A bill that would have held school librarians and teachers criminally responsible for providing “obscene material” to Nebraska students in grades K-12 failed to break a filibuster Wednesday in the Legislature.

But heated debate over it led the body’s Republican Speaker of the Legislature to slash debate times in half on bills he deemed as covering “social issues” for the remaining 13 days of the session.

State Sen. Joni Albrecht, who introduced the bill, said it simply would close a "loophole” in the state’s existing obscenity laws that prohibit adults from giving such material to minors. But critics panned it as a way for a vocal minority to ban books they don’t like from school and public library shelves.

Book bans and attempted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/books-bannings-libraries-record-high-c19af576ca3a446f278bfa2a7c3323a2">bans soared</a>&nbsp;last year in the U.S. Almost half of the challenged books are about communities of color, LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized groups, according to a recent report from the American Library Association. Among the books frequently challenged is Nobel laureate Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.”

Opponents of the bill argued that children are not accessing obscene material as it is currently defined in the law — which would essentially cover graphic pornography and erotica — in school and public libraries.

Instead, they said, the bill would be used by a handful of people who want to ban books they don't like and would have a chilling effect free speech. It would have allowed a handful of people who would like to ban books they don't like to threaten educators and librarians with criminal charges, opposing lawmakers said, likely lead librarians to pull books from the shelves simply to avoid the conflict.

Debate on the measure grew heated over the two days it took for lawmakers to discuss it, and one Republican lawmaker who name-checked a fellow legislator while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lawmaker-halloran-rape-415eb8066a43c973128ec2601dee85a8">reading a graphic account</a>&nbsp;of sexual violence from a best-selling memoir is now being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lawmaker-rape-sexual-harassment-21c16184e6012a074aefb1125408f859">investigated for sexual harassment</a>.

Supporters of the bill denied that the purpose of the bill was an end-around way to banning books. But many then proceeded to bash the very books and material — including sex education curriculum in schools — as being dangerous for children.

Albrecht said Tuesday during debate that sex education wasn't taught when she was in school 50 years ago, adding, “We just figured it out.” A few male lawmakers openly pined for the days decades ago when most children grew up in two-parent families and extolled keeping young girls “naive."

That led other lawmakers to push back. Sen. Carol Blood noted that the prevalence of two-parent families decades ago had less to do with morals than the fact that women were unable to hold credit cards and bank accounts in their own names, making them financially dependent on their husbands and sometimes confining them in abusive marriages. Sen. Jen Day noted that sex education has been shown to help protect children against sexual predators.

Sen. Danielle Conrad, a free speech advocate and former director of the Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, chastised bill supporters, saying they were pandering to those who want to ban books.

“This debate is divorced from reality,” she said. “It's embarrassing to Nebraska. And we have bigger, important issues to address.”

By Wednesday, Speaker of the Legislature Sen. John Arch announced that he had had enough. A bill in Nebraska's unique one-chamber Legislature must get through three rounds of debate to pass, and the rules generally allow eight hours of of debate in the first round, four hours in the second and two in the final round before a vote to end debate can be held.

Arch said that moving forward this session, he would cut that to four hours in the first round, two in the second and one in the last round “for bills which are controversial and emotionally charged.”

“I'm not referring to traditional governmental policy bills such as taxes or creating and funding new programs or existing programs,” he said, adding that debate on those bills, while also often controversial and heated, also often leads to compromise.

“That is not the case with social issue bills," he said. “Members generally go into debate with their minds made up, and prolonged debate only serves the purpose of fanning the fires of contention.”

Associated PressA bill that would have held school librarians and teachers criminally responsible for providing “obscene material” to Nebraska students in grades K-12 failed to break a filibuster Wednesday in the Legislature.But heated debate over it led the body’s Republican Speaker of the Legislature to slash debate times in half on bills he deemed as covering “social issues” for the remaining 13 days of the session.State Sen. Joni Albrecht, who introduced the bill, said it simply would close a "loophole” in the state’s existing obscenity laws that prohibit adults from giving such material to minors. But critics panned it as a way for a vocal minority to ban books they don’t like from school and public library shelves.Book bans and attempted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/books-bannings-libraries-record-high-c19af576ca3a446f278bfa2a7c3323a2">bans soared</a>&nbsp;last year in the U.S. Almost half of the challenged books are about communities of color, LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized groups, according to a recent report from the American Library Association. Among the books frequently challenged is Nobel laureate Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.”Opponents of the bill argued that children are not accessing obscene material as it is currently defined in the law — which would essentially cover graphic pornography and erotica — in school and public libraries.Instead, they said, the bill would be used by a handful of people who want to ban books they don't like and would have a chilling effect free speech. It would have allowed a handful of people who would like to ban books they don't like to threaten educators and librarians with criminal charges, opposing lawmakers said, likely lead librarians to pull books from the shelves simply to avoid the conflict.Debate on the measure grew heated over the two days it took for lawmakers to discuss it, and one Republican lawmaker who name-checked a fellow legislator while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lawmaker-halloran-rape-415eb8066a43c973128ec2601dee85a8">reading a graphic account</a>&nbsp;of sexual violence from a best-selling memoir is now being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lawmaker-rape-sexual-harassment-21c16184e6012a074aefb1125408f859">investigated for sexual harassment</a>.Supporters of the bill denied that the purpose of the bill was an end-around way to banning books. But many then proceeded to bash the very books and material — including sex education curriculum in schools — as being dangerous for children.Albrecht said Tuesday during debate that sex education wasn't taught when she was in school 50 years ago, adding, “We just figured it out.” A few male lawmakers openly pined for the days decades ago when most children grew up in two-parent families and extolled keeping young girls “naive."That led other lawmakers to push back. Sen. Carol Blood noted that the prevalence of two-parent families decades ago had less to do with morals than the fact that women were unable to hold credit cards and bank accounts in their own names, making them financially dependent on their husbands and sometimes confining them in abusive marriages. Sen. Jen Day noted that sex education has been shown to help protect children against sexual predators.Sen. Danielle Conrad, a free speech advocate and former director of the Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, chastised bill supporters, saying they were pandering to those who want to ban books.“This debate is divorced from reality,” she said. “It's embarrassing to Nebraska. And we have bigger, important issues to address.”By Wednesday, Speaker of the Legislature Sen. John Arch announced that he had had enough. A bill in Nebraska's unique one-chamber Legislature must get through three rounds of debate to pass, and the rules generally allow eight hours of of debate in the first round, four hours in the second and two in the final round before a vote to end debate can be held.Arch said that moving forward this session, he would cut that to four hours in the first round, two in the second and one in the last round “for bills which are controversial and emotionally charged.”“I'm not referring to traditional governmental policy bills such as taxes or creating and funding new programs or existing programs,” he said, adding that debate on those bills, while also often controversial and heated, also often leads to compromise.“That is not the case with social issue bills," he said. “Members generally go into debate with their minds made up, and prolonged debate only serves the purpose of fanning the fires of contention.”

A Nebraska bill to subject librarians to charges for giving 'obscene material' to children fails

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/20/unmcs-jeffrey-gold-priority-nu-presidential-candidate-seeks-to-pay-it-forward/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

Editor’s note: This story has been updated.

OMAHA — Dr. Jeffrey Gold on Wednesday recounted how he recently opened an email from a former cardiac patient whose life he helped save when she was only 2 days old.

The woman, on the 37th anniversary of her heart surgery in New York City, sent him photos of herself — rock-climbing, raising her three children — offering a glimpse of what resulted because of his hand as a pediatric and adult cardiac surgeon.&nbsp;

“That gives one a perspective of paying it forward, of real value,” Gold said, hours after he received a phone call telling him that he was voted as the priority candidate to serve as the next president of the University of Nebraska.

While he described his feelings as humbled and somewhat intimidated, Gold said during a media event that he is more thrilled at the opportunity to help and inspire another generation of young people “who really want to reach for something special.”

A Nebraskan for 10 years now — since he was tapped in 2014 to be chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center — Gold, 71, said he was prepared to remain as long as he is able at the helm of the entire NU system.

A commitment to stay 10 years was among three must-haves that Gov. Jim Pillen conveyed to the NU Board of Regents for the person selected to fill the presidency, which has been vacant since the start of this year.

The other two criteria were that the person have Nebraska ties and a respect for values of conservative Nebraskans. Sources familiar with the search<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/16/nu-leadership-choice-was-deadlocked-between-unmc-chancellor-and-state-chamber-head/">&nbsp;told the Nebraska Examiner earlier</a>&nbsp;that conservative values in that case meant someone who would not advocate for the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts that Pillen campaigned against in 2022.

Asked Wednesday about his thoughts on DEI, Gold said: “Frankly, we need to be a welcoming organization for all students and faculty and staff … where people feel they belong.”

