By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education must temporarily reinstate the hundreds of employees laid off earlier this year and cannot follow through on an executive order from President Donald Trump seeking to dismantle the agency, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled Thursday.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.282419/gov.uscourts.mad.282419.45.0.pdf" target="_blank">ruling</a>&nbsp;stems from a pair of March lawsuits — one from a slew of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/democratic-attorneys-general-sue-trump-over-us-education-department-layoffs" target="_blank">Democratic attorneys general</a>, another from a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/two-teachers-unions-parents-advocates-sue-over-trump-dismantling-department-education" target="_blank">coalition of advocacy and labor groups</a>&nbsp;— and blocks three Trump initiatives, marking a major blow to the president’s education agenda as his administration seeks to dramatically reshape the federal role in education.

The lawsuits challenge some of the administration’s most consequential education initiatives so far: a reduction in force effort at the agency that gutted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-education-department-cut-hundreds-staff-members" target="_blank">more than 1,300 employees</a>, Trump’s executive order calling on Education Secretary Linda McMahon to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-sign-order-directing-education-secretary-shut-down-her-own-department" target="_blank">facilitate the closure</a>&nbsp;of her own department and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-rehouse-student-loans-other-programs-amid-push-close-education-department" target="_blank">Trump’s proposal</a>&nbsp;to rehouse the student loan portfolio in the Small Business Administration and special education services in the Department of Health and Human Services.

“A department without enough employees to perform statutorily mandated functions is not a department at all,” U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun wrote in his 88-page memorandum and order granting a preliminary injunction.

“This court cannot be asked to cover its eyes while the Department’s employees are continuously fired and units are transferred out until the Department becomes a shell of itself,” wrote Joun, whom former President Joe Biden appointed.

Joun’s preliminary injunction took effect immediately and will remain until the merits of the consolidated case are decided.

A department spokesperson said the administration would immediately appeal the ruling. The agency has since&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.281941/gov.uscourts.mad.281941.130.0_1.pdf" target="_blank">filed an appeal</a>.

One of the cases comes from a coalition of Democratic attorneys general in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington state and Wisconsin.

The other lawsuit was brought by the American Federation of Teachers, its Massachusetts chapter, AFSCME Council 93, the American Association of University Professors, the Service Employees International Union and two school districts in Massachusetts.

The department’s reduction in force plan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/advocates-brace-trump-cuts-education-department-step-toward-elimination" target="_blank">prompted concerns from education advocates and leaders</a>&nbsp;over how the agency would be able to carry out its core responsibilities after roughly halving its workforce, including major cuts to key units including the Office of Federal Student Aid, Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, one of the largest teachers unions in the country, celebrated the ruling in a Thursday statement.

“Today, the court rightly rejected one of the administration’s very first illegal, and consequential, acts: abolishing the federal role in education,” Weingarten said.

“This decision is a first step to reverse this war on knowledge and the undermining of broad-based opportunity. For America to build a brighter future, we must all take more responsibility, not less, for the success of our children.”

Joun’s order also bars the agency from carrying out the president’s directive to transfer the student loan portfolio and special education services out of the agency.

Trump announced the proposal, which had no accompanying executive order, at the opening of an Oval Office appearance with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The department had told States Newsroom earlier this week that it had nothing new to share at this time regarding the proposed transfer.&nbsp;

Madi Biedermann, a spokesperson for the department, said the agency “will immediately challenge this on an emergency basis.”

“Once again, a far-left Judge has dramatically overstepped his authority, based on a complaint from biased plaintiffs, and issued an injunction against the obviously lawful efforts to make the Department of Education more efficient and functional for the American people,” she said in a statement shared with States Newsroom.

“President Trump and the Senate-confirmed Secretary of Education clearly have the authority to make decisions about agency reorganization efforts, not an unelected Judge with a political axe to grind. This ruling is not in the best interest of American students or families.”

Thursday’s ruling came just a day after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/democrats-us-house-spending-panel-grill-education-secretary-mcmahon-over-planned-cuts" target="_blank">McMahon took a grilling</a>&nbsp;from U.S. House Democrats over the drastic cuts and proposed changes at her department during a hearing in a panel of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations.

