Nebraska
No matter who you’re lobbying for, follow the rules • Nebraska Examiner
When it comes to transparency and ethical behavior, telling the truth is a key tenet. So, imagine the surprise when the Nebraska Examiner reported that Arin Hess, who has pledged to be “more careful” about his work “lobbying for Jesus” at the Capitol, was recently caught in a scheme to deceive the Clerk of the Legislature to expand his access to legislators.
If you’re not familiar with Hess, he is a self-proclaimed chaplain for the State Legislature, and he holds weekly “Bible studies” with senators. Last year, Common Cause Nebraska filed a complaint with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission because Hess was using materials from explicitly political sources during his meetings — sources that didn’t restrain themselves to the teaching of Jesus but had a lot to say about issues being debated in the Legislature.
The commission dismissed the complaint, but Hess pledged to be more careful with how he engaged legislators and maintained that his work was only religious, not political.
Fast forward a year. In March, State Sen. Loren Lippincott requested to reserve a hearing room in the Capitol for “district community leaders,” which was approved by Clerk of the Legislature Brandon Metzler. A Nebraska Examiner reporter discovered the meeting in progress and found it was Hess’s Bible study, not “district community leaders.”
Just two days before Lippincott submitted his request, the Governor’s Office had put in a request for the same date and time, which was denied after the Clerk determined the stated purpose, “Pastors and Ministry Workers Day,” was actually for Hess. Within hours of Metzler denying the governor’s request, Lippincott made the second misleading attempt, which got by Metzler. When Metzler learned Hess was using the hearing room, he was reported to have said, “I got lied to.”
Hearing rooms in the Capitol cannot be used for religious purposes of any kind. Common Cause Nebraska does not lose sight of the irony of the fraudulent attempts on behalf of Hess. If Hess claimed he would be using the hearing room for legislative rather than religious purposes, it would have been a valid request, but it would have looked very much like the lobbying we had objected to last year.
We do not consider these to be minor slip-ups: Senators and the governor all swear to support the United States and Nebraska Constitutions, which enshrine the separation of church and state in law and prevent elected officials from showing preference to any religious society. Showing favoritism to Hess by helping him gain access to hearing rooms in the Capitol violates that oath of office. When the people we elect are willing to skirt the law to favor their own religious leaders, it’s clear that power is being abused to our detriment.
We deserve public officials who will not muddy the waters and lie to advance one person’s lobbying or religious beliefs in the Capitol. It’s in their oath of office, and in our Nebraska and U.S. Constitutions.
Lippincott went against his oath of office when he lied to the Clerk of the Legislature about the reason for wanting to reserve a hearing room; he may have also breached Nebraska law. When he intentionally misled the Clerk, Lippincott prevented Metzler from carrying out the duties of his office, that is, the duty to enforce the policies governing legislative space. (28-901) The governor’s similar misleading reservation request also violated his oath of office, but fortunately, it was quickly thwarted when the Clerk learned the true reason.
Lying about a room reservation may seem minor, but we should expect nothing less than our elected officials to honor their oaths in word and deed by fully complying with the law.
Our Unicameral Legislature or Attorney General’s Office appear unlikely to act. We have been down this road before — it’s now up to us, the citizens of Nebraska, to set aside our differences and use the power of the ballot box to ensure our elected officials uphold their oath of office and that Nebraska laws apply equally to all — without reservation.
Nebraska
Nebraska Dept. of Agriculture proposes ban on food and beverages containing any amount of THC
LINCOLN, Neb. — A public hearing Thursday drew strong opposition to proposed rules that would label food adulterated and illegal if it contains any amount of THC and its derivatives, potentially decimating Nebraska’s hemp and CBD industry.
The regulations would affect products like gummies, beverages and oral tinctures. Over 490 people wrote in opposition to the new regulations, while only three supported them.
The rule changes stem from an executive order issued by Gov. Jim Pillen in January requiring state agencies to review laws regarding the use of synthetic THC in food and beverages. The order was made to align with federal law coming in November 2026, which bans synthetic THC products and limits total THC concentrations in hemp products to not exceed 0.4 milligrams per container.
The proposed Nebraska rule goes beyond that federal standard.
“I would say it’d be similar other than it does say no THC. It is zero THC,” said Andrew Bish, chief operating officer of Bish Enterprises. “It’s not we are deferring to the federal government standard and aligning with the federal government standard. It is, in fact, a different standard.”
Fifteen speakers testified during the hearing, with many calling for the Department of Agriculture to regulate the industry rather than enforce outright bans.
“I respectfully urge the department to pursue a balanced science-based approach that protects public safety, targets specific problems, strengths and standards where necessary and holds bad actors accountable without unnecessarily eliminating access to products that may Nebraskans find valuable and beneficial,” said Dr. Andrea Holmes, a professor of chemistry at Doane University.
Many who testified were shop owners who said the regulations would result in major business losses and reduced state revenue.
“In 2025, we pay over $1 million in sales tax. We expect to be over $1.3 million in 2026,” one speaker from The Cannabis Factory said. “We’re not opposed to regulation, or oversight, or even additional taxation.”
The Department of Agriculture will review comments and decide if any changes need to be made. If not, the regulations go to the attorney general and the governor for approval.
The regulations include a carve out for the medical cannabis acts, meaning people with medical cannabis cards could get prescriptions that would not be affected by this proposed regulation change.
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Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said Thursday that he has asked President Donald Trump to issue a major disaster declaration for damage caused by storms that hit the state May 15-18.
The storms spawned tornadoes and flash flooding across Buffalo, Fillmore, Gage, Howard, Jefferson, Nemaha, Thayer and Thurston counties. There were numerous downed power poles and lines as well as extensive damage to schools, building and roadways. Damage just to public infrastructure is estimated at nearly $5 million.
In addition to the disaster declaration request, Pillen said he also has requested access to the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which provides funding to governments to allow them to rebuild in ways that will reduce or mitigate future disaster losses. Approval would allow the state to apply for such grants.
Thursday’s disaster declaration request is the second in two months. Back in May, Pillen requested one for historic wildfires in March that impacted Arthur, Garden, Grant, Lincoln and Morill counties. At the time of the request, it was estimated there was at least $9.7 million in damage from the fires, which were the worst in Nebraska’s history.
Nebraska
Bandits back in the win column with tournament-opening victory in Nebraska – East Idaho News
OMAHA, Neb. – The Bandits opened the Omaha, Nebraska tournament with a 7-4 win over Fremont.
The Bandits, coming off two losses to Billings at last week’s Bandits Invitational, trailed 4-3 in the fifth, but tied it up on a sac fly by Cole Croft.
They scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth for the win.
Carter Bowen finished 3 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Conner Cannon and Taye Lords each knocked in two runs for Idaho Falls (10-2).
Tyson Christenson picked up the win with four innings of relief.
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