Nebraska
Nebraska Think-Tank Mimics ‘DOGE’ with ‘G.O.A.T. Initiative’ Bill Package
A new package of bills introduced in the Nebraska Legislature, inspired by Elon Musk’s forthcoming Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is set to continue a game of hack ‘n slash against red tape and regulations on industry in the state.
The “Regulatory Modernization Package” authored by The Platte Institute, a local libertarian/free-market-oriented think-tank, has chosen a different eponymous animal acronym for the initiative — G.O.A.T. (Government Oversight, Accountability, and Transparency).
The GOAT Initiative is comprised of six legislative bills, all seeking to rework the states regulatory landscape in different ways. Each bill has either a republican and democrat lawmakers sponsoring the legislation, presenting a bipartisan front in Nebraska’s technically non-partisan, one-house political body.
Those six lawmakers, plus Speaker of the Legislature John Arch, spoke on these bills during a Jan. 16 press conference in the Capitol Rotunda alongside officials with the Platte Institute, namely, former State Senators Dr. Laura Ebke and Nicole Fox.
“We believe that the time is right for rethinking how we regulate economic activity in our state,” Ebke began the conference, citing President Trump’s forthcoming DOGE department and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announcing plans to establish a similar agency during her Condition of the State address last week. “The senators introducing legislation in this package have decided not to wait on an advisory body to make recommendations and instead are taking the goat by the horns.”
The six proposals of the G.O.A.T. Initiative are:
(1) The REINS Act, introduced by Sen. Merv Riepe (R) of Omaha, would require legislative review and approval of any regulation with an annual economic impact exceeding $1 million over five years, or $200,000 per year. It will allow the Legislature to reconsider the authorization of legislation if an economic impact statement shows the impact to be significant.
(2) LB 29, introduced by Sen. Danielle Conrad (D) of Lincoln, would codify a 2017 Executive Order from then Governor Pete Ricketts which would mandate regular reviews (every 3 years) of existing regulations and submission of reports to the Legislature.
(3) Establish a Federal Fund Inventory, a bill to be introduced by freshman Sen. Bob Andersen (R) of Omaha, would mandate an audit of federal funds received by Nebraska, except those going to the University of Nebraska and state colleges. The bill would require auditors track how long the grant program lasts, if there are state matching requirements, or if there are maintenance requirements attached. It requires that an operating plan be in place should the federal receipts be reduced by 25% or more from the preceding fiscal year.
(4) A bill to allow for Venue Freedom, or in other words, allowing businesses to resolve disputes with state agencies in their local courts, not necessarily in Lincoln/Lancaster County as is now required by law. This bill is to be introduced by Sen. Tanya Storer (R) of Whitman.
(5) The creation of an Office of Regulatory Management in the executive branch, which would be tasked with conducting cost-benefit analyses of rules and regulations. A similar office established in Virginia was cited as a successful version of this program. This bill is to be introduced by Sen. Dan McKeon (R) of Sweetwater.
(6) Reform to Regulatory Advisories, a bill to be introduced by Sen. Dan Quick (D) of Grand Island, which would prevent regulatory advisories issued by agencies from being binding on businesses and others regulated by the agency unless required to remain in compliance with federal regulations, in which case the binding advisory cannot be stricter than that required by the federal rule.
While Speaker Arch isn’t sponsoring any of these bills, he spoke in support of the package and headlined a related bill he has introduced at the behest of Gov. Jim Pillen — LB 346 — which seeks to eliminate or consolidate the duties of over 40 of the state’s 225 boards, commissions, committees, councils, funds, panels, task forces, etc.
“These bills that are being brought, I think will improve the function of government, and that’s certainly been my passion,” said Arch, noting that certain regulations are established in reaction to a recent event or finding. He said the a periodic review of these regulations, through LB 29, will “make sure that the value that these regulations are providing are still there.”
Speaking on LB 29, Conrad said, “One of the most significant problems when it comes to regulatory reform and bureaucratic bloat is that it gets on autopilot and it evades review… We will ensure that there will be legislative eyes and ears on every rule and regulation that emanates from the bureaucracy on a periodic basis.”
When then Gov. Ricketts first issued this executive order in 2017, according to the Platte Institute, Nebraska had 100,627 rules and regulations on the books. Over several years, this order shrunk that number to 76,201 — a reduction of about 24.3%.
