Latest news with #Pillen
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Supreme Court Called to Settle High-Stakes Water Battle Between Two States
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Nebraska is taking its long-standing water feud with Colorado to the nation's highest court, filing a lawsuit with the U.S. Supreme Court over Colorado's water usage from the South Platte River. The move marks the latest chapter in a decades-old dispute between the two states, intensified by climate change and mounting water scarcity across the American West. At a news conference Wednesday, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and Attorney General Mike Hilgers announced the lawsuit, accusing Colorado of systematically withholding water that Nebraska is guaranteed under a 1923 interstate compact. "It's crystal clear. Colorado has been holding water back from Nebraska for almost 100 years and getting more and more egregious every single day," Pillen said, pointing to Colorado's rapidly growing population. "So today it's really, really simple: We're here to put our gloves on. We're going to fight like heck. We're going to get every drop of water." U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor talk on the House floor ahead of the annual State of the Union address by U.S. President Joe Biden before a joint session... U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor talk on the House floor ahead of the annual State of the Union address by U.S. President Joe Biden before a joint session of Congress at the Capital building on March 7, 2024, in Washington, DC. More Getty Images/AFP According to the lawsuit, Nebraska is being denied up to 1.3 million acre-feet of water that it is legally entitled to. In addition to alleged under-delivery, the suit claims Colorado officials have tried to block Nebraska's efforts to construct the Perkins County Canal, a major infrastructure project designed to divert water from Colorado to Nebraska. The canal would also include a reservoir and would require Nebraska to seize land inside Colorado—an action authorized under the terms of the compact. The water is crucial to Nebraska not only for agricultural production in its southwestern region—an area climate experts predict will become hotter and drier—but also for municipal water supplies in the east. Pillen noted that the city of Lincoln is expected to get 12 percent of its water from the proposed canal. The 1923 compact entitles Nebraska to 120 cubic feet per second of water during the irrigation season (April 1 to Oct. 15) and 500 cubic feet per second in the non-irrigation months. But Hilgers said Colorado has fallen well short of that mark this summer. "Colorado has been shortchanging Nebraska during the irrigation season, allowing only about 75 cubic feet per second of water daily into Nebraska," he said. Hilgers stressed the lawsuit's importance to Nebraska's future: "I think this may be the most consequential lawsuit that this office will be a part of in my generation. It is almost impossible to overstate the importance of the South Platte River to the future of the state of Nebraska." Colorado leaders were quick to respond. In a written statement, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser called the lawsuit "unfortunate" and said Nebraska had failed "to look for reasonable solutions." Colorado Governor Jared Polis also weighed in, describing the claims as "meritless" and denying that Colorado had violated the compact. The South Platte River, which flows from northeastern Colorado into southwestern Nebraska, has been a flashpoint between the states since 2022, when Nebraska announced plans to build the canal. Negotiations over land acquisition and implementation of the compact have stalled since then. "We are at an impasse," Hilgers said. But Weiser countered that Nebraska walked away from diplomacy. "Nebraska's actions will force Colorado water users to build additional new projects to lessen the impact of the proposed Perkins County Canal," he said. "When the dust finally settles, likely over a billion dollars will have been spent — tens of millions of that on litigation alone — and no one in Nebraska or Colorado will be better off." Because the dispute is between two states, the lawsuit was filed directly with the U.S. Supreme Court. Hilgers warned the legal process will be lengthy. "We'll probably have a special master appointed within the next 12 months, and under normal litigation timelines, that's maybe 3 to 5 years before we get a result," he said. However, that won't stop Nebraska from continuing work on permitting and design of the canal during the legal proceedings. Nebraska has a long history of litigation over water rights. In 2002, Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas reached a settlement over the Republican River, though disputes persisted and led to additional agreements in 2014. As the climate warms, such legal battles may become more frequent. Dr. Carly Phillips, a research scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said climate change is reshaping the western hydrological cycle. "These patterns are all in the same direction across the board," she said. "The trends are really consistent when it comes to snowpack, stream flow, evaporation and irrigation demand." Higher temperatures are reducing snowpack—the West's main water reservoir—and causing snow to melt earlier, ultimately disrupting stream flows and increasing irrigation needs in agricultural states like Nebraska. This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nebraska grocers raise concerns about ban on soda, energy drinks from public grocery aid