McMahon appeared before the lawmakers to outline Trump’s fiscal year 2026 budget request, which calls for $12 billion in spending cuts at the department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742573578411.png" alt="In March, President Trump shown with Education Secretary Linda McMahon, signed an Executive Order to Dismantle Department of Education" />
 <figcaption>In March, President Trump shown with Education Secretary Linda McMahon, signed an Executive Order to Dismantle Department of Education</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education must temporarily reinstate the hundreds of employees laid off earlier this year and cannot follow through on an executive order from President Donald Trump seeking to dismantle the agency, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled Thursday.&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.282419/gov.uscourts.mad.282419.45.0.pdf" target="_blank">ruling</a>&nbsp;stems from a pair of March lawsuits — one from a slew of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/democratic-attorneys-general-sue-trump-over-us-education-department-layoffs" target="_blank">Democratic attorneys general</a>, another from a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/two-teachers-unions-parents-advocates-sue-over-trump-dismantling-department-education" target="_blank">coalition of advocacy and labor groups</a>&nbsp;— and blocks three Trump initiatives, marking a major blow to the president’s education agenda as his administration seeks to dramatically reshape the federal role in education.The lawsuits challenge some of the administration’s most consequential education initiatives so far: a reduction in force effort at the agency that gutted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-education-department-cut-hundreds-staff-members" target="_blank">more than 1,300 employees</a>, Trump’s executive order calling on Education Secretary Linda McMahon to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-sign-order-directing-education-secretary-shut-down-her-own-department" target="_blank">facilitate the closure</a>&nbsp;of her own department and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-rehouse-student-loans-other-programs-amid-push-close-education-department" target="_blank">Trump’s proposal</a>&nbsp;to rehouse the student loan portfolio in the Small Business Administration and special education services in the Department of Health and Human Services.“A department without enough employees to perform statutorily mandated functions is not a department at all,” U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun wrote in his 88-page memorandum and order granting a preliminary injunction.“This court cannot be asked to cover its eyes while the Department’s employees are continuously fired and units are transferred out until the Department becomes a shell of itself,” wrote Joun, whom former President Joe Biden appointed.Joun’s preliminary injunction took effect immediately and will remain until the merits of the consolidated case are decided.A department spokesperson said the administration would immediately appeal the ruling. The agency has since&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.281941/gov.uscourts.mad.281941.130.0_1.pdf" target="_blank">filed an appeal</a>.<h2>Win for Democratic states</h2>One of the cases comes from a coalition of Democratic attorneys general in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington state and Wisconsin.The other lawsuit was brought by the American Federation of Teachers, its Massachusetts chapter, AFSCME Council 93, the American Association of University Professors, the Service Employees International Union and two school districts in Massachusetts.The department’s reduction in force plan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/advocates-brace-trump-cuts-education-department-step-toward-elimination" target="_blank">prompted concerns from education advocates and leaders</a>&nbsp;over how the agency would be able to carry out its core responsibilities after roughly halving its workforce, including major cuts to key units including the Office of Federal Student Aid, Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences.Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, one of the largest teachers unions in the country, celebrated the ruling in a Thursday statement.“Today, the court rightly rejected one of the administration’s very first illegal, and consequential, acts: abolishing the federal role in education,” Weingarten said.“This decision is a first step to reverse this war on knowledge and the undermining of broad-based opportunity. For America to build a brighter future, we must all take more responsibility, not less, for the success of our children.”Joun’s order also bars the agency from carrying out the president’s directive to transfer the student loan portfolio and special education services out of the agency.Trump announced the proposal, which had no accompanying executive order, at the opening of an Oval Office appearance with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The department had told States Newsroom earlier this week that it had nothing new to share at this time regarding the proposed transfer.&nbsp;<h2>Judge ‘dramatically overstepped’</h2>Madi Biedermann, a spokesperson for the department, said the agency “will immediately challenge this on an emergency basis.”“Once again, a far-left Judge has dramatically overstepped his authority, based on a complaint from biased plaintiffs, and issued an injunction against the obviously lawful efforts to make the Department of Education more efficient and functional for the American people,” she said in a statement shared with States Newsroom.“President Trump and the Senate-confirmed Secretary of Education clearly have the authority to make decisions about agency reorganization efforts, not an unelected Judge with a political axe to grind. This ruling is not in the best interest of American students or families.”Thursday’s ruling came just a day after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/democrats-us-house-spending-panel-grill-education-secretary-mcmahon-over-planned-cuts" target="_blank">McMahon took a grilling</a>&nbsp;from U.S. House Democrats over the drastic cuts and proposed changes at her department during a hearing in a panel of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations.McMahon appeared before the lawmakers to outline Trump’s fiscal year 2026 budget request, which calls for $12 billion in spending cuts at the department.

Court order blocks Trump from eliminating U.S. Education Department

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>

WASHINGTON — U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before Congress on Tuesday that a major report due out later this week from his agency will not disparage farmers or a commonly used pesticide.

Kennedy, who has long been critical of certain aspects of modern agriculture and processed food, at a U.S. Senate hearing urged lawmakers to read the widely anticipated “Make America Healthy Again” report once it’s published Thursday, but didn’t go into details about any possible recommendations.

“Everybody will see the report,” Kennedy said. “And there’s nobody that has a greater commitment to the American farmer than we do. The MAHA movement collapses if we can’t partner with the American farmer in producing a safe, robust and abundant food supply.”

His comments followed stern questioning from Mississippi Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who said she had read news reports from “reliable sources” that the MAHA Commission’s initial assessment “may unfairly target American agriculture, modern farming practices and the crop protection tools that roughly 2% of our population relies on to help feed the remaining 98%.”

“If Americans lose confidence in the safety and integrity of our food supply due to the unfounded claims that mislead consumers, public health will be at risk,” Hyde-Smith said. “I’ve said this before, and it’s worth saying again, countries have gone to war over many things — politics, religion, race, trade, natural resources, oil, pride, you name it — but threaten a nation’s food supply and allow people to go hungry. Let’s see what happens then.”

Hyde-Smith, who was her home state’s commissioner of agriculture and commerce from 2012 to 2018, probed Kennedy about his past work in environmental law and whether he might be inserting “confirmation bias” into the forthcoming report.