“That was an excellent first start, but we can’t rest on those laurels,” said Conrad.
Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, Chair of the Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee, the committee which all of these bills are likely to be referred to, said the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 reversal of the Chevron deference “generated a great deal of national interest of regulatory reform.”
The deference, set in 1984 in a case involving the oil giant, gave federal agencies wide powers to interpret laws and decide the best ways to apply them. In ending the deference, the conservative-majority court weakened the powers of federal agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Every Senator swore an oath to uphold the Constitution, and it’s our responsibility to honor that commitment by ensuring the legislative process remains the cornerstone of decision making in our state,” said Sanders. “I look forward to hearing [these bills in committee] and finding ways to advance as many of these measures as possible.”
Officials with the Platte Institute repeatedly thanked the Americans for Prosperity (AFP) Nebraska chapter and it’s director, John Gage, for helping author the package. Founded in 2004, AFP is a conservative political advocacy group affiliated with Charles Koch and the late David Koch, who have been prominent funders of think-tanks that lobby to oppose environmental regulation.
Asked for an estimate on the cost-saving potential of this package, Ebke cited a recent study done for the Platte Institute by Patrick McLaughlin, a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center, another free-market-oriented think-tank, also with ties to the Koch family.
McLaughlin’s study argues that regulatory “burdens” can hamper the growth rate of a state’s gross domestic product (GDP), or the total value of everything a state produces in goods and services. While a growing GDP is a useful sign of economic health, it’s not the whole story. Economists often look at other indicators — like income distribution, environmental health, and quality of life — to get a fuller picture. McLaughlin argues for a generic “one in, one out” or “net zero” approach to state regulations.
Leaning on studies produced by the Mercatus Center, McLaughlin also claims that government regulations on industry impose a disproportionate cost on low-income households. The data framework used to draw this conclusion does not account for any benefits to wellbeing reaped by regulatory safeguards.
According to Mercatus’ methodology, the state facing the “worst” federal regulatory burden is Louisiana. As is the case, Louisiana has a large presence of certain highly regulated sectors, such as “chemical products manufacturing” and “oil and gas extraction.” The Center for Progressive Reform, a left-of-center political research and advocacy group, sites the 2010 BP oil spill and Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” — an 85-mile stretch in the River Parishes of Louisiana which is home to over 200 petrochemical plants and refineries — as reasons for increasing/maintaining regulations on industry. Regulations which have resulted from these occurrences are, albeit, lumped together pejoratively with all regulations in the Mercatus methodology.
“No one here is saying that we’re going to eliminate every single rule and regulation,” Conrad said to reporters when asked about striking the right balance. “What we are saying is that rules and regulations should only be utilized under clear legislative guidance to advance consumer safety, public health and welfare.”
“When we remove red-tape and require precision in lawmaking through [the legislature], we’re standing up for the people,” she continued. “There will still be rules and regulations for certain areas we cannot legislate to a certain level of precision. But they should only be there to protect the consumer’s health, welfare, and safety. They shouldn’t be there to expand the power of unelected bureaucrats.”
Critics of this package may cite the powerful influence of money in politics and partisan nature of the state legislature as reason not to trust the fate of each regulation, on a fluid basis, with an elected political body. But, as warped as it can seem, the will of the people of Nebraska is ideally reflected in it’s lawmakers who are held accountable by voters.
Lawmakers will begin to hold hearings on these bill this week.
LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) – Hundreds of Nebraskans protested against the Trump administration Saturday along Nebraska Parkway in Lincoln, and thousands protested near Northwest Radial Highway in Omaha as part of No Kings demonstrations statewide.
The third iteration of No Kings protests organized border to border gatherings to vent displeasure at President Donald Trump and his administration’s policy decisions. The Lincoln protest was held on the Helen Boosalis Trail between North 27th Street and North 56th Street.
“I don’t like what’s going on … I know it’s not the world I want to live in,” said Ford Kloepper, a 17-year-old Lincoln resident.
Kloepper said people his age are going to take the “brunt” of Trump’s “mistakes.” He pointed to the recent U.S. conflict in Iran as a motivator to protest for him, as he doesn’t want to get “drafted into a war in the Middle East for no reason at all.”