He said he recognized that questions about diversity and inclusion are being tested widely across the country, in schools, Congress, state legislatures. He spoke of the value of learning from multiple opinions. And he said he’ll move forward with “balance and thought.”&nbsp;

“It’s going to take a fine art of what I would call threading the needle to get it exactly right,” Gold said.

Regents who commented Wednesday universally praised Gold as the right choice to take NU to its next chapter:

Regent Elizabeth O’Connor of Omaha:&nbsp;“As an experienced leader in education, I firmly believe that Dr. Gold is poised to help us take advantage of these opportunities and to build a university for Nebraska’s future.”

Regent Kathy Wilmot of Beaver City:&nbsp;“I do think this is going to leave us at a point where we can step forward with competence and we can proceed onward with making the university that best place to be for our students and for our state of Nebraska.”

UNL Student Regent Paul Pechous:&nbsp;Gold is a champion for NU and has proven as much over his last 10 years of service. Pechous said he looks forward to Gold “continuing to be a champion for our students.”

UNMC Student Regent Katie Schultis:&nbsp;“He’s a role model that I look up to and just the leader that I want to be as well.” She said Gold is student-focused and the “biggest champion for student initiatives.”

Regent Jim Scheer of Norfolk:“We’re not on the moon, so it’s not a step for mankind, but it sure as hell is a step for Nebraska.”Regent Paul Kenney of Amherst, board vice chair:“We found the best person available for our job.”

Earlier Wednesday, the NU Board of Regents unanimously selected Gold as its priority candidate. He’ll go through a 30-day public vetting period before an expected confirmation vote, perhaps as early at the board’s April 19 meeting.&nbsp;

Regent Rob Schafer of Beatrice, board chair, said he does not yet know whether the April 19 meeting may just miss the 30-day window that would allow regents to confirm Gold at the earliest time available. That could lead to a meeting a day or a week later for a final vote.

Schafer said Gold came into the system with “probably the most dynamic background” and was formidable from the start. As the presidential search progressed, the process became one of comparing other candidates against Gold.

If confirmed, Gold would be the ninth NU system president, filling the role after former NU President Ted Carter left for The Ohio State University on Dec. 31.

Gold’s departure from UNMC will mean all four of&nbsp; NU’s campus chancellors will have less than three years on the job come this summer. The university now has two leadership spots to fill: both Gold’s and that of UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen, who will retire after this academic year.

Gold concurrently served as chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha for four years and is NU’s current chief academic officer, serving as a liaison between NU and the regents.&nbsp;

A graduate from the Cornell University College of Engineering with a degree in theoretical and applied mechanics, Gold earned his medical degree from the Will Cornell College of Medicine. He completed his general surgery residency at The New York – Presbyterian Hospital and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.&nbsp;

He has been certified by the American Boards of Surgery and Thoracic Surgery, specializing in adult and pediatric cardiac surgery, and is licensed in Nebraska, Ohio, New York and New Jersey.

Pillen, a former regent, blasted the governing board last week for slow-walking the presidential search. As a regent, Pillen led the 2019 search that brought Carter to NU. That search took 214 days from the time NU President Hank Bounds announced his departure to Carter being named priority candidate.

With Wednesday’s announcement, the most recent search clocked out at 211 days.

Pillen, in a short statement Wednesday afternoon, focused much of his praise on Interim NU President Chris Kabourek’s leadership since taking over Jan. 1. He also congratulated Gold on emerging as NU’s priority candidate.

“He has been a visionary, patient-focused leader for UNMC,” Pillen said of Gold.

The two have been at odds in the past, such as in 2021 when Pillen, during his campaign for governor, sought to prohibit the imposition of critical race theory on NU campuses.

Gold, joined by Carter and the other campus chancellors, rebuffed Pillen that summer in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/nu-president-chancellors-oppose-crt-resolution-uphold-academic-freedom/article_5a72bf26-ea39-11eb-8aca-3f2dffc65110.html">defense of academic freedom</a>&nbsp;and the “freedom of expression for all members of the University of Nebraska community.” Pillen’s resolution ultimately fell two votes short of being adopted.

During Wednesday’s news conference, Gold said that he had spoken to Pillen, discussing such topics as the importance of building a state workforce. He described the governor as “extremely congratulatory.”

“Clearly his vision and my vision for the academic success of our state and the importance of the university are highly, highly aligned,” Gold said.

Among Gold’s priorities, he said, is regaining membership in the American Association of Universities.

“That is a big part of the future challenge we all have together,” he said, though he offered little detail on how he’d pursue that goal.

He said AAU values are similar to his, including research and productivity of faculty and students. He said that NU has made strides in those areas and that he plans to work further on how progress in those areas is collected and reported.

Encouraging to Gold, he said, is that 57 of the 71 AAU member universities have large, thriving medical centers such as UNMC.

“So this is the company we need to keep and work on,” Gold said.

Gold received praise from several on Wednesday, including State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, a former hospital administrator, who said Gold has taken UNMC “to a new level.”

&nbsp;“He’s smarter than hell,” said Riepe, who worked with Gold in 2017-18 as chair of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee.

Gold said he will spend time speaking to regents and others. He said he is excited to take on the position, with a competitive spirit and executing his own definition of leadership: “To make others’ dreams come true.”&nbsp;

“We need to compete and win in the classroom, in the laboratory, in clinics and on the cornfields,” he said.&nbsp;

Gold noted his own journey when talking about what he believes makes him the right person for this job.

He said he was a product of a large public high school in New York City and was a first-generation college student, dependent on scholarships, work study and student loans.

He said his work with volunteer boards and in various positions in the NU system — which took him to all parts of the state, and on some rides on combines and tractors — have allowed him a look at various urban and rural needs.

Gold said he is “incredibly well-aware that this is a time of great change and indeed of great stress and great challenge across all higher education.”&nbsp;

But he believes that NU is “rock solid” and prepared for headwinds.

Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Paul Hammel contributed to this report.

University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Jeffrey Gold has been at the helm during unprecedented UNMC growth and a multibillion-dollar flurry of building initiatives on and around its midtown Omaha home campus.

At the end of last year, he gathered with area officials to celebrate the start of the six-story so-called $105 million “CORE” facility (Campus Operations &amp; Research Excellence), which is expected to open in 2026. That facility — along with other developments ongoing or planned along the Saddle Creek corridor — could expand the UNMC footprint by roughly 1.5 million square feet of building space, the medical center’s officials have said.

Officials called that unprecedented growth for the public medical center’s midtown Omaha base, whose building space now spans about 10 million square feet.

Gold has said that growth is essential to maintain momentum reflected in rising student enrollment, research and clinical care for Nebraskans as well as others.

UNMC also has launched projects designed to expand its rural presence.

A $85 million rural medical school, for example, is expected to open in 2025 in Kearney and has been touted as a sign of Nebraska’s effort to grow the health care workforce in its rural communities.