She asked Kennedy if he would try to change the current approval for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/pesticides/questions-and-answers-glyphosate" target="_blank">glyphosate</a>, a commonly used herbicide, that she referred to as “one of the most thoroughly studied products of its kind.”

“We’re talking about more than 1,500 studies and 50-plus years of review by the EPA and other leading global health authorities that have affirmed its safety when used as directed,” Hyde-Smith said. “Have you been able to review thousands of studies and decades of scientific review in a matter of months?”

Kennedy responded that her “information about the report is just simply wrong.”

“The drafts that I’ve seen, there is not a single word in them that should worry the American farmer,” Kennedy said.

Hyde-Smith continued her questioning and told Kennedy that it would be “a shame if the MAHA commission issues reports suggesting, without substantial facts and evidence, that our government got things terribly wrong when it reviewed a number of crop protection tools and deemed them to be safe.”

Several other Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee raised concerns during the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/senate-committee/hhs-secretary-kennedy-testifies-on-2026-budget-request/660137" target="_blank">two-hour hearing</a>&nbsp;about how Kennedy has run HHS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/rfk-jr-confirmed-nations-health-chief-despite-vaccine-denial-conspiracy-theories" target="_blank">since they confirmed him</a>&nbsp;in February.

Maine Sen. Susan Collins, chairwoman of the full Appropriations Committee, brought up the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, which the Trump administration has called on Congress to eliminate.

“The LIHEAP program, which we’ve talked about, is absolutely vital for thousands of older Mainers and low-income families,” Collins said. “It helps them avoid the constant worry of having to choose between keeping warm, buying essential foods and medications and other basic necessities.”

Kennedy sought to distance himself from the president’s budget request, saying that he understands “the critical, historical importance of this program.”

“President (Donald) Trump’s rationale and (the Office of Management and Budget’s) rationale is that President Trump’s energy policies are going to lower the cost of energy … so that everybody will get lower cost heating oil,” Kennedy said.

Subcommittee Chairwoman Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., brought up several issues with Kennedy, including efforts to change how much the National Institutes of Health provides to medical schools and research universities for Facilities and Administrative fees, often called indirect costs.

NIH sought to set that amount at 15% across the board for any institution that receives a research grant from the agency, a significantly lower amount than many of the organizations had negotiated over the years, bringing about strong objections from institutions of higher education.

That NIH policy has not taken effect as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-administrations-irreparable-cut-nih-research-funds-blocked-judge" target="_blank">several lawsuits work their way through the federal court system.</a>

Kennedy indicated NIH has figured out a way to help medical schools and research universities pay for items like gloves, test tubes and mass spectrometers, particularly at state schools.

“In the public universities, we are very much aware that those universities are using the money well, that it is absolutely necessary for them. And we’re looking at a series of different ways that we can fund those costs through them,” Kennedy said. “But not through the independent, indirect cost structure, which loses all control, which deprives us of all control of how that money is spent.”

Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran, a Republican, brought up the measles outbreak and pressed Kennedy on whether HHS needed additional resources to help his home state and others get the virus under control.

Kennedy testified the “best way to prevent the spread of measles is through vaccination” and that HHS has been urging “people to get their MMR vaccines.”

South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds called on Kennedy to continue fixing issues created earlier this year when HHS fired people working on mine safety issues at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

“My office has learned that staff at NIOSH’s Spokane mining research division have been laid off. This office focuses on the unique challenges of Western mining operations that are often more geologically complex and exposed to harsher conditions,” Rounds said. “This division provides critical technical support for institutions like the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, which recently received a $1.25 million grant to improve underground mining safety. However, the grant has now been canceled due to loss of oversight from the Spokane office.

“This is not just a missed opportunity, it undermines our ability to meet national security goals tied to mineral independence and supply chain resilience.”

Kennedy testified that he’s been able to bring back 238 workers at the agency and said he would work with Rounds to address ongoing issues.

Pledge to fund Head Start, but no dollar amount

Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, a Republican, asked Kennedy about news reports earlier this year that HHS would ask Congress to zero out funding for Head Start, one of numerous programs left out of the administration’s skinny budget request. Head Start provides early learning, health, family and development programs for free for children from low-income families.

Kennedy testified that eliminating Head Start would likely not be in the full budget request, which is set to be released later this year, though the White House budget office has not said when. He said it would ask Congress to fully fund the program, but didn’t share a dollar amount.

“There’s 800,000 of the poorest kids in this country who are served by this program. It not only teaches the kids preschool skills — reading, writing and arithmetic — before they get to prepare them for school. But it also teaches the parents and teaches them how to be good parents.”

Kennedy said there are challenges faced by the Head Start program that he hopes to change during the next four years, including the quality of the food.

