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Partisan fight continues over committee assignments in Nebraska Legislature • Nebraska Examiner

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Partisan fight continues over committee assignments in Nebraska Legislature • Nebraska Examiner


LINCOLN — The fate of some conservative priorities, such as changing how Nebraska allocates its votes for president or adding a “women’s bill of rights” to state law, could depend on whether Republicans succeed this week in making Democrats a minority on every legislative committee but one.

The leading point of contention Wednesday revolved around the makeup of the eight-member Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. By the end of the first day of the session, Government was set to have five Democrats and three Republicans, including its chair.

State Sen. Christy Armendariz of Omaha. Jan. 8, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

The group deciding is the Legislature’s 13-member Committee on Committees, which includes a chair and four representatives each from three legislative “caucuses,” which roughly mirror the state’s three congressional districts to reflect statewide representation.

“Me personally, and I’m one vote, I’m not representing any caucus in this,” State Sen. Christy Armendariz of Omaha, the Committee on Committees chair, said. “I think that the committee assignments should be representative of the makeup of the entire state.”

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‘They’ve chosen their party’

While the Legislature is officially nonpartisan, Armendariz, a first-time member of the committee, said all 13 members know what is going on: a fight over partisan balance, which impacts all Nebraskans.  

The Committee on Committees consists of eight Republicans, four Democrats and one nonpartisan independent. There are 33 Republicans in the Legislature, 15 Democrats and one nonpartisan progressive.

“They’ve chosen their party,” Armendariz said of Nebraska voters. “I don’t think it’s fair to exclude anybody in the state from representation on the committee.”

First day of 2025 Nebraska Legislature underscores conservative stronghold

The Committee on Committees met after Republicans in the Legislature swept leadership positions for all but one committee. They left the Urban Affairs Committee in the hands of State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha, a Democrat who chaired the committee the past two years.

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Under a set of unofficial, tentative placements discussed Wednesday evening, Republicans would maintain membership leads on all but the Government Committee and Urban Affairs Committee, which would still become more conservative.

Conservatives would grow their numbers on the previously deadlocked Judiciary Committee as well as on the Business and Labor, Health and Human Services and Natural Resources Committees.

All other daily committees will be led by Republicans, as will the Rules Committee and Executive Board.

‘This was a fantasy’

Wednesday’s Committee on Committees meeting began with representatives from the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts having already penciled in where the members of their caucuses should be placed on each of the daily committees. Those caucus representatives filled in names of where senators from the 2nd Congressional District might fall, which they defended as merely “placeholders.” 

The 2nd District Caucus, which is led by three Democrats and one independent, immediately rejected that suggestion and said the other caucuses had overstepped.

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State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha. Aug. 8, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, the progressive independent who has served on the Committee on Committees before, described the behavior as unprecedented.

“This was a fantasy for y’all, but that’s not the reality that we were ever going to be working in,” she said.

State Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte responded: “We understand that. I think we just, truly, we’re just trying to figure out what we can live with, in terms of how we want to end up.”

Hunt told Republicans on the committee to ask themselves, “Have you won enough?” The question came after the 2nd District Caucus agreed to swap freshman Omaha State Sens. Dunixi Guereca, a Democrat, and Bob Andersen, a Republican, on the Government Committee.

If accepted, the committee then would be evenly split between progressives and conservatives, 4-4, which State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, the newly elected chair, said would be better. She did not return a call after the meeting requesting further comment.

A line in the sand

Other conservatives drew lines in the sand seeking to shift the Government Committee to leaning Republican 5-3, as they had in the framework put forward by senators from the 1st and 3rd District Caucuses.

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State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue. July 25, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

Bills stuck in a deadlocked committee can still be moved to the full Legislature with 25 votes. If the Government Committee stayed 5-3 for Democrats, and the majority killed a bill they didn’t like, the introducer could still advance the bill to the floor with 30 votes from the full Legislature.

Such bills would likely be filibustered, meaning they would need 33 votes to pass, anyway.

“I don’t see any losers on this sheet,” Hunt said of the initial committee assignments. “If you take the Government [Committee] deal — I know you want a majority, that’s what this is about, but we’re not going to get there. And I don’t think that’s a loss.”

Hunt and the 2nd District Caucus moved to advance the report with the 4-4 Government Committee. The motion failed 7-6.

Sanders voted with the 2nd District Caucus and Democratic State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln to accept the evenly balanced committee and advance the amended report.

‘An attack on the nonpartisan Unicameral’

Part of the contention comes two days after the 2nd District Caucus met in Omaha and progressives secured all four spots on the Committee on Committees, as well as two coveted spots on the Executive Board, which manages the day-to-day operations of the legislative branch. (The full 2nd District Caucus consists of eight Democrats, eight Republicans and one progressive independent.)

