Nebraska

No matter who you’re lobbying for, follow the rules • Nebraska Examiner

Published

2 years ago

May 7, 2024

No matter who you’re lobbying for, follow the rules • Nebraska Examiner

When it comes to transparency and ethical behavior, telling the truth is a key tenet. So, imagine the surprise when the Nebraska Examiner reported that Arin Hess, who has pledged to be “more careful” about his work “lobbying for Jesus” at the Capitol, was recently caught in a scheme to deceive the Clerk of the Legislature to expand his access to legislators.

If you’re not familiar with Hess, he is a self-proclaimed chaplain for the State Legislature, and he holds weekly “Bible studies” with senators. Last year, Common Cause Nebraska filed a complaint with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission because Hess was using materials from explicitly political sources during his meetings — sources that didn’t restrain themselves to the teaching of Jesus but had a lot to say about issues being debated in the Legislature.

The commission dismissed the complaint, but Hess pledged to be more careful with how he engaged legislators and maintained that his work was only religious, not political.

Fast forward a year. In March, State Sen. Loren Lippincott requested to reserve a hearing room in the Capitol for “district community leaders,” which was approved by Clerk of the Legislature Brandon Metzler. A Nebraska Examiner reporter discovered the meeting in progress and found it was Hess’s Bible study, not “district community leaders.”

Just two days before Lippincott submitted his request, the Governor’s Office had put in a request for the same date and time, which was denied after the Clerk determined the stated purpose, “Pastors and Ministry Workers Day,” was actually for Hess. Within hours of Metzler denying the governor’s request, Lippincott made the second misleading attempt, which got by Metzler. When Metzler learned Hess was using the hearing room, he was reported to have said, “I got lied to.”

Hearing rooms in the Capitol cannot be used for religious purposes of any kind. Common Cause Nebraska does not lose sight of the irony of the fraudulent attempts on behalf of Hess. If Hess claimed he would be using the hearing room for legislative rather than religious purposes, it would have been a valid request, but it would have looked very much like the lobbying we had objected to last year.

We do not consider these to be minor slip-ups: Senators and the governor all swear to support the United States and Nebraska Constitutions, which enshrine the separation of church and state in law and prevent elected officials from showing preference to any religious society. Showing favoritism to Hess by helping him gain access to hearing rooms in the Capitol violates that oath of office. When the people we elect are willing to skirt the law to favor their own religious leaders, it’s clear that power is being abused to our detriment.

We deserve public officials who will not muddy the waters and lie to advance one person’s lobbying or religious beliefs in the Capitol. It’s in their oath of office, and in our Nebraska and U.S. Constitutions.

Lippincott went against his oath of office when he lied to the Clerk of the Legislature about the reason for wanting to reserve a hearing room; he may have also breached Nebraska law. When he intentionally misled the Clerk, Lippincott prevented Metzler from carrying out the duties of his office, that is, the duty to enforce the policies governing legislative space. (28-901) The governor’s similar misleading reservation request also violated his oath of office, but fortunately, it was quickly thwarted when the Clerk learned the true reason.

Lying about a room reservation may seem minor, but we should expect nothing less than our elected officials to honor their oaths in word and deed by fully complying with the law.

Our Unicameral Legislature or Attorney General’s Office appear unlikely to act. We have been down this road before — it’s now up to us, the citizens of Nebraska, to set aside our differences and use the power of the ballot box to ensure our elected officials uphold their oath of office and that Nebraska laws apply equally to all — without reservation.

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Nebraska

Nebraska Lottery results: See winning numbers for Powerball, Pick 3 on March 2, 2026

Published

9 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

The results are in for the Nebraska Lottery’s draw games on Monday, March 2, 2026.

Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on March 2.

Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing

02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 2 drawing

21-28-58-65-67, Powerball: 25

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 2 drawing

7-5-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 2 drawing

03-08-09-17-25

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning 2 By 2 numbers from March 2 drawing

Red Balls: 14-26, White Balls: 17-18

Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning MyDay numbers from March 2 drawing

Month: 05, Day: 03, Year: 23

Check MyDay payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 2 drawing

28-41-42-50-55, Bonus: 02

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Nebraska Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, 5: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
Lucky For Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
2 By 2: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
MyDaY: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Nebraska

NioCorp to start work on its minerals mine in southeast Nebraska

Published

22 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

NioCorp to start work on its minerals mine in southeast Nebraska

NioCorp announced Monday that it plans to start work on its critical minerals mine in southeast Nebraska.

The project, which the company is calling its mine portal project, will involve building a main entrance to the Elk Creek underground mine and will serve as the primary access point for personnel, equipment, and materials for the underground mining operations. It also will include excavating bedrock, drilling and blasting to establish the twin mine ramps, on-site access road construction, and construction of on-site supporting infrastructure.

The project, which will cost nearly $45 million, is set to get underway before the end of the month. It marks the first time Colorado-based NioCorp will actually start any significant work on the main mine, from which the company hopes to extract niobium, scandium, titanium and other minerals.

“Given the size of this excavation work, the portal project really marks the beginning of a major pre-construction activity at the Elk Creek Project site and is an important step toward preparing for underground development,” Scott Honan, the company’s president and chief operating officer, said in a release.

Mark A. Smith, Niocorp’s chairman and CEO, called the project, “a significant milestone.”

Niocorp has spent more than 15 years trying to develop the mine on land in Johnson County, about 65 miles southeast of Lincoln.

The company still needs to raise a significant amount of money to make the $1.2 billion mine a reality, though. In December, NioCorp said it had raised about $360 million, or a little more than a quarter of the total cost. It is still waiting for approval of a $780 million debt financing application from the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

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Nebraska

Nebraska Lottery results: See winning numbers for Pick 3, Pick 5 on March 1, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

The results are in for the Nebraska Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, March 1, 2026.

Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on March 1.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 1 drawing

7-6-5

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 1 drawing

04-20-28-30-39

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning 2 By 2 numbers from March 1 drawing

Red Balls: 02-10, White Balls: 25-26

Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning MyDay numbers from March 1 drawing

Month: 11, Day: 28, Year: 38

Check MyDay payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 1 drawing

10-11-12-35-56, Bonus: 04

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Nebraska Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, 5: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
Lucky For Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
2 By 2: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
MyDaY: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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