—&nbsp;From Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Cindy Gonzalez

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711034049098.jpeg" alt="Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, Chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center holds a press conference in the Dr. Leland and Dorothy Olson Atrium of the Wigton Heritage Center on the UNMC Omaha campus after it was announced that he is the priority candidate to serve as the ninth president of the University of Nebraska. (Courtesy of Kent Sievers/UNMC)" />
 <figcaption>Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, Chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center holds a press conference in the Dr. Leland and Dorothy Olson Atrium of the Wigton Heritage Center on the UNMC Omaha campus after it was announced that he is the priority candidate to serve as the ninth president of the University of Nebraska. (Courtesy of Kent Sievers/UNMC)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling and Cindy Gonzalez<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/20/unmcs-jeffrey-gold-priority-nu-presidential-candidate-seeks-to-pay-it-forward/">Nebraska Examiner</a>Editor’s note: This story has been updated.OMAHA — Dr. Jeffrey Gold on Wednesday recounted how he recently opened an email from a former cardiac patient whose life he helped save when she was only 2 days old.The woman, on the 37th anniversary of her heart surgery in New York City, sent him photos of herself — rock-climbing, raising her three children — offering a glimpse of what resulted because of his hand as a pediatric and adult cardiac surgeon.&nbsp;“That gives one a perspective of paying it forward, of real value,” Gold said, hours after he received a phone call telling him that he was voted as the priority candidate to serve as the next president of the University of Nebraska.While he described his feelings as humbled and somewhat intimidated, Gold said during a media event that he is more thrilled at the opportunity to help and inspire another generation of young people “who really want to reach for something special.”A Nebraskan for 10 years now — since he was tapped in 2014 to be chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center — Gold, 71, said he was prepared to remain as long as he is able at the helm of the entire NU system.<h2>‘Welcoming organization’</h2>A commitment to stay 10 years was among three must-haves that Gov. Jim Pillen conveyed to the NU Board of Regents for the person selected to fill the presidency, which has been vacant since the start of this year.The other two criteria were that the person have Nebraska ties and a respect for values of conservative Nebraskans. Sources familiar with the search<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/16/nu-leadership-choice-was-deadlocked-between-unmc-chancellor-and-state-chamber-head/">&nbsp;told the Nebraska Examiner earlier</a>&nbsp;that conservative values in that case meant someone who would not advocate for the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts that Pillen campaigned against in 2022.Asked Wednesday about his thoughts on DEI, Gold said: “Frankly, we need to be a welcoming organization for all students and faculty and staff … where people feel they belong.”He said he recognized that questions about diversity and inclusion are being tested widely across the country, in schools, Congress, state legislatures. He spoke of the value of learning from multiple opinions. And he said he’ll move forward with “balance and thought.”&nbsp;“It’s going to take a fine art of what I would call threading the needle to get it exactly right,” Gold said.<h2>Regents praise pick</h2>Regents who commented Wednesday universally praised Gold as the right choice to take NU to its next chapter:Regent Elizabeth O’Connor of Omaha:&nbsp;“As an experienced leader in education, I firmly believe that Dr. Gold is poised to help us take advantage of these opportunities and to build a university for Nebraska’s future.”Regent Kathy Wilmot of Beaver City:&nbsp;“I do think this is going to leave us at a point where we can step forward with competence and we can proceed onward with making the university that best place to be for our students and for our state of Nebraska.”UNL Student Regent Paul Pechous:&nbsp;Gold is a champion for NU and has proven as much over his last 10 years of service. Pechous said he looks forward to Gold “continuing to be a champion for our students.”UNMC Student Regent Katie Schultis:&nbsp;“He’s a role model that I look up to and just the leader that I want to be as well.” She said Gold is student-focused and the “biggest champion for student initiatives.”Regent Jim Scheer of Norfolk:“We’re not on the moon, so it’s not a step for mankind, but it sure as hell is a step for Nebraska.”Regent Paul Kenney of Amherst, board vice chair:“We found the best person available for our job.”Earlier Wednesday, the NU Board of Regents unanimously selected Gold as its priority candidate. He’ll go through a 30-day public vetting period before an expected confirmation vote, perhaps as early at the board’s April 19 meeting.&nbsp;Regent Rob Schafer of Beatrice, board chair, said he does not yet know whether the April 19 meeting may just miss the 30-day window that would allow regents to confirm Gold at the earliest time available. That could lead to a meeting a day or a week later for a final vote.Schafer said Gold came into the system with “probably the most dynamic background” and was formidable from the start. As the presidential search progressed, the process became one of comparing other candidates against Gold.If confirmed, Gold would be the ninth NU system president, filling the role after former NU President Ted Carter left for The Ohio State University on Dec. 31.<h2>Leadership spots to fill</h2>Gold’s departure from UNMC will mean all four of&nbsp; NU’s campus chancellors will have less than three years on the job come this summer. The university now has two leadership spots to fill: both Gold’s and that of UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen, who will retire after this academic year.Gold concurrently served as chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha for four years and is NU’s current chief academic officer, serving as a liaison between NU and the regents.&nbsp;A graduate from the Cornell University College of Engineering with a degree in theoretical and applied mechanics, Gold earned his medical degree from the Will Cornell College of Medicine. He completed his general surgery residency at The New York – Presbyterian Hospital and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.&nbsp;He has been certified by the American Boards of Surgery and Thoracic Surgery, specializing in adult and pediatric cardiac surgery, and is licensed in Nebraska, Ohio, New York and New Jersey.<h2>A 211-day search</h2>Pillen, a former regent, blasted the governing board last week for slow-walking the presidential search. As a regent, Pillen led the 2019 search that brought Carter to NU. That search took 214 days from the time NU President Hank Bounds announced his departure to Carter being named priority candidate.With Wednesday’s announcement, the most recent search clocked out at 211 days.Pillen, in a short statement Wednesday afternoon, focused much of his praise on Interim NU President Chris Kabourek’s leadership since taking over Jan. 1. He also congratulated Gold on emerging as NU’s priority candidate.“He has been a visionary, patient-focused leader for UNMC,” Pillen said of Gold.The two have been at odds in the past, such as in 2021 when Pillen, during his campaign for governor, sought to prohibit the imposition of critical race theory on NU campuses.Gold, joined by Carter and the other campus chancellors, rebuffed Pillen that summer in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/nu-president-chancellors-oppose-crt-resolution-uphold-academic-freedom/article_5a72bf26-ea39-11eb-8aca-3f2dffc65110.html">defense of academic freedom</a>&nbsp;and the “freedom of expression for all members of the University of Nebraska community.” Pillen’s resolution ultimately fell two votes short of being adopted.During Wednesday’s news conference, Gold said that he had spoken to Pillen, discussing such topics as the importance of building a state workforce. He described the governor as “extremely congratulatory.”“Clearly his vision and my vision for the academic success of our state and the importance of the university are highly, highly aligned,” Gold said.<h2>‘Smarter than hell’</h2>Among Gold’s priorities, he said, is regaining membership in the American Association of Universities.“That is a big part of the future challenge we all have together,” he said, though he offered little detail on how he’d pursue that goal.He said AAU values are similar to his, including research and productivity of faculty and students. He said that NU has made strides in those areas and that he plans to work further on how progress in those areas is collected and reported.Encouraging to Gold, he said, is that 57 of the 71 AAU member universities have large, thriving medical centers such as UNMC.“So this is the company we need to keep and work on,” Gold said.Gold received praise from several on Wednesday, including State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, a former hospital administrator, who said Gold has taken UNMC “to a new level.”&nbsp;“He’s smarter than hell,” said Riepe, who worked with Gold in 2017-18 as chair of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee.Gold said he will spend time speaking to regents and others. He said he is excited to take on the position, with a competitive spirit and executing his own definition of leadership: “To make others’ dreams come true.”&nbsp;“We need to compete and win in the classroom, in the laboratory, in clinics and on the cornfields,” he said.&nbsp;Gold noted his own journey when talking about what he believes makes him the right person for this job.He said he was a product of a large public high school in New York City and was a first-generation college student, dependent on scholarships, work study and student loans.He said his work with volunteer boards and in various positions in the NU system — which took him to all parts of the state, and on some rides on combines and tractors — have allowed him a look at various urban and rural needs.Gold said he is “incredibly well-aware that this is a time of great change and indeed of great stress and great challenge across all higher education.”&nbsp;But he believes that NU is “rock solid” and prepared for headwinds.Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Paul Hammel contributed to this report.<h2>UNMC growth and expansion</h2>University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Jeffrey Gold has been at the helm during unprecedented UNMC growth and a multibillion-dollar flurry of building initiatives on and around its midtown Omaha home campus.At the end of last year, he gathered with area officials to celebrate the start of the six-story so-called $105 million “CORE” facility (Campus Operations &amp; Research Excellence), which is expected to open in 2026. That facility — along with other developments ongoing or planned along the Saddle Creek corridor — could expand the UNMC footprint by roughly 1.5 million square feet of building space, the medical center’s officials have said.Officials called that unprecedented growth for the public medical center’s midtown Omaha base, whose building space now spans about 10 million square feet.Gold has said that growth is essential to maintain momentum reflected in rising student enrollment, research and clinical care for Nebraskans as well as others.UNMC also has launched projects designed to expand its rural presence.A $85 million rural medical school, for example, is expected to open in 2025 in Kearney and has been touted as a sign of Nebraska’s effort to grow the health care workforce in its rural communities.—&nbsp;From Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Cindy Gonzalez

UNMC’s Jeffrey Gold, priority NU presidential candidate, seeks to ‘pay it forward’

LINCOLN, NE –&nbsp;Governor Jim Pillen is commending the hire of Troy Dannen as the new director of athletics for the University of Nebraska. The former UNI&nbsp;grad (1989) has been serving as athletic director at the University of Washington. Prior to that, Dannen oversaw athletics at Tulane University and the University of Northern Iowa.

“I am thrilled with the leadership and tenacity demonstrated by Interim NU President Chris Kabourek in decisively bringing in new leadership to the athletic department so quickly. Immediately securing the commitment of a strong AD like Troy signifies to all Nebraskans, and to our competition across the country, that Nebraska intends to succeed.

I offer my congratulations to Troy, and I look forward to welcoming him and his family as new Nebraskans. I’m eager to partner with him and the University’s leadership in keeping the University of Nebraska a place of academic and athletic excellence.”