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State Sen. Brad von Gillern of Omaha. Jan. 8, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

That meant kicking off Republican State Sens. Brad von Gillern of Omaha from the Committee on Committees and Merv Riepe of Ralston from the Executive Board. 

Von Gillern called the move “the most intentionally partisan thing I’ve experienced since I was sworn in two years ago” and “an attack on the nonpartisan Unicameral Legislature by those who typically wave that flag harder than anyone else.”

He said the decision doesn’t set a “constructive tone” ahead of conversations like winner-take-all when progressives make “such a partisan act.”

“Votes on important issues often fall on party line, but this was not issue-driven and did nothing to improve their vote count on the overall Committee on Committees,” von Gillern said in a text. “There will still be a Republican majority there. There is no discernible strategy that I can see.”

State Sens. Megan Hunt of Omaha, John Fredrickson of Omaha and George Dungan of Lincoln, from left, meet on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature. Aug. 8, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

State Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha, who got a spot on both the Executive Board and Committee on Committees, said: “That’s where the votes landed.”

A cautionary tale

At one point, Jacobson suggested that a path forward might include the 2nd District senators accepting the pre-slated committee assignments from the 1st and 3rd District Caucuses.

Clerk of the Legislature Brandon Metzler cautioned that if the committee chose to cross that threshold, “you’re not coming back.”

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“I think that’s dangerous for not only CD 2, but I think it’s dangerous for CD 3, from an urban-rural split,” Metzler said. “The caucus system is inherently political. We have never had a choice made for a caucus that they were not, as a caucus, on board with. But that’s the determination of this committee to decide.”

State Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus. Aug. 20, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

Factors in committee assignments

State Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus said there are multiple factors to crafting committee assignments, such as:

  • Incumbency — Not kicking senators off of committees they most recently served on.
  • Senator preference — Lawmakers typically provide first and second choice for assignments.
  • Caucus balance — The Committee on Committees usually weighs this by giving each caucus a set number of seats on a committee, based on who the chair is and proceeding through the caucuses in order after (such as 1-2-3).

Moser said there is another important consideration: partisan balance.

Hunt asked him: “Should all committees be 2:1, Republican to Democrat?”

“That’s what the average of — since there’s 66% Republicans and 33% Democrats — that’s about what it should reflect on all the committees,” Moser responded.

A path forward?

Lawmakers said if the Omaha-area lawmakers wouldn’t budge, they could find other solutions, which Jacobson and Moser said would require more deliberation.

State Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte, left, talks with State Sens. Robert Dover of Norfolk and Brad von Gillern of Elkhorn, from left, at a legislative retreat in Kearney on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

“If the Second District is locked in where they’re at, then there may be some actions in response that other caucuses make,” Moser said. “Maybe they’re not going to be pleasant, but we’re going to think about that overnight, talk about it a little bit and come back tomorrow.”

Asked whether that meant some 1st or 3rd District Caucus members might lose committee positions they previously held, or not get their top preferences, Armendariz said that’s up to the districts.

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“They get to make their own decisions,” Armendariz said. “I would never want to get in the middle of that, if that’s what they choose to do.”

Committee assignments will ultimately be kicked out to the full Legislature in a preliminary report. The Legislature would then vote to accept, or reject, the placements after the Committee on Committees advances a final report.

However, preliminary reports often become final committee placements.

The Committee on Committees reconvenes shortly after 10 a.m. on Thursday.

 

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Nebraska

Former K-State Target Decommits From Nebraska

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Former K-State Target Decommits From Nebraska


A former recruiting target for the Kansas State Wildcats, Dveyoun Bonwell-Witte, is back in the cycle after decommitting from the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Tuesday. The Class of 2026 wide receiver had been committed to Nebraska since Oct. 7, 2024, spending almost a year out of the recruiting eye.

However, the writing was on the wall for a potential split. The Cornhuskers never brought him in for an official visit after his commitment, and the team moved on from former offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield and wide receivers coach Garret McGuire, who was involved in his commitment.

“After much thought and prayerful consideration, I’ve decided to reopen my recruitment,” shared the senior wide receiver on X. After reopening his recruitment, this opens the door for some schools that were involved in the early stages of his recruiting process.

Bonwell-Witte is a three-star prospect from Sioux Falls, S.D. He is the No. 3 recruit in the state, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, and is just outside the top 100 wide receivers in the country.

Given his location, it would be no surprise if some of the top FCS programs began to pursue the 6-1, 190-pound wideout, but he had five Power Four offers before making his commitment to Nebraska last October.

The Kansas State Wildcats were the first team to extend an offer to Bonwell-Witte on June 7, 2024. They were joined by Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, with the latter bringing him in for two unofficial visits and a camp last summer.

