in the State Treasurer’s Office, said her agency is currently managing nearly 4,000 accounts with more than $49 million in assets.About 68% of those accounts, and 66% of assets, belong to Nebraska residents.&nbsp;That’s because when the state first enacted the federal law in 2015, it was among the first in the nation, and people around the country utilized and have continued to utilize the Nebraska benefits.“The Nebraska Treasurer’s Office is honored and humbled to be able to help individuals in this way, and we look forward to helping them more,” Pfeifer said.Preifer said one-fifth of Nebraskans with disabilities, ages 18 to 64, live in poverty. At the same time, it costs about 28% more for individuals with a disability to live in Nebraska.The legislation would be a next step for the Treasurer’s Office in expanding the ABLE Program, after launching an&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/08/14/nebraska-treasurer-launches-crowdfunding-website-as-savings-program-for-people-with-disabilities/">online crowdfunding program</a>&nbsp;in August, allowing donations to similar savings accounts&nbsp;for specific high-dollar expenses, such as service dog training.Pfeifer said some individuals in poverty don’t have the means to participate in that program but that the application process for the pooled program could help the Treasurer’s Office reach more people.If enacted, LB 391 would take effect Jan. 1, 2026. Individuals could apply for an account in the first five months of each year, and the state treasurer could approve as many applications for the program as funds allow.&nbsp;“The Enable Program is, for some Nebraska families, not just another benefit but an economic lifeline, and, as the name implies, a way to empower Nebraskans to achieve a better life experience,” Murman said. “This bill is just one of the ways I hope we can strengthen it.”

Bill Would Create New Donation Fund for Nebraskans with Disabilities

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/applications-sought-for-next-nebraska-hall-of-fame-inductee/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — State officials have begun the process of choosing the next member of the Nebraska Hall of Fame.

The commission that makes the selection called Friday for nominations to begin for the next inductee, who would join the hall in 2029.

Sara Crook, who chairs the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission, said that the process of choosing a new member for the hall is intended to be “slow and deliberative,” thus the process is starting now.

The Hall of Fame, located in the State Capitol, is designed to “bring to public attention and to recognize officially those people who, in their lives, have achieved prominence and who were outstanding Nebraskans,” according to a release from the Nebraska State Historical Society.

To be inducted, a person must have either been born in Nebraska, gained prominence while living in the state, or have lived in Nebraska, and that was an important influence on their lives and their greatness.

Currently, there are 27 members of the Nebraska Hall of Fame, whose busts are displayed in the Capitol. The last inductee was civil rights leader Malcolm X, whose bust was installed last year.

In 1998, the State Legislature amended the requirements to be inducted, limiting it to one person every five years and requiring that an inductee be deceased for a minimum of 35 years. Nominations will be accepted until Dec. 31, 2026.

For more information, or to get an application form, visit the website:&nbsp;<a href="https://history.nebraska.gov/nebraska-hall-of-fame/" target="_blank">https://history.nebraska.gov/nebraska-hall-of-fame/</a>. Applications and required references can be returned to the Nebraska State Historical Society,1500 R St., Lincoln, NE 68508.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738597335455.jpeg" alt="A bust sculpture of Malcolm X was unveiled at his May 2024 induction into the Nebraska Hall of Fame. The art was designed by Lincoln artist Nathan Murray, who is shown here with Malcolm X’s daughter Ilyasah Shabazz (right of the bust) and JoAnna LeFlore-Ejike, executive director of the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation. The bust’s permanent spot is in a hallway of the State Capitol, with other Hall of Fame busts. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>A bust sculpture of Malcolm X was unveiled at his May 2024 induction into the Nebraska Hall of Fame. The art was designed by Lincoln artist Nathan Murray, who is shown here with Malcolm X’s daughter Ilyasah Shabazz (right of the bust) and JoAnna LeFlore-Ejike, executive director of the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation. The bust’s permanent spot is in a hallway of the State Capitol, with other Hall of Fame busts. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Nebraska Examiner Staff<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/applications-sought-for-next-nebraska-hall-of-fame-inductee/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — State officials have begun the process of choosing the next member of the Nebraska Hall of Fame.The commission that makes the selection called Friday for nominations to begin for the next inductee, who would join the hall in 2029.Sara Crook, who chairs the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission, said that the process of choosing a new member for the hall is intended to be “slow and deliberative,” thus the process is starting now.The Hall of Fame, located in the State Capitol, is designed to “bring to public attention and to recognize officially those people who, in their lives, have achieved prominence and who were outstanding Nebraskans,” according to a release from the Nebraska State Historical Society.To be inducted, a person must have either been born in Nebraska, gained prominence while living in the state, or have lived in Nebraska, and that was an important influence on their lives and their greatness.Currently, there are 27 members of the Nebraska Hall of Fame, whose busts are displayed in the Capitol. The last inductee was civil rights leader Malcolm X, whose bust was installed last year.In 1998, the State Legislature amended the requirements to be inducted, limiting it to one person every five years and requiring that an inductee be deceased for a minimum of 35 years. Nominations will be accepted until Dec. 31, 2026.For more information, or to get an application form, visit the website:&nbsp;<a href="https://history.nebraska.gov/nebraska-hall-of-fame/" target="_blank">https://history.nebraska.gov/nebraska-hall-of-fame/</a>. Applications and required references can be returned to the Nebraska State Historical Society,1500 R St., Lincoln, NE 68508.

Applications Sought for Next Nebraska Hall of Fame Inductee

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/02/03/school-retirement-changes-to-play-role-in-nebraska-school-funding-budget-conversations/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;Public school teachers statewide say they are alarmed at a legislative proposal led by Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen to change how much the state annually puts into its school retirement plan.

<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59645" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 645</a>, introduced by State Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln at Pillen’s request, would create stepped-down contribution levels from the state to the&nbsp;<a href="https://npers.ne.gov/SelfService/public/planInformation/school/schoolPlanInfo.jsp" target="_blank">school retirement plan</a>, depending on the actuarial funding level of the pension plan. The state currently gives 2% of the payroll for school employees statewide each year — about $50 million.

Ballard’s bill would maintain that funding level if the plan drops below 92% funded. It is currently 99.9% funded and growing, funded at about $16.3 billion as of July of last year. The goal is to divert the contribution amount to other education-related investments, including school finance reform.

If the pension plan is fully funded, the state would not contribute to the plan unless it drops below 100%, which would adjust depending on the level of funding.

The following ratios would determine the state’s contribution, under Legislative Bill 645:

The pension plan includes all eligible public K-12 school employees except those from Omaha Public Schools, the state’s largest public school district, who are&nbsp;<a href="https://npers.ne.gov/SelfService/public/planInformation/omahaSchool/omahaSchoolPlanInfo.jsp" target="_blank">covered under a different plan</a>.

School employees give 9.78% of their salaries toward the pension fund, and local school districts match 9.88% of their employee salaries.

The Nebraska State Education Association, which represents more than 26,000 public school teachers, raised alarm about the legislation shortly after it was introduced, stating in a call to action to members that it could “raid” pensions and undermine the plan’s financial health.

“The 2% state contribution is more than a budgetary item,” the NSEA wrote. “It is a cornerstone of the secure retirement that Nebraska’s educators have worked so hard to protect.”

The estimated payroll for teachers in Nebraska, as of July 1, 2024, was $2.5 billion annually. That means the plan took in $543 million in direct contributions — about $50 million from the state, $245 million from employees and $248 million from school districts in the most recent year.&nbsp;

Tim Royers, president of the union, said a chief concern is that the state and teacher contribution levels today were negotiated&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=18547" target="_blank">12 years ago</a>, when the plan was about 75% funded and the plan faced a $108 million shortfall that, under law, the state had to fill.

Instead, school employees stepped in to fill more than 80% of the hole, which was part of negotiations with lawmakers, including the Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee that Ballard now chairs and representatives from the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/?attachment_id=27774">NSEA, Nebraska Council of School Administrators, Nebraska Association of School Boards and Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association</a>.

The end result, which passed over a governor’s veto, included maintaining employee contributions near 10% and increasing the state contribution level from 1% to 2% of employee payroll.&nbsp;Employee, employer and state contributions were previously set to come down to lower levels in 2017.

The requirement for weekly hours worked to qualify for the plan also increased from at least 15 hours to 20, and new employees received reduced benefits, such as smaller cost-of-living adjustments.

