Nebraska

‘Ecstatic’: Nebraska caregivers get some relief in the form of a tax credit

Published

2 years ago

April 24, 2024

‘Ecstatic’: Nebraska caregivers get some relief in the form of a tax credit

Thirteen years ago, Nebraska nursing instructor Tara Spiehs Garst had to leave her job to take care of her son who was born with Trisomy 18, a genetic condition that causes multiple birth defects.

Three years later, she had a daughter who was born with the same condition. Since then, Spiehs Garst’s family has lived on a reduced income and pays thousands of dollars out of pocket for services and supplies, having to cut numerous corners. Spiehs Garst even went without a cell phone for a year, but the emotional impacts have been just as daunting.

“My people that I interact with are physicians, are therapists, my children’s medical providers, that’s who my social interaction is with because they’re my full time job,” Spiehs Garst said. “I can’t leave them to go and do other things. Somebody has to be there to take care of them.”

She is just one of 179,000 caregivers in Nebraska who face similar challenges, including emotional and financial burdens, every day.

These challenges sparked the Caregiver Tax Credit Act, sponsored by Nebraska State Sen. Eliot Bostar. The act would create a nonrefundable tax credit for caregivers that would cover about 50% of eligible expenditures used for the care of family members each year. The maximum credit is $2,000, and it is $3,000 for family members who served in the military or who have a dementia diagnosis.

This potential tax credit comes as federal and state governments are trying to solve the senior care crisis, in which the cost of care continues to skyrocket while more of the population ages. Today, there are over 53 million caregivers in the United States, as people have stepped in to care for family members who can’t afford rent at senior care centers or to pay at-home nurses.

“We’re relying more and more on caregivers and family members to provide that care because the healthcare system is bursting at the seams,” Associate State Director for Advocacy and Outreach with AARP Nebraska, Jina Ragland said. “We have a huge desert of accessibility to health services but also for having the workforce development enough to provide inside facilities.”

If passed, Nebraska would be the second state to establish a caregiver tax credit. Bostar’s bill is modeled after Oklahoma’s, which went into effect at the beginning of this year. Unlike Oklahoma’s legislation, Nebraska’s potential tax credit would not have an age requirement for eligible family members, recognizing that people of all ages receive care at home.

The non-refundable tax credit would be capped at $2.5 million, but Ragland points out that it would save the state money in the long run. According to the Nebraska AARP, family caregivers in the state provide over 168 million hours of unpaid care valued at approximately $2.8 billion every year.

“Family caregivers are the backbone of the U.S. care system, helping parents, spouses and other loved ones remain in their homes,” Bostar said during a floor debate last month. “LB 937 will help ensure Nebraskans in need or care can stay in their homes when their health is failing, eliminating the need for the much more costlier option and added emotional burden of being cared for in a taxpayer-funded nursing home.”

Although the tax credit has wide bipartisan support, it saw an unexpected roadblock during the first round of debate in late March when a handful of amendments, including a controversial dollar-for-dollar tax credit for donations to crisis pregnancy centers, were tacked on at the last minute. The credit was eventually advanced and passed with a unanimous vote on the second to last day of session. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen has until Wednesday to sign it into law.

“With the baby boomer generation retiring and getting older and all of our nursing homes seemingly closing right and left, we will have to address more creatively how we take care of these folks,” state Sen. Jana Hughes said during floor debate. “Encouraging them staying at home is a very, very good thing.”

More: Caregivers spend a whopping $7,200 out of pocket. New bill would provide tax relief.

‘The backbone’

Like caregivers across the country, Sarah Rasby of Nebraska had to make financial and emotional sacrifices to take care of her 35-year-old twin sister, Erin Lewis, who went into cardiac arrest and survived an anoxic brain injury, leaving her unable to walk, speak or move her body. Rasby spent hours a day caring for her sister for three and a half years before she passed away in 2022.

“There’s just really not a lot of time for the caregivers to care for themselves because they’re giving so much of their life to the other person,” Rasby said, noting may caregivers face social isolation. “The tax credit will help them identify as caregivers, but at the same time, those in the thick of it will start feeling some more value.”

