updated
6:26 p.m.
In the last week, our friends at Leavenworth Street featured two separate posts about the results from Rassmussen Reports' March 4th survey of likely Nebraska voters. The numbers they chose to highlight tell us little we didn't already know. The Democratic health care reform bill is still unpopular in Nebraska, and Republican Governor Dave Heineman is still in a strong position i...
New Nebraska Network - 5:47 p.m.
Earlier this week, the Nebraska Legislature voted to override Governor Dave Heineman's veto of a bill raising fees on manufacturers who ship beer and spirits in the state. The original bill (LB 867) passed 46 to 1 with only State Senator Steve Lathrop voting in opposition. Yet, the override received only 38 votes - as eight other State Senators flip-flopped in deference to Heineman's...
New Nebraska Network - Fri 1:44 a.m. - 3 clicks ![]()
Legislative Resolution 284CA - introduced and prioritized by State Senator Dennis Utter of Hastings - would put a constitutional amendment on the November 2010 ballot to abolish the office of State Treasurer. This makes for an intriguing political dynamic because State Treasurer is the only statewide constitutional office that's open in this year's election after incumbent Republican Shane...
New Nebraska Network - Wed 8:43 p.m. - 2 clicks ![]()
Since NNN last wrote about LB 1110, hundreds of pregnant women have lost their access to live-saving prenatal care because of the refusal of Republican Governor Dave Heineman to take the lead in restoring the medical coverage our state has provided unborn children for decades. Of course, we know that the real story is much worse than a failure to lead - Heineman has despicably targeted th...
New Nebraska Network - Tue 7:28 a.m. - 7 clicks ![]()
By Polly Negrete I'm a mother, a grandmother, a daughter, a friend. I'm your neighbor. I have been in the medical arena for over 17 years as a patient who has Common Variable Immune Deficiency, as a nurse who has witnessed patients' lives evolve from babies to parents, and as a successful business manager of a large Physician system. I knew insurance back when -- before managed care. ...
New Nebraska Network - Mon 9:23 p.m.
I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who's read the New Nebraska Network and contributed to its success. We've come a long ways since March 14, 2005 , when I foolishly listened to the urgings of a friend who thought that Nebraska needed a progressive blog and that I'd do a pretty good job of running it. It's a curious thing writing those first couple ( hundred ) diaries, when n...
New Nebraska Network - Mon 3:27 p.m. - 4 clicks ![]()
Sen. Ben Nelson has taken a lot of heat these last couple of months for his work against imposing unfunded mandates on the states in Congressional health care reform legislation. This is a theme on which Nelson campaigned and on which he's always remained true after his experiences in two terms as Nebraska's governor. Still, just because Nelson respects the financial challenges faced by s...
New Nebraska Network - Sun 1:09 p.m. - 7 clicks ![]()
At some point, the people of Nebraska are going to see through Gov. Dave Heineman's long record of duplicity and political pandering. One of the best examples yet came on the one year anniversary of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) when Heineman piled on with his fellow Republicans in criticizing the economic stimulus package. The Nebraska Radio Network reported: Gover...
New Nebraska Network - Mar 5 - 5 clicks ![]()
Last week, I wrote about 2nd District Republican Congressman Lee Terry's plan for an insurance exchange administered by the federal government's Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the irony of his opposing a Democratic health care reform bill that relies upon the same essential framework. Now, it would be nice if the Nebraska press made any attempt at holding Terry accountable and forcing...
New Nebraska Network - Mar 4 - 5 clicks ![]()
Last week, I proposed a draft press release to Nebraska Right To Life challenging Governor Dave Heineman on his opposition to continuing our state's long-standing policy of providing prenatal care to unborn children from low-income families without exception for the immigration status of the mother. That press release only applied the same standard to Heineman that Nebraska Right To Life h...
New Nebraska Network - Mar 2 - 3 clicks ![]()
Saturday's Omaha World-Herald contained an interesting article regarding Tom Osborne's support for the Fair Elections Now Act gaining bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress: The proposal would establish a public funding mechanism for federal candidates who agree to abide by certain restrictions, such as a $100 limit on contributions. The money would come from a fee on government contracto...