Office of Governor Jim PillenLINCOLN, NE –&nbsp;Governor Jim Pillen is commending the hire of Troy Dannen as the new director of athletics for the University of Nebraska. The former UNI&nbsp;grad (1989) has been serving as athletic director at the University of Washington. Prior to that, Dannen oversaw athletics at Tulane University and the University of Northern Iowa.Gov. Pillen’s statement follows:“I am thrilled with the leadership and tenacity demonstrated by Interim NU President Chris Kabourek in decisively bringing in new leadership to the athletic department so quickly. Immediately securing the commitment of a strong AD like Troy signifies to all Nebraskans, and to our competition across the country, that Nebraska intends to succeed.I offer my congratulations to Troy, and I look forward to welcoming him and his family as new Nebraskans. I’m eager to partner with him and the University’s leadership in keeping the University of Nebraska a place of academic and athletic excellence.”

Gov. Pillen Commends Hire of New NU Athletic Director Troy Dannen

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen issued the following statement after the Nebraska University Board of Regents named University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold as the priority candidate to be the president of the University of Nebraska system.

“I appreciate the Board of Regents answering the call to action and moving forward with the presidential search process. Congratulations to Chancellor Gold on emerging as the priority candidate. He has been a visionary, patient-focused leader for UNMC.

I admire the strong leadership Interim President Chris Kabourek has displayed since Ted Carter’s departure. During just 70 days in office, he has delivered the long-overdue&nbsp;Presidential Scholars Program&nbsp;to get the University in the game of retaining our best and brightest kids. He has shown strength and courage in holding the line on university spending, and he has taken swift and decisive action just this week in announcing the extension of Coach Hoiberg’s contract and the hiring of a transformative new Huskers athletic director.

The University of Nebraska will remain in capable hands throughout Chris Kabourek’s interim leadership. I look forward to the next phase of the presidential selection process as it gets underway and partnering with University leaders to make our system even more competitive.”

Office of Governor Jim Pillen LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen issued the following statement after the Nebraska University Board of Regents named University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold as the priority candidate to be the president of the University of Nebraska system.“I appreciate the Board of Regents answering the call to action and moving forward with the presidential search process. Congratulations to Chancellor Gold on emerging as the priority candidate. He has been a visionary, patient-focused leader for UNMC.I admire the strong leadership Interim President Chris Kabourek has displayed since Ted Carter’s departure. During just 70 days in office, he has delivered the long-overdue&nbsp;Presidential Scholars Program&nbsp;to get the University in the game of retaining our best and brightest kids. He has shown strength and courage in holding the line on university spending, and he has taken swift and decisive action just this week in announcing the extension of Coach Hoiberg’s contract and the hiring of a transformative new Huskers athletic director.The University of Nebraska will remain in capable hands throughout Chris Kabourek’s interim leadership. I look forward to the next phase of the presidential selection process as it gets underway and partnering with University leaders to make our system even more competitive.”

Gov. Pillen Thanks Board of Regents for Moving Forward with Presidential Search

DES MOINES (AP) —The winning numbers for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mega-millions-drawing-friday-798a3c138c8e5dc0ddbb743c6b1d5345">nearly $1 billion Mega Millions</a>&nbsp;lottery prize will be drawn Friday night, offering sudden riches to any lucky player who matches them and almost certain disappointment for everyone else.

Since three months have passed without a winner, the Mega Millions jackpot has grown to an estimated $977 million. That large prize reflects the incredibly long odds of winning the jackpot, as the longer the stretch without a winner, the more the prize grows.

The jackpot ranks as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/largest-lottery-jackpots-mega-millions-powerball-cb473805c48cd3b74a84d7ee4127450d">10th largest in U.S. lottery history</a>&nbsp;— about half the size of a record $2.04 billion Powerball prize won in November 2022.

Players can buy tickets for $2 and select six numbers from separate pools. Five of the selections come from one pool, with different numbers from 1 to 70, and the other is for the Mega Ball, with numbers from 1 to 25. Some states also give players the option of paying more for different options that increase payouts or give people extra sets of numbers.

People can pick their own numbers — and some play the same numbers each time — but most players opt for the quick pick option, which lets a computer generate random numbers.

Mega Millions holds drawings twice a week, at 11 p.m. EDT on Tuesday and Fridays, telecast from a television studio in Atlanta. The numbers are also quickly posted on the game's website.

A lot, but likely a lot less than you might think.

First, that's because the advertised jackpot of $977 million is for a sole winner who is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">paid through an annuity</a>, with an initial payment and then annual checks for 29 years. Nearly all winners actually prefer a cash payout, which for Friday night's drawing would be an estimated $461 million — less than half the number splashed across billboards and in neon ads at convenience stores.

Before forking over the money, lottery officials also would deduct 24% for federal taxes. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-mega-millions-jackpot-irs-870361236131">final tax bill</a>&nbsp;could ultimately be higher though, as some of the winnings could be subject to the top federal tax bracket of 37%. State taxes also could be assessed, depending on where a player bought the winning ticket.

There also is a chance that more than one person will buy a winning ticket — as in 2016, when there were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-2b540577dabe4d47986b66ea1ffbfbcf">three winning tickets</a>&nbsp;for a $1.6 billion lottery jackpot. Whatever the jackpot amount, it could be divvied into smaller prizes.

Focusing on the amount of a jackpot prize misses the greater point — that you almost certainly will not win.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-mega-millions-winning-odds-numbers-a3e5a8e8e7ed15d7500c1d6acdab6785">odds of winning</a>&nbsp;the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.6 million, and it's those low odds that enable the game to trundle along without a winner for months. If the odds were better, people would win jackpots more frequently, so the top prizes wouldn't grow so large — and entice so many people to play. In fact, Mega Millions lengthened its odds in 2019 in order to create bigger jackpots.

During the current stretch, there hasn't been a jackpot winner since Dec. 8, 2023. That's 29 consecutive drawings without someone matching all the numbers.

That said, lottery officials note there have been millions of winning tickets during that span, with prizes ranging from $2 to $1 million. The key, they say, is to play for fun and take a chance to dream a little, but not with an expectation of getting rich.

And of course, eventually someone will win the jackpot.

Mega Millions and Powerball, the other big lottery game, are run separately but both are overseen by state lotteries. Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball also operates in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The games don't operate in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada or Utah.

Both of the games raise money for the jurisdictions where they operate along with profits from other lottery games, such as scratch tickets. Some states shift the money into their general funds while others use it for specific purposes, such as funding college scholarships or state parks.

DES MOINES (AP) —The winning numbers for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mega-millions-drawing-friday-798a3c138c8e5dc0ddbb743c6b1d5345">nearly $1 billion Mega Millions</a>&nbsp;lottery prize will be drawn Friday night, offering sudden riches to any lucky player who matches them and almost certain disappointment for everyone else.Since three months have passed without a winner, the Mega Millions jackpot has grown to an estimated $977 million. That large prize reflects the incredibly long odds of winning the jackpot, as the longer the stretch without a winner, the more the prize grows.The jackpot ranks as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/largest-lottery-jackpots-mega-millions-powerball-cb473805c48cd3b74a84d7ee4127450d">10th largest in U.S. lottery history</a>&nbsp;— about half the size of a record $2.04 billion Powerball prize won in November 2022.HOW DO I PLAY?Players can buy tickets for $2 and select six numbers from separate pools. Five of the selections come from one pool, with different numbers from 1 to 70, and the other is for the Mega Ball, with numbers from 1 to 25. Some states also give players the option of paying more for different options that increase payouts or give people extra sets of numbers.People can pick their own numbers — and some play the same numbers each time — but most players opt for the quick pick option, which lets a computer generate random numbers.Mega Millions holds drawings twice a week, at 11 p.m. EDT on Tuesday and Fridays, telecast from a television studio in Atlanta. The numbers are also quickly posted on the game's website.HOW MUCH WOULD I WIN?A lot, but likely a lot less than you might think.First, that's because the advertised jackpot of $977 million is for a sole winner who is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">paid through an annuity</a>, with an initial payment and then annual checks for 29 years. Nearly all winners actually prefer a cash payout, which for Friday night's drawing would be an estimated $461 million — less than half the number splashed across billboards and in neon ads at convenience stores.Before forking over the money, lottery officials also would deduct 24% for federal taxes. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-mega-millions-jackpot-irs-870361236131">final tax bill</a>&nbsp;could ultimately be higher though, as some of the winnings could be subject to the top federal tax bracket of 37%. State taxes also could be assessed, depending on where a player bought the winning ticket.There also is a chance that more than one person will buy a winning ticket — as in 2016, when there were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-2b540577dabe4d47986b66ea1ffbfbcf">three winning tickets</a>&nbsp;for a $1.6 billion lottery jackpot. Whatever the jackpot amount, it could be divvied into smaller prizes.SO WHAT ARE THE ODDS?Focusing on the amount of a jackpot prize misses the greater point — that you almost certainly will not win.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-mega-millions-winning-odds-numbers-a3e5a8e8e7ed15d7500c1d6acdab6785">odds of winning</a>&nbsp;the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.6 million, and it's those low odds that enable the game to trundle along without a winner for months. If the odds were better, people would win jackpots more frequently, so the top prizes wouldn't grow so large — and entice so many people to play. In fact, Mega Millions lengthened its odds in 2019 in order to create bigger jackpots.During the current stretch, there hasn't been a jackpot winner since Dec. 8, 2023. That's 29 consecutive drawings without someone matching all the numbers.That said, lottery officials note there have been millions of winning tickets during that span, with prizes ranging from $2 to $1 million. The key, they say, is to play for fun and take a chance to dream a little, but not with an expectation of getting rich.And of course, eventually someone will win the jackpot.WHO RUNS THESE GAMES?Mega Millions and Powerball, the other big lottery game, are run separately but both are overseen by state lotteries. Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball also operates in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.The games don't operate in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada or Utah.Both of the games raise money for the jurisdictions where they operate along with profits from other lottery games, such as scratch tickets. Some states shift the money into their general funds while others use it for specific purposes, such as funding college scholarships or state parks.