“The food they’re serving at Head Start is terrible. You need to change that,” Kennedy said. “We’re poisoning the poorest kids from their youngest years, and we’re going to change that.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747857679712.png" alt="RFK, Jr. during testimony on Tuesday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>RFK, Jr. during testimony on Tuesday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>WASHINGTON — U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before Congress on Tuesday that a major report due out later this week from his agency will not disparage farmers or a commonly used pesticide.Kennedy, who has long been critical of certain aspects of modern agriculture and processed food, at a U.S. Senate hearing urged lawmakers to read the widely anticipated “Make America Healthy Again” report once it’s published Thursday, but didn’t go into details about any possible recommendations.“Everybody will see the report,” Kennedy said. “And there’s nobody that has a greater commitment to the American farmer than we do. The MAHA movement collapses if we can’t partner with the American farmer in producing a safe, robust and abundant food supply.”His comments followed stern questioning from Mississippi Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who said she had read news reports from “reliable sources” that the MAHA Commission’s initial assessment “may unfairly target American agriculture, modern farming practices and the crop protection tools that roughly 2% of our population relies on to help feed the remaining 98%.”“If Americans lose confidence in the safety and integrity of our food supply due to the unfounded claims that mislead consumers, public health will be at risk,” Hyde-Smith said. “I’ve said this before, and it’s worth saying again, countries have gone to war over many things — politics, religion, race, trade, natural resources, oil, pride, you name it — but threaten a nation’s food supply and allow people to go hungry. Let’s see what happens then.”Hyde-Smith, who was her home state’s commissioner of agriculture and commerce from 2012 to 2018, probed Kennedy about his past work in environmental law and whether he might be inserting “confirmation bias” into the forthcoming report.She asked Kennedy if he would try to change the current approval for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/pesticides/questions-and-answers-glyphosate" target="_blank">glyphosate</a>, a commonly used herbicide, that she referred to as “one of the most thoroughly studied products of its kind.”“We’re talking about more than 1,500 studies and 50-plus years of review by the EPA and other leading global health authorities that have affirmed its safety when used as directed,” Hyde-Smith said. “Have you been able to review thousands of studies and decades of scientific review in a matter of months?”Kennedy responded that her “information about the report is just simply wrong.”“The drafts that I’ve seen, there is not a single word in them that should worry the American farmer,” Kennedy said.Hyde-Smith continued her questioning and told Kennedy that it would be “a shame if the MAHA commission issues reports suggesting, without substantial facts and evidence, that our government got things terribly wrong when it reviewed a number of crop protection tools and deemed them to be safe.”<h2>Home energy program in Maine</h2>Several other Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee raised concerns during the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/senate-committee/hhs-secretary-kennedy-testifies-on-2026-budget-request/660137" target="_blank">two-hour hearing</a>&nbsp;about how Kennedy has run HHS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/rfk-jr-confirmed-nations-health-chief-despite-vaccine-denial-conspiracy-theories" target="_blank">since they confirmed him</a>&nbsp;in February.Maine Sen. Susan Collins, chairwoman of the full Appropriations Committee, brought up the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, which the Trump administration has called on Congress to eliminate.“The LIHEAP program, which we’ve talked about, is absolutely vital for thousands of older Mainers and low-income families,” Collins said. “It helps them avoid the constant worry of having to choose between keeping warm, buying essential foods and medications and other basic necessities.”Kennedy sought to distance himself from the president’s budget request, saying that he understands “the critical, historical importance of this program.”“President (Donald) Trump’s rationale and (the Office of Management and Budget’s) rationale is that President Trump’s energy policies are going to lower the cost of energy … so that everybody will get lower cost heating oil,” Kennedy said.<h2>NIH indirect costs</h2>Subcommittee Chairwoman Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., brought up several issues with Kennedy, including efforts to change how much the National Institutes of Health provides to medical schools and research universities for Facilities and Administrative fees, often called indirect costs.NIH sought to set that amount at 15% across the board for any institution that receives a research grant from the agency, a significantly lower amount than many of the organizations had negotiated over the years, bringing about strong objections from institutions of higher education.That NIH policy has not taken effect as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-administrations-irreparable-cut-nih-research-funds-blocked-judge" target="_blank">several lawsuits work their way through the federal court system.</a>Kennedy indicated NIH has figured out a way to help medical schools and research universities pay for items like gloves, test tubes and mass spectrometers, particularly at state schools.“In the public universities, we are very much aware that those universities are using the money well, that it is absolutely necessary for them. And we’re looking at a series of different ways that we can fund those costs through them,” Kennedy said. “But not through the independent, indirect cost structure, which loses all control, which deprives us of all control of how that money is spent.”Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran, a Republican, brought up the measles outbreak and pressed Kennedy on whether HHS needed additional resources to help his home state and others get the virus under control.Kennedy testified the “best way to prevent the spread of measles is through vaccination” and that HHS has been urging “people to get their MMR vaccines.”<h2>South Dakota grant on mine safety</h2>South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds called on Kennedy to continue fixing issues created earlier this year when HHS fired people working on mine safety issues at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.“My office has learned that staff at NIOSH’s Spokane mining research division have been laid off. This office focuses on the unique challenges of Western mining operations that are often more geologically complex and exposed to harsher conditions,” Rounds said. “This division provides critical technical support for institutions like the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, which recently received a $1.25 million grant to improve underground mining safety. However, the grant has now been canceled due to loss of oversight from the Spokane office.“This is not just a missed opportunity, it undermines our ability to meet national security goals tied to mineral independence and supply chain resilience.”Kennedy testified that he’s been able to bring back 238 workers at the agency and said he would work with Rounds to address ongoing issues.<h2>Pledge to fund Head Start, but no dollar amount</h2>Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, a Republican, asked Kennedy about news reports earlier this year that HHS would ask Congress to zero out funding for Head Start, one of numerous programs left out of the administration’s skinny budget request. Head Start provides early learning, health, family and development programs for free for children from low-income families.Kennedy testified that eliminating Head Start would likely not be in the full budget request, which is set to be released later this year, though the White House budget office has not said when. He said it would ask Congress to fully fund the program, but didn’t share a dollar amount.“There’s 800,000 of the poorest kids in this country who are served by this program. It not only teaches the kids preschool skills — reading, writing and arithmetic — before they get to prepare them for school. But it also teaches the parents and teaches them how to be good parents.”Kennedy said there are challenges faced by the Head Start program that he hopes to change during the next four years, including the quality of the food.“The food they’re serving at Head Start is terrible. You need to change that,” Kennedy said. “We’re poisoning the poorest kids from their youngest years, and we’re going to change that.”

