Midwest
Nebraska lawmaker proposes 'stand your ground' gun law
- Nebraska is considering a “stand your ground” law, making it one of the last Republican-led states to do so.
- State Sen. Brian Hardin introduced the bill to prevent prosecution of residents using deadly force in self-defense.
- Currently, Nebraska law mandates retreating from threats before resorting to deadly force, except in one’s home or workplace.
Nebraska would become one of the last Republican-led states to enact a so-called “stand your ground” law under a bill presented to a legislative committee on Thursday.
State Sen. Brian Hardin, of Scottsbluff, said he brought the bill at the urging of his constituents and to keep residents who use deadly force while defending themselves from facing prosecution.
“This bill would ensure that we’re not revictimizing a person who’s already been a victim of a crime,” Hardin said. “It should be difficult to put someone in jail who was protecting himself.”
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Nebraska is among a handful of states where the law says a person has a duty to retreat from threat if they can do so safely before using deadly force, with the exception of a person’s home or workplace. Thirty-eight states — including all six of Nebraska’s neighboring states — have stand your ground laws.
State senators gather for debate on the Legislative floor of the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska, on May 4, 2023. Nebraska would become one of the last Republican-led states to enact a so-called “stand your ground” law under a bill presented to a legislative committee on Thursday. (Rebecca S. Gratz for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The concept came under national scrutiny in the 2012 fatal shooting of a Black teenager from Florida, Trayvon Martin, by a neighborhood watch volunteer who was following him. The volunteer, George Zimmerman, was later acquitted after a trial in which his attorneys essentially used the law as a defense.
Critics have labeled the measure as a “shoot first” law and argue it makes it easier for a person to shoot someone and avoid prosecution by saying they felt threatened. Some prosecutors have complained that the laws have increasingly placed the burden on them to prove self-defense did not occur by defendants making a stand your ground defense.
The top prosecutor for Nebraska’s most populous county, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine, was the first of several people who testified against Hardin’s bill Thursday, saying that the state’s current law already allows latitude for those who are threatened with imminent harm.
“Obviously, if someone points a gun at you, you don’t even have to think about that,” he said. “Of course you can defend yourself. I think this law change is unnecessary.”
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While several people and groups, including the Nebraska Firearms Owners Association and Women for Gun Rights, testified in favor of the bill, others opposed it, citing several high-profile cases across the nation in the last decade that have called stand your ground laws into question. They included the 2020 fatal shooting of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia and the shooting last year in Kansas City, Missouri, that injured 17-year-old Ralph Yarl.
The two Black males were doing everyday tasks — Arbery was jogging and Yarl was knocking on the door of a home where he thought his brother was visiting — when they were shot by white men who later claimed they did so because they felt threatened.
The Nebraska bill comes at a time when GOP-led state legislatures across the country are embracing bills expanding gun rights. Last year, Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill allowing residents to carry concealed guns without a permit. Under the so-called “constitutional carry” law, people can carry guns hidden in their clothing or vehicle without having to pay for a government permit or take a gun safety course.
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The Detroit Tigers notched only two hits in a 4-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Saturday afternoon.
Seattle pitcher Bryce Miller allowed one hit in six scoreless innings in the game.
Dominic Canzone drove in two runs with a pair of long extra-base hits for the Mariners, who had lost two straight after an eight-game winning streak.
Detroit was 4-0 in June after going 6-22 in May.
Miller (2-0) allowed a lead-off triple to Colt Keith in the third and walked two batters while striking out nine. He has allowed 16 hits in 27 innings this season, striking out 29.
Tigers starter Keider Montero (2-4) gave up four runs on six hits in five innings.
The Mariners took a 1-0 lead in the second when Canzone doubled off the 412-foot sign in center, scoring Randy Arozarena from first.
Arozarena then hit a two-run double in the third to put Seattle up 3-0.
The Tigers missed their best opportunity in the third when Keith led off the inning with his triple to center. Miller, though, retired the next three hitters on a pop-up and two strikeouts.
Canzone then led off the fourth with a 451-foot homer over the second level of shrubbery above the centerfield fence.
Up next
The teams finish their weekend series on Sunday afternoon with Detroit RHP Jack Flaherty (1-7, 5.31) facing RHP Luis Castillo (2-5, 5.53).
Differences between a tornado watch vs. warning, how to stay safe
These best practices from FEMA and the CDC will give you your best chance of surviving a tornado strike.
Lou Saldivar, Wochit
After its driest May on record, Milwaukee just got hit with its heaviest day of rain since early April.
Between morning showers and evening storms, Milwaukee logged 1.42 inches on rain on June 5, according to the National Weather Service Milwaukee. That’s Milwaukee’s most precipitation in a day since April 2 and nearly four times what fell in the city for the entire month of May, which received a total of just 0.36 inch.
