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ACLU of Nebraska sues over Evnen's order preventing felons from registering to vote

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ACLU of Nebraska sues over Evnen's order preventing felons from registering to vote


LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The American Civil Liberties of Nebraska filed a lawsuit Monday against the secretary of state.

The lawsuit would force Secretary of State Bob Evnen to allow convicted felons to register to vote.

Earlier this month, Evnen told county election offices to stop letting felons register.

He said he was following an opinion issued by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, who said two state laws restoring felons’ voting rights were unconstitutional.

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SEE ALSO: Nebraska AG says law restoring felons’ voting rights is unconstitutional

But the ACLU said attorney general opinions are nonbinding and cannot overturn a law passed by the Legislature.

The organization said Evnen is nullifying a law — which the state constitution says only the courts can do — and is therefore violating the separation of powers.

“Secretary Evnen’s actions, taken less than four months before a presidential election, have dramatically upended two decades of settled election law and created chaos, confusion, and uncertainty in Nebraska’s electoral process,” the lawsuit says.

The ACLU brought the suit on behalf of nonprofit Civic Nebraska and three people with felony convictions who are eligible to register under state law.

“We have paid our debt in full, and we should be fully included in our democracy,” said one of the plaintiffs, T.J. King, in a press release. “Being a productive member of society comes with many responsibilities, including jobs, bills and takes. Those are essential, and so is having a say in who represents us and how tax dollars are spent.”

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The ACLU wants to bypass the lower courts and take the lawsuit directly to the Nebraska Supreme Court “given the nature and urgency of the case.”





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Nebraska

Britt Prince scores 20 for No. 25 Nebraska women in 78-73 win over Indiana

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Britt Prince scores 20 for No. 25 Nebraska women in 78-73 win over Indiana


LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Britt Prince scored 20 points and Jessica Petrie added 17 for No. 25 Nebraska in a 78-73 win over Indiana on Thursday night.

Prince, who buried her 700th career point in the fourth quarter, scored 15 of her points in the second half after holding off a late surge from the Hoosiers (11-6, 0-5 Big 10) in the third quarter. Logan Nissley added 11 points.

Indiana went on a 14-1 run in the third to take the lead from Nebraska (14-2, 3-2) for the first time since the beginning of the game, leading briefly at 51-49. Indiana took a 1-point lead with 5:32 to play, but Nebraska scored 16 points over the final 6:14.

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Shay Ciezki scored 31 points on 13-of-21 shooting for Indiana, her fourth time this season scoring more than 30 points. Zania Socka-Nguemen added 19 points and 11 rebounds. Maya Makalusky had 12 points. The Hoosiers shot 51% as a team from the field compared to Nebraska’s 42%, but have dropped their fourth straight game.

Up next

Indiana: Hosts No. 14 Iowa on Sunday.

Nebraska: Hosts No. 4 UCLA on Sunday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball



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33 Nebraska senators urge Board of Regents to delay vote on $800M acquisition of Nebraska Medicine

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33 Nebraska senators urge Board of Regents to delay vote on 0M acquisition of Nebraska Medicine


LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Thirty-two Nebraska state senators joined Sen. Brad von Gillern’s letter calling on the Nebraska Board of Regents to delay a vote on the proposed $800 million acquisition of Nebraska Medicine.

The letter, dated Thursday and bearing a total of 33 signatures from state senators, shared concerns about the proposed acquisition, including the lack of transparency to the public and the Legislature.

According to the letter, the regents’ Jan. 9 meeting agenda item summary indicates that the Board has “negotiated the final agreement over a series of meetings in the past 18 months”.

The regents will consider a proposal in which Clarkson Regional Health Services would give up its 50% membership in Nebraska Medicine. The deal would give full control of the health system to the University of Nebraska.

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However, the letter said the public and Legislature have had little time to understand the proposal, its impact and any financial implications of the transaction.

“The University of Nebraska and Nebraska Medicine are two institutions of tremendous significance to our state, and any major changes to the existing structures must be carefully considered,” the letter stated.

Senators are asking the Board to delay the vote to “ensure all viable alternatives have been considered and until all stakeholders understand the impact of the proposal for the state” and the two institutions.

The Board of Regents meeting, previously set for Friday, will now be held Thursday, Jan. 15 at 9 a.m.

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Pillen labels actions “destructive partisanship” as senator responds

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Pillen labels actions “destructive partisanship” as senator responds


A political dispute broke out on the first day of Nebraska’s legislative session after Governor Jim Pillen accused State Senator Machaela Cavanaugh of removing portraits from the capitol walls. Cavanaugh says she was following building rules and denies the move was political.



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