A customer is rung up by a cashier in a grocery store on July 15, 2022, in Houston, Texas. () LINCOLN — Local grocers sounded alarm bells Tuesday about the potential negative impacts that incoming restrictions to Nebraska's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could have on businesses and the more than 150,000 Nebraskans who use the program. During this year's legislative session, lawmakers passed waivers to SNAP — a government food assistance service some also refer to as food stamps. The updates would remove soda and other energy drinks from the list of SNAP-eligible purchases starting in 2026. Nebraska would be the first state in the nation to ban soda and energy drinks from SNAP purchases. Gov. Jim Pillen has publicly supported the state waivers, referring to the affected drinks as 'junk.' 'There's absolutely zero reason for taxpayers to be subsidizing purchases of soda and energy drinks,' Pillen said at a USDA event in May. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently approved the waivers, and Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services held a hearing Tuesday to hear public comments on the proposed changes. The updates still require approval from DHHS' Office of Economic Assistance, Pillen and the Attorney General before they take effect. USDA approval also comes on the heels of congressional passage of the federal budget reconciliation bill, which will increase work requirements for SNAP participation, requirements not addressed during the state hearing. Only two people spoke at the hearing — representing advocacy group Nebraska Appleseed and the Nebraska Grocery Industry Association — though more organizations submitted written testimony that were not immediately made available to the public. Shannon McCord, vice president of the grocer group's board of directors and operator of a local grocery store in Superior, Nebraska, said the 'state-by-state patchwork approach' to SNAP regulations is confusing to retailers and could do more harm than good. 'Even if the intention is good, these waivers are going to add costs and do real harm to local grocers,' McCord said. The waivers would require grocers to update their payment systems, which McCord described as a 'costly and complex task' that would be significantly harder for small and rural retailers like himself to accomplish. His store in Superior is also near the Kansas border, which does not have the same SNAP restrictions, and he fears the changes could encourage his customers to travel across the border for their groceries. For businesses operating on slim margins like his own, McCord said the restrictions could force owners to make layoffs or other cutbacks, or even close their doors. Additionally, he said it would add shame and stigma to customers who depend on SNAP. 'If (retailers) disappear and we develop a food desert, are we really solving a health problem when customers are only getting food from dollar stores and processed boxed foods?' McCord asked. Madison Castor, law clerk with Nebraska Appleseed, said past attempts at restricting access to SNAP have undermined the program's effectiveness. Rather than imposing restrictions, she claimed that efforts to add incentives to use SNAP benefits on healthier food items like produce have proven more effective at promoting healthier living. By forcing businesses to update their payment systems, Castor feared that would reduce the number of businesses that accept SNAP as payment overall. This would greatly impact the health and livelihoods of Nebraskans who rely on the service. 'SNAP is a vital and temporary lifeline for thousands of Nebraskans,' Castor said. 'Over 150,000 of us count on SNAP to help put food on the table at a time when costs are high and family budgets are tight. These proposed rules seek to implement a SNAP restriction waiver that harms the dignity and autonomy of Nebraskans.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Business Upturn
01-07-2025
- Health
- Business Upturn
Public Pressure Mounts: Campaign Reaches 155,000 Families, Calls for Action to Solve Child Care Crisis
By GlobeNewswire Published on July 1, 2025, 06:36 IST OMAHA, Neb., June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Amidst a child care crisis, We Care for Kids/Por todos los niños is marking three years of spreading awareness about the importance of quality and affordable child care through its statewide public education campaign. Launched in June 2022, the campaign has reached more than 155,000 Nebraska families and has a committed network of 150 state and community partners. These groups include chambers of commerce, school districts, child care providers, small businesses, community leaders and advocates stretching from the Nebraska Panhandle to the Missouri River—all who are dedicated to ensuring that Nebraska families have access to quality child care for their children. The campaign's influence is evident in the number of Nebraskans who say that child care is essential. In a recent survey, 84% of Nebraskans who responded say that the lack of child care in Nebraska is a problem that won't solve itself and Nebraskans need to come together to meet this challenge and invest in solutions. Support was evident across demographics including political party, age, and geographic location. In the past three years: Tens of thousands of Nebraskans were reached through paid media and community events including the Nebraska State Fair Nearly 4,000 Nebraskans participated in two bilingual town halls to talk about the child care crisis The campaign website had nearly 6,000 pageviews each month Partners and early childhood experts have continued to meet with policymakers at the State Capitol and worked with Governor Pillen and former Governor Ricketts to proclaim a statewide We Care for Kids Week. The campaign has built support for the importance of early childhood care and an acceptance among Nebraska voters that more must be done. This has led to Nebraskans taking action in their own communities to build support for increased child care options, but there is more work to be done. 