The rain fell as part of a statewide weather pattern on June 5, as severe weather alerts launched the weekend for several counties in south-central Wisconsin. Tornado warnings were issued in Green Lake, Dodge, Fond du Lac and Columbia counties with the final warning expiring at 10:30 p.m.
Andrew Quigley, a meteorologist at the NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan office, said there were no confirmed tornadoes in south-central Wisconsin yesterday. However, there was some severe weather inthe western half of the state.
In Juneau County, the NWS received reports of 60 mile-per-hour winds and damage to barns, said Jeff Boyne, a meteorologist at the NWS La Crosse office. There was also a report of a tornado in Buffalo County, though the NWS has not yet confirmed it.
How much rain did the Milwaukee area get on June 5?
Quigley said southern Waukesha County and southern Milwaukee County turned in the day’s highest totals with anywhere from 1 inch to 1.5 inches of rain, on average. Other suburbs in the Milwaukee area averaged from a half inch to 0.9 inch of precipitation.
“[It’s] some beneficial rain,” Quigley said. “I know some were probably going to be looking for a little bit more than that, but it’s a good start.”
The National Weather Service has a volunteer monitoring system for rainfall, which is updated each morning. Here are southeastern Wisconsin’s rainfall amounts in the 24-hour period as of 9:30 a.m. June 6.
- Lake Geneva: 0.44 inch
- Wauwatosa: 0.69 inch
- Menomonee Falls: 0.69 inch
- Mequon: 0.52 inch
- Waukesha: 0.71 inch
- Jefferson: 0.72 inch
- Oregon: 0.87 inch
- Burlington: 0.92 inch
- Racine: 1.06 inches
- Greendale: 1.37 inches
- South Milwaukee: 1.44 inches
- Cudahy: 1.72 inches
Minneapolis Launches Summer Safety Plan With Operation Safe Summer, New Shooting Unit and Expanded Community Outreach
The City of Minneapolis has announced a coordinated Summer Safety Plan outlining how its community safety network will work together through the summer, led by Operation Safe Summer, the new Firearm Assault Shoot Team, expanded Community Safety Ambassadors and public safety coordination for major events including Pride, Taste of Minnesota and WWE SummerSlam.
The City of Minneapolis has announced a coordinated Summer Safety Plan outlining how the city’s community safety network will work together throughout the summer to prevent violence, respond to emergencies, and keep residents and visitors safe during one of the city’s busiest seasons.
Operation Safe Summer
The plan kicks off with Operation Safe Summer, a multi-agency enforcement initiative led by the Minneapolis Police Department now in its fifth year. Running June 1 through 6, the operation targets individuals known to regularly engage in violent crime and has historically resulted in dozens of arrests, the recovery of numerous firearms, and significant seizures of illegal narcotics.
Partner agencies include the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota State Patrol, Metro Transit Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Plymouth Police Department.
Prevention and Community at the Center
Beyond enforcement, the city’s summer safety strategy prioritizes prevention and community engagement, covering violence prevention, emergency preparedness, youth engagement, and water and weather safety education through expanded community outreach.
The plan also includes public safety coordination for major summer events including Pride, Taste of Minnesota, Aquatennial, the U.S. Special Olympics, WWE SummerSlam, and Open Streets events across the city.
June is also Gun Violence Awareness Month, and the city is spotlighting coordinated efforts to reduce firearm violence through enforcement, public messaging, safe gun storage education, and community-based intervention programs. New this summer is the Firearm Assault Shoot Team, along with continued work from the Violent Crime Apprehension Team and weekend Curfew Task Force operations.
Officers not normally assigned to patrol will participate in bike, foot, and mounted patrols on weekends throughout the summer in neighborhoods with the greatest need, adding 30 more officers to the street without increased overtime costs.
Progress the City Is Pointing To
The city cited several data points reflecting recent progress on public safety. According to the city’s Crime Dashboard, three-year averages for most violent crimes are down more than 20 percent, with carjackings down nearly 40 percent. Shots-fired calls are less than half what they were five years ago, and non-fatal shootings have dropped 56 percent, from 582 in 2021 to 255 in 2025.
“We are making meaningful progress,” the city said in a statement. “But one crime is one too many.”
Safety Beyond Policing
The Neighborhood Safety Department will expand visibility and outreach through its Community Safety Ambassadors, MinneapolUS violence interruption teams, and community-based partnerships. Updated service maps and community outreach zones expand the department’s coverage areas this summer.
The Minneapolis Fire Department is enhancing water-rescue readiness with specialized boats positioned throughout the city and training in swift-water rescue operations, while also preparing public education campaigns on life jacket use, fireworks safety, grilling safety, and heat-related illness prevention.
The Emergency Management Department is coordinating severe weather preparedness messaging, and the Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center is increasing staffing during high-demand summer months and major events.
For more information on summer safety events, tips, and resources, visit the City of Minneapolis website and follow official city social media channels throughout the summer.
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