Mega Millions jackpot soars to nearly $1 billion

WASHINGTON —The United States imposed new sanctions Wednesday on procurement networks based in Iran, Türkiye, Oman, and Germany that have acquired goods for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force Self Sufficiency Jihad Organization, Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), the Iran Centrifuge Technology Company, and other U.S.-sanctioned entities that are part of Iran’s military-industrial base, according to a statement from Matthew Miller, State Department spokesman.

“Through complex covert procurement networks, Iran seeks to supply rogue actors around the world with weapons systems that fuel conflict and risk countless civilian lives,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “The United States will continue to use our tools to disrupt these networks and hold accountable those countries that would help proliferate Iran’s drones and missiles.”

The designations follow previous U.S. designations of individuals and entities linked to the IRGC, MODAFL, and their subsidiaries’ ballistic missile production and other activities on behalf of Iran’s defense industrial base.

The Department of the Treasury’s actions were taken pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction, and their means of delivery, and their supporters.&nbsp;

As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the persons named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC. All transactions by U.S. persons or within the United States (including transactions transiting the United States) that involve any property or interests in property of blocked or designated persons are prohibited.

In addition, persons that engage in certain transactions with the entities designated today may themselves be exposed to sanctions. Furthermore, any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or provides significant financial services for any of the or entities designated today could be subject to U.S. sanctions.

The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.&nbsp;<a href="https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/897">For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC’s Frequently Asked Question 897 here</a>.

WASHINGTON —The United States imposed new sanctions Wednesday on procurement networks based in Iran, Türkiye, Oman, and Germany that have acquired goods for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force Self Sufficiency Jihad Organization, Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), the Iran Centrifuge Technology Company, and other U.S.-sanctioned entities that are part of Iran’s military-industrial base, according to a statement from Matthew Miller, State Department spokesman.“Through complex covert procurement networks, Iran seeks to supply rogue actors around the world with weapons systems that fuel conflict and risk countless civilian lives,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “The United States will continue to use our tools to disrupt these networks and hold accountable those countries that would help proliferate Iran’s drones and missiles.”The designations follow previous U.S. designations of individuals and entities linked to the IRGC, MODAFL, and their subsidiaries’ ballistic missile production and other activities on behalf of Iran’s defense industrial base.The Department of the Treasury’s actions were taken pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction, and their means of delivery, and their supporters.&nbsp;As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the persons named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC. All transactions by U.S. persons or within the United States (including transactions transiting the United States) that involve any property or interests in property of blocked or designated persons are prohibited.In addition, persons that engage in certain transactions with the entities designated today may themselves be exposed to sanctions. Furthermore, any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or provides significant financial services for any of the or entities designated today could be subject to U.S. sanctions.The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.&nbsp;<a href="https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/897">For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC’s Frequently Asked Question 897 here</a>.

US imposes new sanctions on Iran's military procurement networks

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/20/workplace-harassment-investigation-launched-against-hastings-senator/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — An investigation has been launched under the Nebraska Legislature’s workplace harassment policy against State Sen. Steve Halloran for comments he made Monday night while reading a violent rape scene in a book.

State Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island, who chairs the Legislature’s Executive Board, told his colleagues Wednesday morning that he had personally launched an investigation against Halloran.

Aguilar said he wanted to clear up the “inaccuracies” about the incident, that no action was being explored against Halloran for his statements, which several senators described as “hurtful” and reviving nightmares about past incidents of sexual violence.&nbsp;

“This could not be further from the truth,” Aguilar said, adding that he initiated a complaint “the first thing” on Tuesday morning.

“This formal investigation will be thorough and by the book,” the senator said.

Halloran declined to comment after the announcement on the floor of the Legislature, except to say that Aguilar was in violation of a policy that made such investigations confidential.

Aguilar, during his announcement, said that because Halloran’s comments came during floor debate that was broadcast by Nebraska Public Media, it was determined that the confidentiality requirement no longer applied.

He added that given the “public nature” of the comments, he expected that the final report would be shared with all state senators, as well as the public.

Aguilar&nbsp;said he launched the investigation Tuesday morning, and under the Legislature’s workplace harassment rules, appointed a panel of three state senators to investigate the comments. That panel, whose members were not disclosed, met Tuesday.

That panel will hire an outside investigator, and, under the rules, must report its finding within 45 days.

Aguilar said it was important “that all members of the Legislature and legislative staff” feel safe in the workplace and that all complaints will be taken seriously.

Halloran, during floor debate on a bill related to obscenity, read a portion of a book that graphically described a violent rape, interjecting the words, “Senator Cavanaugh,” frequently during the reading.

The Hastings senator, who is term-limited from running for re-election, said it was an example of the kinds of obscene literature available in some school libraries. He insisted later that he was referring to State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, not his sister, fellow Sen. Michaela Cavanaugh.

But several senators considered the speech an aggressive affront to a fellow senator and said the reading revived troubling memories of sexual violence they, or their families, had endured.

Dunbar Sen. Julie Slama had decried the lack of action against Halloran, while Halloran said the outrage should be directed at the content of the book he had read.

A year ago, the Legislture updated its workplace harassment policies in the wake of a scandal involving then-Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte.

Groene had taken photos of one of his female staff members without her knowledge.

Groene resigned, and later,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/13/probe-concludes-sen-mike-groenes-actions-were-boorish-brainless-and-bizarre-not-unlawful/">a seven-week investigation</a>&nbsp;concluded that his behavior was “boorish, brainless and bizarre,” but not illegal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710949390620.jpeg" alt="Protester Judy King, right, confronts State Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings outside the Nebraska legislative chamber near Speaker John Arch’s office on Tuesday morning. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Protester Judy King, right, confronts State Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings outside the Nebraska legislative chamber near Speaker John Arch’s office on Tuesday morning. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/20/workplace-harassment-investigation-launched-against-hastings-senator/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — An investigation has been launched under the Nebraska Legislature’s workplace harassment policy against State Sen. Steve Halloran for comments he made Monday night while reading a violent rape scene in a book.State Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island, who chairs the Legislature’s Executive Board, told his colleagues Wednesday morning that he had personally launched an investigation against Halloran.Aguilar said he wanted to clear up the “inaccuracies” about the incident, that no action was being explored against Halloran for his statements, which several senators described as “hurtful” and reviving nightmares about past incidents of sexual violence.&nbsp;“This could not be further from the truth,” Aguilar said, adding that he initiated a complaint “the first thing” on Tuesday morning.“This formal investigation will be thorough and by the book,” the senator said.Halloran declined to comment after the announcement on the floor of the Legislature, except to say that Aguilar was in violation of a policy that made such investigations confidential.Aguilar, during his announcement, said that because Halloran’s comments came during floor debate that was broadcast by Nebraska Public Media, it was determined that the confidentiality requirement no longer applied.He added that given the “public nature” of the comments, he expected that the final report would be shared with all state senators, as well as the public.Aguilar&nbsp;said he launched the investigation Tuesday morning, and under the Legislature’s workplace harassment rules, appointed a panel of three state senators to investigate the comments. That panel, whose members were not disclosed, met Tuesday.That panel will hire an outside investigator, and, under the rules, must report its finding within 45 days.Aguilar said it was important “that all members of the Legislature and legislative staff” feel safe in the workplace and that all complaints will be taken seriously.Halloran, during floor debate on a bill related to obscenity, read a portion of a book that graphically described a violent rape, interjecting the words, “Senator Cavanaugh,” frequently during the reading.The Hastings senator, who is term-limited from running for re-election, said it was an example of the kinds of obscene literature available in some school libraries. He insisted later that he was referring to State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, not his sister, fellow Sen. Michaela Cavanaugh.But several senators considered the speech an aggressive affront to a fellow senator and said the reading revived troubling memories of sexual violence they, or their families, had endured.Dunbar Sen. Julie Slama had decried the lack of action against Halloran, while Halloran said the outrage should be directed at the content of the book he had read.A year ago, the Legislture updated its workplace harassment policies in the wake of a scandal involving then-Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte.Groene had taken photos of one of his female staff members without her knowledge.Groene resigned, and later,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/13/probe-concludes-sen-mike-groenes-actions-were-boorish-brainless-and-bizarre-not-unlawful/">a seven-week investigation</a>&nbsp;concluded that his behavior was “boorish, brainless and bizarre,” but not illegal.

