The Dan Parsons Show

Northwest Omaha and Bennington will elect a new state senator this November. But which candidate has the experience and ideas to deliver?

In this edition of The Road to the Legislature, Dan Parsons interviews both candidates for Nebraska Legislative District 18: Democrat Jess Goldoni and Republican Taylor Royal.

With property taxes rising, Nebraska facing budget pressures and growing communities demanding more school funding, both candidates explain how they would approach the challenges facing the Legislature.

Goldoni brings experience in business, technology and artificial intelligence. Royal brings a background in accounting, financial advising and business ownership.

Both address property tax relief, state spending, public education, data centers and the importance of independent thinking in Nebraska's officially nonpartisan Legislature.

Two candidates. One seat. Hear directly from both before you vote.

The Road to the Legislature is part of The Dan Parsons Show — Nebraska's leading independent news and politics podcast.

Beyond the Headlines.

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President Trump came to Grand Island with a message for Nebraska farmers, including a temporary change involving red-dyed diesel. But Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen says the problems facing agriculture run much deeper.

Hansen joins Dan Parsons to break down what the diesel action actually does, the financial pressure facing Nebraska farms, the impact of tariffs and trade policy, and Congress’ failure to finish a new Farm Bill.

Then the conversation turns political: Are struggling farmers ready to vote differently in 2026?

Hansen offers his assessment of Nebraska’s Senate and governor’s races, and explains why he believes rural voters are increasingly willing to reconsider their traditional political loyalties.

A wide-ranging conversation about agriculture, economics and the political mood in rural Nebraska.

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Why did President Trump come to deep-red Nebraska just weeks before Election Day?

Trump’s Grand Island rally was about more than firing up the crowd. With Gov. Jim Pillen and Sen. Pete Ricketts facing unusually competitive races, the president came to Nebraska to energize Republican voters, and made news by signing an executive order expanding access to tax-free red-dye diesel.

Dan is joined by longtime Nebraska journalist Paul Hammel and Democratic candidate for governor Lynne Walz to break down Trump’s visit, the political trouble facing Nebraska Republicans, concerns about agriculture and the economy, and the biggest question of all:

Will Trump’s visit actually change what happens on November 3?

Beyond the Headlines on The Dan Parsons Show.

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The battle over White House press access has taken another turn.

After a federal judge ordered access restored to CNN, MS NOW and Politico, the White House Friday night blocked CNN from accompanying President Trump on his Saturday trip to Tennessee.

Dan talks with longtime Omaha television news director Rose Ann Shannon about the fight over presidential press access, the role of the television pool and what these restrictions mean for the public’s ability to see and scrutinize its government.

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Nebraska is changing the way it assesses and funds services for people with developmental disabilities. Families say some people are seeing substantial reductions in funding even though their needs haven't changed.

But is this simply an attempt to modernize the system, or are Nebraska's budget problems influencing those decisions?

Dan Parsons talks with State Sen. Victor Rountree, sponsor of LR404; Carol Salber, a licensed independent mental health practitioner and parent; and Mike Browne, father of two adult sons with profound developmental disabilities and a member of Nebraska's Developmental Disabilities Advisory Committee.

They examine concerns about the interRAI assessment, a reported $68,000 annual funding reduction for one individual, questions about the state's financial assumptions, and whether Gov. Jim Pillen and DHHS should pause reductions while an independent review is underway.

It's a conversation about budgets, accountability — and what these decisions mean for some of Nebraska's most vulnerable citizens.

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Nebraska’s race for Secretary of State is about more than who occupies the office. It comes as the country debates mail voting, federal involvement in elections, voter data and public confidence in the system.

Democratic candidate Sarah Slattery joins Dan Parsons to explain why she believes she should be Nebraska’s next chief election officer.

Dan presses Slattery on whether Nebraska’s election system is fundamentally working, the security of voting by mail, voter ID, petition fraud, federal access to Nebraska voter information and what political neutrality means for an office filled through a partisan election.

And there’s a crucial hypothetical: If Slattery were Secretary of State and her own party challenged an election that Nebraska officials determined it had lost, would she certify the result?

It’s a wide-ranging conversation about the future of Nebraska elections — and the responsibilities that come with running them.

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Flatwater Free Press reporter Yanqi Xu and executive editor Matthew Hansen join Dan for a candid conversation about Xu’s latest reporting involving Gov. Jim Pillen, Pillen Family Farms and immigrant labor.

The conversation goes beyond the investigation itself.

