Nebraska
Budget, childcare, tax reform among top legislative priorities for Nebraska senators in 2026
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) — State senators Wednesday worked with the state and city chambers of commerce to hit on a couple of their upcoming legislative priorities now that the next session is only 77 days away.
With Nebraska’s first quarter GDP down more than 6% this year and a budget shortfall in the millions looming over their shoulder, those days will lead to what one senator called “a lot of difficult decisions.”
The handful of state senators reiterated similar policy priorities for the next session: housing, childcare cost and availability and tax challenges.
Sen. George Dungan addressed the elephant in the room, saying the budget will take up “a lot of oxygen of this short session.”
Nebraska is facing a budget deficit of $95 million.
Senators expressed that the session will be about more than just funding affordable housing projects, addressing zoning laws and reforming educational tax policy.
“We’re looking at home insurance premiums. I talked to my peers in this state, and we’re at the point now where we are paying more in insurance premiums and property taxes than we are in principal interest,” Sen. Beau Ballard said.
Sen. Carolyn Bosn said public safety and social media protections for children are high on her list.
“There’s some legislation that needs to be modified, accommodated,” Bosn said. “I know that individuals who oppose that legislation had good reasons for doing it, but wanting to work with them in ways that we can still provide social media protections for kids, keeping kids safe while not stepping on the toes of some of those businesses.”
Sen. Jason Prokop plans to continue working on LB304, a childcare subsidy bill.
Dungan, Conrad and Prokop also hit on the need to support Nebraska’s higher education landscape.
“It is critical, critical, critical that we appropriately fund and support the University of Nebraska,” Prokop said. “It is an economic engine for our state. It is educating our young people. These are the future business leaders. We’ve got to support the university in every way that we can.”
Sen. Eliot Bostar added he’d like to address growing the state but that there is opposition from those who he believes fear change.
“There are a lot of people out there and a lot of interests out there that fundamentally do not want the state to grow,” Bostar said. “And that is something we run into specifically often as we’re trying to pursue policies that I think folks would instinctively identify as common sense.”
Sen. Danielle Conrad — who is entering her 12th year at the Unicameral — highlighted how the landscape has changed but their goals haven’t.
“But now more than ever, we need an experienced and independent, robust checks and balances in the people’s house, in the legislature, to make sure that personal liberty and economic prosperity is guarded against government overreach from the other branches of government and the federal government,” Conrad said.
The Unicameral is set to gavel in for the 2026 session on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026.
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Copyright 2025 KOLN. All rights reserved.
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) – Get ready for a stretch of absolutely gorgeous weather to kick off your weekend but keep an eye on the heat building as we head into next week.
This Weekend: Perfect Conditions
Saturday and Sunday are shaping up to be nearly identical — sunny skies with highs climbing to around 89 and 90 degrees respectively. A light south southeast breeze at 5 to 10 mph will keep things comfortable, though gusts could reach 20 mph at times. Overnight lows will dip to the low 60s, making for pleasant sleeping weather.
This is ideal weather for outdoor plans. Whether you’re heading to a summer event, spending time at the lake, or just enjoying time outside, you won’t want to miss it.
Early Next Week: Heat Turns Up
Starting Monday, temperatures begin a steady climb. Highs will reach 91 degrees Monday, then 91 again Tuesday before pushing toward 92 on Wednesday. By Thursday and Friday, we’re looking at highs near 94 to 95 degrees.
The good news? Skies remain sunny throughout, and humidity levels should stay relatively manageable. The breeze will be light, so it won’t feel quite as intense as it could.
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Copyright 2026 KNOP. All rights reserved.
LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) – The number of abortions performed in Nebraska rose 7.8% in 2025 as the dust begins to settle on some of the state’s — and neighboring states’ — newer abortion restrictions.
According to data from the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), at least 2,698 abortions were performed in Nebraska in 2025. That’s 197 more than 2024’s total of 2,501 abortions in one year.