Bonwell-Witte suffered a leg injury a year ago that ended his junior year early. However, he is back on the field and making plays for Washington High School.

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The Wildcats only have two wide receiver commits so far in the 2026 cycle — Maxwell Lovett from Englewood, Colo., and Tanner West from Fulshear, Texas — so there is room to pursue the speedy wide receiver from South Dakota.

Kansas State wide receivers coach Matthew Middleton, who is entering his third season with Kansas State, was listed as Bonwell-Witte’s lead recruiter by 247Sports. The Kansas City native has found success in Manhattan, Kan., coaching wide receiver Jayce Brown to an impressive start to his career in royal purple and white.

Furthermore, Middleton has some ties to South Dakota already. He coached the South Dakota Coyotes, serving as the wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator from 2013-17.

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It is not clear who has an inside path with the Class of 2026 wide receiver, especially with his commitment coming so soon in the process, but there is an opportunity for the Wildcats to pounce on a familiar name.





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Another Beatdown for Nebraska Football in Lincoln. Now, It’s Time to Prove It.

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Another Beatdown for Nebraska Football in Lincoln. Now, It’s Time to Prove It.


The Nebraska football team delivered its second overpowering performance in as many weeks, dominating Houston Christian in every phase of the game and, more importantly, getting through another non-conference tune-up game without any major injuries. The Huskers cruised to a 59-7 win against the overmatched Huskies in front of another sold out Memorial Stadium crowd. 

As the Huskers gear up for Big Ten play, the team is exactly where it wanted–and needed–to be after three non-conference games. We cover it all in the Topline Takeaways. 

CHEERS TO THAT

Bringing Your Own Energy. Coming off of a dominating win over Akron, facing an FCS opponent, and kicking off at 11am can be a recipe for a slow start. While no one doubted the ultimate outcome, there was some chatter from various corners of the Husker universe about Nebraska coming out flat. Those concerns were quickly put to bed. 

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The Memorial Stadium crowd was juiced from the get-go, and the Big Red scored on their first five possessions of the game. They led 17-0 after the first quarter, and 38-0 at halftime. Is this what a team like Nebraska is supposed to do against a lesser opponent? Yes, it is. But, we have too many examples in recent years of the Huskers struggling with–and even losing to–lower conference and lower division opponents. So far through three games, Matt Rhule’s team has showed up ready to play. 

More Reps for the Young Guys. Dylan Raiola, Emmett Johnson, and several other starters didn’t even take the field in the 2nd half, and that’s the way it should be against an FCS school. Three quarterbacks took snaps for the boys in red, 11 different players caught passes, and 27 different players had tackles. That’ll do just fine. 

Husker fans of a certain age remember the days when it was commonplace–even during conference games–for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th stringers to see the field after the team had established a big enough lead. It was one part of Tom Osborne’s secret sauce, as younger players received valuable game reps, allowing TO to build experienced depth year over year. It won’t happen every game for Matt Rhule’s squad, but for an extremely young team, these last two weeks have been extremely valuable. 

TJ Lateef Shines Again. I don’t know if it’s just social media chatter or if it’s a conversation among a broader segment of the fan base, but any suggestion that Dylan Raiola is not the #1 guy at quarterback is nonsense. Raiola was excellent again, completing 15 of 22 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns in only one half of play. Dylan is the guy, plain and simple. 

Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef scrambles for a 9-yard gain against Akron.

Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef scrambles for a 9-yard gain against Akron. / Kenny Larabee, KLIN

That said, it sure is nice to see how good backup QB TJ Lateef–a true freshman–has looked these last two weeks. Lateef was a perfect five for five for 126 yards, completing a beautiful deep ball to fellow true freshman Cortez Mills for a touchdown, and rushing for another TD. Lateef has looked outstanding the last two weeks, and you have to tip your hat to Matt Rhule and Dana Holgorsen for the quarterback room they are building. 

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Dane Key Coming Out Party. Upon transferring from Kentucky, Key was the headliner for Nebraska’s transfer portal class. And, don’t get me wrong, he had a solid first two weeks for the Huskers, hauling in nine catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns. But Saturday was the breakout we’ve been waiting for. Key had four receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown, and he would have had a second touchdown if not for a slightly under-thrown ball from Raiola early in the game (not nit-picking here; it was still a completion after all!). With Key, fellow transfer Nyziah Hunter, and Jacorey Barney, the Huskers have multiple impact players leading the way at wide receiver, which is supplemented by tight ends Luke Lindenmeyer and Heinrich Haarberg and young talent like Cortez Mills. 

You have to assume offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen hasn’t shown anywhere close to all the cards he’s holding for the Nebraska offense this season; I’m excited to see what else he has in store for these playmakers. 

