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According to The Sentencing Project, 4.6 million Americans cannot vote because of a felony conviction. (Anna Kosolapova/Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

NE advocates foresee new voting-restoration law helping individuals, state

April is Second Chance Month and many Nebraskans are celebrating passage of a bipartisan voting rights restoration bill and its focus on second chance…

In a 2024 report, the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce Foundation pointed to the importance of legal immigrants for improving Nebraska's ongoing workforce shortage. (Moab Republic/Adobe Stock)

ACLU: Due process rights violated in Omaha immigration courts

Immigrants whose cases are heard in Omaha's Immigration Court are often denied their due process rights, according to a report from the ACLU of …

Homes in the award-winning Ho-Chunk Village on the Winnebago Reservation. (Photo by Jerry L. Mennenga, courtesy of Ho-Chunk, Inc.)

Winnebago Tribe's Ho-Chunk Village Wins Major Award, Serves as Model

Nebraska's Winnebago Tribe is considered a mid-sized tribe, but it's a big award winner. The tribe's Ho-Chunk Village housing development is one of …

According to USDA Economic Research Service, the number of U.S. agricultural workers on H-2A visas rose from under 50,000 in 2005 to more than 250,000 in 2021. Their average wage in 2021 was $13.00 an hour for just over 39 hours per week. (Photo credits: Alex/Adobe Stock)

Agriculture Worker Rights Program: Attorneys for Eligible Ag Workers in NE

With an average hourly wage of under $15 in 2021, many Nebraska agricultural workers would be hard-pressed to afford an attorney if they needed one …

Makerspaces allow Native American youths, communities and teachers to engage with culturally connected making activities using high- and low-tech materials, leveraging existing indigenous technologies and craft practices. (Adobe Stock)

Native American Makerspace Coming Soon to Macy and Santee

The Center for Rural Affairs is launching collaborative work spaces on Nebraska Indian Community College campuses in Macy and Santee for making…

Western Nebraska is home to food deserts, where there is no easy way to get good, healthy food regularly, which disproportionately impact seniors in rural areas. (Adobe Stock)

Reimagining Ways to Get Struggling Nebraska Families Back on Track

With a new legislative session on the horizon and new legislators after the November elections, the Coalition for a Strong Nebraska is bringing …

The Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Act builds on protections passed by Congress in 1978 by clarifying state policies and procedures regarding implementation of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act. (Adobe Stock)

Brief Urges Supreme Court to Uphold Indian Child Welfare Act

The ACLU of Nebraska has joined a national brief filed in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court challenging a 1978 law passed by Congress aiming to …

Nebraska taxpayers are on the hook for more than $38,000 a year for every person serving time in the state's prison system. (Adobe Stock)

Nebraska's Prison Overcrowding Emergency Now in Third Year

Nebraska is now in year three of a prison overcrowding emergency, according to the latest numbers released by the Nebraska Department of Correctional …

Latino leaders and advocates criticized Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts for failing to fund a state count committee, a commonly used tool for reaching historically hard-to-count communities in census surveys. (Adobe Stock)

Nebraska Outperforms National Census in Tally of Latinos

Nebraska did a better job counting the state's Latino residents in the 2020 Census than new national undercount data suggests. According to analysis …

A recipient of guaranteed income from Springboard to Opportunities' Magnolia Mother's Trust, which gives $1,000 per month for one year to families headed by Black women living in federally subsidized housing. (Instagram/Springboard to Opportunities)

Guaranteed Income Seen as Path Toward Gender, Racial Justice

By Katie Fleischer for Ms. Media. Broadcast version by Emily Scott for Nebraska News Connection, Reporting for the Ms. Magazine-Public News Service …

Children who are incarcerated are less likely to graduate from high school and find employment later in life. (Adobe Stock)

Incarceration Data Shows Juvenile Justice System Off Mission in Nebraska

Nearly a quarter-million children were incarcerated in the U.S. in 2019, about five times more than annual point-in-time counts, according to a new …

LB 933 would make it a felony to provide medicine or procedures that end pregnancies, even in cases of rape and incest. (Adobe Stock)

