Nebraska

Nebraska voter survey shows heavy support for more state investment in early learning, child care • Nebraska Examiner

Published

2 years ago

May 1, 2024

Nebraska voter survey shows heavy support for more state investment in early learning, child care • Nebraska Examiner

LINCOLN — More than 80% of respondents in a new statewide survey agree, and about half strongly agree, that Nebraska lawmakers should support child care and early learning programs as they do for K-12 grades and higher education.

About the same proportions believe state legislators should make child care and early learning a higher priority than it is today.

And the bulk of parents, nonparents, rural and urban folks alike favored using a portion of a state budget surplus to help pay for better services.

Those were among results of the survey released Wednesday and conducted for We Care for Kids/Por todos los niños and the Nebraska Extension early childhood development arm.

“This survey is a message from Nebraskans for lawmakers to act, and act big, on access to quality, affordable child care and early learning,” said Kathleen Lodl, associate dean at Nebraska Extension.

Dimensions Education Programs in Lincoln provides a hands-on, experiential approach to learning that is based on the needs and curiosity of young children. We Care for Kids is a campaign in the state that is raising awareness of the importance of quality early childhood education in Nebraska. (Courtesy of We Care for Kids)

New Bridge Strategy in January interviewed 501 registered voters representing various backgrounds, political affiliations and parts of the state. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.38% for the overall sample.

Results of the partnership’s third annual survey are to be distributed to legislators, policymakers and others in an effort to rally for increased attention to affordable and quality child care services, says Claire Wiebe of We Care for Kids.

The partnership of more than 120 state and community-based organizations is coordinated by the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska. The survey comes amidst alarm in the industry.

According to the partnership, 91% of counties in Nebraska with child care facilities do not have enough available slots to meet demand, and 11 counties have no licensed child care facilities.

Nearly 30% of home-based child care providers and 20% of center-based teachers depend on some type of public assistance.

Wiebe said various communities are working to improve access to affordable child care and early learning programming and “can’t do it alone.”

Citing the survey, she said, “Clearly, there is a strong desire to fix Nebraska’s child care crisis and for state government to do its part.”

Morgan Williams reads to her son in Eustis, NE. We Care for Kids is a campaign in the state that is raising awareness of the importance of quality early childhood education in Nebraska. (Courtesy of We Care for Kids)

Lori Weigel of New Bridge led the survey and said a “bottom line” takeaway was that Nebraska voters value early education and childcare as a key to the state’s economic and social well-being.

“People are connecting the dots with the economy, ” she said.

Weigel pointed to the 83% of respondents who said access to quality and affordable child care is essential or very important to strengthening the economy.

She also pointed out feedback to a question about whether those surveyed would support investing as much as $190 million annually over a decade to boost early learning and child care programming. Respondents were told Nebraska has a $2 billion surplus.

To that spending proposition, 79% were supporters and 18% opposed the idea.

Online respondents were asked to explain their support. Top answers: children are the future of Nebraska (21%); early childhood education is important and education is a priority (17%); quality education helps children develop properly (14%).

Top reasons among the share who opposed the investment: too much money overall (24%); money should go to other priorities (24%); more money to schools won’t help (14%).

Wiebe said some positive movement was made during the past legislative session, including an amended Legislative Bill 856, which changed a Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services rule that prohibited home child care providers from receiving free child care assistance for their own children. She said LB 1416, amended into LB 164, also supported early childhood education and showed lawmakers were interested in improvements.

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Nebraska

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen appoints Antonio Gomez to Racing and Gaming Commission

Published

11 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen appoints Antonio Gomez to Racing and Gaming Commission

LINCOLN, Neb — Gov. Jim Pillen has appointed Antonio Gomez of Jackson to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, adding a longtime Siouxland business leader and public servant to the panel.

Commission members serve four-year terms and are subject to approval by the Nebraska Legislature.

Gomez launched Gomez Pallets in South Sioux City in 1983. He has since retired from daily operations, but last year the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce recognized him with the W. Edwards Deming Business Leadership and Entrepreneurial Excellence Award.

Gomez previously served on the Nebraska Commission on Latino Americans from 1981 to 2002. He also served as a Dakota County commissioner for 12 years and was on the Foundation Board for Northeast Community College.

Gomez’s appointment is effective April 1.

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Nebraska

CBS Sports predicts Nebraska-Iowa basketball in the Sweet 16

Published

23 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

CBS Sports predicts Nebraska-Iowa basketball in the Sweet 16

The Nebraska Cornhuskers will face the Iowa Hawkeyes on Thursday in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. This is the Huskers’ first Sweet 16 in program history, while Iowa is playing in its first Sweet 16 since 1999.