Workplace harassment investigation launched against Hastings senator

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve officials signaled Wednesday that they still expect to cut their key interest rate three times in 2024 despite signs that inflation stayed surprisingly high at the start of the year. Yet they foresee fewer rate cuts in 2025, and they slightly raised their inflation forecasts.

After ending their latest meeting, the officials kept their benchmark interest rate unchanged for a fifth straight time.

In new quarterly projections they issued, the Fed officials forecast that stronger growth and stubborn inflation would persist this year and next. As a result, they predicted that interest rates would have to stay slightly higher for longer.

Speaking at a news conference, Chair Jerome Powell noted that inflation has cooled considerably from its peak. But, he added, "inflation is still too high, ongoing progress in bringing it down is not assured and the path forward is uncertain.”

“The risks are really two-sided here,” Powell said. "We’re in a situation where if we ease too much or too soon, we could see inflation come back. And if we ease too late, we could see unnecessary harm to employment.”

Rate cuts would, over time, lead to lower costs for home and auto loans, credit card borrowing and business loans. They might also aid President Joe Biden’s re-election bid, which is facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-inflation-election-2024-eggs-trump-6690e93b2817f28ebc314c088cbec267">widespread public unhappiness</a>&nbsp;over higher prices and could benefit from an economic jolt stemming from lower borrowing rates.

The Fed's policymakers now foresee three rate cuts in 2025, down from four in their December projections. They expect “core” inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, to still be 2.6% by the end of 2024, up from their previous projection of 2.4%. In January, core inflation was 2.8%, according to the Fed's preferred measure.

As a whole, Wednesday's forecasts suggest that the policymakers expect the U.S. economy to continue enjoying an unusual combination: A healthy job market and economy in tandem with inflation that continues to cool — just more gradually than they had predicted three months ago.

The Fed’s officials signaled that they also now foresee their benchmark rate as being higher in the future than it was in recent years — high enough to keep inflation in check but low enough to keep the economy growing. They had long pegged this “neutral rate” at 2.5%. But on Wednesday, the officials estimated that it's now 2.6%. If so, this means rates are less likely to return to the ultra-low levels that prevailed for years before the pandemic struck.

When the Fed raises its benchmark rate above the neutral rate, it seeks to slow growth and tame inflation. If the neutral rate is actually higher than the Fed had thought, it means its key rate should be higher, too, to cool the economy and inflation.

Most economists have pegged the Fed’s June meeting as the most likely time for it to announce its first rate cut, which would begin to reverse the 11 hikes it imposed beginning two years ago. The Fed’s hikes have helped lower annual inflation from a peak of 9.1% in June 2022 to 3.2%. But they have also made borrowing much costlier for businesses and households.

Two recent government reports pointed to higher-than-expected inflation. One showed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-rates-economy-biden-federal-reserve-4ac316b6a435ef44c370ce7686da67c0">consumer prices jumped</a>&nbsp;from January to February by much more than is consistent with the Fed’s target. The second showed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-wholesale-prices-consumer-federal-reserve-rates-b0456bd9bdc0cfdb5945f443ff75d865">wholesale inflation</a>&nbsp;came in surprisingly high — a possible sign of inflation pressures in the pipeline that could cause consumer price increases to remain elevated.

Powell and the 18 other officials on the Fed’s interest-rate-setting committee have been considering how — or whether — those figures should affect their timetable for cutting rates. The central question is whether they have kept rates high enough for long enough to fully tame inflation.

Though consumer inflation has tumbled since mid-2022, it has remained stuck above 3%. And in the first two months of 2024, the costs of services, like rents, hotels and hospital stays, remained elevated. That suggested that high borrowing rates weren’t sufficiently slowing inflation in the economy’s vast service sector.

While the Fed’s rate hikes typically make borrowing more expensive for homes, cars, appliances and other costly goods, they have much less effect on services spending, which doesn’t usually involve loans. With the economy still healthy, there is no compelling reason for the Fed to cut rates until it feels inflation is sustainably under control.

At the same time, the central bank faces a competing concern: If it waits too long to cut rates, a long period of high borrowing costs could seriously weaken the economy and even tip it into a recession.

In most respects, the U.S. economy remains remarkably heathy.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-unemployment-economy-inflation-federal-reserve-96162ff805670eb19a44cdf67fa20e3e">Employers keep hiring</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-unemployment-economy-inflation-federal-reserve-96162ff805670eb19a44cdf67fa20e3e">unemployment remains low</a>, and the stock market is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-rates-fed-inflation-cba7b728da06fa6ee309bd5c26e08e20">hovering at record highs</a>. Yet average consumer prices remain much higher than they were before the pandemic — a source of unhappiness for many Americans for which Republicans have sought to pin blame on Biden.

And there are signs that the economy could weaken in the coming months. Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/retail-sales-economy-inflation-9136c3aeecb2afeee14a3a4b64ab3773">slowed their spending at retailers</a>&nbsp;in January and February, for example. The unemployment rate has reached 3.9% — still a healthy level, but up from a half-century low last year of 3.4%. And much of the hiring in recent months has occurred in government, health care and private education, with many other industries barely adding any jobs.

Other major central banks are also keeping rates high to ensure that they have a firm handle on consumer price spikes. In Europe,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bank-of-england-interest-rates-britain-308acb9c0e72c57869d53b336dada7ca">pressure is building to lower borrowing costs</a>&nbsp;as inflation drops and economic growth stalls. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/european-central-bank-interest-rates-inflation-7af79779d91d04076b169111254f82fd">European Central Bank’s leader hinted</a>&nbsp;this month that a possible rate cut could come in June, while the Bank of England isn’t expected to open the door to any imminent cut when it meets Thursday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve officials signaled Wednesday that they still expect to cut their key interest rate three times in 2024 despite signs that inflation stayed surprisingly high at the start of the year. Yet they foresee fewer rate cuts in 2025, and they slightly raised their inflation forecasts.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Federal Reserve Chair Powell: &quot;Today, the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FOMC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FOMC</a> decided to leave our policy interest rate unchanged and to continue to reduce our securities holdings.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/hoobsvmcO6">pic.twitter.com/hoobsvmcO6</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1770532861285732679?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>After ending their latest meeting, the officials kept their benchmark interest rate unchanged for a fifth straight time.In new quarterly projections they issued, the Fed officials forecast that stronger growth and stubborn inflation would persist this year and next. As a result, they predicted that interest rates would have to stay slightly higher for longer.Speaking at a news conference, Chair Jerome Powell noted that inflation has cooled considerably from its peak. But, he added, "inflation is still too high, ongoing progress in bringing it down is not assured and the path forward is uncertain.”“The risks are really two-sided here,” Powell said. "We’re in a situation where if we ease too much or too soon, we could see inflation come back. And if we ease too late, we could see unnecessary harm to employment.”Rate cuts would, over time, lead to lower costs for home and auto loans, credit card borrowing and business loans. They might also aid President Joe Biden’s re-election bid, which is facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-inflation-election-2024-eggs-trump-6690e93b2817f28ebc314c088cbec267">widespread public unhappiness</a>&nbsp;over higher prices and could benefit from an economic jolt stemming from lower borrowing rates.The Fed's policymakers now foresee three rate cuts in 2025, down from four in their December projections. They expect “core” inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, to still be 2.6% by the end of 2024, up from their previous projection of 2.4%. In January, core inflation was 2.8%, according to the Fed's preferred measure.As a whole, Wednesday's forecasts suggest that the policymakers expect the U.S. economy to continue enjoying an unusual combination: A healthy job market and economy in tandem with inflation that continues to cool — just more gradually than they had predicted three months ago.The Fed’s officials signaled that they also now foresee their benchmark rate as being higher in the future than it was in recent years — high enough to keep inflation in check but low enough to keep the economy growing. They had long pegged this “neutral rate” at 2.5%. But on Wednesday, the officials estimated that it's now 2.6%. If so, this means rates are less likely to return to the ultra-low levels that prevailed for years before the pandemic struck.When the Fed raises its benchmark rate above the neutral rate, it seeks to slow growth and tame inflation. If the neutral rate is actually higher than the Fed had thought, it means its key rate should be higher, too, to cool the economy and inflation.Most economists have pegged the Fed’s June meeting as the most likely time for it to announce its first rate cut, which would begin to reverse the 11 hikes it imposed beginning two years ago. The Fed’s hikes have helped lower annual inflation from a peak of 9.1% in June 2022 to 3.2%. But they have also made borrowing much costlier for businesses and households.Two recent government reports pointed to higher-than-expected inflation. One showed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-rates-economy-biden-federal-reserve-4ac316b6a435ef44c370ce7686da67c0">consumer prices jumped</a>&nbsp;from January to February by much more than is consistent with the Fed’s target. The second showed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-wholesale-prices-consumer-federal-reserve-rates-b0456bd9bdc0cfdb5945f443ff75d865">wholesale inflation</a>&nbsp;came in surprisingly high — a possible sign of inflation pressures in the pipeline that could cause consumer price increases to remain elevated.Powell and the 18 other officials on the Fed’s interest-rate-setting committee have been considering how — or whether — those figures should affect their timetable for cutting rates. The central question is whether they have kept rates high enough for long enough to fully tame inflation.Though consumer inflation has tumbled since mid-2022, it has remained stuck above 3%. And in the first two months of 2024, the costs of services, like rents, hotels and hospital stays, remained elevated. That suggested that high borrowing rates weren’t sufficiently slowing inflation in the economy’s vast service sector.While the Fed’s rate hikes typically make borrowing more expensive for homes, cars, appliances and other costly goods, they have much less effect on services spending, which doesn’t usually involve loans. With the economy still healthy, there is no compelling reason for the Fed to cut rates until it feels inflation is sustainably under control.At the same time, the central bank faces a competing concern: If it waits too long to cut rates, a long period of high borrowing costs could seriously weaken the economy and even tip it into a recession.In most respects, the U.S. economy remains remarkably heathy.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-unemployment-economy-inflation-federal-reserve-96162ff805670eb19a44cdf67fa20e3e">Employers keep hiring</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-unemployment-economy-inflation-federal-reserve-96162ff805670eb19a44cdf67fa20e3e">unemployment remains low</a>, and the stock market is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-rates-fed-inflation-cba7b728da06fa6ee309bd5c26e08e20">hovering at record highs</a>. Yet average consumer prices remain much higher than they were before the pandemic — a source of unhappiness for many Americans for which Republicans have sought to pin blame on Biden.And there are signs that the economy could weaken in the coming months. Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/retail-sales-economy-inflation-9136c3aeecb2afeee14a3a4b64ab3773">slowed their spending at retailers</a>&nbsp;in January and February, for example. The unemployment rate has reached 3.9% — still a healthy level, but up from a half-century low last year of 3.4%. And much of the hiring in recent months has occurred in government, health care and private education, with many other industries barely adding any jobs.Other major central banks are also keeping rates high to ensure that they have a firm handle on consumer price spikes. In Europe,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bank-of-england-interest-rates-britain-308acb9c0e72c57869d53b336dada7ca">pressure is building to lower borrowing costs</a>&nbsp;as inflation drops and economic growth stalls. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/european-central-bank-interest-rates-inflation-7af79779d91d04076b169111254f82fd">European Central Bank’s leader hinted</a>&nbsp;this month that a possible rate cut could come in June, while the Bank of England isn’t expected to open the door to any imminent cut when it meets Thursday.