Nebraska Lawmakers Advance Abortion Ban Opposed by Majority of Voters

Nebraska is on track to ban all abortions in the state if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its landmark Roe v. Wade decision. On Friday, lawmakers …

A recent ACLU poll found that more than 90% of Nebraska voters want redistricting to be data-driven, transparent and nonpartisan. (Adobe Stock)

Ensuring Voter Access Within NE's New District Lines

Nebraska voters may be casting ballots at unfamiliar polling sites for the upcoming midterm elections after the Nebraska Legislature established new d…

Ending Nebraska's lifetime ban on food assistance for people convicted of drug felonies is projected to result in 23 fewer individuals recidivating, saving upwards of $1 million for taxpayers. (Adobe Stock)

Bill to End Lifetime Ban on Food Assistance Before Nebraska Lawmakers

Nebraska lawmakers are considering a bill to end a lifetime ban on federal food assistance for people convicted of federal drug felonies. Proponents …

Critics of Critical Race Theory have called for lawmakers to allow parents to take their kids, along with tax dollars meant for public schools, into schools that more closely adhere to their political and religious beliefs. (Adobe Stock)

Nebraska Lawmakers to Debate How Race is Taught in Public Schools

Since January of last year, following national unrest over the police killing of George Floyd, 37 states have introduced measures designed to …

An ACLU of Nebraska investigation found mistakes and confusion over Nebraska's two-year waiting period to restore voting rights for people with felony records had caused election officials to send disqualification notices to Nebraskans who should not have received them. (Adobe Stock)

Lawmakers to Consider Restoring Voter Rights for Former Felons

Lawmakers are considering a bill which would restore Nebraskans' right to vote immediately after they complete their felony sentences, instead of …

Hair is a sacred symbol for Lakota tribal members, and should only be cut by a Native American woman or a child's grandfather in ceremony. (Adobe Stock)

Lakota Racial Justice and Religious Freedom Case Headed for Trial

ROSEBUD, Neb. -- A lawsuit accusing a Nebraska school district of violating a Lakota family's First Amendment rights and unlawful racial …

Just four of 19 Nebraska law-enforcement agencies surveyed do not currently employ a multilingual officer. (Adobe Stock)

Nebraska Law Enforcement Behind on Language Accessibility

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Not one law-enforcement agency in Nebraska is meeting all U.S. Department of Justice guidance and best practices on how to provide …

Indigenous early-childhood education programs at tribal colleges and universities aim to improve students' educational attainment by revising school curriculums to be more culturally relevant. (Adobe Stock)

American Indian College Fund to Strengthen Native Teacher Pipeline

OMAHA, Neb. -- Tribal colleges and universities in Nebraska and across the nation are teaching the next generation of pre-K and elementary-school …

A new report spotlights the economic impacts of limiting a woman's right to safe and legal abortion. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Restricting Abortion Access Brings Big Financial Trouble

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Limiting women's access to abortion and other reproductive health care can have a devastating impact on state economies. According …

Nine in ten Nebraskans told researchers that voter redistricting should be driven by 2020 census data, not by making deals that benefit a political party. (Adobe Stock)

Nebraskans Can Give Feedback on New Voter District Maps Next Week

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Next week, Nebraska lawmakers will hold three public hearings on how new voter maps should be drawn for the state's 49 districts…

In early July, the Biden administration canceled nearly $56 million in student-loan debt, mostly connected to institutions engaging in misconduct, including promising jobs or falsely claiming credits would transfer to universities.(Adobe Stock)

Scammers Targeting Nebraska Student-Loan Holders

LINCOLN, Neb. - Student-loan forgiveness has become an increasingly popular scam targeting young adults, and as an October deadline looms, consumer …

Nebraska lawmakers recently moved to require additional legislation before construction could begin on a new prison. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Nebraska’s Ongoing Prison Staffing Crisis Expands

LINCOLN, Neb. -- A new report from the Office of Inspector General of Corrections is raising concerns about ongoing and expanding staffing …

A new Gallup survey shows more than 60% of Americans say they know

Juneteenth Declared National Holiday, Amidst Progress, Upheaval

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Juneteenth National Independence Day is now an official holiday, after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday, approved by both …