Nebraska defeated Vanderbilt 74-72 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Iowa advanced after beating the defending national champion, the Florida Gators, 73-72.

CBS Sports reporter Isaac Trotter broke down Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup. Trotter started by looking at the two previous matchups in this series.

These teams have played twice. Iowa won at home in a 57-52 rockfight. Nebraska returned the favor by winning at home, 84-75 in overtime, in another to-the-death brawl.

It’s no secret that Nebraska’s defense caused significant problems for the Iowa offense in the second game, and if the Hawkeyes are going to win the rubber match, Trotter believes that turnovers will be the key.

There are no secrets in the rubber match. Nebraska’s no-middle defense has given Iowa real problems both times. The Hawkeyes turned it over 20% of the time in Game 1 and 26% of the time in Game 2. That can’t happen in the third encounter.

CBS Sports believes that Iowa has the best player on the floor in Bennett Stirtz, but Trotter also believes that Nebraska’s defense is just too much in the end for Iowa.

Iowa has the best player on the floor, Bennett Stirtz, and can hurt Nebraska on the glass, but the Huskers get the nod because of this pick-and-roll defense. You have to be able to guard ball screens effectively to shut down Iowa, and Nebraska has been an elite pick-and-roll defense, rating in the 99th percentile nationally, per Synergy.

In the end, Trotter selected Nebraska as his pick. Should the Huskers advance to the Elite Eight, Nebraska would play the winner of the Illinois-Houston game. Nebraska-Iowa play in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 26 at 6:30 p.m. CT on TBS.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: CBS Sports predicts Nebraska-Iowa basketball in the Sweet 16

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Nebraska

Protect Colorado agriculture — do the homework on Nebraska canal plan (Letters)

Published

2 days ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

Protect Colorado agriculture — do the homework on Nebraska canal plan (Letters)

We need to do our homework on Nebraska canal plan

Re: “Colorado’s water war with Nebraska comes to a head,” Sept. 21 news story

Farming in northeastern Colorado has never been easy, and it is getting harder. Markets are tough, input costs are up, and young people are leaving. What keeps communities in Northeastern Colorado going is agriculture, the water, the ground, and the community that ties everything together. The proposed Perkins County Canal — to carry South Platte River water into Nebraska — threatens all of it.

When you take water off farmland, the damage does not stop in crop yields. Equipment dealers, elevators, local banks, and businesses all feel it. Schools and roads will suffer. We have seen what happens to towns that lose their agricultural base, and we cannot let that happen again without a real fight.

That fight needs to be a regional one. I am asking communities across northeastern Colorado to come together and hire an independent economic consultant to assess the true local impact of this project (acres affected, jobs at risk, income lost, tax base eroded).

The Corps of Engineers will do its own analysis, but we need our own numbers. If their conclusions do not match what our communities are actually facing, we need the documentation to say so and demand they take another look.

Rural communities have always figured out how to help each other when it counts. This is one of those times. I urge local officials, water boards, farm bureaus, and civic leaders to set aside any differences and work together on this. The permit process will not wait, and neither can we.

Kimberly L. Kinnison, Ovid

Don’t let our children be ‘policy pawns’

Re: “District accused of violating Title IX,” March 14 news story

The Trump administration seems intent on the persecution of transgender children, excluding them from bathrooms, sports and school activities. Refusing to allow transgender children to participate in school in a manner consistent with their gender identity promotes the exclusion of particularly vulnerable children.

Participation in sports, access to bathrooms in which they feel comfortable, and full inclusion are critical components of healthy development for all children.

Some children are taller, faster, or stronger, have been training with private coaches or attending schools with better facilities, but the requirement of biological uniformity applies only to transgender children.

Exclusion harms children. Is this in dispute? Our children are not political pawns.

Jane Cates, Jefferson County

Don’t forget the Denver Chamber Music Festival

Re: “Classical blast,” March 15 feature story

Thanks to Ray Rinaldi for a terrific article about classical music festivals in the mountains this summer. I’d like to add one, and it’s right here in town: the Denver Chamber Music Festival from June 5 to June 13. World-class musicians, including the amazing classical/bluegrass violinist Tessa Lark, our first composer in residence, and local favorites Stephanie Cheng and Margaret Dyer Harris, and the members of the Colorado Cello Quartet.

All performances are at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts; tickets available at denverchambermusicfestival.org. Avoid Interstate 70 and enjoy phenomenal music in Denver!

Alix Corboy, Denver

Editor’s note: Corboy is executive director of the Denver Chamber Music Festival

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