Nebraska’s abortion rate has remained relatively consistent over the last two decades, between 1,900 and 2,800 procedures performed each year. However, 2,698 is the highest the state has reached since 2008, and is the third year in a row that the number of abortions performed has increased from the previous year.
The steady increase coincides with increased abortion restrictions being implemented in Nebraska and throughout the nation in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022.
In 2023, the Nebraska Legislature passed legislation restricting access to abortion from the previous 20 weeks, to 12 weeks gestation. The following year, voters approved language added to the state Constitution that bans most abortions after the first trimester.
Andi Curry Grubb, executive director of Planned Parenthood North Central States (PPNCS), said this tracks with what Planned Parenthood officials have been seeing throughout the Midwest. Though she didn’t have exact numbers for the first half of 2026, she said the pace seems to be consistent with what she saw in 2025.
Notably, the number of abortions performed on Nebraska residents actually dropped from 2,054 in 2024 to 1,968 in 2025. The overall increase comes from an influx of out-of-state patients traveling to Nebraska for abortions, most of them from Iowa.
In 2023, the Iowa Legislature approved legislation banning abortion after cardiac activity is detected, around six weeks gestation. The law went into effect in June 2024.
Giselle Barajas, senior communications specialist for PPNCS, said Planned Parenthood has seen a 220% increase in Iowa patients coming to Nebraska between 2023 and 2025. The number nearly doubled between the last year of data, growing from 358 Iowans reported in 2024 to 635 in 2025.
Nate Grasz, executive director of the Nebraska Family Alliance — a lobbying group that has supported increased abortion restrictions — said the increase in Iowa patients correlates to the state’s stricter abortion laws.
“We haven’t made as much progress,” Grasz said of Nebraska’s abortion policies.
Grasz noted there are fewer places in Iowa for people to seek abortions, saying that Planned Parenthood had closed some of its clinics. Barajas said Planned Parenthood does plan to close its Iowa City Health Center at the end of the month, but noted they still have a facility in Des Moines in operation.
Grasz said there are still serious gaps in Nebraska’s laws regarding abortion. He described the DHHS statistics as a “tragic report,” saying that every one of the 2,698 abortions reported represents a baby that went unprotected and a woman who went unaided.
Grasz highlighted that medication-induced abortions also are on the rise in Nebraska, according to the report. Medication abortions made up 83% of all abortions performed in 2025, compared to about 80% in 2024.
Grasz said Legislative Bill 512, proposed by State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue, would have been an important piece of ensuring the safety of medication abortions. The bill would have imposed additional steps before a patient could be prescribed an abortion pill, but the bill did not make it past the first round of floor debate.
Nebraska abortions by year
2008: 2,813
2009: 2,551
2010: 2,464
- Abortion ban past 20 weeks of pregnancy takes effect in Nebraska
2011: 2,372
2012: 2,299
2013: 2,177
2014: 2,270
2015: 2,004
2016: 1,907
2017: 1,958
2018: 2,078
2019: 2,068
2020: 2,378
2021: 2,360
2022: 2,547
- Roe v. Wade overturned by U.S. Supreme Court
2023: 2,325
- Nebraska Legislature approves abortion ban at 12 weeks post-gestation
2024: 2,501
- Nebraska voters approve constitutional amendment Initiative 434, banning most abortions past the first trimester
2025: 2,698
Source: Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
University of Nebraska–Lincoln staff and retirees are invited to register for HealthierU’s summer small group training program.
Small group training combines the motivation of group fitness with individualized guidance from a certified personal trainer, helping participants work toward fitness goals in a supportive environment.
The summer 2026 session is July 14 to Aug. 20 and meets from 6:30 to 7:20 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the recreation center on City Campus. The cost is $60 for Campus Recreation members and $110 for nonmembers.
Participants may also add pre- and post-program InBody scans for $20. The noninvasive body composition assessment helps participants measure progress and better understand changes in body composition throughout the program.
Register by completing the intake form. Registration is open through July 14 or until the program reaches capacity.
Learn more about the program.
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