Nebraska

Application for Part 1 of Nebraska’s State Stabilization Funds Approved Today

June 22, 2009 -- U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced more than $191 million is now available for Nebraska under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. This funding will lay the foundation for a generation of education reform and help save hundreds of thousands of teaching jobs at risk of state and local budget cuts. Nebraska will be eligible to apply for another $94 million this fall.

Today’s funding is being made available per Nebraska’s successful completion of Part 1 of the State Stabilization Application, which was made available on April 1st.    » read more »

June 20, 2009 -- (Lincoln, Neb.) -- Today Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman offered thanks to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for assistance given to Nebraska dry bean producers. The Governor applauded the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for completing a purchase this week of great northern beans.

Gov. Heineman contacted Vilsack in March requesting assistance for Nebraska’s dry bean industry. The state’s dry bean processors were having difficulty finding domestic or foreign markets for the contracted supply of 2008 great northern beans due to the global economic downturn and other factors. The Governor requested USDA consider using funding known as Section 32 funds to purchase the beans and help align supply and demand in the marketplace.    » read more »

June 8, 2009 – Working to support rural Nebraska airports, Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson today introduced the Small Airport Relief Act of 2009 which would ensure current federal funding levels for rural airports remain stable during the economic downturn. Without legislation, multiple Nebraska airports stand to lose a significant amount of funding if they fall below the threshold required to qualify for $1 million in federal assistance through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) in 2009.

The Senator wrote the Federal Aviation Administration about the same funding issue last week.    » read more »

June 8, 2009 -- (Lincoln, Neb.) Nebraska officials today submitted the certification paperwork needed to receive fiscal stabilization funding under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman and Education Commissioner Roger Breed today signed an application for Nebraska’s share of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund which has been submitted to the U.S. Department of Education.    » read more »

June 3, 2009 -- (Kearney, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman today announced that the state has submitted an application for nearly $5.3 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for transit projects in rural areas of the state. The request will be reviewed by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

The ARRA package allocated more than $9.8 million for public transit projects in Nebraska’s rural areas, as part of $23 million in funding for projects that help local transit authorities acquire, construct and improve mass transportation options. The remaining $13 million in ARRA funding for mass transit projects will be distributed among Lincoln, Omaha and South Sioux City.    » read more »

June 2, 2009 – Today, Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson welcomed plans announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to send more than $2.5 million to Nebraska as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The funds will go to water projects in the Gering Valley and Knox County.

“These funds will help safeguard flood-prone areas of Nebraska while creating jobs,” said Senator Nelson. “In addition, funds for restoring land to its natural state will help our environment and provide economic stimulus to rural Nebraska communities.”    » read more »

May 29, 2009 -- (Lincoln, Neb.) -- Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman today announced the distribution of more than $22 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for upgrades to state highways.

The six projects make up the third group of state projects to be awarded ARRA funding in Nebraska.

This phase of improvements includes:    » read more »

May 28, 2009 – Today, Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson welcomed plans announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to send nearly $1.2 million to the town of Wynot as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Funding for Wynot is a combination of loans and grants to be used for improvements to water and wastewater infrastructure.

“These funds will help Wynot continue to provide safe drinking water for its residents,” said Senator Nelson. “Improving rural infrastructure provides economic stimulus to rural communities and at the same time creates a foundation for future prosperity and growth.”    » read more »

May 28, 2009 -- (Lincoln, Neb.) -- Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman today signed a bill that makes lethal injection the method of execution in the state. The bill, LB 36, was sponsored by Speaker Mike Flood of Norfolk.

“Nebraska needed a legal means of execution,” Gov. Heineman said. “There is broad support for the death penalty in our state and this issue needed to be resolved during this legislative session. I want to thank Speaker Flood for his work on this bill.”    » read more »

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 »