New Nebraska Network - Feb 28 - 4 clicks ![]()
The committee hearing for State Senator Kathy Campbell's LB 1110 was held on Thursday afternoon. This important legislation would continue long-standing state policy by restoring prenatal care to unborn children regardless of the expecting mother's immigration status. In terms of medicine, economics, and morality, continuing this policy by enacting LB 1110 is an absolute no-brainer. ...
New Nebraska Network - Feb 26 - 2 clicks ![]()
New Nebraska Network - Feb 24 - 6 clicks ![]()
Until I started the process of applying for a mortgage, I had never really considered what underwriting was. I knew underwriting had something to do with considering risk and that you found it in finance and insurance. That was about the extent of my knowledge. Now I know that within the context of my mortgage, an underwriter's job was to collect all of my important financial statistics an...
Blog for Rural America - Feb 23 - 2 clicks ![]()
New Nebraska Network - Feb 23 - 4 clicks ![]()
New Nebraska Network - Feb 22 - 2 clicks ![]()
New Nebraska Network - Feb 22 - 6 clicks ![]()
New Nebraska Network - Feb 18 - 2 clicks ![]()
New Nebraska Network - Feb 17 - 4 clicks ![]()
A few months ago when we at the Center for Rural Affairs got the idea to do a series on rural grocery stores, I had no idea the interest that the articles would generate. Of all the things I've written in my year and a half at the Center, this has gotten by far the most response. I couldn't be happier to see that other rural community members see their grocery store as an integral part of thei...
Blog for Rural America - Feb 12 - 2 clicks ![]()
New Nebraska Network - Feb 3 - 2 clicks ![]()
These days it seems the most popular person to be in the food system is the "local farmer". Farmers markets are popping up everywhere, and their size and popularity grow all the time. Local food is trendy - even the First Family is in on it. But as anyone who has ever raised grain or livestock can tell you, the farmer is not the only person in the chain of players from her farm...
Blog for Rural America - Dec 31 - 3 clicks ![]()
New Nebraska Network - Dec 31 - 2 clicks ![]()
By Angel Romero Kiester (Editor's note: Angel is current our Rural Health Care Intern) Last week, I was blessed to have spent a week in Alaska to celebrate a wedding. I know, Alaska in December. It was beautiful, and even though the temp read -37 , it seemed much warmer. On my trip I sparked up conversation with the people I encountered. They would start with "Where are you from?&qu...
Blog for Rural America - Dec 17
When My co-worker sent around this article about the elderly in rural America, I couldn't help but nod my head in agreement. Although the article highlights the difficult points of growing old in rural areas, I still get tremendous amounts of hope and inspiration from talking with older people from small towns. When I hear about the busy main streets and late nights on the town of d...
Blog for Rural America - Dec 11 - 3 clicks ![]()
New Nebraska Network - Nov 21 - 2 clicks ![]()
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Blog for Rural America - Nov 13 - 4 clicks ![]()
New Nebraska Network - Nov 12 - 3 clicks ![]()
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Nebraska Democratic Party - Sep 3 - 2 clicks ![]()
Blog for Rural America - Sep 3 - 2 clicks ![]()
Nebraska Democratic Party - Aug 26 - 2 clicks ![]()
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Nebraska Democratic Party - Aug 25 - 3 clicks ![]()
New Nebraska Network - Aug 19 - 2 clicks ![]()
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Blog for Rural America - Aug 10 - 2 clicks ![]()
Nebraska Democratic Party - Aug 6 - 2 clicks ![]()
Nebraska Democratic Party - Aug 6 - 2 clicks ![]()
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New Nebraska Network - Jul 30 - 2 clicks ![]()
Nebraska Democratic Party - Jul 27 - 2 clicks ![]()
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New Nebraska Network - Jul 19 - 2 clicks ![]()
Nebraska Democratic Party - Jul 17 - 3 clicks ![]()