RFK Jr. insists  ‘Make America Healthy Again’ report won’t target farming

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a>

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House early Thursday approved the “big, beautiful bill” that Republican leaders spent months negotiating with centrists and far-right members of the party — two distinct factions that hold vastly different policy goals — over intense opposition from Democrats.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025145" target="_blank">215-214 vote</a>&nbsp;ships the package to the Senate, where GOP lawmakers are expected to rewrite much of it, before sending it back across the Capitol for final approval, a process likely to stretch through the summer.

President Donald Trump, who said he backed the House version, would then need to sign the legislation, which under the complicated process being used by Republicans can pass with just a majority vote in the GOP-controlled Senate.

Speaker Mike Johnson said minutes before the vote that he expects lawmakers to give the measure final approval before the Fourth of July.

“Now, look, we’re accomplishing a big thing here today, but we know this isn’t the end of the road just yet,” Johnson, R-La., said. “We’ve been working closely with leader (John) Thune and our Senate colleagues, the Senate Republicans, to get this done and delivered to the President’s desk by our Independence Day. That’s July 4. Today proves that we can do that, and we will do that.”

Ohio’s Warren Davidson and Kentucky’s Thomas Massie were the only Republicans to vote against passing the bill, which members debated throughout the night prior to the vote just after daylight in the nation’s capital. All Democrats, who dubbed it “one big ugly bill,” were opposed. Maryland GOP Rep. Andy Harris, chairman of the Freedom Caucus, voted “present.”

Massie spoke against the bill overnight, calling it “a debt bomb ticking.”

“I’d love to stand here and tell the American people: We can cut your taxes and we can increase spending, and everything’s going to be just fine. But I can’t do that because I’m here to deliver a dose of reality,” Massie said. “This bill dramatically increases deficits in the near term, but promises our government will be fiscally responsible five years from now. Where have we heard that before? How do you bind a future Congress to these promises?”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text?s=6&amp;r=1&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22H.R.+1%22%7D" target="_blank">1,116-page package</a>&nbsp;combines 11 bills that GOP lawmakers debated and reported out of committee during the last several weeks.

The bill would make deep cuts to Medicaid spending, reducing the program by $625 billion over 10 years under the latest estimate by the Congressional Budget Office.

The budget measure would also raise the debt limit by $4 trillion.

<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/cbo-analysis-shows-us-house-gop-budget-measure-tilted-toward-upper-income-taxpayers" target="_blank">A new Congressional Budget Office analysis</a>&nbsp;released late Tuesday showed the package tilted toward the wealthy, projecting it would decrease resources for low-income families over the next decade while increasing resources for top earners.

Republicans hold especially thin majorities in the House and Senate, meaning that nearly every GOP lawmaker — ranging from centrists who barely won their general elections to far-right members who are more at risk of losing a primary challenge — needed to support the bill.

Balancing the demands of hundreds of lawmakers led to nearly constant talks during the last few days as Johnson struggled to secure the votes to pass the bill before his Memorial Day deadline.

Any deal Johnson made with far-right members of the party risked alienating centrist GOP lawmakers and vice versa.

An agreement finally came together Wednesday evening when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-speaker-predicts-vote-soon-giant-budget-bill-stalled-hard-right-objections" target="_blank">GOP leaders released a 42-page amendment</a>&nbsp;that made changes to various sections of the package, including the state and local tax deduction, or SALT, and Medicaid work requirements and nixed the potential sale of some public lands.&nbsp;