John Heineman,&nbsp;the president of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nsea.org/retired" target="_blank">NSEA-Retired</a>&nbsp;who has 38 years&nbsp;of teaching experience in speech, theater and physical education,&nbsp;nearly all with Lincoln Public Schools,&nbsp;said members are “up in arms” because of the success of the 2013 deal.

“My pension is going to be very secure, but those entering in the state of Nebraska are put at risk by this lack of support for our teachers across the state,” Heineman, the 2000 Nebraska Teacher of the Year, said.

“It’s not broken — don’t fix it,” he said of the retirement plan. “Keep it strong. Keep it attractive to teachers.”

Bailey Smith, who is in her ninth year of teaching, and second year at Eustis-Farnam Public Schools teaching second grade, echoed Heineman that as a teacher near the start of her career, she doesn’t think too much about retiring, other than it being a goal for the future.

“Then this all comes out and it’s like, ‘Wait a minute, I do want to retire,’” Smith said of the legislation. “All of a sudden it seems like this is in jeopardy.”

The governor wants to move the annual $50 million the state puts into the school pensions plan toward stabilizing year-over-year state funding to K-12 school districts, which could, in turn, increase teacher pay and support school districts that have lost state aid funding as property valuations increase.

Kenny Zoeller, director of the governor’s Policy Research Office, said that to call the proposal a “raid” is “disingenuous and, frankly, a flat-out lie.” He stressed that the funds would go toward education investments and not to the state’s $432 million projected budget shortfall.

Ballard and Zoeller said there was never an intention to dip into the retirement fund. Instead, Ballard, Pillen and Zoeller said the bill was about starting a conversation about the future of its needs as the plan nears 100% funding.

“This was meant to show, ‘Hey, this is what we’re paying now, can we stair step down?’” Ballard said.

“We’re not going in and clawing out money they have contributed to the fund,” Ballard added. “I don’t want teachers to lose any retirement funding.”

The state will give 2% of employee pay this year, no matter if Ballard’s bill passes.

Ballard said he is reading and listening to the concerns of hundreds of educators who are reaching out to him and said his chief goal is “keeping teachers whole.”

“This is not touching the hard-working dollars that our men and women who educate Nebraskans put into their retirement fund,” Zoeller said. “We are talking about future dollars, prospective dollars, that the state puts in, not what the employee puts in, not what the employer puts in.”

The stair-stepped formula — by kicking in more state investment when it is needed — would also help ensure the plan is healthy, Zoeller said, “so that way our teachers can enjoy this enhanced public benefit.”

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, the longest current tenured member of the Legislature in her 11th year, said she also has heard from hundreds of teachers —&nbsp;rural, urban, progressive, conservative, nonpolitical, retired and active —&nbsp;who are “shocked” at the policy suggestion.

“There was no need to rush forward with any sort of major changes to our teacher retirement plan,” Conrad said.

Conrad and Ballard&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/07/breaking-down-contested-committee-chair-races-in-the-nebraska-legislature/">competed for chair of the Retirement Committee last month</a>, a committee she had served on during the final years of her first stint in the Legislature, in 2013 and 2014. This is Ballard’s first year on the committee. She said lawmakers can have robust conversations and prepare for proposals but said that didn’t happen this time.

“That’s just caused so much unnecessary heartache and anguish and angst for those who are committed to public service and who are on the front lines of our great public schools,” Conrad said.

Paul Schulte, vice president of NSEA and a fourth grade teacher at Bryan Elementary in Millard Public Schools in his 26th year of teaching said the state should negotiate such changes.

He said the legislation feels like retribution for the NSEA and other public school advocates fighting laws that diverted public dollars to help cover the cost of attendance at private schools.

“It feels like we are being attacked for being diligent and putting almost two years into working within our rights as Nebraska citizens — we have the right to repeal a bill, and we did it successfully,” Schulte said.

Conrad said it’s important that pension plan progress made since 2013 isn’t undone in a “willy nilly fashion,” adding she hopes Pillen and Ballard “fully retreat from this misguided proposal” that she has already pledged to filibuster if needed. She urged teachers to continue speaking up.

“I think it’s wrong to play political games and settle political scores with promises that we’ve made to Nebraska teachers,” Conrad said.

The governor’s office and Ballard have said the only focus of their push is the funding level, not politics.

Royers and other teachers said the state could instead — or also — work to reduce teachers’ contribution levels, which are also set in law, or increase benefits for teachers who have started since 2013 to match those of more experienced K-12 employees.

“This is an opportunity to increase take-home pay without actually having to raise [property tax] levies or do anything else,” Royers said.

Ballard and Zoeller said they’re open to possibly reducing the contribution levels for teachers. Zoeller said the governor’s “North Star” is how the state keeps the plan healthy in a way that is an efficient use of taxpayer funds.

Pillen said during his monthly radio call-in show last week that it isn’t fiscally responsible to continue contributing money to a plan when it’s at or above 100% funded. He said the plan is “very, very safe.”

Besides the Omaha school retirement plan, which is now managed by the state but funded by the school district, lawmakers annually make mandatory state contributions to judges’ retirement funds. Those pensions are mostly paid by court fees.

The judges’ retirement plan has sat at more than 100% funded for multiple years but still receives $1.4 million from the state at a level set by law.

According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://npers.ne.gov/SelfService/public/howto/publications/ActuarialReports/ActuarySchool2024.pdf" target="_blank">most recent actuarial study of the school retirement plan</a>, completed in November, the retirement plan is taking in about 6.61% more in contributions than the minimum level needed under state law, before the state must kick in additional funds.

However, the study cautions that the additional funds might be needed and “should not be viewed as an unnecessary or excess contribution” because future contributions or investments could dip below projections.

Before Ballard’s bill could take effect, a new actuarial study would need to be completed to assess the impacts of any changed contribution levels.

Conrad said it would be “foolish” to rush ahead without clearly understanding the possible impacts of the new presidential administration on market returns or volatility.

Smith said public schools are about giving every student the opportunity to learn regardless of learning abilities, background or demographics. She said being a safe person for some children who might need that support most “is just probably the privilege of a lifetime.”

“I don’t take lightly that you play, especially in elementary school, that you play such a very vital role in these children’s education and their childhood,” Smith said.

Retirement is supposed to honor that dedication, she said, and help teachers “move on with your second step of life.” She said the legislation feels like it’s cutting into that agreement.

Royers said he and others tried to negotiate behind closed doors before drawing public attention to the proposal, but they still hope to find a path forward.

Ballard said he’s willing to work with the NSEA on the work-in-progress legislation, too.

