Nebraska
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.
Nebraska
Nebraska outfielder Will Jesske coaches local legion team
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) — After a hamstring injury during Nebraska’s baseball season, Will Jesske was advised to take it easy this summer. He is, but Jesske has found a new way to stay involved in the game.
Jesske is coaching a local legion baseball team. He is a volunteer assistant for Lincoln Hotel Group, the senior legion team for Standing Bear High School.
Jesske, a Lincoln Southeast graduate, describes himself as the “hype man” in the LHG dugout. He brings energy and enthusiasm, which players enjoy. Jesske said coaching is a way he can give back to local players while helping LHG’s coaching staff. Jesske played under Tanner Lewis and Kyle Beacom in high school. They now lead the LHG legion program.
Jesske is entering his senior season at Nebraska. He has appeared in 95 games over his career, including 33 during the Huskers’ 43-win season this spring. Jesske was injured early in the season but played through it as Nebraska hosted an NCAA regional. He hit .318 in his junior season. Jesske said he is fully healthy and credited extended rest with his recovery.
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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
Former Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari wanted in Lincoln, accused of assaulting pregnant woman
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Former Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari is wanted in Lancaster County on suspicion of assaulting a pregnant woman in May.
An arrest warrant was filed for Ferrari on Thursday. He faces three felony charges which include first-degree false imprisonment and assault by strangling a pregnant woman.
According to an arrest affidavit, a woman from California contacted police in Lincoln on May 8 just after midnight. She told officers her daughter called for help and pointed them to Ferrari’s apartment.
Police arrived at the apartment and knocked on the door. A pregnant woman came out after several minutes of knocking with no answer. Officers said the woman was visibly upset.
She told officers that Ferrari tried taking her phone away after an argument, but she wouldn’t let him take it. The arrest affidavit shows Ferrari then dragged her off a bed by her feet.
Police think Ferrari then got on top of her and strangled her, likely until she was unconscious. The woman told police that she felt as though her throat “collapsed” and that she was “breathing through a straw.”
Once regaining consciousness, police said the woman tried hiding in a closet and contacting her mother on another device. But Ferrari followed her, pushed her onto a bed and sat on her until she apologized, according to the affidavit.
She apologized in order to be released, police said. The woman then tried to leave the apartment, but police said Ferrari dragged her by the arm back inside. She found her phone and contacted her mother, yelling “help!”, prosecutors wrote.
Ferrari grabbed the phone and hung up, according to the affidavit. The woman’s mother tried calling several more times before calling police.
Authorities transported the woman to Bryan West for treatment. Officers said she sustained injuries consistent with strangulation, including bruising around her neck and other abrasions.
Last weekend, Ferrari was arrested in Lincoln County on suspicion of flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving and obstructing the police. He was cited after a trooper chased a Corvette in the North Platte area.
Lincoln County authorities told KOLN that Ferrari is out on bond. His current whereabouts are unclear.
Court records show that the woman has filed for a protection order against Ferrari. A hearing has been set for July 7 to give him an opportunity to show the court why one should not be issued.
Previously, Ferrari was booked in Lancaster County, Nebraska for an outstanding warrant in January of this year, but those charges were dismissed later that week.
Ferrari parted ways with the Huskers in April of this year.
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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
Discounted tickets for Nebraska State Fair over 4th of July Weekend
The Nebraska State Fair is celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with a special 72-hour flash sale on Season Passes.
From July 3 through July 5, fans can purchase a 2026 Season Pass for just $50—a significant discount from its regular value of $132.
The pass includes one admission per day for all 11 days of the 2026 Nebraska State Fair, making it ideal for visitors who plan to attend multiple days.
Fair officials say the promotion is one of the biggest Season Pass discounts offered in years and will not be extended.
After July 5, Season Passes will remain available at a higher discounted price.
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