Yanqi describes pursuing Pillen after a news conference and confronting him directly about her reporting. Matthew discusses the role of an editor when a reporter becomes part of the story—and what happened when the Omaha World-Herald documented the encounter.

There’s also history here. Dan first met Yanqi through an earlier investigation into nitrate contamination involving Pillen’s hog operations. Shortly afterward, Pillen publicly dismissed the reporting and referenced Xu’s Chinese background.

Now, years later, Xu is still reporting. Pillen is still pushing back. And the questions about journalism, political power and accountability are bigger than one investigation.

Dan, Yanqi and Matthew discuss how investigative journalism actually gets done, what happens when elected officials attack the messenger, and why persistence still matters.

Plus, Dan introduces his new Patreon segment, “Off the Record,” where he goes beyond the interview to share his own perspective on the stories, personalities and experiences behind the headlines.

Sign up for the Flatwater Festival here:

https://flatwaterfreepress.org/events/flatwater-festival-2026/

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Nebraska rancher, businessman and former independent U.S. Senate candidate Jim Jenkins joins Dan Parsons for a candid conversation about the growing pressure on Nebraska agriculture, and why he believes the state’s political leaders aren’t doing enough about it.

Jenkins argues that President Trump’s sweeping tariffs amount to a massive tax on American businesses and consumers, driving up costs for farmers and ranchers while threatening Nebraska’s export-dependent agricultural economy. He also explains how tariffs have affected his own ranch and a family business, and questions why Nebraska’s congressional delegation has largely allowed the president to set tariff policy without stronger congressional oversight.

The conversation also turns to Trump’s efforts to bring down beef prices through increased imports, the Pete Ricketts–Dan Osborn Senate race, and Jenkins’ belief that Nebraska needs more political competition and leaders willing to put governing ahead of party loyalty.

Jenkins knows something about challenging the two-party system. In 2014, he ran for U.S. Senate as an independent, sharing the debate stage with Republican Ben Sasse and Democrat Dave Domina. Twelve years later, independent candidates and new political parties are playing an increasingly prominent role in Nebraska politics.

His message to Nebraska’s political establishment today is pointed: “You are not doing the job right now, my friends.”

A wide-ranging conversation about tariffs, beef, agriculture, independent politics and the kind of leadership Jenkins believes Nebraska needs.

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Bob Krist is back in Nebraska politics, with another unexpected political turn.

The retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and former Nebraska state senator has been a Republican, an independent and the Democratic nominee for governor. Now, Krist is running for Nebraska Secretary of State as a candidate of the newly formed America First Party.

In this episode of The Dan Parsons Show, Krist explains why he entered the race, how his America First candidacy came together and why he believes his background prepares him to serve as Nebraska’s chief election officer.

Dan also presses Krist on the political questions surrounding his candidacy: Does he embrace the America First Party platform? Does “America First” mean something different to Bob Krist than it does to Donald Trump?

And Krist answers a question Dan intends to ask every candidate seeking to oversee Nebraska elections:

Was Joe Biden legitimately elected president in 2020?

It’s a conversation about Krist’s unusual political journey, the emergence of a new party in Nebraska and what could become one of the state’s most consequential down-ballot races of 2026.

The Dan Parsons Show — Nebraska politics beyond the headlines.

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Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly inherited a state facing serious fiscal challenges. Eight years later, she says Kansas has a $2 billion rainy-day fund, has paid down debt, fully funded schools and transportation — and cut taxes.

In this exclusive conversation on The Dan Parsons Show, Kelly joins Nebraska gubernatorial candidate and former state Sen. Lynne Walz to discuss what Kansas learned — and what those lessons could mean for Nebraska.

We talk about:

• Winning Republican and independent voters in traditionally Republican states

• Governing with a Republican-controlled legislature

• Nebraska’s budget challenges and Walz’s criticism of across-the-board cuts

• Economic development and rebuilding rural communities

• Why Kelly says divided government can force compromise

• The changing tone of American politics

• Whether the political middle is making a comeback

• Why Kelly believes Walz is prepared to be governor

Walz argues Nebraska is “bleeding” financially. Kelly responds with the story of Kansas’ fiscal turnaround, including rebuilding reserves, investing in schools and infrastructure, attracting major economic development and cutting taxes.

It’s a conversation about two neighboring states, two political paths, and whether Kansas offers lessons for Nebraska’s future.

The Dan Parsons Show — Beyond the Headlines.

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