“This is an important opportunity, given the health of our retirement system, I don’t want to squander that opportunity with infighting and bickering and people holding their grounds,” Royers said. “We will continue to be an open door to compromise and working with them.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738597216368.jpeg" alt=" The Nebraska State Education Association, along with other public schools advocates, rally at the Nebraska State Capitol. April 20, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> The Nebraska State Education Association, along with other public schools advocates, rally at the Nebraska State Capitol. April 20, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/02/03/school-retirement-changes-to-play-role-in-nebraska-school-funding-budget-conversations/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;Public school teachers statewide say they are alarmed at a legislative proposal led by Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen to change how much the state annually puts into its school retirement plan.<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59645" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 645</a>, introduced by State Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln at Pillen’s request, would create stepped-down contribution levels from the state to the&nbsp;<a href="https://npers.ne.gov/SelfService/public/planInformation/school/schoolPlanInfo.jsp" target="_blank">school retirement plan</a>, depending on the actuarial funding level of the pension plan. The state currently gives 2% of the payroll for school employees statewide each year — about $50 million.Ballard’s bill would maintain that funding level if the plan drops below 92% funded. It is currently 99.9% funded and growing, funded at about $16.3 billion as of July of last year. The goal is to divert the contribution amount to other education-related investments, including school finance reform.If the pension plan is fully funded, the state would not contribute to the plan unless it drops below 100%, which would adjust depending on the level of funding.<h2>Proposed stair-step contribution levels</h2>The following ratios would determine the state’s contribution, under Legislative Bill 645:<ul>
 <li>Less than 92% funded: 2% state contribution.</li><li>Between 92% and less than 94%: 1.6% state contribution.</li><li>Between 94% and less than 96%: 1.2% state contribution.</li><li>Between 96% and less than 98%: 0.8% state contribution.</li><li>Between 98% and less than 100%: 0.4% state contribution.</li><li>Fully funded: no state contribution.</li>
 </ul>The pension plan includes all eligible public K-12 school employees except those from Omaha Public Schools, the state’s largest public school district, who are&nbsp;<a href="https://npers.ne.gov/SelfService/public/planInformation/omahaSchool/omahaSchoolPlanInfo.jsp" target="_blank">covered under a different plan</a>.School employees give 9.78% of their salaries toward the pension fund, and local school districts match 9.88% of their employee salaries.The Nebraska State Education Association, which represents more than 26,000 public school teachers, raised alarm about the legislation shortly after it was introduced, stating in a call to action to members that it could “raid” pensions and undermine the plan’s financial health.“The 2% state contribution is more than a budgetary item,” the NSEA wrote. “It is a cornerstone of the secure retirement that Nebraska’s educators have worked so hard to protect.”The estimated payroll for teachers in Nebraska, as of July 1, 2024, was $2.5 billion annually. That means the plan took in $543 million in direct contributions — about $50 million from the state, $245 million from employees and $248 million from school districts in the most recent year.&nbsp;<h2>A plan in ‘jeopardy’</h2>Tim Royers, president of the union, said a chief concern is that the state and teacher contribution levels today were negotiated&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=18547" target="_blank">12 years ago</a>, when the plan was about 75% funded and the plan faced a $108 million shortfall that, under law, the state had to fill.Instead, school employees stepped in to fill more than 80% of the hole, which was part of negotiations with lawmakers, including the Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee that Ballard now chairs and representatives from the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/?attachment_id=27774">NSEA, Nebraska Council of School Administrators, Nebraska Association of School Boards and Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association</a>.The end result, which passed over a governor’s veto, included maintaining employee contributions near 10% and increasing the state contribution level from 1% to 2% of employee payroll.&nbsp;Employee, employer and state contributions were previously set to come down to lower levels in 2017.The requirement for weekly hours worked to qualify for the plan also increased from at least 15 hours to 20, and new employees received reduced benefits, such as smaller cost-of-living adjustments.John Heineman,&nbsp;the president of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nsea.org/retired" target="_blank">NSEA-Retired</a>&nbsp;who has 38 years&nbsp;of teaching experience in speech, theater and physical education,&nbsp;nearly all with Lincoln Public Schools,&nbsp;said members are “up in arms” because of the success of the 2013 deal.“My pension is going to be very secure, but those entering in the state of Nebraska are put at risk by this lack of support for our teachers across the state,” Heineman, the 2000 Nebraska Teacher of the Year, said.“It’s not broken — don’t fix it,” he said of the retirement plan. “Keep it strong. Keep it attractive to teachers.”Bailey Smith, who is in her ninth year of teaching, and second year at Eustis-Farnam Public Schools teaching second grade, echoed Heineman that as a teacher near the start of her career, she doesn’t think too much about retiring, other than it being a goal for the future.“Then this all comes out and it’s like, ‘Wait a minute, I do want to retire,’” Smith said of the legislation. “All of a sudden it seems like this is in jeopardy.”<h2>Intent of the legislation</h2>The governor wants to move the annual $50 million the state puts into the school pensions plan toward stabilizing year-over-year state funding to K-12 school districts, which could, in turn, increase teacher pay and support school districts that have lost state aid funding as property valuations increase.Kenny Zoeller, director of the governor’s Policy Research Office, said that to call the proposal a “raid” is “disingenuous and, frankly, a flat-out lie.” He stressed that the funds would go toward education investments and not to the state’s $432 million projected budget shortfall.Ballard and Zoeller said there was never an intention to dip into the retirement fund. Instead, Ballard, Pillen and Zoeller said the bill was about starting a conversation about the future of its needs as the plan nears 100% funding.“This was meant to show, ‘Hey, this is what we’re paying now, can we stair step down?’” Ballard said.“We’re not going in and clawing out money they have contributed to the fund,” Ballard added. “I don’t want teachers to lose any retirement funding.”The state will give 2% of employee pay this year, no matter if Ballard’s bill passes.Ballard said he is reading and listening to the concerns of hundreds of educators who are reaching out to him and said his chief goal is “keeping teachers whole.”“This is not touching the hard-working dollars that our men and women who educate Nebraskans put into their retirement fund,” Zoeller said. “We are talking about future dollars, prospective dollars, that the state puts in, not what the employee puts in, not what the employer puts in.”The stair-stepped formula — by kicking in more state investment when it is needed — would also help ensure the plan is healthy, Zoeller said, “so that way our teachers can enjoy this enhanced public benefit.”<h2>‘No need to rush forward’</h2>State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, the longest current tenured member of the Legislature in her 11th year, said she also has heard from hundreds of teachers —&nbsp;rural, urban, progressive, conservative, nonpolitical, retired and active —&nbsp;who are “shocked” at the policy suggestion.“There was no need to rush forward with any sort of major changes to our teacher retirement plan,” Conrad said.Conrad and Ballard&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/01/07/breaking-down-contested-committee-chair-races-in-the-nebraska-legislature/">competed for chair of the Retirement Committee last month</a>, a committee she had served on during the final years of her first stint in the Legislature, in 2013 and 2014. This is Ballard’s first year on the committee. She said lawmakers can have robust conversations and prepare for proposals but said that didn’t happen this time.“That’s just caused so much unnecessary heartache and anguish and angst for those who are committed to public service and who are on the front lines of our great public schools,” Conrad said.Paul Schulte, vice president of NSEA and a fourth grade teacher at Bryan Elementary in Millard Public Schools in his 26th year of teaching said the state should negotiate such changes.He said the legislation feels like retribution for the NSEA and other public school advocates fighting laws that diverted public dollars to help cover the cost of attendance at private schools.“It feels like we are being attacked for being diligent and putting almost two years into working within our rights as Nebraska citizens — we have the right to repeal a bill, and we did it successfully,” Schulte said.Conrad said it’s important that pension plan progress made since 2013 isn’t undone in a “willy nilly fashion,” adding she hopes Pillen and Ballard “fully retreat from this misguided proposal” that she has already pledged to filibuster if needed. She urged teachers to continue speaking up.“I think it’s wrong to play political games and settle political scores with promises that we’ve made to Nebraska teachers,” Conrad said.The governor’s office and Ballard have said the only focus of their push is the funding level, not politics.<h2>A recent actuarial study</h2>Royers and other teachers said the state could instead — or also — work to reduce teachers’ contribution levels, which are also set in law, or increase benefits for teachers who have started since 2013 to match those of more experienced K-12 employees.“This is an opportunity to increase take-home pay without actually having to raise [property tax] levies or do anything else,” Royers said.Ballard and Zoeller said they’re open to possibly reducing the contribution levels for teachers. Zoeller said the governor’s “North Star” is how the state keeps the plan healthy in a way that is an efficient use of taxpayer funds.Pillen said during his monthly radio call-in show last week that it isn’t fiscally responsible to continue contributing money to a plan when it’s at or above 100% funded. He said the plan is “very, very safe.”Besides the Omaha school retirement plan, which is now managed by the state but funded by the school district, lawmakers annually make mandatory state contributions to judges’ retirement funds. Those pensions are mostly paid by court fees.The judges’ retirement plan has sat at more than 100% funded for multiple years but still receives $1.4 million from the state at a level set by law.According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://npers.ne.gov/SelfService/public/howto/publications/ActuarialReports/ActuarySchool2024.pdf" target="_blank">most recent actuarial study of the school retirement plan</a>, completed in November, the retirement plan is taking in about 6.61% more in contributions than the minimum level needed under state law, before the state must kick in additional funds.However, the study cautions that the additional funds might be needed and “should not be viewed as an unnecessary or excess contribution” because future contributions or investments could dip below projections.Before Ballard’s bill could take effect, a new actuarial study would need to be completed to assess the impacts of any changed contribution levels.Conrad said it would be “foolish” to rush ahead without clearly understanding the possible impacts of the new presidential administration on market returns or volatility.<h2>‘Open door to compromise’</h2>Smith said public schools are about giving every student the opportunity to learn regardless of learning abilities, background or demographics. She said being a safe person for some children who might need that support most “is just probably the privilege of a lifetime.”“I don’t take lightly that you play, especially in elementary school, that you play such a very vital role in these children’s education and their childhood,” Smith said.Retirement is supposed to honor that dedication, she said, and help teachers “move on with your second step of life.” She said the legislation feels like it’s cutting into that agreement.Royers said he and others tried to negotiate behind closed doors before drawing public attention to the proposal, but they still hope to find a path forward.Ballard said he’s willing to work with the NSEA on the work-in-progress legislation, too.“This is an important opportunity, given the health of our retirement system, I don’t want to squander that opportunity with infighting and bickering and people holding their grounds,” Royers said. “We will continue to be an open door to compromise and working with them.”

