John Grinvalds

2 months ago | 1011now.com | John Grinvalds

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Not long ago, Nebraska lawmakers—buoyed by record state revenue—had big dreams of building lakes. “Just a few short years ago, the state had a record budget surplus,” State Sen. Danielle Conrad said. Now, the focus has shifted to staying afloat, as the legislature works to close a nearly $300 million deficit—what Conrad calls a self-inflicted wound.

2 months ago | 1011now.com | John Grinvalds

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - It’s likely that acres of corn will outnumber the acres of soybeans in Nebraska this year, a sign that farmers are bracing for a trade war with China. “If China wanted to buy our soybeans with the tariffs, they’d be like $22.00 a bushel,” Mark McHargue, the president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau, said. “That’s the scale of the tariff.

2 months ago | ksnblocal4.com | John Grinvalds

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - A bill aimed at ending Nebraska’s system of splitting Electoral College votes failed to get enough support on Tuesday. Debate over “Winner-Take-All” took took place in the Legislature throughout the day. Shortly after 5:30 p.m., the cloture vote failed 31-18, falling just short of the required 33 votes. This means the state will stick with its current system.

2 months ago | 1011now.com | John Grinvalds

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - President Donald Trump’s slate of tariffs sent shockwaves of uncertainty across the economy, rippling here in Lancaster County. “It could impact us up to 25%, in particular, on new vehicles,” Pam Dingman, the Lancaster County Engineer, said. “So new dump trucks, new motor graders, new pickup trucks.”Dingman is looking to purchase seven of those vehicles due to transmission and other issues, and she’s still unsure how much tariffs could increase the price of parts.

2 months ago | ksnblocal4.com | John Grinvalds

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - A theme emerging from the the 2025 legislative session is the paring down of ballot initiatives that were overwhelmingly supported by Nebraska voters. Bills dealing with paid sick leave and minimum wage already advanced on the Unicameral floor, and this week, an amendment to a medical marijuana bill could substantially rein in its rollout. That has advocates of medical cannabis sounding the alarm.