'Communities across the state are working hard to solve the child care crisis, but they can't do it alone,' said We Care for Kids Campaign Manager Claire Wiebe. 'Since the campaign launch, we've seen a significant shift through our annual surveys from Nebraskans acknowledging that quality child care is important, to understanding that we need to invest in lasting child care solutions for communities and families. Nebraskans are ready for state leaders to share their commitment to making child care funding a priority.' Toolkits and resources about quality early childhood education can be found on the campaign's website, Campaign materials are available in English and Spanish. Photos and videos are available for media use here. We Care for Kids/Por todos los niños We Care for Kids/Por todos los niños is a partnership of more than 150 state and community-based organizations throughout Nebraska and is coordinated by the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska. We Care for Kids/Por todos los niños works to ensure that all Nebraska families have access to quality early childhood education for their children. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash GlobeNewswire provides press release distribution services globally, with substantial operations in North America and Europe.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Nebraska commission approves emergency medical cannabis regulations
The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission meets for a second time. Commissioners adopted emergency regulations to move forward with a regulated medical cannabis program in the state. Commissioners, from left: Lorelle Mueting of Gretna, Dr. Monica Oldenburg of Lincoln (chair), Bruce Bailey of Lincoln and J. Michael Coffey of Omaha. June 26, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission on Thursday approved emergency regulations to begin accepting medical cannabis applications as soon as Gov. Jim Pillen gives his final green light. State law requires him to do so by Tuesday. The emergency regulations, unveiled for the first time minutes before the 10 a.m. meeting, largely mirror a legislative proposal that lawmakers stalled on last month. The regulations would take effect for up to 90 days, pending Pillen's approval. The two medical cannabis-related laws that voters approved mandate that applications must start being accepted no later than July 1. Commissioner Lorelle Mueting of Gretna, an addiction prevention specialist through Heartland Family Service, affirmed that commissioners want public feedback on the emergency regulations through July 15, to inform future, formal regulations. Public comments may be submitted to the repository for the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, which will forward the messages onto the state's new Medical Cannabis Commission. 'The input that the public provides on these emergency regulations will help us immediately begin drafting the regular regulations,' Mueting said Thursday. Dr. Monica Oldenburg, an anesthesiologist who chairs the commission, will send a letter to Pillen relaying the emergency regulations and stating that the 'failure' to adopt them by the deadline 'would force Nebraskans to seek medical cannabis or similar products from unregulated and potentially harmful sources.' Pillen's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the emergency rules. Licensing of new establishments must begin by Oct. 1, according to the laws. The emergency regulations would allow licenses for, at minimum, cultivators, product manufacturers, dispensaries and transporters, and someone could be awarded only one type of license. Justification for emergency regulations under state law can include 'imminent peril' to public health, safety or welfare. Mueting and Oldenburg will head up a subcommittee to work on the regulations in the meantime. Commissioners also voted 4-0 to enter a legal partnership with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and Pillen's Policy Research Office, which allows the commission to contract with DHHS for 'legal services.' Legislative Bill 677, which fell 10 votes short of the 33 votes needed to change a voter-approved law last month, 23-22, would have provided additional guardrails around the ballot measures that voters overwhelmingly approved in November. Up to 30 dispensaries would have been allowed under that bill, up to 10 in each congressional district. Under the emergency regulations, no more than one dispensary would be allowed in each of the state's 12 District Court Judicial Districts. Douglas County (Omaha) and Lancaster County (Lincoln) are the only counties that occupy a single district. Multiple medical cannabis advocates asked the commission to reconsider that specific restriction. No dispensary could located within 1,000 feet of any school, daycare, church or hospital. At least 51% of an applicant's business or organization would need to have resided in Nebraska and be a U.S. citizen for at least the past four years. Applicants also would need to pay to submit two legible sets of fingerprints to the FBI and the Nebraska State Patrol for a criminal background check. Unlike LB 677, the emergency regulations do not specify qualifying medical conditions. LB 677 would have outlined 15 conditions eligible for the medicine. That list excluded post-traumatic stress