School Retirement Changes to Play Role in Nebraska School Funding, Budget Talks

Office of U.S. Senator Deb Fischer

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), announced her subcommittee appointments for the Senate Appropriations Committee, which helps shape the federal government’s spending policies.&nbsp;This year, Senator Fischer has added a sixth subcommittee: Financial Services and General Government.

“For the past two years, my position on the Appropriations Committee has given Nebraska a seat at the table in allocating precious taxpayer dollars. These key subcommittee appointments for the 119th Congress will give Nebraskans continued input into the programs and agencies that directly impact our state. Particularly as a member of the Agriculture and Military Construction subcommittees, I look forward to advocating for Nebraska’s number one industry and our critical military facilities like Offutt Air Force Base.”&nbsp;said Senator Fischer.

Senator Fischer will serve on the following Appropriations Subcommittees:&nbsp;

Senator Fischer will continue to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee; the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; and the Senate Agriculture Committee; the Senate Rules&nbsp;Committee; and the Senate&nbsp;Select Committee on Ethics.

Office of U.S. Senator Deb FischerWASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), announced her subcommittee appointments for the Senate Appropriations Committee, which helps shape the federal government’s spending policies.&nbsp;This year, Senator Fischer has added a sixth subcommittee: Financial Services and General Government.“For the past two years, my position on the Appropriations Committee has given Nebraska a seat at the table in allocating precious taxpayer dollars. These key subcommittee appointments for the 119th Congress will give Nebraskans continued input into the programs and agencies that directly impact our state. Particularly as a member of the Agriculture and Military Construction subcommittees, I look forward to advocating for Nebraska’s number one industry and our critical military facilities like Offutt Air Force Base.”&nbsp;said Senator Fischer.Senator Fischer will serve on the following Appropriations Subcommittees:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related AgenciesHas jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.</li><li>Has jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.</li><li>Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related AgenciesHas jurisdiction over U.S. Department of Defense facilities and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.</li><li>Has jurisdiction over U.S. Department of Defense facilities and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.</li><li>Interior, Environment, and Related AgenciesHas jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.</li><li>Has jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.</li><li>Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related AgenciesHas jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of Justice.</li><li>Has jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of Justice.</li><li>Legislative BranchHas jurisdiction over the U.S. Capitol Police, Architect of the Capitol, Congressional Budget Office, and Library of Congress.</li><li>Has jurisdiction over the U.S. Capitol Police, Architect of the Capitol, Congressional Budget Office, and Library of Congress.</li><li>Financial Services and General GovernmentHas jurisdiction over several federal&nbsp;agencies, including&nbsp;the U.S. Department of Treasury, Small Business Administration, Federal Trade Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/subcommittees/financial-services-and-general-government">here</a>&nbsp;for the full list of federal agencies.</li><li>Has jurisdiction over several federal&nbsp;agencies, including&nbsp;the U.S. Department of Treasury, Small Business Administration, Federal Trade Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/subcommittees/financial-services-and-general-government">here</a>&nbsp;for the full list of federal agencies.</li>
 </ul>Senator Fischer will continue to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee; the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; and the Senate Agriculture Committee; the Senate Rules&nbsp;Committee; and the Senate&nbsp;Select Committee on Ethics.

Fischer Announces Appropriations Subcommittee Appointments

For the first time this century, Nebraska’s property taxpayers opened their statements in December and saw a reduction.&nbsp; The state’s economy continues to grow at a near record pace and our population has surpassed two million. We’re proud of our accomplishments, and 2024 will go down in history as a success. Now, with a new legislature in place, it’s time to turn our attention to the future and continue efforts to protect our kids, address the property tax crisis, grow our agriculture and defend our commonsense values.

It’s a big job, but we’re going to do it – for Nebraska.

Suzanne and I love celebrating those who have made a difference. The day after the State of the State, I traveled to the western part of Nebraska – Red Willow County and the incredible community of McCook – where I had the honor of presenting three WWII veterans with medallions to thank them for their service.

It was an amazing event. These heroes remind us of the deep meaning and responsibility that comes from stepping up to serve. As the legislative session moves forward, my challenge to the body is keeping in mind our collective purpose, which is serving others. With that perspective in mind, here’s where my focus lies:

We all agree our kids are our future, and we can’t ever give up on our kids. We need to provide protections like banning cell phones in schools, helping parents fight back against Big Tech giants, strengthening child pornography laws, and ensuring that women’s spaces are protected especially for our daughters and granddaughters.

We’ve made good progress in cutting property taxes over the past two years, but we have more work to do. We need to address the outdated TEEOSA school funding formula and make the Cornhusker State more competitive with its neighbors and more attractive to families and businesses who want to stay here or are thinking about moving here.

Nebraska gets a raw deal on federal mandates that provide us with less funding when our economy is doing well. We owe it to every person in our state to not only overcome the budget gap, but deliver a strong conservative budget that also provides investments in educating our kids and holding the line on property taxes. That means reducing spending, putting idle pillowcase money to work, reversing recent incentive and aid expansions, and finding ways to fix our tax structure.

It’s a privilege to be the first governor in 100 years to come from agriculture. Ag drives our state’s economy. Having met recently with President Trump and his Secretary of Agriculture nominee Brooke Rollins, I’m committed to seeing that Nebraska farmers and ranchers have a seat at the table in our nation’s capital. Here at home, we’re leading on legislation to ban the sale of lab-grown meat and are working hard to eliminate red tape and redundancies by getting government out of the way.

I ask Nebraskan’s this question all the time: What is the thing you love best about our state? The answer is nearly unanimous. It’s the PEOPLE!&nbsp;

We have a certain way of doing things, of treating people with respect and helping each other out.&nbsp; Not everyone is a Republican, but our overall conservative approach includes being pro-family, pro-business, and pro-limited government. All are foundational to what makes this a great state. My administration is committed to making Nebraska the safest and best place to raise kids and run a business. Nothing is more important.

Back to McCook. After presenting a WWII medal to a veteran named John, he asked if he could take the opportunity to say something? With a chuckle, I told him he certainly earned the medallion, so of course, he could say anything he wanted! As Nebraskans do, this veteran thought of others first. He dedicated the medal to all his fellow service members who didn’t make it home. By the end of the event, which was filled with family members (including some lucky great grandkids who got to play hooky) and veterans from other wars, there was barely a dry eye in the room.These men, all in their upper 90s, served our country in a time of need. It’s our job now to make sure that we honor their sacrifices. It’s with that heart of service and commitment to bettering Nebraska for the next generation that we turn to our work in this year’s legislature.