Many of the protesters, much like previous demonstrations, held anti-Trump signs with slogans like, “Trump lies” and “Stop Trump, save democracy.” Others held American flags and wore costumes. Volunteers from different groups gathered signatures for ballot initiatives and at least one candidate. One of the petitions sought to let voters decide on a state constitutional amendment requiring larger majorities to repeal or change any law passed by voters. Volunteers for nonpartisan U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn collected signatures to get him on the November ballot.
Organizers planned 18 protests across Nebraska. In Omaha, the rally was held at Gallagher Park, with thousands of protesters filling the sidewalks and grassy areas near the intersection of Maple Street and the Northwest Radial.
Organizers said the spot let protesters draw attention to historic Benson and all of the restaurants, galleries and coffee shops that have made the neighborhood a cultural destination since 1887. Among the crowd filled with a variety of ages and races was Lorin and Elwin Moseman, waving signs that said, “End Wars Before Wars End Us” and “No Kings No ICE.”
It was the Mosemans’ third anti-Kings rally, and despite the chill of the day, they said they wouldn’t have missed it.
“It could have been an ice storm,” said Elwin, who was motivated in particular by “the Epstein files and Trump being in them, this stupid war we’ve got involved with Iran.”
His wife, Lorin, said she came to “stand up for democracy.”
“I want to show up, stand up and speak out about our country,” she said, decrying “leadership incompetency from the very beginning.”
She said the nation needs a presidential job description and interview, and she was not short on words to describe her disgust and disappointment about current leadership: “Shameful, disgusting, exhausting.”
“We’re in a broken world,” she said.
Nearby, a bundled up woman in a wheelchair held onto a sign that said, “I’m mad about everything.”
Sara Peterson led buses carrying about 75 protesters from First United Methodist Church of Omaha. She said people felt a sense of unity and joy seeing the chanting crowd, which she said reflected her group’s makeup — diverse in age, ethnicity and political party.
“We’re not alone,” she said “It’s an exciting day to be a part of.”
Peterson called the rally a “tangible sign of people coming together … for democracy.” Her group included church members and their friends — some of whom never participated in such a protest or rally before but felt the urge and were nudged “out of their comfort zone to take back our country and democracy.
Since the return of Trump for a second term, the anti-Trump group has organized national protests. Nebraska, much like the rest of the nation, saw multiple demonstrations throughout 2025.
The group also bought ads in local newspapers ahead of the Saturday protests. Nebraska Republican Party chair Mary Jane Truemper had no immediate comment on the protests.
As Election Day gets closer, political observers have wondered how organizers might harness the political energy, whether the demonstrations might signal a coming wave of change at the polls, or whether momentum will fizzle after the crowds go home. Some have argued Democrats and progressives are good at mobilizing people for large-scale protests but have lagged conservatives in building local infrastructure to affect sweeping policy changes.
Back in Lincoln, Erik Betts, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln student, said the political winds are in Democrats’ favor, and he feels the possibilities are endless, even in a reliably red state. He said he thinks Osborn could beat Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, and he hopes the “blue” wave might be large enough to beat Nebraska 1st Congressional District Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, a former speaker of the Legislature.
“We need to really show up this time …We’ve got to take this motivation … and make a difference,” Betts said.
Betts said events like these help him stay hopeful because it reminds him that he is not alone.
“When you are in your own house and just scrolling on social media, it’s easy to feel just defeated,” Betts said. “So I come out as much to show support for everyone else, to feel that maybe a bunch of people agree with [me] and things can change.”
Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Aaron Sanderford for questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com.
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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – For many families, beating a cancer diagnosis isn’t just about physical recovery. One Omaha cancer survivor is now using her voice to fight for medical debt relief across Nebraska.
Diana Gleisberg Meredith thought she had an upper respiratory infection in January 2024.
“In January of 2024, I felt like I had some kind of upper respiratory – maybe Pneumonia, RSV…” Meredith said.
She was sent from her primary care doctor to the emergency room to a hospital by ambulance in a five-hour span.
“The ER doctor identified that it was cancer, likely lymphoma,” Meredith said.
Diagnosis came as new mother started treatment
The diagnosis came as Meredith became a new mom. She knew she had to immediately start treatment.
