Nebraska Update

Soda and energy drinks would no longer be eligible for purchase through the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program in Nebraska under proposed regulations from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services. At a hearing Tuesday, advocates said the restrictions could hurt grocery stores and stigmatize Nebraskans who use SNAP. “Implementing the SNAP restriction waiver will lead to fewer food retailers accepting SNAP, thereby causing a significant number of Nebraskan families, including those with children, veterans, people with disabilities and the elderly, to face even greater barriers when trying to put food on the table,” said Madison Castor with Nebraska Appleseed.

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers is suing General Motors over the sale of its customers' data to insurance companies.

Tons of worn out fishing gear makes its way across the Pacific Ocean, and winds up on Hawaii’s beaches. In an effort to both clean up the ocean and find a way to recycle the junk, some of that fishing gear is sent up to Omaha, Nebraska.

The federal government is withholding federal funds to after-school programs across the nation, with about $6.5 million that typically goes to Nebraska. After school and summer program providers say this could lead to programs cutting down on services, serving less students or even closing their doors.

Communities continue to recover from the impacts of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid in Omaha earlier this month. Some worry about the longer-term stresses of the impacted children.

Hydropower accounts for nearly 30% of utility-scale renewable energy in the U.S., but federal hurdles may prevent older hydroelectric plants from staying online and new projects from getting off the ground.

Nebraska lawmakers overcame a significant shortfall through the passage of this year’s budget, but more fiscal trouble may be on the horizon. On the final day of this year’s legislative session in June, Speaker John Arch made a prediction on the focus of the legislature’s return in 2026. “I will predict that our biggest challenge next year will be our budget,” he said. “Once again, we sent a balanced budget to the governor, but we always face mid-biennium budget adjustments, and next year will be no different. And in fact, could be more challenging” So how did Nebraska get into this situation in the first place?

The nearly 6,000 mechanical amusement devices in Nebraska are now taxed at five percent of their net operating revenue, thanks to a law passed last April. These devices are found in gas stations, cafes and social halls and are used for contests of skill, unlike keno or bingo. Fraternal organizations are exempt from the tax.

Naloxone, a drug that counteracts the effects of opioid overdose, has become more available within Southeastern Nebraska. Free Naloxone can be found at three vending machines, as well as five grab-and-go sites located around Lincoln. There is also a grab-and-go site now located in Jansen, Southwest of Beatrice, near the Kansas border.

Governor Jim Pillen has signed the commission’s emergency regulations, which prohibit dispensaries from selling whole-plant cannabis and products that are vaped or smoked. The rules also cap the number of dispensaries at one in each of the state’s 12 district court judicial districts. The emergency regulations will be in effect for the next 90 days, after which they can be amended or put into law.