Governor Jim PillenFor the first time this century, Nebraska’s property taxpayers opened their statements in December and saw a reduction.&nbsp; The state’s economy continues to grow at a near record pace and our population has surpassed two million. We’re proud of our accomplishments, and 2024 will go down in history as a success. Now, with a new legislature in place, it’s time to turn our attention to the future and continue efforts to protect our kids, address the property tax crisis, grow our agriculture and defend our commonsense values.It’s a big job, but we’re going to do it – for Nebraska.Suzanne and I love celebrating those who have made a difference. The day after the State of the State, I traveled to the western part of Nebraska – Red Willow County and the incredible community of McCook – where I had the honor of presenting three WWII veterans with medallions to thank them for their service.It was an amazing event. These heroes remind us of the deep meaning and responsibility that comes from stepping up to serve. As the legislative session moves forward, my challenge to the body is keeping in mind our collective purpose, which is serving others. With that perspective in mind, here’s where my focus lies:KidsWe all agree our kids are our future, and we can’t ever give up on our kids. We need to provide protections like banning cell phones in schools, helping parents fight back against Big Tech giants, strengthening child pornography laws, and ensuring that women’s spaces are protected especially for our daughters and granddaughters.Taxes&nbsp;We’ve made good progress in cutting property taxes over the past two years, but we have more work to do. We need to address the outdated TEEOSA school funding formula and make the Cornhusker State more competitive with its neighbors and more attractive to families and businesses who want to stay here or are thinking about moving here.Nebraska gets a raw deal on federal mandates that provide us with less funding when our economy is doing well. We owe it to every person in our state to not only overcome the budget gap, but deliver a strong conservative budget that also provides investments in educating our kids and holding the line on property taxes. That means reducing spending, putting idle pillowcase money to work, reversing recent incentive and aid expansions, and finding ways to fix our tax structure.AgricultureIt’s a privilege to be the first governor in 100 years to come from agriculture. Ag drives our state’s economy. Having met recently with President Trump and his Secretary of Agriculture nominee Brooke Rollins, I’m committed to seeing that Nebraska farmers and ranchers have a seat at the table in our nation’s capital. Here at home, we’re leading on legislation to ban the sale of lab-grown meat and are working hard to eliminate red tape and redundancies by getting government out of the way.ValuesI ask Nebraskan’s this question all the time: What is the thing you love best about our state? The answer is nearly unanimous. It’s the PEOPLE!&nbsp;We have a certain way of doing things, of treating people with respect and helping each other out.&nbsp; Not everyone is a Republican, but our overall conservative approach includes being pro-family, pro-business, and pro-limited government. All are foundational to what makes this a great state. My administration is committed to making Nebraska the safest and best place to raise kids and run a business. Nothing is more important.Back to McCook. After presenting a WWII medal to a veteran named John, he asked if he could take the opportunity to say something? With a chuckle, I told him he certainly earned the medallion, so of course, he could say anything he wanted! As Nebraskans do, this veteran thought of others first. He dedicated the medal to all his fellow service members who didn’t make it home. By the end of the event, which was filled with family members (including some lucky great grandkids who got to play hooky) and veterans from other wars, there was barely a dry eye in the room.These men, all in their upper 90s, served our country in a time of need. It’s our job now to make sure that we honor their sacrifices. It’s with that heart of service and commitment to bettering Nebraska for the next generation that we turn to our work in this year’s legislature.

Serving Nebraskans and Focusing our Priorities

ARLINGTON, VA., January 31, 2025 — Gerber Products Company is initiating a recall and discontinuation of all batches of GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS due to a potential choking hazard for babies and young children, according to a statement from the Food and Drug Administration.

GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS were distributed nationwide via the internet and to distribution centers and retail stores in the following states and territories:

Recalled products can be identified as follows:

This recall and discontinuation is isolated to GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS – STRAWBERRY APPLE and GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS – BANANA.

The recall was initiated after receiving consumer complaints of choking incidents. To date, one emergency room visit has been reported to the firm.

Consumers who may have purchased GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS should not feed this product to their child and can return the product to the retailer where it was purchased for a refund. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a health care provider. For any additional support needed, Gerber is available 24/7 at 1-800-4-GERBER (1-800-443-7237).

We are working with the U.S. Food &amp; Drug Administration (FDA) on this recall and will cooperate with them fully.

For more information, consumers could call 1-800-4-GERBER (1-800-443-7237)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738595746534.png" alt="Image FDA" />
 <figcaption>Image FDA</figcaption>
 </figure>ARLINGTON, VA., January 31, 2025 — Gerber Products Company is initiating a recall and discontinuation of all batches of GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS due to a potential choking hazard for babies and young children, according to a statement from the Food and Drug Administration.GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS were distributed nationwide via the internet and to distribution centers and retail stores in the following states and territories:Recalled products can be identified as follows:<ul>
 <li>GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS – STRAWBERRY APPLE, Net Wt. 3.2 Oz (90g), with UPC 0 15000 04618 7, all lot codes</li><li>GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS – BANANA, Net Wt. 3.2 Oz (90g), with UPC 0 15000 04608 8, all lot codes</li><li>GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS – BANANA, Net Wt. 1.59 Oz (45g), with UPC 0 15000 01015 7, all lot codes</li>
 </ul>This recall and discontinuation is isolated to GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS – STRAWBERRY APPLE and GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS – BANANA.The recall was initiated after receiving consumer complaints of choking incidents. To date, one emergency room visit has been reported to the firm.Consumers who may have purchased GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS should not feed this product to their child and can return the product to the retailer where it was purchased for a refund. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a health care provider. For any additional support needed, Gerber is available 24/7 at 1-800-4-GERBER (1-800-443-7237).We are working with the U.S. Food &amp; Drug Administration (FDA) on this recall and will cooperate with them fully.For more information, consumers could call 1-800-4-GERBER (1-800-443-7237)

Gerber recalls baby teething sticks over possible choking hazard

LINCOLN, NE –&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly awarded prizes to three teams of aspiring college entrepreneurs through the 2nd&nbsp;Annual Nebraska Governor’s New Venture Competition. Awardees were announced during Thursday’s Nebraska Business Hall of Fame banquet at the Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel. Ten teams were selected as semi-finalists. The winners, prize amounts and a description of each project follow:

First Place: Golden Garden Compost, UNO, $20,000 prize

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Golden Garden Compost creates premium organic compost for home gardeners using efficient production and innovative marketing to maximize profits.

Second Place: brAIn Rot, UNL, $15,000 prize

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; brAIn Rot is an educational platform that helps developers enhance their coding skills by solving real world puzzles and competing in coding contests.

Third Place: IndoFilm, UNL, $10,000 prize

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; InfoFilm helps share the impactful stories within the agriculture industry through videography, product photography, branding photography and social media management.&nbsp;

“This program is a great opportunity to publicize and support Nebraska-based ideas with world-changing potential,” said Lt. Gov. Kelly. “This year’s pool of finalists brought a variety of ideas to impact education, healthcare, agriculture, AI and other significant areas. They are risk takers willing to put in the long hours for the potential rewards of starting a new venture and watching it blossom.”&nbsp;

Governor Jim Pillen created the competition in 2023 to showcase and encourage student-led entrepreneurship. The competition is designed for contemplated and pre-seed businesses. Applicants must designate how their business falls into one of nine industry tracks: Agtech, Fintech/Insurtech, Cleantech, Advanced Manufacturing, Biotech/Healthtech, Emerging Media Arts, Sportstech, General Tech and the Bioeconomy. Submissions must have been received by Dec. 15, 2024.&nbsp;

This year, 15 teams – including undergraduate and graduate students – submitted proposals. Participating teams hailed from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL), University of Nebraska – Omaha (UNO), University of Nebraska – Kearney (UNK) and Metro Community College (MCC). The 15 teams made their initial pitch virtually to a panel of judges representing Flyover Capital, Nebraska Innovation Labs, Nelnet Ventures, Redbud VC and Tech Nebraska. Judges evaluated each project and whittled the group to 10 semi-finalists.&nbsp;

“Starting a business is hard enough but starting a business while also attending college is extremely challenging due to time constraints and academic obligations,” said Dan Hoffman, CEO of Invest Nebraska. “Nebraska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem of startup founders, funders, and service providers are excited to mentor and support these young teams as they begin their entrepreneurial journey.”

Semi-finalist teams were mentored leading up to their final project presentation yesterday during the Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce annual meeting. The judges, from Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, MOVE Venture Capital, Nelnet, Nave Analytics, Nebraska Public Power District and&nbsp;Workshop,&nbsp;selected the awardees.&nbsp;

“I appreciate that Governor Pillen is prioritizing entrepreneurship as a key economic development strategy,” said Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) Director K.C. Belitz. “The New Venture Competition is a great way to showcase and encourage the inventiveness of Nebraska’s rising generation. Across the state, we’re building an entrepreneurial ecosystem to support young Nebraskans in turning their ideas into successful businesses.”

“Congratulations to the 15 teams of students who shared their ideas for pursuing an entrepreneurial opportunity and competed in the New Venture Competition,” added Nebraska Chamber President Bryan Slone.&nbsp; “We’re always excited to support the next generation of Nebraska business professionals and it was exciting to watch these young entrepreneurs reach new heights.”

Sponsors for the New Venture Competition include the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce &amp; Industry, Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), Invest Nebraska, Nebraska Diplomats, Nebraska Economic Developers Association (NEDA) and the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED).

For more information about the Governor’s New Venture Competition, visit the contest’s website:&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnegovnewventure.com%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C0b3d096d68374b10bf7108dd42e394c8%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C638740267505689124%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=1mVR%2FeYURHYj6crbTvs6%2BXiMdw5ZSKtMfQsqEjy8NwE%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://negovnewventure.com</a>.