🎥Americans will continue paying higher costs to borrow

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/20/unmc-chancellor-gold-tapped-as-priority-presidential-candidate-for-university-of-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

Editor’s note: This is a developing story and will be updated.

LINCOLN — The University of Nebraska Board of Regents unanimously tapped the chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center as its priority candidate Wednesday for the next NU president.

Jeffrey Gold, who has served as UNMC chancellor since 2014, will go through a 30-day public vetting period before an expected confirmation vote at the board’s April 19 meeting.

Gold, if confirmed, would be the ninth NU system president, filling the role after former NU President Ted Carter left for The Ohio State University on Dec. 31.

Gov. Jim Pillen, a former regent, blasted his former governing board last week for slow walking the presidential search. As a regent, Pillen led the 2019 search that brought Carter to NU. That search took 214 days from the time NU President Hank Bounds announced his departure to Carter being named priority candidate.

Regents universally praised Gold as the right pick to take NU to its next chapter, with Regent Elizabeth O’Connor of Omaha stating NU is at a “crossroads.”

“As an experienced leader in education, I firmly believe that Dr. Gold is poised to help us take advantage of these opportunities and to build a university for Nebraska’s future,” O’Connor said.

Regent Kathy Wilmot of Beaver City: “I do think this is going to leave us at a point where we can step forward with competence and we can proceed onward with making the university that best place to be for our students and for our state of Nebraska.”

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Student Regent Paul Pechous said Gold is a champion for NU and has proven as much over his last 10 years of service. Under his leadership, Pechous said, he looks forward to Gold “continuing to be a champion for our students.”

Gold received praise from State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, a former hospital administrator, who said Gold has taken UNMC “to a new level.”

“He’s smarter than hell,” said Riepe, who worked with Gold as chair of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee.

Gold will be available at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Paul Hammel contributed to this report.

UNMC also has launched projects designed to expand its rural presence.&nbsp;

— Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Cindy Gonzalez

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710952019443.jpeg" alt=" Jeffrey Gold, M.D., chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in his office in the UNMC campus in Omaha. May 1, 2020. (Courtesy of the University of Nebraska Medical Center)" />
 <figcaption> Jeffrey Gold, M.D., chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in his office in the UNMC campus in Omaha. May 1, 2020. (Courtesy of the University of Nebraska Medical Center)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/20/unmc-chancellor-gold-tapped-as-priority-presidential-candidate-for-university-of-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a>Editor’s note: This is a developing story and will be updated.LINCOLN — The University of Nebraska Board of Regents unanimously tapped the chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center as its priority candidate Wednesday for the next NU president.Jeffrey Gold, who has served as UNMC chancellor since 2014, will go through a 30-day public vetting period before an expected confirmation vote at the board’s April 19 meeting.Gold, if confirmed, would be the ninth NU system president, filling the role after former NU President Ted Carter left for The Ohio State University on Dec. 31.Gold concurrently served as chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha for four years and is NU’s current chief academic officer, serving as a liaison between NU and the regents.&nbsp;A graduate from the Cornell University College of Engineering with a degree in theoretical and applied mechanics, Gold earned his medical degree from the Will Cornell College of Medicine. He completed his general surgery residency at The New York – Presbyterian Hospital and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.&nbsp;He has been certified by the American Boards of Surgery and Thoracic Surgery, specializing in adult and pediatric cardiac surgery, and is licensed in Nebraska, Ohio, New York and New Jersey.Gov. Jim Pillen, a former regent, blasted his former governing board last week for slow walking the presidential search. As a regent, Pillen led the 2019 search that brought Carter to NU. That search took 214 days from the time NU President Hank Bounds announced his departure to Carter being named priority candidate.With Wednesday’s announcement, the most recent search clocked out at 211 days.Regents universally praised Gold as the right pick to take NU to its next chapter, with Regent Elizabeth O’Connor of Omaha stating NU is at a “crossroads.”“As an experienced leader in education, I firmly believe that Dr. Gold is poised to help us take advantage of these opportunities and to build a university for Nebraska’s future,” O’Connor said.Regent Kathy Wilmot of Beaver City: “I do think this is going to leave us at a point where we can step forward with competence and we can proceed onward with making the university that best place to be for our students and for our state of Nebraska.”University of Nebraska-Lincoln Student Regent Paul Pechous said Gold is a champion for NU and has proven as much over his last 10 years of service. Under his leadership, Pechous said, he looks forward to Gold “continuing to be a champion for our students.”Gold received praise from State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, a former hospital administrator, who said Gold has taken UNMC “to a new level.”“He’s smarter than hell,” said Riepe, who worked with Gold as chair of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee.Gold will be available at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Paul Hammel contributed to this report.<h2>UNMC growth and expansion</h2>University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Jeffrey Gold has been at the helm during unprecedented UNMC growth and a multibillion-dollar flurry of building initiatives on and around its midtown Omaha home campus.At the end of last year, he gathered with area officials to celebrate the start of the six-story so-called $105 million “CORE” facility (Campus Operations &amp; Research Excellence), which is expected to open in 2026. That facility — along with other developments ongoing or planned along the Saddle Creek corridor — could expand the UNMC footprint by roughly 1.5 million square feet of building space, the medical center’s officials have said.Officials called that unprecedented growth for the public medical center’s midtown Omaha base, whose building space now spans about 10 million square feet.Gold has said that growth is essential to maintain momentum reflected in rising student enrollment, research and clinical care for Nebraskans as well as others.UNMC also has launched projects designed to expand its rural presence.&nbsp;A $85 million rural medical school, for example, is expected to open in 2025 in Kearney and has been touted as a sign of Nebraska’s effort to grow the health care workforce in its rural communities.— Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Cindy Gonzalez

UNMC Chancellor Gold tapped as priority presidential candidate for University of Nebraska

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/19/https-nebraskaexaminer-com-briefs-new-ballot-initiative-seeks-to-ban-nebraska-abortions-after-first-trimester-of-pregnancy/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A group of Nebraska medical professionals is seeking to present a different abortion-related constitutional amendment — billed as a “better choice” — to voters in November: banning abortions after the first trimester.

