Nebraska

Lincoln area senators look ahead to 2025 Legislative Session

Published

1 year ago

January 7, 2025

Lincoln area senators look ahead to 2025 Legislative Session

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – This Wednesday, Nebraska’s 49 lawmakers will flock to the Nebraska State Capitol to begin the 2025 Legislative Session.

It falls to them to build a biennial budget proposal for the next two years, but already, projections show a roughly $400 million deficit that they need to close.

“We are mandated to pass a balanced budget in the state of Nebraska by the Constitution,” State Sen. Tom Brandt said. “It is going to happen. Will there be pain and suffering? I’m sure, but it will happen on the part of the Legislature.”

Many lawmakers say that means it won’t be a year for bold spending ideas. Instead, they’ll be looking for places to tighten the belt.

“I think working together we’ll be able to mitigate deep cuts on critical human services and key priorities like education,” State Sen. Danielle Conrad said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to also kind of chart a path together that keeps us on the right path and away from devolving into a divisive session.”

One big difference between this year and last year is time. 2024 was more of a sprint, just 60 days of legislative action. This year, it’s 90 days, dragging lawmakers to the beginning of June and giving them plenty of time to hammer out compromises—so long as there’s an appetite.

And more than a dozen new senators will be sworn in on Wednesday, which some more veteran lawmakers see as a boon.

“My last two years in the legislature have been marked by a lot of tumultuous fights, a lot of culture war issues, things like that,” State Sen. George Dungan, said. “With the new crop of people coming in, I think it gives us an opportunity to kind of hit that reset button and really have a conversation with each about why are we here.”

Every senator 10/11 NOW spoke with on Monday emphasized property taxes, though their approaches varied between targeted relief and more general cuts funded by sales taxes.

Many said they’re greeting the session with hopefulness.

“I think we’ve got an opportunity to make some big changes this year and really dive deep into some of those property tax issues that we spoke about this summer,” State Sen. Carolyn Bosn said.

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Nebraska

Nebraska baseball falls to 16th-ranked Kansas

Published

5 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska baseball falls to 16th-ranked Kansas

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Nebraska baseball team lost to Kansas 9-7 on Tuesday in front of a record crowd at Hoglund Park. The Huskers took an early lead on an RBI single by National Freshman of the Week Drew Grego. After giving up three unanswered runs, Nebraska rallied to go back in front on a 3rd-inning single by Will Jesske. Both Grego and Jesske finished with two hits in the game.

Kansas, however, took control in the middle innings. The Jayhawks got home runs from Tyson Owens and Josh Dykoff in the sixth frame. Both round-trippers came off NU relief pitcher Ty Horn. Kansas added insurance in the 7th inning before a late rally by the Huskers.

Nebraska trimmed a five-run deficit to two, but couldn’t complete the comeback on the road.

The Huskers’ loss is their second to the Jayhawks this season. Nebraska’s record drops to 31-10 overall.

Will Bolt’s team returns to action on Friday at Illinois. Game one is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. in Champaign.

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Nebraska

Nebraska jumps up to No. 2 in college softball Power 10 rankings

Published

17 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Press Room

Softball

April 21, 2026

Nebraska jumps up to No. 2 in college softball Power 10 rankings

April 21, 2026

Check out Michella Chester’s updated college softball Power 10 rankings for the week of April 21, which sees Nebraska rise to No. 2 behind an 11-game win streak.

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Nebraska

Mental health by the numbers in Nebraska

Published

1 day ago

April 21, 2026

Press Room

Mental health by the numbers in Nebraska

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A deeper look tonight as First Alert 6 continues to dig deeper into the state of mental health care in Nebraska and possible solutions, ever since last week’s two instances involving law enforcement.

A Douglas County sheriff’s deputy was shot responding to a domestic call. Investigators said the suspect, Brian Huggins, had a history of behavioral health issues. Huggins died by suicide.

And then Noemi Guzman, who police say kidnapped a 3-year-old from inside an Omaha Walmart and cut him in the arm and face with a stolen kitchen knife. Omaha police officers shot and killed her before she could strike again.

Guzman had been on a court-ordered mental health treatment plan since last summer for her schizophrenia. According to court records, psychiatrists determined she could live in the community. Remember, this was after she was arrested for setting her father’s house on fire and threatening a priest with a knife.

Monitoring system

We wanted to know who is part of the system monitoring those who may not be following their mental health treatment plan and are a risk to others or themselves. When that happens, the Board of Mental Health will often notify the local sheriff so a warrant can be issued and deputies can track the individual down.

Here are the numbers since 2023:

In 2023, 842 warrants were issued for those not following their treatment plans according to the Board of Mental Health. In 2024, 756. In 2025, 690. So far in 2026, 190.

But out of these 2,500 warrants, 85% of them didn’t have a second warrant, meaning deputies picked them up, got them back into treatment and the individuals continued to thrive after the one hiccup.

But in 15% of these cases, the individuals messed up again and had another warrant issued by the Board of Mental Health. Twenty-five individuals had five or more issued in Douglas County.

Sheriff Hanson said there has to be a better way, a more team approach for this.

One model to explore is the way Nebraska’s problem-solving courts work like drug court and veterans’ treatment court where experts from a variety of stakeholders help individuals who are on the fringes to do everything to make them productive citizens.

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