Office of Governor Jim PillenLINCOLN, NE –&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly awarded prizes to three teams of aspiring college entrepreneurs through the 2nd&nbsp;Annual Nebraska Governor’s New Venture Competition. Awardees were announced during Thursday’s Nebraska Business Hall of Fame banquet at the Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel. Ten teams were selected as semi-finalists. The winners, prize amounts and a description of each project follow:First Place: Golden Garden Compost, UNO, $20,000 prize&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Golden Garden Compost creates premium organic compost for home gardeners using efficient production and innovative marketing to maximize profits.Second Place: brAIn Rot, UNL, $15,000 prize&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; brAIn Rot is an educational platform that helps developers enhance their coding skills by solving real world puzzles and competing in coding contests.Third Place: IndoFilm, UNL, $10,000 prize&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; InfoFilm helps share the impactful stories within the agriculture industry through videography, product photography, branding photography and social media management.&nbsp;“This program is a great opportunity to publicize and support Nebraska-based ideas with world-changing potential,” said Lt. Gov. Kelly. “This year’s pool of finalists brought a variety of ideas to impact education, healthcare, agriculture, AI and other significant areas. They are risk takers willing to put in the long hours for the potential rewards of starting a new venture and watching it blossom.”&nbsp;Governor Jim Pillen created the competition in 2023 to showcase and encourage student-led entrepreneurship. The competition is designed for contemplated and pre-seed businesses. Applicants must designate how their business falls into one of nine industry tracks: Agtech, Fintech/Insurtech, Cleantech, Advanced Manufacturing, Biotech/Healthtech, Emerging Media Arts, Sportstech, General Tech and the Bioeconomy. Submissions must have been received by Dec. 15, 2024.&nbsp;This year, 15 teams – including undergraduate and graduate students – submitted proposals. Participating teams hailed from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL), University of Nebraska – Omaha (UNO), University of Nebraska – Kearney (UNK) and Metro Community College (MCC). The 15 teams made their initial pitch virtually to a panel of judges representing Flyover Capital, Nebraska Innovation Labs, Nelnet Ventures, Redbud VC and Tech Nebraska. Judges evaluated each project and whittled the group to 10 semi-finalists.&nbsp;“Starting a business is hard enough but starting a business while also attending college is extremely challenging due to time constraints and academic obligations,” said Dan Hoffman, CEO of Invest Nebraska. “Nebraska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem of startup founders, funders, and service providers are excited to mentor and support these young teams as they begin their entrepreneurial journey.”Semi-finalist teams were mentored leading up to their final project presentation yesterday during the Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce annual meeting. The judges, from Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, MOVE Venture Capital, Nelnet, Nave Analytics, Nebraska Public Power District and&nbsp;Workshop,&nbsp;selected the awardees.&nbsp;“I appreciate that Governor Pillen is prioritizing entrepreneurship as a key economic development strategy,” said Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) Director K.C. Belitz. “The New Venture Competition is a great way to showcase and encourage the inventiveness of Nebraska’s rising generation. Across the state, we’re building an entrepreneurial ecosystem to support young Nebraskans in turning their ideas into successful businesses.”“Congratulations to the 15 teams of students who shared their ideas for pursuing an entrepreneurial opportunity and competed in the New Venture Competition,” added Nebraska Chamber President Bryan Slone.&nbsp; “We’re always excited to support the next generation of Nebraska business professionals and it was exciting to watch these young entrepreneurs reach new heights.”Sponsors for the New Venture Competition include the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce &amp; Industry, Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), Invest Nebraska, Nebraska Diplomats, Nebraska Economic Developers Association (NEDA) and the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED).For more information about the Governor’s New Venture Competition, visit the contest’s website:&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnegovnewventure.com%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C0b3d096d68374b10bf7108dd42e394c8%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C638740267505689124%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=1mVR%2FeYURHYj6crbTvs6%2BXiMdw5ZSKtMfQsqEjy8NwE%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://negovnewventure.com</a>.

Lt. Gov. Kelly Announces Winners of 2nd Annual New Venture Competition

Punxsutawney Phil handlers said he has seen his shadow and is predicting six more weeks of wintry weather.&nbsp; Click below to watch the famous groundhog.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738500732773.png" alt=" Punxsutawney Phil on Sunday morning- image from the video" />
 <figcaption> Punxsutawney Phil on Sunday morning- image from the video</figcaption>
 </figure>Punxsutawney Phil handlers said he has seen his shadow and is predicting six more weeks of wintry weather.&nbsp; Click below to watch the famous groundhog.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Io374gxgT6E?si=xtOckYSpq8_I_RSf&amp;start=458" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

🎥Groundhog Day 2025: Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow

In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. forces conducted airstrikes against ISIS-Somalia on Saturday, according to a statement from the&nbsp;U.S. Africa Command.

The command’s initial assessment is that multiple ISIS-Somalia operatives were killed in the airstrikes and no civilians were harmed. U.S. Africa Command takes great measures to prevent civilian harm. Protecting civilians remains a vital part of the command’s operations to promote a more secure and stable Africa.

U.S. Africa Command will continue to assess the results of this operation and will provide additional information as appropriate. Specific details about the operation will not be released in order to ensure continued operations security.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738433734400.png" alt="Photo released Saturday from U.S. Africa Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo released Saturday from U.S. Africa Command</figcaption>
 </figure>In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. forces conducted airstrikes against ISIS-Somalia on Saturday, according to a statement from the&nbsp;U.S. Africa Command.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This morning I ordered precision Military air strikes on the Senior ISIS Attack Planner and other terrorists he recruited and led in Somalia. These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our Allies. The strikes destroyed the caves they live in,…&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1885740103223648412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The command’s initial assessment is that multiple ISIS-Somalia operatives were killed in the airstrikes and no civilians were harmed. U.S. Africa Command takes great measures to prevent civilian harm. Protecting civilians remains a vital part of the command’s operations to promote a more secure and stable Africa.U.S. Africa Command will continue to assess the results of this operation and will provide additional information as appropriate. Specific details about the operation will not be released in order to ensure continued operations security.

U.S. forces conduct airstrike targeting ISIS in Somalia

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp;

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump plans to implement tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China on Saturday, potentially starting off a trade war that would likely lead to price increases on groceries and numerous other products.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a briefing Friday that Trump will place 25% tariffs on goods coming into the United States from Canada and Mexico, and a 10% tariff on imports from China. Tariffs are paid by businesses bringing goods into the United States from other countries and they often pass on the increase in costs to consumers.

“The tariffs are incoming tomorrow on Canada and the reason for that is because both Canada and Mexico have both allowed an unprecedented invasion of illegal fentanyl that is killing American citizens and also illegal immigrants into our country,” Leavitt said.

Trump hasn’t yet decided if he will later implement tariffs on the European Union, made up of&nbsp;<a href="https://european-union.europa.eu/easy-read_en" target="_blank">27 countries</a>, according to Leavitt.

“I won’t get ahead of the president on tariffs when it comes to the European Union,” she said.

Trump said later Friday from the Oval Office that he wasn’t using the tariffs as a negotiating tool, but as a way to raise revenue for the federal government and bring attention to fentanyl flowing into the country.

“We’re not looking for a concession. We’ll just see what happens,” Trump said.

The new tariffs will be stacked on top of existing tariffs, he said.

Trump said he planned to add additional tariffs at some point on computer chips and “things associated with chips,” oil and gas, steel, aluminum, copper, pharmaceuticals and “all forms of medicine.”

Trump said he will likely implement the oil and gas tariffs on Feb. 18, but didn’t provide dates for the other tariffs.

Trump brushed aside a question about how tariffs would impact prices, saying he was elected to reduce inflation. He said he wasn’t concerned about the stock market’s reaction on Friday afternoon to the impending tariffs.&nbsp;

Many economists, including those at conservative think tanks, like the American Enterprise Institute, have warned against broadly applying tariffs in this way.

Phil Gramm, former Republican chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and nonresident senior fellow at AEI, and Larry Summers, former Treasury Secretary during the Clinton administration,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/a-letter-to-trump-from-economists-tariffs-policy-protectionism-economy-9a063b69?mod=opinion_lead_pos5" target="_blank">wrote an op-ed published by the Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;on Thursday urging Trump not to implement tariffs.

“Our united opposition to non-defense-related tariffs is based not on our faith in free trade but on evidence that tariffs are harmful to the economy,” they wrote.

