Nebraska

May 27, 2009 -- Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson announced today that the National Institutes of Health will be sending more than $1.5 million in funding to Nebraska as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The funds will be used for biomedical research and training.

“These funds will help some of Nebraska’s leading research institutions to stay on the forefront of biomedical research,” said Senator Ben Nelson. “In addition, these grants will provide research opportunities for students who would otherwise not have been able to secure funding.”    » read more »

May 27, 2009 -- (Lincoln Neb.) -- Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman today signed LB 63. The bill addresses violent crime by enacting increased penalties and new crimes. It also creates a new Office of Violence Prevention within the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (Crime Commission).

LB 63 was introduced by Sen. Mike Friend and prioritized by Sen. Brad Ashford, both of Omaha. It strengthens penalties for crimes including first degree assault, assault of an officer, unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a firearm at a school, and possession of a stolen firearm.    » read more »

Bill Provides Additional Support for Children & Families with Behavioral Health Needs

May 22, 2009 -- (Lincoln Neb.) -- Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman today signed LB 603 into law. The bill provides additional services, support and professional resources to help Nebraska families dealing with children’s behavioral health issues.

The bill helps address the gap in services for children with behavioral health issues by providing services and expertise to support children and their families.    » read more »

May 19, 2009 – Last week, Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson issued this statement in response to the U.S. Air Force selecting Lackland Air Force Base in Texas as the new headquarters for the 24th Air Force cyber unit, over Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha and four other finalists.

“We knew the decision was made that it wasn’t coming to Offutt and I assumed they would make sure this time that the criteria matched the decision. After the Global Strike Command fiasco, the processes used for these decisions have little credibility.    » read more »

May 4, 2009 -- (Lincoln, Neb.) -- Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman received word today that U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has authorized the use of a federal food aid program to assist the dry bean industry, which has been distressed in recent months due in part to the global economic downturn.

The Governor communicated with Sec. Vilsack in March outlining the challenges facing Nebraska’s dry bean industry and requesting assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Section 32 program. USDA Section 32 funds have been used in the past to purchase surplus commodities from the marketplace to help align supply and demand.    » read more »

Phase I of proposed projects would link Chicago, St. Louis

April 14, 2009 -- JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and the governors of seven other Midwestern states have joined in support of high-speed passenger rail projects to link cities in their region, with Chicago as the hub. The governors, along with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, have sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood asking him to support plans that have been in place for several years for key rail corridors between cities in their states, including St. Louis to Chicago.    » read more »

March 25, 2009 -- (Lincoln Neb.) -- Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman today outlined a proposal to distribute federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding to Nebraska’s K-12 schools. The plan is supported by incoming Nebraska Commissioner of Education Roger Breed and other state education leaders.

The Governor proposes allocating the $375 million in ARRA funds Nebraska is expected to receive toward funding for K-12 schools over the next two years. An anticipated $234 million in fiscal stabilization funding would be applied to the state aid to education formula. Nebraska is also receiving an estimated $80 million in stimulus funds for special education programs and an estimated $61 million for Title I schools.    » read more »

March 17, 2009 -- (Lincoln, Neb.) -- Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman today announced the distribution of more than $25 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for upgrades to state highways. The seven projects are the first in a series of roads projects to be awarded ARRA funding.

In addition, the Governor announced the next series of contracts to be put out for bid by the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR). Bid letting is scheduled for April 16, with contracts to be awarded soon after.

Included are improvements to 11 projects connected to the state highway system and one local project. Information on projects and any changes are available on the NDOR website, http://www.nebraskatransportation.org.    » read more »

Wireless-Only Phone Use Varies Widely Across United States

March 11, 2009 -- Oklahoma leads the nation in the percentage of households with cell phones only, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than a quarter of households (26.2 percent) in Oklahoma had only wireless and no landline phones in 2007. On the other end of the spectrum, only 5.1 percent of households in Vermont were wireless–only in 2007.

The report from CDC′s National Center for Health Statistics, “Wireless Substitution: State–level Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, January–December 2007,” is the latest report on wireless substitution in the United States.    » read more »

March 11, 2009 -- (Lincoln, Neb.) -- Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman has been in contact with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting assistance for Nebraska’s dry bean industry. The Governor spoke with Sec. Vilsack this morning after sending a letter outlining the challenges facing dry bean producers. The market for dry beans has been distressed recently, due in part to the impact of the economic downturn.

In the letter Gov. Heineman wrote, “The current global economic downturn has combined with other factors to create a stoppage of movement of great northern beans in the marketplace. As the nation’s top producer of great northern beans, with 85 percent of U.S. production, this has had a huge impact on our state.”    » read more »

March 4, 2009 -- (Lincoln, Neb.) -- Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman today announced the distribution of more than $19 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for upgrades to public water systems. Funding decisions were made in consultation with the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee.

“This is an ambitious plan to stimulate the economy, help public water systems comply with federal and state regulations and continue to provide safe drinking water to Nebraskans,” Gov. Heineman said. “We are essentially taking $19.5 million and leveraging it to provide $49.5 million for protecting water and creating jobs throughout our state.”    » read more »

March 4, 2009 -- (Lincoln, Neb.) -- Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman today announced the distribution of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for wastewater-related projects in Nebraska. Funding decisions were made in consultation with the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee.

The state expects to receive approximately $20 million in stimulus funds that can be used for improvements to wastewater treatment facilities, known as Clean Water projects. Funding will be administered by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) to improve wastewater infrastructure in communities identified as having significant needs.    » read more »

March 3, 2009 -- (Lincoln, Neb.) -- Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman today announced the launch of a website dedicated to providing information on Nebraska’s stimulus funding. The site is available now at http://www.Recovery.Nebraska.gov.

The site serves as the State of Nebraska’s portal for informing citizens on the use of federal stimulus funding received under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). It will be updated regularly as funding is received and new projects are announced.    » read more »

February 27, 2009 -- (Lincoln, Neb.) -- Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman today announced that Nebraska will receive a temporary increase in Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) funding through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services begun processing the first in a series of federal fund draws today, totaling nearly $38 million.

FMAP funds are reimbursements from the federal government for services paid for by the state. Services for Medicaid-eligible individuals are paid for with a combination of state and federal funds. The state pays service providers and is later reimbursed for the federal share of costs.    » read more »

February 25, 2009 -- (Lincoln, Neb.) -- Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman today discussed the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and its potential impact on Nebraska. The Governor has named State Budget Administrator Gerry Oligmueller to coordinate the receipt and expenditure of stimulus funding.

“I plan to give Nebraskans frequent updates on how our state will use funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” Gov. Heineman said. “Full accountability and complete transparency is essential.”    » read more »