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. House early Thursday approved the “big, beautiful bill” that Republican leaders spent months negotiating with centrists and far-right members of the party — two distinct factions that hold vastly different policy goals — over intense opposition from Democrats.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">PASSED: THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT. House Republicans just passed this HISTORIC piece of legislation FOR YOU. <a href="https://t.co/keVGJstR6c">pic.twitter.com/keVGJstR6c</a>&mdash; House Republicans (@HouseGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseGOP/status/1925505923822260229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025145" target="_blank">215-214 vote</a>&nbsp;ships the package to the Senate, where GOP lawmakers are expected to rewrite much of it, before sending it back across the Capitol for final approval, a process likely to stretch through the summer.President Donald Trump, who said he backed the House version, would then need to sign the legislation, which under the complicated process being used by Republicans can pass with just a majority vote in the GOP-controlled Senate.Speaker Mike Johnson said minutes before the vote that he expects lawmakers to give the measure final approval before the Fourth of July.“Now, look, we’re accomplishing a big thing here today, but we know this isn’t the end of the road just yet,” Johnson, R-La., said. “We’ve been working closely with leader (John) Thune and our Senate colleagues, the Senate Republicans, to get this done and delivered to the President’s desk by our Independence Day. That’s July 4. Today proves that we can do that, and we will do that.”Ohio’s Warren Davidson and Kentucky’s Thomas Massie were the only Republicans to vote against passing the bill, which members debated throughout the night prior to the vote just after daylight in the nation’s capital. All Democrats, who dubbed it “one big ugly bill,” were opposed. Maryland GOP Rep. Andy Harris, chairman of the Freedom Caucus, voted “present.”Massie spoke against the bill overnight, calling it “a debt bomb ticking.”“I’d love to stand here and tell the American people: We can cut your taxes and we can increase spending, and everything’s going to be just fine. But I can’t do that because I’m here to deliver a dose of reality,” Massie said. “This bill dramatically increases deficits in the near term, but promises our government will be fiscally responsible five years from now. Where have we heard that before? How do you bind a future Congress to these promises?”The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text?s=6&amp;r=1&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22H.R.+1%22%7D" target="_blank">1,116-page package</a>&nbsp;combines 11 bills that GOP lawmakers debated and reported out of committee during the last several weeks.The legislation would:<ul>
 <li>Extend the 2017 tax law, including tax cuts for businesses and individuals;</li><li>Bolster spending on border security and defense by hundreds of billions of dollars;</li><li>Rework energy permitting;</li><li>Restructure higher education aid such as student loans and Pell Grants;</li><li>Shift some of the cost of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food aid program for low income Americans to state governments; and</li><li>Overhaul Medicaid, the nation’s program for health care for low income people and some people with disabilities.</li>
 </ul>The bill would make deep cuts to Medicaid spending, reducing the program by $625 billion over 10 years under the latest estimate by the Congressional Budget Office.The budget measure would also raise the debt limit by $4 trillion.<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/cbo-analysis-shows-us-house-gop-budget-measure-tilted-toward-upper-income-taxpayers" target="_blank">A new Congressional Budget Office analysis</a>&nbsp;released late Tuesday showed the package tilted toward the wealthy, projecting it would decrease resources for low-income families over the next decade while increasing resources for top earners.Republicans hold especially thin majorities in the House and Senate, meaning that nearly every GOP lawmaker — ranging from centrists who barely won their general elections to far-right members who are more at risk of losing a primary challenge — needed to support the bill.Balancing the demands of hundreds of lawmakers led to nearly constant talks during the last few days as Johnson struggled to secure the votes to pass the bill before his Memorial Day deadline.Any deal Johnson made with far-right members of the party risked alienating centrist GOP lawmakers and vice versa.An agreement finally came together Wednesday evening when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-speaker-predicts-vote-soon-giant-budget-bill-stalled-hard-right-objections" target="_blank">GOP leaders released a 42-page amendment</a>&nbsp;that made changes to various sections of the package, including the state and local tax deduction, or SALT, and Medicaid work requirements and nixed the potential sale of some public lands.&nbsp;

US House GOP push through massive tax and spending bill slashing Medicaid

LINCOLN, Neb - A proposal seeking to regulate and tax medical cannabis in Nebraska after approval of two ballot initiatives last November stalled on the first round of debate May 20 following a failed cloture motion.

The successful ballot measures protect qualified individuals from legal penalties for possessing and using medical cannabis when recommended by a health care practitioner and create the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to oversee the industry.

The commission is required to establish criteria to accept or deny applications for registered cannabis establishments by July 1. Entities will be able to apply for licensure beginning Oct. 1.

LB677, as introduced by Blair Sen. Ben Hansen, would provide a regulatory framework for medical cannabis and establish licenses for cultivators, dispensaries, product manufacturers, transporters, testing facilities and “vertical” facilities — those that both cultivate and dispense products.

The bill would limit the number of licenses issued in each congressional district and give the commission through Oct. 1 to establish criteria for registering cannabis establishments. Entities could apply for licensure beginning Jan. 1, 2026.

Under the proposal, health care practitioners — defined as a physician, osteopathic physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner — would be authorized to issue a written recommendation for up to five ounces of medical cannabis for individuals with qualifying medical conditions. Individuals under age 18 would need approval from a legal parent or guardian with authority to make health care decisions.

After receiving written notation from a health care provider, the bill would require an individual to apply for a registry card to identify them as a qualified patient or registered caregiver. The registry would be established directly through the commission and require an application fee of up to $45.

The use or possession of cannabis on school grounds, at a child care facility or home day care, in a jail, adult or juvenile correctional facility or youth rehabilitation and treatment center and while operating a vehicle would be prohibited under the bill. Schools would have the authority to establish regulations that allow for students to use non-smoked or vaporized medical cannabis in certain areas.

The measure also would enact a 4% sales tax on all medical cannabis products, with that revenue deposited into the Property Tax Credit Relief Fund.

Hansen said the bill seeks to ensure medical cannabis is safely provided to qualifying patients by requiring product testing, seed-to-sale tracking, childproof packaging and warning labels for pregnant individuals.