“Protective tariffs distort domestic production by inducing domestic producers to commit labor and capital to produce goods and services that could have been acquired more cheaply on the international market,” Gramm and Summers wrote. “That labor and capital are in turn diverted from producing goods and services that couldn’t be acquired more cheaply internationally. In the process, productivity, wages and economic growth fall while prices rise. Tariffs and the retaliation they bring also poison our economic and security alliances.”

Leavitt said during the press briefing that only Trump could decide whether he would eventually lift or alter the tariffs, while brushing aside the potential impacts to the U.S. economy.&nbsp;

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service writes on its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/chart-detail?chartId=58394" target="_blank">website</a>&nbsp;that Canada and Mexico “are the United States’ first and third largest suppliers of agricultural products (averaging $30.9 billion and $25.5 billion in 2017–21, respectively).

“Mexico supplied the United States with 31 percent of imported horticultural products including fruit, vegetables, and alcoholic beverages. Canada is also a source of horticultural products, as well as grains, and meats.”

The Office of the United States Trade Representative writes on its&nbsp;<a href="https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/china-mongolia-taiwan/peoples-republic-china" target="_blank">website</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. imported $562.9 billion worth of goods from China during 2022.

U.S. agricultural exports to China, which could be impacted by retaliatory tariffs, totaled $36.4 billion during fiscal year 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fas.usda.gov/data/record-us-fy-2022-agricultural-exports-china" target="_blank">according to&nbsp;</a>the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.&nbsp;

“U.S. exports have returned to trend growth experienced since the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and in the last 2 years the United States has witnessed record export values to China for soybeans, corn, beef, chicken meat, tree nuts, and sorghum. Cotton exports to China have also rebounded, propelled by strong demand. All these products are major contributors to the U.S. farm economy.”

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp;WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump plans to implement tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China on Saturday, potentially starting off a trade war that would likely lead to price increases on groceries and numerous other products.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">“We need to protect Americans, and it is my duty as President to ensure the safety of all. I made a promise on my Campaign to stop the flood of illegal aliens and drugs from pouring across our Borders, and Americans overwhelmingly voted in favor of it.” –President Trump <a href="https://t.co/rJ9opLBJzr">pic.twitter.com/rJ9opLBJzr</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1885833185012896054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a briefing Friday that Trump will place 25% tariffs on goods coming into the United States from Canada and Mexico, and a 10% tariff on imports from China. Tariffs are paid by businesses bringing goods into the United States from other countries and they often pass on the increase in costs to consumers.“The tariffs are incoming tomorrow on Canada and the reason for that is because both Canada and Mexico have both allowed an unprecedented invasion of illegal fentanyl that is killing American citizens and also illegal immigrants into our country,” Leavitt said.Trump hasn’t yet decided if he will later implement tariffs on the European Union, made up of&nbsp;<a href="https://european-union.europa.eu/easy-read_en" target="_blank">27 countries</a>, according to Leavitt.“I won’t get ahead of the president on tariffs when it comes to the European Union,” she said.Trump said later Friday from the Oval Office that he wasn’t using the tariffs as a negotiating tool, but as a way to raise revenue for the federal government and bring attention to fentanyl flowing into the country.“We’re not looking for a concession. We’ll just see what happens,” Trump said.The new tariffs will be stacked on top of existing tariffs, he said.Trump said he planned to add additional tariffs at some point on computer chips and “things associated with chips,” oil and gas, steel, aluminum, copper, pharmaceuticals and “all forms of medicine.”Trump said he will likely implement the oil and gas tariffs on Feb. 18, but didn’t provide dates for the other tariffs.Trump brushed aside a question about how tariffs would impact prices, saying he was elected to reduce inflation. He said he wasn’t concerned about the stock market’s reaction on Friday afternoon to the impending tariffs.&nbsp;Many economists, including those at conservative think tanks, like the American Enterprise Institute, have warned against broadly applying tariffs in this way.Phil Gramm, former Republican chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and nonresident senior fellow at AEI, and Larry Summers, former Treasury Secretary during the Clinton administration,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/a-letter-to-trump-from-economists-tariffs-policy-protectionism-economy-9a063b69?mod=opinion_lead_pos5" target="_blank">wrote an op-ed published by the Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;on Thursday urging Trump not to implement tariffs.“Our united opposition to non-defense-related tariffs is based not on our faith in free trade but on evidence that tariffs are harmful to the economy,” they wrote.“Protective tariffs distort domestic production by inducing domestic producers to commit labor and capital to produce goods and services that could have been acquired more cheaply on the international market,” Gramm and Summers wrote. “That labor and capital are in turn diverted from producing goods and services that couldn’t be acquired more cheaply internationally. In the process, productivity, wages and economic growth fall while prices rise. Tariffs and the retaliation they bring also poison our economic and security alliances.”Leavitt said during the press briefing that only Trump could decide whether he would eventually lift or alter the tariffs, while brushing aside the potential impacts to the U.S. economy.&nbsp;The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service writes on its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/chart-detail?chartId=58394" target="_blank">website</a>&nbsp;that Canada and Mexico “are the United States’ first and third largest suppliers of agricultural products (averaging $30.9 billion and $25.5 billion in 2017–21, respectively).“Mexico supplied the United States with 31 percent of imported horticultural products including fruit, vegetables, and alcoholic beverages. Canada is also a source of horticultural products, as well as grains, and meats.”The Office of the United States Trade Representative writes on its&nbsp;<a href="https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/china-mongolia-taiwan/peoples-republic-china" target="_blank">website</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. imported $562.9 billion worth of goods from China during 2022.U.S. agricultural exports to China, which could be impacted by retaliatory tariffs, totaled $36.4 billion during fiscal year 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fas.usda.gov/data/record-us-fy-2022-agricultural-exports-china" target="_blank">according to&nbsp;</a>the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.&nbsp;“U.S. exports have returned to trend growth experienced since the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and in the last 2 years the United States has witnessed record export values to China for soybeans, corn, beef, chicken meat, tree nuts, and sorghum. Cotton exports to China have also rebounded, propelled by strong demand. All these products are major contributors to the U.S. farm economy.”

White House announces tariffs on products from Canada, Mexico, China

With assistance from regional and federal partners, District of Columbia response teams remain focused on recovery efforts in the Potomac River following the American Airlines jet and Blackhawk helicopter crash that left 67 dead.

With assistance from regional and federal partners, District of Columbia response teams remain focused on recovery efforts in the Potomac River following the American Airlines jet and Blackhawk helicopter crash that left 67 dead.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">LIVE: Update on Plane Collision <a href="https://t.co/Kg9GQ30kl2">https://t.co/Kg9GQ30kl2</a>&mdash; Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorBowser/status/1885411634476208453?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥 DC officials update recovery, investigation of deadly aircraft collision

United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Kyle J. Logan, age 25, of Safety Harbor, Florida was sentenced on January 30, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for possession of child pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Logan to 96 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Logan will be placed on a 5-year term of supervised release. Logan was also ordered to pay special assessments of $5,000.00 under each of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA) and the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act (AVAA).

This investigation began in April 2023, when a minor victim living in West Virginia, contacted her local police to report she met an Air Force member, Logan, while playing Call of Duty online. The minor reported she had been in a relationship with Logan, which started after meeting him on the gaming platform and communicating with him on Discord. The minor reported being twelve years old at the time she began speaking to Logan. During the communication with Logan, their conversations turned sexual, and the minor disclosed Logan requested she send sexually explicit pictures of herself to Logan, which she did.&nbsp;

The United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) opened an investigation into Logan who was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, and ultimately interviewed Logan about his conduct with the minor. Logan admitted to knowing the minor was fifteen years old and requesting and receiving sexually explicit photos of the minor. AFOSI obtained search warrants for Logan’s Discord account and electronic devices. The searches revealed Logan possessed videos and images of the minor who initially reported Logan, as well as images and videos of a second victim. Ultimately, Logan was held accountable for possessing a total of 14 videos and 119 images of child pornography.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/" target="_blank">www.projectsafechildhood.gov</a>.