The petition effort quickly received the backing of two Nebraska groups that oppose abortion rights, Nebraska Right to Life and the Nebraska Family Alliance. They billed the new petition as “a second, better choice,” that also includes exceptions for rape, incest and medical emergencies.

“Now, instead of the abortion industry’s extreme proposal, which grants the abortionist sole authority to determine fetal viability and allows minors to obtain an abortion without parental notification, voters may have a second option on their ballot,” said Karen Bowling of the Family Alliance in a press release.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America also announced its support, saying voters will have a “clear choice” come November on two abortion measures.&nbsp;

The new “Protect Women and Children Constitutional Amendment,” based on paperwork filed March 1 with the Secretary of State’s Office, would ban abortions past the first trimester, or at about 13 weeks of pregnancy. A state law passed in 2023 prohibits most abortions after 12 weeks gestational age.

Current law allows exceptions for medical emergencies and pregnancies resulting from sexual assault or incest, as does the new petition.

“Unborn children shall be protected from abortion in the second and third trimesters,” the filed&nbsp;petition language states.

The new effort would compete with an initiative petition drive launched last year to place a constitutional amendment on the 2024 ballot. Backed by abortion rights groups, it would allow abortion up to the time when a fetus could be viable outside the womb, usually around 23 weeks.

Jasmine Smith, of the sponsors of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/15/nebraska-abortion-rights-petition-language-aims-for-viability-standard/">Protect Our Rights campaign</a>, said Tuesday that the new effort was launched by those who want to outlaw abortion “in all circumstances.”

“This new effort would enshrine Nebraska’s current harmful ban in our state constitution and leave the door open for far more restrictive bans,” Smith said.

The Protect Our Rights effort has the backing of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, the ACLU of Nebraska, I Be Black Girl, &nbsp;Women’s Fund of Omaha and others.&nbsp;

Scout Richters, policy director for the ACLU of Nebraska, also said supporters would not stop at the first trimester and predicted the counter proposal could be part of a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/29/nebraska-gov-jim-pillen-says-he-wont-stop-on-abortion-seeks-total-ban/">stated goal</a>&nbsp;from lawmakers and Gov. Jim Pillen to further restrict or outlaw abortion.

Smith said Protect Our Rights is about stopping government overreach and protecting individual freedoms.

Richters said the ACLU has always supported the idea that decisions about pregnancy and abortions belong to patients, in consultation with their medical providers.

“This proposal really just simply flies in the face of that,” Richters said.

Jackie Ourada, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s Office, said the petition language for the new effort has not been finalized, although it has been reviewed by the Revisor of Statutes. Petitions cannot be circulated for signatures until sponsors file their final language and the Secretary of State’s Office prepares sample copies of the petition, Ourada said.

Organizers of any ballot initiative must gather&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://sos.nebraska.gov/sites/sos.nebraska.gov/files/doc/01-init_ref.pdf">signatures</a>&nbsp;from at least 10% of Nebraska voters. The signatures must include 5% of registered voters in at least 38 of the state’s 93 counties. The deadline is July 3.

Who is&nbsp;the “Protect Women and Children Initiative,” which is funding what is expected to be an expensive petition drive?

The organization did not return an email seeking more information, and Mark Patefield, who serves as a pharmacist in both Wayne and Laurel, told the Examiner on Tuesday afternoon that he was too busy to answer questions.

The Protect Women and Children Initiative had not yet filed organization papers with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission as of Tuesday. Filings with the commission can indicate who is funding such a campaign.

But the email launching the initiative says the four people named on the committee are listed as health professionals.

Patefield ran unsuccessfully for Nebraska Legislature in 2022, when he was endorsed by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts as well as Nebraska Right to Life.

Elizabeth Peterson is a registered nurse, as is Jan Kuehn, who is retired. Maureen Bausch, another retired RN, previously served as a chaplain at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Lincoln.

—&nbsp;By Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Paul Hammel

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710941685713.jpeg" alt=" Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen addresses a crowd of anti-abortion advocates outside the Capitol. April 12, 2023. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen addresses a crowd of anti-abortion advocates outside the Capitol. April 12, 2023. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/19/https-nebraskaexaminer-com-briefs-new-ballot-initiative-seeks-to-ban-nebraska-abortions-after-first-trimester-of-pregnancy/">Nebraska Examiner</a>Editor’s note: This story has been updated.LINCOLN — A group of Nebraska medical professionals is seeking to present a different abortion-related constitutional amendment — billed as a “better choice” — to voters in November: banning abortions after the first trimester.The petition effort quickly received the backing of two Nebraska groups that oppose abortion rights, Nebraska Right to Life and the Nebraska Family Alliance. They billed the new petition as “a second, better choice,” that also includes exceptions for rape, incest and medical emergencies.“Now, instead of the abortion industry’s extreme proposal, which grants the abortionist sole authority to determine fetal viability and allows minors to obtain an abortion without parental notification, voters may have a second option on their ballot,” said Karen Bowling of the Family Alliance in a press release.Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America also announced its support, saying voters will have a “clear choice” come November on two abortion measures.&nbsp;<h2>Paperwork filed March 1</h2>The new “Protect Women and Children Constitutional Amendment,” based on paperwork filed March 1 with the Secretary of State’s Office, would ban abortions past the first trimester, or at about 13 weeks of pregnancy. A state law passed in 2023 prohibits most abortions after 12 weeks gestational age.Current law allows exceptions for medical emergencies and pregnancies resulting from sexual assault or incest, as does the new petition.“Unborn children shall be protected from abortion in the second and third trimesters,” the filed&nbsp;petition language states.The new effort would compete with an initiative petition drive launched last year to place a constitutional amendment on the 2024 ballot. Backed by abortion rights groups, it would allow abortion up to the time when a fetus could be viable outside the womb, usually around 23 weeks.<h2>Could lead to further restrictions</h2>Jasmine Smith, of the sponsors of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/15/nebraska-abortion-rights-petition-language-aims-for-viability-standard/">Protect Our Rights campaign</a>, said Tuesday that the new effort was launched by those who want to outlaw abortion “in all circumstances.”“This new effort would enshrine Nebraska’s current harmful ban in our state constitution and leave the door open for far more restrictive bans,” Smith said.The Protect Our Rights effort has the backing of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, the ACLU of Nebraska, I Be Black Girl, &nbsp;Women’s Fund of Omaha and others.&nbsp;Scout Richters, policy director for the ACLU of Nebraska, also said supporters would not stop at the first trimester and predicted the counter proposal could be part of a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/29/nebraska-gov-jim-pillen-says-he-wont-stop-on-abortion-seeks-total-ban/">stated goal</a>&nbsp;from lawmakers and Gov. Jim Pillen to further restrict or outlaw abortion.Smith said Protect Our Rights is about stopping government overreach and protecting individual freedoms.Richters said the ACLU has always supported the idea that decisions about pregnancy and abortions belong to patients, in consultation with their medical providers.“This proposal really just simply flies in the face of that,” Richters said.Jackie Ourada, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s Office, said the petition language for the new effort has not been finalized, although it has been reviewed by the Revisor of Statutes. Petitions cannot be circulated for signatures until sponsors file their final language and the Secretary of State’s Office prepares sample copies of the petition, Ourada said.Organizers of any ballot initiative must gather&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://sos.nebraska.gov/sites/sos.nebraska.gov/files/doc/01-init_ref.pdf">signatures</a>&nbsp;from at least 10% of Nebraska voters. The signatures must include 5% of registered voters in at least 38 of the state’s 93 counties. The deadline is July 3.<h2>Protect Women and Children Initiative</h2>Who is&nbsp;the “Protect Women and Children Initiative,” which is funding what is expected to be an expensive petition drive?The organization did not return an email seeking more information, and Mark Patefield, who serves as a pharmacist in both Wayne and Laurel, told the Examiner on Tuesday afternoon that he was too busy to answer questions.The Protect Women and Children Initiative had not yet filed organization papers with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission as of Tuesday. Filings with the commission can indicate who is funding such a campaign.But the email launching the initiative says the four people named on the committee are listed as health professionals.Patefield ran unsuccessfully for Nebraska Legislature in 2022, when he was endorsed by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts as well as Nebraska Right to Life.Elizabeth Peterson is a registered nurse, as is Jan Kuehn, who is retired. Maureen Bausch, another retired RN, previously served as a chaplain at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Lincoln.—&nbsp;By Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Paul Hammel