“I want to treat this about as close as we possibly can to a pharmaceutical medication,” he said. “Because if that’s the intent [of the ballot initiative], we need to treat it that way.”

An amendment offered by the General Affairs Committee would replace the bill with a modified proposal. Under the amendment, the sales tax would be increased to 5.5% and municipalities would be allowed to impose an additional 2% tax on dispensaries.

The committee amendment also would prohibit the consumption of medical cannabis by smoking and limit the amount of dried flower a patient may possess to two ounces. Additionally, the amendment would narrow the definition of “qualifying medical condition” to 15 conditions recommended by the Nebraska Medical Association, including:

• autism with frequent or self-injurious or aggressive behavior;

• Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis;

• spinal cord injury or a disease with residual neurological deficits;

• terminal illness with a probable life expectancy of under one year;

• severe or chronic pain lasting longer than six months that is not adequately managed, in the opinion of a health care practitioner, despite treatment attempts using conventional medications other than opioids or opiates or physical interventions.

The measure also includes a provision that would allow an out-of-state health care provider to recommend medical cannabis to a patient in Nebraska who they have been seeing for at least six months.

Hansen supported the committee amendment, saying it would help establish one of the most “comprehensive, regulated and restrictive” medical cannabis programs in the country.

Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha also supported the proposal. He said it is the Legislature’s responsibility to ensure that the medical cannabis measure passed by voters is safe, effective and medically sound. He said 47 other states already have implemented legislation to allow for the use of medical cannabis.

“Two things can be true at the same time — we can support access while also safeguarding against misuse or abuse,” Fredrickson said. “Let’s put the right guardrails in place and … help build a system that we can be proud of and put our patients first.”

Also supporting the bill and the committee amendment was Sen. Glen Meyer of Pender. He said several individuals had spoken to him regarding the relief they found through medical cannabis after other treatments and medications left them unable to perform everyday tasks.

“I would expect [that] intelligent people with good hearts, which I believe this body is, can find a way to provide relief with some medical marijuana,” Meyer said.

Speaking in favor of the proposal, Omaha Sen. Dunixi Guereca expressed concern about the potential for medical cannabis to become inaccessible if its regulation is left solely to the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission created by the initiative.

That commission will include the current three members of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission and two members appointed by the governor, individuals who Guereca characterized as “anti-marijuana” advocates.

Sen. Jared Storm of David City introduced a series of procedural motions to extend debate on the bill. He said the Legislature should not take action until the Nebraska Supreme Court rules on a pending case challenging the validity of the ballot initiatives.

Storm also said LB677 as amended would not represent the will of Nebraska voters who chose to grant authority to implement rules and regulations for medical cannabis to the newly created commission and not the Legislature.

“I have sympathy for people who are struggling … but we have to get this right,” he said. “The people voted [and] as a legislator, I will carry out the will of the people.”

Norfolk Sen. Robert Dover agreed and added that the commission has not yet had the opportunity to carry out the provisions of the ballot initiative. He said the two gubernatorial nominees first must be confirmed by the Legislature before they can begin to establish a regulatory framework.

“Why would we as a Legislature start messing with a commission that hasn’t even started to do its work in the first place?” Dover said.

Also speaking in opposition to the measure, Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln expressed concern regarding the “broad” nature of the qualifying conditions laid out in the amendment. He worried that health care providers might exploit definitions such as “chronic pain” to provide medical cannabis to individuals who do not need it.

Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner also opposed the bill, saying the federal Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of a cannabis-derived medication for certain types of epilepsy and as a treatment for nausea caused by chemotherapy.

“While the agency has approved some cannabis-derived products for medical use, it currently prohibits the federal legalization and medical prescription of cannabis,” Ibach said. “Do we follow those FDA guidelines or do we find our own path?”

After eight hours of debate, Hansen filed a motion to invoke cloture, which ceases debate and forces a vote on the bill and any underlying amendments.

The motion failed on a 23-22 vote. Thirty-three votes were needed.

A failed cloture motion results in debate on a proposal ceasing for the day. LB677 is unlikely to be placed on the agenda again this session.