Joyce Beck had made similar financial and emotional sacrifices to take care of her husband, Jerry. Beck’s husband suffered a heart attack while he had multiple sclerosis and had to have a quadruple bypass at the age of 52. He was later diagnosed with cancer, leading Beck to retire early from her position as a hospital CEO to care for him after it spread. Jerry eventually passed away about three years ago.

Beck is “ecstatic” the caregiver tax credit passed, saying it is an acknowledgment of the sacrifices caregivers make and will relieve some of the financial burdens they face.

“I’m proud that Nebraska is the second state in the United States to pass this because it shows the rest of the country that we are compassionate, we care about our people, and we want to take care of everyone,” Beck said.

Although she’s not a caregiver anymore, Beck knows the experience all too well. She wasn’t able to return to work after her husband passed and had to collect her pension and social security early on top of paying thousands of dollars out of pocket for medical bills. Despite the financial and emotional hardships, she was honored she got to spend the last few years of her husband’s life caring for him.

“It’s so hard to watch someone pass away by inches, it’s like almost a nightmare to watch,” Beck said. “It is truly just an honor to be able to take care of someone like that and to help them every step of the way. It’s the hardest thing you’ll ever do but it is the most rewarding thing you’ll ever do.”

Source link

Click to comment

Nebraska

Here are 2 ways you can watch Nebraska vs Penn State football streaming free today

Published

11 hours ago

November 22, 2025

Press Room

Here are 2 ways you can watch Nebraska vs Penn State football streaming free today

If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers visit the Penn State Nittany Lions as underdogs looking to knock off the resurgent home team during Week 13 of the college football season. Kickoff takes place today at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) on Saturday, November 22 with a live TV broadcast on NBC, and streaming on Peacock.

• You can watch Penn State vs. Nebraska football live for FREE with Fubo (free trial), by signing up with DIRECTV (free trial) or streaming live on Peacock for under $11/month.

What TV channel is the Nebraska vs. Penn State football game on today? Is it streaming free anywhere?

When: Kickoff takes place at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) on Saturday, November 22.

Where: Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA

TV Channel: NBC, and streaming on Peacock.

How to watch streaming live without cable: There are several options to watch this game and more football games this season.

You can watch this game live for FREE with DIRECTV (free trial) or by signing up for Fubo (free trial).
You can also sign up for Peacock ($10.99/month) to watch this game live on your TV, computer, phone or tablet with the Peacock app. Many Big Ten college football games will be streaming only on Peacock this season.
The best deal: Another great option might be to get a Sling “Season Pass” ($199) and buy an HDTV antenna. This pairing would give you nearly every channel showing college football this season.
If you already have a cable provider, use your login information to watch this game on NBC Live.

Nebraska vs. Penn State spread, latest betting odds

Point spread: PSU: -7.5 | NEB: +7.5

Over/Under: 45.5

Get promo codes, signup deals and free bets from our Oregon Betting News home page.

Source link

Nebraska

Lincoln senator slams Pillen’s push to scrap TEEOSA as Nebraska’s school funding fight escalates

Published

1 day ago

November 21, 2025

Press Room

Lincoln senator slams Pillen’s push to scrap TEEOSA as Nebraska’s school funding fight escalates

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) — Nebraska’s education funding has been the topic of much discussion this week, from a legislature-created commission studying the funding formula to an interim study that is in-part focusing on property tax contributions.

But a pointed statement from Gov. Jim Pillen is drawing ire from some legislators, and interest from others.

Pillen issued a statement Thursday night calling for the Unicameral to abolish TEEOSA — the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act — after a $30 million overpayment to Omaha Public Schools.

TEEOSA is the funding formula used to determine state aid, by subtracting resources from needs, and it’s been in use since the 90s. But some legislators say getting rid of it is not as simple as it might sound.

Pillen, in his statement, blamed the “deaf ears” of some in the legislature for failing to pass tax reform.

Adams senator Myron Dorn told 10/11 because of valuation increases, TEEOSA has gone a different route than originally intended.

“I believe there could be definitely easier ways. There are solutions,” Dorn said. “We’ve tried to change it over the years. We haven’t had much success. Is it too complicated? Yes, it’s complicated.”

But abolishing the program outright isn’t something Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad will support, calling the governor’s comments “bizarre” and “unhinged.”

“It would be reckless and wrong to dismantle our school funding system without a clear, viable alternative that would ensure we can meet our students’ needs and ensure that we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars,” Conrad said.

She and Dorn clashed during an interim study hearing Thursday, where Conrad asked if protecting tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations was more important than providing property tax relief.

Part of the funding issue is a massive budget deficit, something Conrad attributed in-part to tax cuts for the wealthy pushed by Gov. Pillen and his legislative allies in 2023.

“Gov. Pillen and his allies in the Legislature pushed forward blindly to engineer Kansas-style tax cuts that are inequitable and unsustainable and that benefit the wealthiest Nebraskans and the largest corporations,” Conrad said, “at the expense of ensuring a balanced budget and our ability to take care of critical things like roads and the university health care and child care and public education in our K-12 schools.”

Dorn added he has faith in the new School Finance Review Commission.

“I think if you give them a year or two, they’re going to come up with some very good concepts, some very good ideas in how we can make the TEEOSA formula better, or maybe have a different formula,” Dorn said.

Legislators will return Jan. 7 to begin their short, 60-day second session, with the budget expected to take up most of their time.

Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.

Source link

Nebraska

Staff Predictions: Penn State vs. Nebraska

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2025

Press Room

Staff Predictions: Penn State vs. Nebraska

It’s the final stretch, folks.

The Nittany Lions secured their first win in an emotional victory over Michigan State last week, bringing home the Land-Grant Trophy as well as interim head coach Terry Smith and quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer’s first career wins.

Penn State hosts Nebraska in a must-win home finale on Saturday night. With a bowl game on the line, the Nittany Lions are riding a wave of momentum in hopes of bringing down the 7-3 Cornhuskers. Here’s how some of our staffers think Penn State will do on Senior Day.

Fernando Martinez Ruiz De Esparza (7-3): Penn State 27, Nebraska 17

The Nittany Lions will go out with a bang in their final game at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State finally won a game last week after a six-game losing streak and gave interim head coach Terry Smith his first win. It continues to play well with a lot of effort and grit, and the squad just had its best performance of the season. Despite the lost season, this team is still playing with a purpose as it looks to maintain bowl eligibility. They must win the remaining two games of the season to be bowl eligible, and I think we will see a Nittany Lion team that will be hungry for the win. With home-field advantage, Senior Day, and the momentum from last week’s win, Penn State has a lot of things going right for it heading into its final home game.

As for Nebraska, Matt Rhule has done a great job in rebuilding the program. It is 7-3 this season, and has great wins over teams like Cincinnati and Northwestern. However, the Cornhuskers lost their starting quarterback, Dylan Raiola, for the rest of the season due to injury, and will play this game with the backup quarterback, TJ Lateef. While they did beat UCLA in his first start, Raoila’s injury might be too much for the team to overcome, especially playing in an atmosphere like Beaver Stadium.

This will be a good game, but I think Penn State has been playing inspiring football since Terry Smith took over, and for that reason, the Nittany Lions win this game and keep their bowl eligibility alive heading into the season finale. Matt Rhule will learn why he shouldn’t have signed that extension with Nebraska.

Michael Zeno (7-3): Penn State 28, Nebraska 21

I’ve bought back in. Terry Smith ain’t losing another game. Nebraska, with its newly extended coach, might have a better record and a bowl game secured, but they are without starting quarterback Dylan Raiola. Their backup fared well against UCLA, but this Penn State defense has been ruthless the last two weeks.

Jim Knowles needs to keep dialing up the pressure, and Nittany Nation needs to bring it. No Thanksgiving slumber, go out and beat the Cornhuskers and set up a battle for bowl eligibility in New Brunswick next week.

CJ Gill (7-3): Penn State 31, Nebraska 24

Terry Smith is coaching the Nittany Lions this Saturday, not Matt Rhule. And that’s a good thing for Penn State fans everywhere. Smith and the guys are coming off a much-needed win last week on the road at Michigan State, and the blue and white will use the momentum to get another win against the Huskers under the lights at Beaver Stadium on Senior Day.

