Nebraska

Shrinking State and Local Government Office Space

COMMENTARY | With states and local officials searching for ways to cut budgets, many are looking to reduce how much real estate they occupy.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

State Fairs Are the Latest Casualty of Covid-19

At least 15 states have canceled their annual fairs due to public health concerns amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, while others are moving ahead with modified, pared-down events.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Home Baker Challenges City Food Ordinance Requiring Inspections

A new lawsuit challenges health ordinances the city of Lincoln enacted after Nebraska lawmakers loosened state restrictions on the sale of home-baked goods and other cottage foods.

  • By Andrea Noble

What Happened When Health Officials Wanted to Close a Meatpacking Plant, but the Governor Said No

New documents obtained by ProPublica show public health officials in Grand Island, Nebraska, wanted the JBS meatpacking plant closed. But Gov. Pete Ricketts said no. Since then, cases have skyrocketed.

  • By Michael Grabell, ProPublica

State Lawmakers Face Uphill Battles as They Seek to Tax More Services

Maryland is the latest state to consider such a proposal. What many experts regard as “good tax policy” is often a tough political sell.

  • By Bill Lucia

Clinical Trial Underway for Coronavirus Treatment

It's the first test of a treatment for the virus, which federal officials said Tuesday was likely to continue spreading throughout the United States.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

A Nebraska Law Bans People with STDs from Marrying. A Lawmaker Wants to Scrap It

An obscure law in Nebraska prevents people with STDs from marrying—and makes it difficult for people to annul their marriages for similar reasons.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Concerned Roadside Memorials Are Distracting, a State Offers to Install Them

The Nebraska Department of Transportation will offer official memorial signs for victims of fatal car crashes as a way to replace homemade memorials they say can pose safety hazards to drivers.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Customer Service, State and Local Partnerships Key for CIOs

The findings of NASCIO’s 2019 survey of chief information officers highlights areas of concern and evolving priorities among state information technology leaders.

  • By Andrea Noble

Best State for Retirement? The Answer Isn’t Necessarily Florida

A new ranking did give the retirement mecca a nod, but also flagged some more surprising states.

  • By Emma Coleman

State Savings Policies Evolve Amid a Decade of Economic Growth

The amount states have in reserve is at a high mark and savings practices have become more sophisticated. But lawmakers are at times still drawn to tap the large pots of money.

  • By Bill Lucia

States Could See 'Unprecedented' Flooding

NOAA's spring outlook, issued Thursday, predicts a heightened flood risk, even as states in the Midwest are dealing with historic flooding.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

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Two People Dead in Historic Midwest Flooding

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Louisiana duplicate tax refunds ... New approach to combat teen vaping ... Vermont starts paying remote workers.

  • By Laura Maggi

When Does a Winter Storm Become a Bomb Cyclone?

What raises a common winter storm to the level of 'bomb cyclone'? It's all about rapid, sharp changes in atmospheric pressure— and the scientists who coined the term meant to highlight their power.

  • By Russ Schumacher, The Conversation

Paying the Homeless to Clean Up City Parks

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Civil asset forfeiture reform bills … New Orleans short-term rental restrictions … and Oregon roadkill consumption rules.

  • By Michael Grass

Places Where Flu Activity Has Been the Highest

Many localities haven’t yet felt the full brunt of influenza season.

  • By Michael Grass

Medicaid Expansion Won Big on Election Day

Three out of four conservative states approved measures, while the election of a Democratic governor in Maine seemingly ends the Republican effort to block last year’s successful referendum.

  • By Dave Nyczepir

How One State Decided to Scrap Licenses For Horse Massage Therapists

More and more states are loosening up job licensing requirements, as both free-market advocates and liberal groups argue to legislators that they are barriers to work.

  • By Elaine S. Povich

Nebraska Expands Voting-by-Mail to More of Its Rural Counties

Voter participation jumped during a pilot project.

  • By Michael Grass

Moody’s: Trump’s $12B Farmer Bailout Won’t Have the Desired Effect

Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and North Dakota have the most to lose in a “trade war” with China.

  • By Dave Nyczepir

Nebraska DOT Seeks Witty Traffic Messages

The winning entries will be displayed on electronic message boards on the state’s highways and interstates on Fridays through September.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram