Nebraska

It's time to address legislative pay • Nebraska Examiner

Published

1 year ago

December 4, 2024

It's time to address legislative pay • Nebraska Examiner

If you have a pulse, I am sure you have either seen, heard or read a political ad this past year. With the plethora of TV, radio, newspaper and social media entities paid to run them, they would be pretty hard to miss.

With all the ads I have seen in the past 36 years, the most memorable ad for me is one I saw back in 1988. When the camera came on, you see the back of a man sitting at what appears to be the counter of a coffee shop somewhere in Nebraska. As the camera moves around toward his front, the announcer is talking about the fact that it has been 20 years since state senators in Nebraska have received any form of pay raise.

The voiceover tells you that in 1968, senators’ pay was raised from $200 to $400 per month. In 1988, the announcer says, there is a proposal on the ballot to raise senators’ pay to $1,000 per month. As the camera gets closer to the front, you start to recognize Coach Bob Devaney, who had been in Nebraska about 25 years by then and won two national championships. Devaney looks straight at the camera and says in a very serious tone:

“If I had been here 20 years and never got a pay raise, I would go back to Wyoming.”

The proposal passed.

It has now been 36 years since we last raised the compensation level for members of the Unicameral. We do still want and need a citizen legislature, but too many citizens simply cannot even consider putting themselves forward to seek election.

If you have a salaried job, you will have to consider the time that you will be away from work and may not get paid. If you own a business, you will need to consider the time you will not be available and perhaps need to hire another person to perform your duties. If you are a professional, you need to realize that you will not be getting as many billable hours and plan accordingly.

Many people are working longer now, and even some retired people do consulting after they have left the full-time workforce. These people also need to realize that they will not be able to bring in the extra income they were planning on.

The responsibilities of being a state senator have also changed and require more time than they did back in 1988. With all the additional forms of communication, constituents demand more information on legislative activity even when the Legislature is not in session. What new roads will be funded, what education funding will be on the agenda, what senior programs could be re-evaluated, what about health care, ag issues, taxes, etc. There are also more interim studies requested and hearings being held around the state.

The big issue, of course, will be how much to raise the current pay level, and there will be as many different suggestions as there are people who take a proposal seriously. I will start that discussion, but you also need to remember that state senators in Nebraska do not receive any health insurance, retirement fund contribution or other benefits that most working people get.

Instead of trying to come up with a number … what if the governor appointed a committee of people from around the state each census year who could set legislative pay at no more than 15% of what the average county judge makes in Nebraska?

It is still not a full-time job, and the pay should not be at a level that would allow someone to live comfortably on a senator’s pay alone. Senators should still have a connection to the workforce unless they are retired and have already fulfilled a career in the workforce.

I believe this or other credible proposals would allow more people to at least consider offering themselves and their time and talents to the legislative process, which will make important decisions about our state’s future growth and prosperity.

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Nebraska

Nebraska Moves Closer to Clinching an NCAA Tournament Berth

Published

9 hours ago

January 15, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska Moves Closer to Clinching an NCAA Tournament Berth

After Nebraska’s men’s basketball team routed Oregon on Tuesday, a friend asked a not-serious question.

Has Nebraska clinched a spot in the NCAA Tournament?

Well, the Huskers are 17-0 — one of three unbeaten teams in the nation. They are ranked eighth in the latest AP Top 25 Poll. They are a projected 3-seed in ESPN’s latest Bracketology.

If the season ended today, absolutely. Plan the travel; book the hotel.

But in the real world? Clinched? Not quite, of course. No team clinches an NCAA invite in January. Well, maybe Duke does.

Is Nebraska getting closer? Yes, with every game. It might take a total collapse for Nebraska to miss the NCAAs at this point. Have the Huskers shown anything to indicate that could happen?

Just the opposite, in fact. As a 3-seed, if seedings hold, Nebraska is targeted as an Elite Eight team. But seedings never hold; such is the beauty of March Madness.

But Nebraska continues to play itself into the story of the year in college basketball.

What’s left on Huskers’ schedule

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Two months remain in the regular season. The Huskers have 14 games remaining. Then, at least one game in the Big Ten Tournament.

The remainder of the Huskers’ schedule is mostly a minefield:

Road games at Northwestern, Minnesota, Michigan, Rutgers, Iowa, USC and UCLA.

Home games against Washington, Illinois, Purdue, Northwestern, Penn State, Maryland and Iowa.

It’s impossible to know how many wins and losses there are in the remaining 14 games, but it’s safe to say the Huskers will not remain undefeated. A loss or two isn’t going to ruin the season, not this season.

ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index projects Nebraska will finish with 25.9 wins and 5.1 losses. In the Big Ten, ESPN projects 14.9 wins and 5.1 losses. Those numbers will get you into the NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska has quality wins over Illinois, Michigan State and Indiana, with the possibility of more on the way. The Huskers are 6-0, in first place in the Big Ten. The Huskers and Purdue are the Big Ten’s only undefeated teams in conference play.

Fans storm the court to celebrate after the Huskers defeated Michigan State at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Jan. 2. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Big Ten teams that got into the NCAA Tournament in 2025

To see where the Huskers currently stand, we need to look at recent history of Big Ten teams making the NCAA field.

Michigan earned the conference’s automatic bid last season by winning the Big Ten Tournament over Wisconsin.

Seven other Big Ten teams made the 2025 NCAA field, with records:

* Michigan State: 30-7
* Wisconsin: 27-10
* Oregon: 25-10
* Maryland: 27-9
* Purdue: 24-12
* UCLA: 23-11
* Illinois: 22-13

Nebraska was 3-6 against these NCAA Tournament teams last season. Every Big Ten team with 20 victories made the field, except one.

Nebraska.

The Huskers were 21-14 last season but hurt themselves with losses in six of their final seven games. When grinding over the final teams to choose for the field, the fickle selection committee looks for teams trending upward.

Indiana won 19 games and didn’t get in. Ohio State was 17-15 and was excluded.

Moving forward to 2026

Nebraska is in a wonderful position to make its ninth NCAA Tournament. The Huskers might be in a good place to win their first NCAA Tournament game. They are 0-8 in the tourney.

Nebraska guard Jamarques Lawrence shoots the ball against Oregon guard Drew Carter. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Bracketology’s Joe Lunardi said after the Huskers defeated Wisconsin, 90-60, on Dec. 10, they looked like an NCAA Tournament team.

“I think that the metrics all indicate to me that they [Huskers] have staying power,” Lunardi exclusively told Huskermax.com. “Now, you know, they’re not going to go 16 and 4 in the Big Ten. They can go 12 and 8. A 12-8 Big Ten team is going to the tournament.

“This year they’ve already got a couple [of big wins]. And they’re going to win home games against other tournament teams.

“They might not win a home game against, and I don’t know: Do they play Purdue and Michigan at home? [Purdue at home; Michigan on the road.] But they’re going to be over .500 in the Big Ten. And that will get them in and probably get them an 8 [seed] or better seed.

“Now the league is brutal at the top, obviously. But I mean, they [Huskers] don’t need to be in the top three.

“They just need to be in the top half. Now there’s a couple borderline [teams]. But, they’re [Big Ten] going to have the most teams this year.”

In his latest Bracketology, Lunardi had 11 Big Ten teams in the field of 68.

Former Nebraska coach Danny Nee signs an autograph for a fan before the game against Northwestern last season. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

With 17 wins already, and 14 games to play, Nebraska has an opportunity to set a school record for wins. Danny Nee’s Huskers won 26 games in 1990-91, going 26-8 and losing to Xavier in the NCAAs first round, 89-84.

Nebraska needs to go 10-4 down the stretch for a school-record 27 wins.

Nebraska making the NCAA field feels inevitable. Let other teams sit around and sweat out Selection Sunday.

5 Nebraska senators propose civics test requirement for lawmakers

Published

21 hours ago

January 15, 2026

Press Room

5 Nebraska senators propose civics test requirement for lawmakers

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A group of five Nebraska senators want to require all state legislators to take a civics test after taking office.

The test would look similar to the naturalization test immigrants take before becoming U.S. citizens.

Under LB 1066, all Nebraska lawmakers would have to take the test but don’t have to pass.

The state would post the results on the Legislature’s website.

Any senator who failed the test would have the option to attend a civics seminar.

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Nebraska

Nebraska legend Ndamukong Suh picked for College Football Hall of Fame

Published

1 day ago

January 14, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska legend Ndamukong Suh picked for College Football Hall of Fame

Nebraska legend Ndamukong Suh was selected to the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame class. Suh is one of 18 players announced by the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame.

Suh played at Nebraska from 2005 to 2009. His senior season is one of the legendary seasons in college football.

During that year, he played in 14 games and recorded 85 tackles, 20.5 for loss, and 12.0 sacks. He was a finalist for the 2009 Heisman trophy and was the first defensive player named the Associated Press College Football Player of the Year.

The Portland, Oregon native was drafted second overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2009 NFL draft. He also played for Miami, Los Angeles, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia during his NFL career.

Suh becomes the 21st Nebraska player inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He is the fourth Husker defensive lineman, joining Wayne Meylan, Rich Glover and Grant Wistrom.

The 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted on Dec. 8, 2026, at Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

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