NEWS Johanns touts judge’s decision on health care
Sen. Mike Johanns took to email to laud the decision of a federal judge in Virginia who ruled that a key piece of the Obama health care package is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson ruled on Dec. 13 that there is no provision in the Constitution for the new mandate requiring people to purchase health insurance. "I've said all along that Congress overstepped its constitutional...
entered on 12/15/10 at 10:03 AM | read more »
Nebraska senators support Obama tax deal
Sen. Mike Johanns says he will likely support the bipartisan tax cut extension negotiated by President Barack Obama. Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson, too, plans to back the deal despite his party's opposition to extending tax breaks to the rich, a controversial condition of the compromise. Johanns, also playing his Republican party line, told KHAS that while he didn't support extending unemployment...
entered on 12/10/10 at 09:34 AM | read more »
Nelson angered over ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ filibuster
Ben Nelson was ready to debate the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy banning gays from openly serving in the military. Senate Republicans were not. The GOP blocked the repeal Dec. 9 in a move that could leave a decision on the policy up to the courts. Nelson took to his Senate website to express his displeasure at the "Washington gamesmanship" that led to the filibuster. "Obstruction...
entered on 12/10/10 at 09:16 AM | read more »
Nelson not afraid of tax cut blowback
Ben Nelson is one Democrat who is on board with the bipartisan deal Barack Obama brokered to extend the Bush-era tax cuts to all Americans, even if it flies in the face of his party's goal to eliminate the breaks for the wealthy. "I've made it clear, I didn't make any campaign promises about this, so I'm only focused on my end," Nelson says in The Hill. "I've said that I thought that the debate...
entered on 12/08/10 at 10:41 AM | read more »
Iowa considers toughening abortion law to keep out Nebraska doctor
Late-term abortion provider LeRoy Carhart was forced to take his practice elsewhere after a controversial Nebraska law banned abortions after 20 weeks. Now Iowa, too, is saying "not in our state." The Bellevue doctor announced in early November that he was opening new clinics in Council Bluffs and Maryland because of Nebraska's new law based on the idea that fetuses can feel pain at 20 weeks....
entered on 12/08/10 at 10:01 AM | read more »
Suttle recall a go pending court battle
Unless a district judge finds instances of fraud, Mayor Jim Suttle will face a recall election early next year. The Douglas County Election Commission announced Dec. 4 that the Mayor Suttle Recall Committee collected 28,720 verified signatures, 2,077 more than the group needed to force a special election. The recall election is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 25, pending a Dec. 20 court ruling....
entered on 12/06/10 at 10:16 AM | read more »
Nelson asks for honesty in support of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal
After defending the policy in the past, Sen. Ben Nelson told Defense Department officials at a Dec. 2 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that it's time to repeal the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy barring openly gay people from serving. "To me, the issue seems to be not whether to allow gays to serve in the military but whether to allow them to serve openly," Nelson said. "But...
entered on 12/03/10 at 12:07 AM | read more »
Anti-recall group releases videos of alleged improprieties
The group fighting against a recall election of Mayor Jim Suttle has released videos they say shows petitioners engaging in illegal activity. Forward Omaha posted five videos on its website Dec. 2, one day after a district judge denied an injunction request from Suttle seeking to extend the signature verification deadline by 60 days. The group says the videos provide proof of circulators...
entered on 12/02/10 at 10:27 AM | read more »
First, a primer on how to pronounce “Schmaderer,” the new police chief’s last name: “SHMA’ der.” Rhymes with water. “Some ... more »
As winter takes hold the number of homeless moving into shelters is on the rise. Winter is the toughest time of the year ... more »
Alberto Gonzales didn’t enter the meeting room at the South Omaha Library on March 15 so much as the room opened up and ... more »
Police reviewing gun policy following school shooting
The Omaha Police Department is reviewing its gun policy for off-duty officers after Robert Butler Jr. used his father's ... more »