“It’s life changing. You go from not having a care in the world to thinking you’re going to die and how is that going to affect my baby. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through emotionally, physically and mentally,” Meredith said.
Meredith said there’s an invisible burden that comes with the diagnosis.
“Not everybody is lucky to have the financial support or the human support to help them,” Meredith said.
Treatment costs could add up to millions
Meredith had 12 chemo treatments. Each used four medications, with one of those costing more than $130,000. For one family, this could add up to millions.
After Meredith entered remission, she began fighting for medical debt relief for other Nebraskans.
“Nebraskans all throughout the state and right here in Omaha – they’re having to make those decisions about should they save their life, or how do they care for their family,” Meredith said.
Advocacy group plans Washington trip
She works with Blood Cancer United alongside other Omaha mothers whose children are cancer survivors. They hold fundraisers like “Light the Night,” collecting thousands of dollars and supporters.
In May, they’ll travel to Washington, D.C., for training on how to push for change at the federal level.
“Our office of public policy gets together to help train these volunteers, help them get to know each other better and develop familiarity with what it means to go to a lawmakers office in Washington DC,” said Dana Bacon, senior director of government affairs for Blood Cancer United.
Meredith is fighting for lower interest rates on medical debt, no foreclosures on homes over medical debt and paused interest rates.
“It’s probably the most stressful thing that you’re going to go through, and then having to add medical debt on top of it? To be honest it’s hell,” Meredith said.
Other states are already protecting families from medical debt. Meredith said Nebraska should be next. Iowa is one of the states that limits liens and foreclosures when a family is drowning in medical debt.
Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Red Flag Warnings are in effect across Nebraska as dangerous fire conditions develop heading into the weekend, paired with unseasonably warm temperatures and strong winds that could quickly spread any flames.
Red Flag Warnings are in place for eastern Nebraska through 9 p.m. Friday night. The warning area expands significantly on Saturday, covering the entire state from throughout the entire day Saturday.
Friday: Moderate Fire Danger, Drying Trend
Friday’s fire concerns are lower than Saturday’s, but still significant. A Red Flag Warning remains in place for eastern Nebraska through 9 p.m. tonight as northerly winds pull in drier air throughout the afternoon. Dewpoints are expected to fall between 0° and 10° this evening as wind speeds taper.
The strongest winds and driest air won’t occur at the same time Friday, which is why confidence in Red Flag conditions is lower than normal today. By sunset, winds will become light and shift to the south as a surface high pressure system moves through the area.
Saturday: Extreme Fire Danger
Saturday brings the most critical fire weather conditions of the period. The Red Flag Warning expands to encompass the entire state as relative humidity values plummet to 8-15% — dangerously dry levels that will allow fires to spread rapidly.
Winds will be the primary concern. Southerly winds are expected to be sustained between 20 and 30 MPH for most — with gusts between 40 and 50 MPH possible at times. These powerful winds combined with extreme dryness create a recipe for rapid fire spread.
Temperatures will warm into the 60s and low 70s on Saturday — warmer in the west — but the heat is secondary to the wind and dryness threat. Relative humidity values will fall below 30% as early as 9 a.m. when the Red Flag Warning begins.
Sunday: High Fire Danger, Lighter Winds
Fire danger remains high to very high Sunday as an upper ridge moves overhead. Temperatures will climb to the upper 70s to upper 80s. The good news: southerly winds won’t be as strong, with gusts peaking at only 20 mph. This provides some relief from the most critical conditions, though fire danger will still be elevated.
Record Heat Monday
Monday will be the week’s warmest day, with mid- to upper-80s and low 90s forecast across Nebraska. Records are within reach — for many areas across the state. Lincoln’s forecast high of 88 degrees would tie the 1917 record.
Pattern Change Ahead
A cold front will slice through the area Tuesday morning, bringing cooler and cloudier conditions back to Nebraska. Highs will fall back to the 50s and 60s — a dramatic 30+ degree temperature drop from Monday. Winds will remain gusty from the north.
Precipitation chances will increase by early to mid-week. Tuesday through Thursday will see low chances (~20%) for light precipitation, with a mixture of rain and snow possible at times. No winter impacts are expected. Better chances are forecast for Wednesday night and Friday night as a wholesale pattern change develops, bringing southwest flow and surface moisture back to the region.
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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
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