Both teams are on their backup quarterback at this stage in the season, but I don’t expect the offenses to struggle to score points. Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton are both hungry as they are chasing program records. Penn State’s defense will need to do its best to contain Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson through four quarters if the Nittany Lions want Rhule to leave his alma mater with a loss.

Jamie Lynch (4-6): Penn State 35, Nebraska 21

I think Penn State is going to shine on Saturday. The pencil is sharp, and the team will continue to write its story.

Under the lights at Beaver Stadium, this group will keep proving to the world that they are not quitters. Look for the players to feed off the crowd energy, and for the defense to maintain its upward trajectory. I expect a strong offensive showing as well, with Kaytron Allen wanting to break the rushing record on his home turf.

Jason Perry (3-3): Penn State 31, Nebraska 24

I want to start by congratulating Terry Smith on his first win as head coach. No matter what direction Penn State decides to go next year, it would be nice to keep Smith on the staff. After he leads the team to another win this Saturday night, and there’s no doubt in my mind that he will, he has a strong case to keep that head coaching job for himself.

Nebraska will not be an easy opponent by any means, but I’m confident in this Nittany Lion defense to shut down a team that hasn’t scored more than 30 points in a game since early October and is playing with a backup quarterback. If the offense plays like it did against Michigan State, I expect Penn State to walk out of Beaver Stadium with the win.

Brandon Collica (4-0): Penn State 27, Nebraska 20

Penn State, coming off a big win against Michigan State, will look to continue its newfound streak against the Cornhuskers of Nebraska. Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola is out for the season, which will lead to the Nittany Lions’ victory and Terry Smith’s second career win.

Karlee Feger (3-1): Penn State 21, Nebraska 10

I think Penn State is going to close out its last home game on top. Coming off an exciting win for coach Terry Smith, this team has a new fire. As Grunkemeyer gains more confidence each game and Kaytron Allen is creeping in on becoming the all-time career rushing yards leader for a Penn State running back, this team is more motivated than ever to finish the season strong.

Brian Kriley (1-1): Penn State 24, Nebraska 10

Penn State was able to finally gain momentum and secure its first Big Ten win last week. Most of the Nittany Lion offense went through Kaytron Allen on the ground, and they should be able to keep that going against a bad Nebraska run defense. Ethan Grunkemeyer is looking more comfortable as he gets more in-game reps, and he should be fine enough to manage the game. On the other side of the ball, Penn State’s defense has had a really strong last couple of games. With a backup quarterback, I don’t see Nebraska getting much going on offense, and Penn State should be able to send the Cornhuskers packing with a comfortable win on Senior Day.

Ericka Apolskis (1-2): Penn State 27, Nebraska 10

Nittany Lions by a million.

Melanie Thalhimer (0-2): Penn State 28, Nebraska 14

After the emotions of last week’s win, I’m hopeful the Nittany Lions can pull off another one. Penn State was able to build solid momentum on both offense and defense, so if they carry that same energy into Saturday, I’m confident the team can give coach Terry Smith and the seniors one last win at Beaver Stadium.

Alexander Holmes (0-0): Penn State 17, Nebraska 10

The soon-to-be chilly night game at Beaver Stadium between Penn State and Nebraska should be exciting. This quarterback battle will be something no one wants to miss between Ethan Grunkemeyer behind the Penn State offense and the true freshman TJ Lateef behind the Nebraska offense. I believe Penn State wins this game 17-10. I don’t think the game will be high-scoring, primarily because of Penn State’s elite defense, but also because the Nittany Lions’ offense hasn’t been as hot as we’d like.

Oscar Orellana (4-6): Penn State 24, Nebraska 13

Penn State will build off its momentum gained against Michigan State and pull within one game of bowl qualification. The Nittany Lions will roll into Beaver Stadium for one last ride in 2025 behind Terry Smith while celebrating their seniors. It’ll be a special and emotional night for Penn State, which is why I think the boys will pull out the win. Kaytron will go for 150+ to break the all-time rushing record at home.

Cooper Cazares (4-6): Penn State 24, Nebraska 20

Penn State is riding a wave of momentum right now. With their back against the wall in a night game at Beaver Stadium, the Nittany Lions will roll to their second straight win on Saturday night. #BackItUpTerr #CoachT

Source link