disorder. Nebraskans in November overwhelmingly legalized up to 5 ounces with the recommendation of a health care practitioner. The emergency regulations would require that a recommendation (from any provider nationwide) specify the product being recommended, the recommended dosage and potency, the number of doses, the directions for use and the name of the patient. The regulations would allow dispensaries to sell: Oral tablets, capsules or tinctures. Non-sugarcoated gelatinous cubes, gelatinous rectangular cuboids or lozenges in a cube or rectangular cuboid shape. Gels, oils, creams or other topical preparations Suppositories. Transdermal patches. Liquids or oils for administration using a nebulizer or inhaler. Dispensaries could not sell raw plant or flower, food or drinks with cannabis infused into it (edibles), any products containing artificial or natural flavoring or coloring and any products administered by smoking, combustion or vaping. LB 677 would have mandated testing of all products before they could be sold, one of the strictest testing regimes in the country. However, without a legislative change, the commission lacks the explicit authority to regulate testing under the medical cannabis laws. Instead, the emergency regulations say products 'may' be submitted for testing or research for development purposes. Packaging would need to be able to show it had been tampered with, child-resistant, resealable and protected from contamination. Similar to 2024 restrictions on vaping products, cannabis products could not depict cartoon-like fictional characters or mimic characters primarily aimed at entertaining minors, trademarks or trade dress or products that imitate or mimic products primarily marketed to minors, symbols primarily used to market products to minors or the images and likenesses of celebrities. Shari Lawlor of Valley told the commission that her 32-year-old daughter, Brooke, has faced severe seizures for the past 31 years but 'nothing in modern medicine has helped her,' including brain surgery in 2024. Shari Lawlor said her daughter has 11 bottles of medications and takes 'handfuls' of pills. 'They're going to kill her. If it's not one organ, it's another,' Lawlor said. 'I would just like the option to have complete access for the patients, and that's only by letting all different products on the market.' Jim Wilson, a clinical pharmacist speaking on behalf of the Nebraska Pharmacists Association, said he has seen positives and negatives of cannabis. He asked the commission to seek input from pharmacists because of possible side effects with other drug interactions. Wilson advocated for adding medical cannabis to the state's prescription drug monitoring program used for other medications, which LB 677 would have done, too. 'We are not interested in the politics or any particular party or any of that,' Wilson told the commission. 'We're interested in the patient and what might happen to them.' State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, who helped advocate for LB 677 in the most recent legislative session, said the commission has no legal authority to restrict the forms of cannabis available to patients. 'To disallow by regulation what is clearly allowed by statute is a slap in the face to the patients and families who need this medicine and the voters of Nebraska who approved it by an overwhelming majority,' he said in a text. State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, who introduced LB 677, had no immediate reaction. Crista Eggers, executive director of Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, the campaign that ushered the laws through the 2024 election, said the ballot measures clearly legalized medical cannabis in all forms, including flower. She said it's also unclear where completed applications should be sent. Speaking with reporters after the meeting, Eggers said there are good components to the regulations and that she viewed Thursday's meeting as productive, while it had some drawbacks. She said that includes the commission voicing an intention to listen to the public and seek feedback. 'Today was a positive day, and I believe that we are moving in a forward direction,' Eggers said. 'We're not there. There's a long ways to go. But a good foundation today.' Bailey, who chairs the Liquor Control Commission, told Eggers that he and other commissioners had seen the regulations about 12 hours before Thursday's meeting and hope to tie down and clear up the regulations more about the regulations over the next month. 'We're asking for public feedback such that these things could be made whole,' Bailey said. 'The best we have right now is what's in here.' The eventual formal regulations the commission advances this summer must include at least 30 days notice of what's being considered before a public hearing. The commission set its next meeting for 1 p.m. Aug. 4, with a location to be determined. If there are no meetings before then, the likely public hearing on the more lasting regulations would be in September. Gov. Jim Pillen appointed Lorelle Mueting of Gretna and Dr. Monica Oldenburg of Lincoln as the at-large members of the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission. They join the three governor-appointed members of the Liquor Control Commission: Bruce Bailey of Lincoln, retired District Court Judge J. Michael Coffey of Omaha and Kim Lowe of Kearney. This was the first meeting for Mueting and Coffey, whom Pillen appointed last week. Pillen did not reappoint Commissioner Harry Hoch, Jr., to Coffey's seat, even though he applied for reappointment Feb. 2. Three other people applied for the seat. Hoch withdrew his reappointment application May 20 at the