None of Coca-Cola's top executives met their bonus targets last year, but all received bonuses, even as the company announced plans to cut some 2,200 jobs. (Pixabay)<br /><br />

Corporations Expanded CEO-Worker Pay Gap During Pandemic

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Many of the nation's largest low-wage employers, including FedEx, Tyson Foods, Walgreens and other brands familiar to Nebraskans…

At least 7,382 COVID-19 cases have been traced to meatpacking plants across the state since the start of the COVID public health emergency. (Kansas State Research and Extension/Flickr)

Nebraska Lawmakers to Debate Meatpacking Worker Protections

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska lawmakers are scheduled to debate the Meatpacking Employees COVID-19 Protection Act today. Sen. Tony Vargas, D-Omaha…

Just like Black Americans, Black immigrants are more likely to be arrested, convicted and imprisoned than the immigrant population as a whole. (Pixabay)

Groups Launch Immigrants' Rights Guide for Demonstrations

LINCOLN, Neb. -- As President Joe Biden works to make good on promises to overhaul federal immigration policy, a new guide released this week aims to …

Nebraska Legislative Bill 416 calls for more robust data collection on maternal health outcomes based on race and ethnicity to better inform clinical practice, program and policy changes. (Cheryl Holt/Pixabay)

Nebraska Lawmakers Review Racial Disparities in Maternal Medical Care

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Racial-justice advocates will host a lunch and learn session for Nebraska lawmakers Wednesday to unpack striking disparities in …

Omaha police emails reveal a police lieutenant requesting undercover officers participate in a demonstration days after police received city guidance that it was a lawful activity. (Snappy Goat)

Alarm Sounded Over Omaha Police Surveillance of Black Activists, Allies

OMAHA, Neb. -- Omaha Police Department emails obtained through a public records request suggest surveillance activities targeting racial justice …

Nebraska's redlined neighborhoods were the only places families of color could live, and were located near environmental hazards. (Dnavarrojr/Pixabay)

Advocates: Biden Climate Plan Could Help NE's Redlined Neighborhoods

LINCOLN, Neb. - President Joe Biden has charged top White House officials with ensuring that communities living in the shadows of the nation's power …

A recent poll found more than 90% of Nebraska voters want the process of redrawing the state's political districts to be data-driven, transparent and nonpartisan. (Capitolist/Wikimedia Commons)

Nebraska Lawmakers Consider Bill to Curb Gerrymandering

LINCOLN, Neb. -- On Wednesday, the Nebraska Legislature's executive board heard arguments for the Redistricting Act, sponsored by Sen. John …

TransCanada, now called TC Energy, announced COVID safety measures were being taken at construction-site worker camps, including masks and social distancing. (PXHere)

Keystone XL Worker Camps Threaten Indian Country During COVID

LINCOLN, Neb. -- President-elect Joe Biden is considering canceling the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline project as early as day one of his term…

Advocates want lawmakers to prioritize children's physical and mental health by guaranteeing that COVID vaccines will be available without cost. (Pixabay)

Nebraska Children, Families Continue to Struggle with COVID Recovery

OMAHA, Neb. -- Families in Nebraska are struggling to meet their basic needs during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new Annie E. Casey …

The COVID-19 pandemic unleashed record levels of unemployment, with 9.5 million Americans filing applications by the end of March, and millions more in the months that followed. (QUeven/Pixzabay)

Unemployment Benefits Set to Expire for 18,000 Nebraskans

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Unemployment benefits passed by Congress after the onset of COVID-19 are set to expire for more than 18,000 Nebraskans next month…

An estimated 5.2 million Americans remain disenfranchised because of felony convictions. That's 2.3% of the voting-age population. (Michael Fleshman/Flickr)

In Limbo: Thousands of Nebraskans in Mandatory Two-Year Wait to Vote

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Voters in Nebraska and across the country are heading to the polls today to participate in one of the most fundamental democratic …

Nearly 65% of payday loan storefronts in Nebraska are owned by out-of-state corporations. (Tony Webster/Wikimedia Commons)

Ballot Measure Aims to Protect Against Predatory Lending Practices

RALSTON, Neb. -- If voters approve Ballot Initiative 428 in November, payday lenders say most operators would be forced to shut down, leaving …