Pass Defense. The Blackshirts have not given up 100 yards passing in a single game this season. Nebraska currently ranks #1 in the nation in passing defense, allowing an average of 66 yards per game and holding opposing teams to a 50% completion rating. This is particularly notable when you factor in that Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby–held by the Big Red to 69 yards and a 52% completion percentage–has completed 82% of his passes and thrown for 586 yards and eight touchdowns since being stifled by Nebraska. The Huskers’ passing defense has been absolutely elite through three games. 

REASONS FOR CONCERN

Rushing Defense. For the second week in a row, there’s not much to complain about. But if I had to pick something, I do worry a bit about how Nebraska will fare in stopping the run once Big Ten play begins. There’s a lot of young talent in the front seven on defense, but we were spoiled over the last few years watching guys like Ty Robinson, Nash Hutmacher, and John Bullock anchor the defense. How will the young guys fare against the Big Ten heavies?

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For now though, there is plenty to celebrate with John Butler’s defense. While the rushing defense ranks 75th nationally, the Huskers currently sit at #6 in the nation in total defense and #7 in scoring defense, to go along with the aforementioned excellence on passing defense. The last two weeks have been critical for the overall development of the defense, and this team looks poised for bigger things. 

BOTTOM LINE

All eyes on the Wolverines. 

The Huskers have taken care of business so far, and they have as much promise as any Nebraska team in recent memory. But of course conference play is the great equalizer, and the Big Red will have to continue to prove it on the field. This week’s matchup against Michigan will tell us a lot. Nebraska has not won against an opponent ranked in the AP poll in their last 27 tries. Now is as good a time as any to break that streak. 

As always, GBR for LIFE. 

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Tell us what you think, Common Fans. We’d love to hear from you. Send us an email at commonfangbr@gmail.com or find us on YouTube

Houston Christian and Michigan game pages.

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.



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How to watch Nebraska volleyball vs Grand Canyon today: Time, TV channel and streaming

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How to watch Nebraska volleyball vs Grand Canyon today: Time, TV channel and streaming


The Nebraska volleyball team continues the Husker Invitational on Saturday night when it hosts Grand Canyon at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Huskers are 7-0 on the year and coming off a 3-1 victory over the Utah Utes.

The Huskers hit .303 for the match while holding Utah to a .063 hitting percentage. Rebekah Allick led the Husker offense with 13 kills while hitting .667 and contributing seven blocks. Bergen Reilly ran the offense at a high level, ending the night with 32 assists and 18 digs, both of which were match highs. 

Grand Canyon is 6-1 on the year and defeated Drake in five sets on Friday. Anaelena Ramirez leads the Lopes with 3.24 kills per set. Hayden Goodman has 30 blocks, which ranks No. 29 nationally. Nebraska and Grand Canyon have played only once, with the Huskers winning 3-0 on August 29, 2015, in Lincoln.

This weekend is Nebraska’s 1995 and 2015 national championship reunion weekend. Members of the Huskers’ 1995 and 2015 national championship teams will be recognized at both of this weekend’s matches. 

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Watch Nebraska volleyball vs Grand Canyon live on B1G+

Here’s how to watch the Nebraska volleyball vs Grand Canyon game today, including time, TV schedule, and streaming information:

What channel is Nebraska volleyball vs Grand Canyon on today?

TV Channel: Nebraska Public Media

Livestream: B1G+

Nebraska volleyball vs Grand Canyon can be seen on Nebraska Public Media. Larry Punteney and John Cook will be on the call. Streaming options for the game include B1G+.

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Nebraska volleyball vs Grand Canyon time today

  • Date: Saturday, Sept. 13
  • Start time: 6 p.m. CT

The Nebraska volleyball vs Grand Canyon match starts at 6 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Nebraska volleyball 2025 nonconference schedule

  • Aug. 22 – vs. Pittsburgh – WIN 3-1 (25-22, 25-11, 20-25, 25-23)
  • Aug. 24 – vs. Stanford – WIN 3-0 (25-13, 25-19, 25-14)
  • Aug. 29 – at Lipscomb – WIN 3-0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-15)
  • Aug. 31 – vs Kentucky – WIN 3-2 (24-26, 20-25, 25-19, 25-23, 15-8)
  • Sept. 5 – vs. Wright State – WIN 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-20)
  • Sept. 7 – vs. California – WIN 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-12)
  • Sept. 12 – vs. Utah – WIN 3-1 (21-25, 25-8, 25-18, 25-13)
  • Sept. 13 – vs. Grand Canyon – 6 p.m. CT
  • Sept. 16 – at Creighton – 6:30 p.m. CT
  • Sept. 20 – vs. Arizona – TBA

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





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