Governor's Office's request for more 'cannabis experience,' he told the Nebraska Examiner. State law requires commissions to publish rules or regulations on a commission website, but the Medical Cannabis Commission does not yet have one. It costs $70,000 to create a website through a specific state vendor, but commissioners can't collect fees or levy any taxes on medical cannabis and thus have no funds available, unless they 'borrow' funds from the Liquor Control Commission. The medical cannabis commissioners also don't have separate state emails or a set state address or phone number. Asked by commissioners how to remedy that situation, or if they would violate state law without a website, Assistant Attorney General Benjamin Swanson said: 'I understand that that's the position that you're in. I unfortunately can't — I don't have any information for you on how to fix that problem.' The commission entered closed session multiple times Thursday, often to discuss regulations and/or pending and potential litigation against the commission. Commissioners did not state whether a closed session was 'clearly necessary' for 'the protection of the public interest' or 'prevention of needless injury to an individual, if such individual has not requested a public meting' before any of the three times, as required under the Open Meetings Act. Asked by the Nebraska Examiner whether it was for either of those overarching reasons, Bo Botelho, chief legal officer of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, who is now working with the Medical Cannabis Commission, said, 'No.' — Zach Wendling, Nebraska Examiner reporter SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen activates National Guard ahead of statewide immigration protests
Pillen formally declared a state of emergency to activate the Guard so it can assist local law enforcement should any demonstrations escalate. (Courtesy of the Governor's Office) LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen has activated the Nebraska National Guard ahead of scheduled protests this weekend. Late Friday, the governor issued an emergency proclamation that activated the Guard and prepared Guard and state law enforcement resources for immediate deployment if needed, a governor's spokeswoman confirmed. Typical National Guard activation can take up to 24 hours, but the proclamation shortens that time. Nebraska has seen several protests in recent days over a federal immigration raid that hit an Omaha food plant, in what immigration officials said was the largest Nebraska enforcement operation since President Donald Trump took office. Most of the protests have been peaceful – though federal officials arrested four protesters from the original raid site, Glenn Valley Foods, alleging 'aggressive' behavior and damage to federal property. Pillen and Nebraska joined other states with conservative governors, such as Texas and Missouri, that have activated their National Guard in advance of planned protests. Texas has deployed 5,000 Guard members. Pillen formally declared a state of emergency to activate the Guard so it can assist local law enforcement should any demonstrations escalate. 'Free speech will be respected and protected in Nebraska,' Pillen said. 'But the lawlessness, chaos, and rioting seen in other cities in past weeks will not be tolerated here.' Pillen said he took the steps to boost 'security and order' for the visitors of the College World Series in Omaha, the NCAA's baseball championships, and across the state. 'Any person who poses a threat to life, health, or property will be arrested,' Pillen wrote in his emergency proclamation. State Sen. Ashlei Spivey of Omaha, in a post on Facebook, called the Governor's emergency declaration an 'extreme overreach' and an attempt to silence dissent.' 'This is not leadership,' Spivey said. 'It's fear-mongering.' The heartland protests come against the backdrop of larger, tenser protests in Los Angeles as a result of ICE raids there over the past week. The Trump administration and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have been butting heads as Trump federalized and then deployed 4,000 members of the California National Guard and 700 Marines to the second-largest U.S. city in response to protests without the permission from the Democratic governor. Newsom responded by accusing Trump of choosing 'theatrics over public safety' and escalating the 'chaos.' The California Governor sued the Trump Administration over the deployment of the state National Guard. Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers this week joined 18 other Republican attorneys general in a brief in support of Trump's deployment of National Guard, arguing that Trump has the 'authority' to do so. 'We stand with law enforcement, we support President Trump's action, and we will not let chaos take hold in our states,' Hilger said in a joint statement. Los Angeles has sparked similar protests in Texas, New York City, Chicago, and other Democratic-leaning parts of the country. More protests are planned nationally against Trump this weekend, including in Nebraska, part of the 'No King' protests, as Trump plans a military parade to celebrate the Army's anniversary in Washington D.C, and Flag Day on Saturday, both of which overlap with his 79th birthday. Organizers behind the nationwide 'No King' protests include Indivisible, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the 50501 Movement. Organizers have branded Saturday as a 'day of defiance' against what they call authoritarian overreach by the Trump administration. There are 13 planned protests around Nebraska, including Lincoln, Omaha and Hastings. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