Hispanics represent 11% of Nebraska's population, but account for at least 60% of confirmed COVID-19 cases. (Jordi Play/Wikimedia Commons)

Honoring Hispanic Heritage Month During Pandemic

LINCOLN, Neb. -- On an average year, September kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month with festivals full of food and dancing, celebrating the history and …

The U.S. Census Bureau provides translated web pages and guides in 59 non-English languages, including American Sign Language, as well as guides in Braille and large print. (U.S. Census Bureau)

Window Tightens for Getting Accurate Census Count in Nebraska

OMAHA, Neb. -- As the Trump administration works to end the U.S. Census Bureau's once-a-decade tally required by the U.S. Constitution one month …

A new online anti-racist toolkit includes tips for advocating while practicing safe social distancing, and from the comfort of your couch. (Becker1999/Wikimedia Commons)

Nebraska Black Leaders Launch Anti-Racism Toolkit

LINCOLN, Neb. -- With demonstrations sparked by the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer well into their second week, civic …

One in 4 health care workers and upwards of 70% of agriculture workers are immigrants. (Javed Anees/Wikimedia Commons)

COVID Exposes Public Health Risk of Immigration Policies

OMAHA, Neb. -- The coronavirus has put a spotlight on the heroic role played by health care workers in Nebraska and across the nation. And a new …

Nebraska increased funding for corrections by 290% between 1985 and 2016, outpacing other state investments like higher education, which grew by just 57% in the same time period. (Pxfuel)

Alternatives to NE 'Building Its Way Out' of Prison Overcrowding

LINCOLN, Neb. -- As Nebraska lawmakers consider a proposal to build a new prison to address the state's overcrowded corrections population, reform …

Nebraska's prison population is currently at nearly 160% of capacity, making the state the second most overcrowded in the nation. (California Department of Corrections/Wikimedia Commons)

Critics Challenge Proposal to Build New Private Prison

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services has announced that it will consider plans to build a 1,600 bed private prison to …

Only 54% of families headed by prime-age workers (age 32 to 61) participate in any kind of retirement plan, down from 60% in 2001. (Pixabay)

Almost Half of U.S. Families Have No Retirement Savings

LINCOLN, Neb. - Nearly half of U.S. families have no retirement savings, according to a new Economic Policy Institute report. And the median balance …

Studies show that unaddressed bullying can lead affected students to have poorer academic performance, miss or drop out of school, turn to alcohol or other drugs, and even attempt suicide. (Pixabay)

Report: Nebraska Can Do More to Stop Bullying

LINCOLN, Neb. — October is national Bullying Prevention Month, and a new ACLU Nebraska report shows the problem continues to impact too many of …

Kids living in high-concentrated areas of poverty frequently do not have access to sidewalks, safe places to play and other opportunities available in wealthier census tracts. (Needpix)

Report: More Neb. Children Living in High-Poverty Neighborhoods

RALSTON, Neb. — Nebraska is one of ten states in the nation that saw an increase in the number of children living in concentrated poverty since …

Use of programs including Medicaid, SNAP and Section 8 public housing will factor into the determination by immigration officials of who gets a green card. (Wikimedia Commons)

Public Charge Policy Could Threaten Health Care for Nebraska Kids

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Trump administration has finalized a new rule that could deny green cards to immigrants if they access public benefits - …

Law-enforcement jurisdictions have been ending their agreements with ICE because of increased costs to local taxpayers, increased risks of racial profiling, and damaging relations between communities and law enforcement.(Pixabay)

Coalition Presses Dakota County Sheriff to End Ties with ICE

LINCOLN, Neb. — Dakota County immigrant communities targeted by the Trump administration's recent promise of mass deportation aren't getting …

Nebraska has seen a 22% decrease in children living in poverty and a 17% decrease in children with parents lacking full-time employment since 2010. (USAF)

Report: Nebraska 12th Best State to Be a Kid

RALSTON, Neb. – Nebraska ranks 12th nationally on child well-being, according to The Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2019 KIDS COUNT Data Book…

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NE: Human Rights/Racial Justice