This case was investigated by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

United States Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Kyle J. Logan, age 25, of Safety Harbor, Florida was sentenced on January 30, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for possession of child pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Logan to 96 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Logan will be placed on a 5-year term of supervised release. Logan was also ordered to pay special assessments of $5,000.00 under each of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA) and the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act (AVAA).This investigation began in April 2023, when a minor victim living in West Virginia, contacted her local police to report she met an Air Force member, Logan, while playing Call of Duty online. The minor reported she had been in a relationship with Logan, which started after meeting him on the gaming platform and communicating with him on Discord. The minor reported being twelve years old at the time she began speaking to Logan. During the communication with Logan, their conversations turned sexual, and the minor disclosed Logan requested she send sexually explicit pictures of herself to Logan, which she did.&nbsp;The United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) opened an investigation into Logan who was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, and ultimately interviewed Logan about his conduct with the minor. Logan admitted to knowing the minor was fifteen years old and requesting and receiving sexually explicit photos of the minor. AFOSI obtained search warrants for Logan’s Discord account and electronic devices. The searches revealed Logan possessed videos and images of the minor who initially reported Logan, as well as images and videos of a second victim. Ultimately, Logan was held accountable for possessing a total of 14 videos and 119 images of child pornography.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/" target="_blank">www.projectsafechildhood.gov</a>.This case was investigated by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

Air Force Member Sentenced to 96 Months for Possession of Child Pornography

United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that three Wichita, Kansas women were sentenced for charges relating to sex trafficking a minor and transportation of a minor for prostitution.&nbsp;

Khalah Beard, age 24, of Wichita, was sentenced on January 30, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Beard to a total of 123 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Beard’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.

Joan Robinson, age 35, of Wichita, was sentenced on January 23, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for one count of transportation of a minor for prostitution. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Robinson to a total of 235 months’ imprisonment. After Robinson’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.

Alexas Davis, age 28, of Wichita, was sentenced on January 15, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Davis to a total of 108 months’ imprisonment. After Robinson’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.

The investigation began on November 16, 2022, when Minor Victim 1 (“MV1”) and Khalah Beard were arrested for shoplifting at a Walmart in Omaha. The responding officer began to suspect that Beard and MV1 were involved in sex trafficking and the officer reported the matter to the Omaha Police Department’s Special Victim’s Unit. MV1 was identified as a missing minor who was a ward of the state of Kansas. At the time of this incident, she was only 17 years old.

As the Omaha Police Department and agents with Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter further, it was determined that on November 12, 2022, Robinson, Khalah Beard, Alexas Davis, and MV1 drove from Wichita to Omaha so that Beard, Davis, and MV1 could engage in prostitution at Robinson’s direction. They checked into adjoining hotel rooms in Omaha, which were booked by Robinson using her Priceline account. Photos of MV1 and Beard were placed on websites advertising that they were in Omaha and available for commercial sex acts. Davis kept track of Beard and MV1, and Davis would report to Robinson about when MV1 and Beard would have “dates.” Davis was charged with making sure Robinson was receiving her share of the proceeds from the acts of prostitution. A dispute among the group arose as to whether Robinson was receiving her full share of the proceeds. Robinson and Davis then returned to Wichita, abandoning MV1 and Beard in Omaha. When MV1 and Beard were contacted by police at Walmart on November 16, 2022, Robinson and Davis had already returned to Wichita.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.justice.gov/psc" target="_blank">www.justice.gov/psc</a>.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Omaha Police Department, and the Wichita Police Department.

United States Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that three Wichita, Kansas women were sentenced for charges relating to sex trafficking a minor and transportation of a minor for prostitution.&nbsp;Khalah Beard, age 24, of Wichita, was sentenced on January 30, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Beard to a total of 123 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Beard’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.Joan Robinson, age 35, of Wichita, was sentenced on January 23, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for one count of transportation of a minor for prostitution. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Robinson to a total of 235 months’ imprisonment. After Robinson’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.Alexas Davis, age 28, of Wichita, was sentenced on January 15, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Davis to a total of 108 months’ imprisonment. After Robinson’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.The investigation began on November 16, 2022, when Minor Victim 1 (“MV1”) and Khalah Beard were arrested for shoplifting at a Walmart in Omaha. The responding officer began to suspect that Beard and MV1 were involved in sex trafficking and the officer reported the matter to the Omaha Police Department’s Special Victim’s Unit. MV1 was identified as a missing minor who was a ward of the state of Kansas. At the time of this incident, she was only 17 years old.As the Omaha Police Department and agents with Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter further, it was determined that on November 12, 2022, Robinson, Khalah Beard, Alexas Davis, and MV1 drove from Wichita to Omaha so that Beard, Davis, and MV1 could engage in prostitution at Robinson’s direction. They checked into adjoining hotel rooms in Omaha, which were booked by Robinson using her Priceline account. Photos of MV1 and Beard were placed on websites advertising that they were in Omaha and available for commercial sex acts. Davis kept track of Beard and MV1, and Davis would report to Robinson about when MV1 and Beard would have “dates.” Davis was charged with making sure Robinson was receiving her share of the proceeds from the acts of prostitution. A dispute among the group arose as to whether Robinson was receiving her full share of the proceeds. Robinson and Davis then returned to Wichita, abandoning MV1 and Beard in Omaha. When MV1 and Beard were contacted by police at Walmart on November 16, 2022, Robinson and Davis had already returned to Wichita.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.justice.gov/psc" target="_blank">www.justice.gov/psc</a>.This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Omaha Police Department, and the Wichita Police Department.

Three Wichita, Kansas Women Sentenced for Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking of a Minor & Transportation of a Minor for Prostitution

Office of Nebraska State Treasurer Tom Briese

(Lincoln, NE) Nebraska Treasurer Tom Briese today encouraged Nebraskans to observe Unclaimed Property Day on February 1st&nbsp;by searching&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nebraskalostcash.gov/" target="_blank">www.NebraskaLostCash.gov</a>&nbsp;to see if they have cash or other valuables waiting for them.&nbsp;Briese also said that Nebraskans who have lived in other states should check&nbsp;<a href="http://www.missingmoney.com/" target="_blank">www.MissingMoney.com</a>&nbsp;as it is a nationwide database The search only takes a moment and is totally free.

More than 33 million people in the United States has some sort of unclaimed property, which could be financial accounts or items of value in which the owner has not initiated any activity for several years. Common examples include unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts, and uncashed checks. The State Treasurer’s Office is the custodian of unclaimed funds remitted by a business, government, or any other legal or commercial entity operating in the State of Nebraska.

In 2024 the Unclaimed Property Division returned $23,273,956 made up of 19,568 claims. This is a 36% increase over the amount paid in 2023.

“Unclaimed property is your money, and it should be returned to you. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it is free,” Briese said. “I’m proud that my office has returned a record amount of unclaimed property to Nebraskans&nbsp;and I want to see more people get what is rightfully theirs.”

To increase awareness of unclaimed property, the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) has declared February 1st&nbsp;as National Unclaimed Property Day.

Office of Nebraska State Treasurer Tom Briese(Lincoln, NE) Nebraska Treasurer Tom Briese today encouraged Nebraskans to observe Unclaimed Property Day on February 1st&nbsp;by searching&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nebraskalostcash.gov/" target="_blank">www.NebraskaLostCash.gov</a>&nbsp;to see if they have cash or other valuables waiting for them.&nbsp;Briese also said that Nebraskans who have lived in other states should check&nbsp;<a href="http://www.missingmoney.com/" target="_blank">www.MissingMoney.com</a>&nbsp;as it is a nationwide database The search only takes a moment and is totally free.More than 33 million people in the United States has some sort of unclaimed property, which could be financial accounts or items of value in which the owner has not initiated any activity for several years. Common examples include unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts, and uncashed checks. The State Treasurer’s Office is the custodian of unclaimed funds remitted by a business, government, or any other legal or commercial entity operating in the State of Nebraska.In 2024 the Unclaimed Property Division returned $23,273,956 made up of 19,568 claims. This is a 36% increase over the amount paid in 2023.“Unclaimed property is your money, and it should be returned to you. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it is free,” Briese said. “I’m proud that my office has returned a record amount of unclaimed property to Nebraskans&nbsp;and I want to see more people get what is rightfully theirs.”To increase awareness of unclaimed property, the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) has declared February 1st&nbsp;as National Unclaimed Property Day.About the National Association of Unclaimed Property AdministratorsThe National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) is comprised of the unclaimed property programs of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as well as several foreign jurisdictions. The organization’s objective is to facilitate collaboration and otherwise support program administrators in reuniting all unclaimed assets with rightful owners. NAUPA is an affiliate of the non-partisan National Association of State Treasurers.