LINCOLN, Neb - A proposal seeking to regulate and tax medical cannabis in Nebraska after approval of two ballot initiatives last November stalled on the first round of debate May 20 following a failed cloture motion.The successful ballot measures protect qualified individuals from legal penalties for possessing and using medical cannabis when recommended by a health care practitioner and create the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to oversee the industry.The commission is required to establish criteria to accept or deny applications for registered cannabis establishments by July 1. Entities will be able to apply for licensure beginning Oct. 1.LB677, as introduced by Blair Sen. Ben Hansen, would provide a regulatory framework for medical cannabis and establish licenses for cultivators, dispensaries, product manufacturers, transporters, testing facilities and “vertical” facilities — those that both cultivate and dispense products.The bill would limit the number of licenses issued in each congressional district and give the commission through Oct. 1 to establish criteria for registering cannabis establishments. Entities could apply for licensure beginning Jan. 1, 2026.Under the proposal, health care practitioners — defined as a physician, osteopathic physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner — would be authorized to issue a written recommendation for up to five ounces of medical cannabis for individuals with qualifying medical conditions. Individuals under age 18 would need approval from a legal parent or guardian with authority to make health care decisions.After receiving written notation from a health care provider, the bill would require an individual to apply for a registry card to identify them as a qualified patient or registered caregiver. The registry would be established directly through the commission and require an application fee of up to $45.The use or possession of cannabis on school grounds, at a child care facility or home day care, in a jail, adult or juvenile correctional facility or youth rehabilitation and treatment center and while operating a vehicle would be prohibited under the bill. Schools would have the authority to establish regulations that allow for students to use non-smoked or vaporized medical cannabis in certain areas.The measure also would enact a 4% sales tax on all medical cannabis products, with that revenue deposited into the Property Tax Credit Relief Fund.Hansen said the bill seeks to ensure medical cannabis is safely provided to qualifying patients by requiring product testing, seed-to-sale tracking, childproof packaging and warning labels for pregnant individuals.“I want to treat this about as close as we possibly can to a pharmaceutical medication,” he said. “Because if that’s the intent [of the ballot initiative], we need to treat it that way.”An amendment offered by the General Affairs Committee would replace the bill with a modified proposal. Under the amendment, the sales tax would be increased to 5.5% and municipalities would be allowed to impose an additional 2% tax on dispensaries.The committee amendment also would prohibit the consumption of medical cannabis by smoking and limit the amount of dried flower a patient may possess to two ounces. Additionally, the amendment would narrow the definition of “qualifying medical condition” to 15 conditions recommended by the Nebraska Medical Association, including:• cancer;• autism with frequent or self-injurious or aggressive behavior;• Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis;• epilepsy or epileptic seizures;• HIV or AIDS;• Huntington’s disease;• Parkinson’s disease;• spinal cord injury or a disease with residual neurological deficits;• terminal illness with a probable life expectancy of under one year;• Tourette’s syndrome; and• severe or chronic pain lasting longer than six months that is not adequately managed, in the opinion of a health care practitioner, despite treatment attempts using conventional medications other than opioids or opiates or physical interventions.The measure also includes a provision that would allow an out-of-state health care provider to recommend medical cannabis to a patient in Nebraska who they have been seeing for at least six months.Hansen supported the committee amendment, saying it would help establish one of the most “comprehensive, regulated and restrictive” medical cannabis programs in the country.Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha also supported the proposal. He said it is the Legislature’s responsibility to ensure that the medical cannabis measure passed by voters is safe, effective and medically sound. He said 47 other states already have implemented legislation to allow for the use of medical cannabis.“Two things can be true at the same time — we can support access while also safeguarding against misuse or abuse,” Fredrickson said. “Let’s put the right guardrails in place and … help build a system that we can be proud of and put our patients first.”Also supporting the bill and the committee amendment was Sen. Glen Meyer of Pender. He said several individuals had spoken to him regarding the relief they found through medical cannabis after other treatments and medications left them unable to perform everyday tasks.“I would expect [that] intelligent people with good hearts, which I believe this body is, can find a way to provide relief with some medical marijuana,” Meyer said.Speaking in favor of the proposal, Omaha Sen. Dunixi Guereca expressed concern about the potential for medical cannabis to become inaccessible if its regulation is left solely to the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission created by the initiative.That commission will include the current three members of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission and two members appointed by the governor, individuals who Guereca characterized as “anti-marijuana” advocates.Sen. Jared Storm of David City introduced a series of procedural motions to extend debate on the bill. He said the Legislature should not take action until the Nebraska Supreme Court rules on a pending case challenging the validity of the ballot initiatives.Storm also said LB677 as amended would not represent the will of Nebraska voters who chose to grant authority to implement rules and regulations for medical cannabis to the newly created commission and not the Legislature.“I have sympathy for people who are struggling … but we have to get this right,” he said. “The people voted [and] as a legislator, I will carry out the will of the people.”Norfolk Sen. Robert Dover agreed and added that the commission has not yet had the opportunity to carry out the provisions of the ballot initiative. He said the two gubernatorial nominees first must be confirmed by the Legislature before they can begin to establish a regulatory framework.“Why would we as a Legislature start messing with a commission that hasn’t even started to do its work in the first place?” Dover said.Also speaking in opposition to the measure, Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln expressed concern regarding the “broad” nature of the qualifying conditions laid out in the amendment. He worried that health care providers might exploit definitions such as “chronic pain” to provide medical cannabis to individuals who do not need it.Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner also opposed the bill, saying the federal Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of a cannabis-derived medication for certain types of epilepsy and as a treatment for nausea caused by chemotherapy.“While the agency has approved some cannabis-derived products for medical use, it currently prohibits the federal legalization and medical prescription of cannabis,” Ibach said. “Do we follow those FDA guidelines or do we find our own path?”After eight hours of debate, Hansen filed a motion to invoke cloture, which ceases debate and forces a vote on the bill and any underlying amendments.The motion failed on a 23-22 vote. Thirty-three votes were needed.A failed cloture motion results in debate on a proposal ceasing for the day. LB677 is unlikely to be placed on the agenda again this session.

Cloture attempt on medical cannabis regulation fails in Legislature

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a>

WASHINGTON — Senators tasked with tax writing split along party lines Tuesday praising and grilling former Republican U.S. Rep. Billy Long of Missouri, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Internal Revenue Service, the agency tasked with enforcing the largest source of U.S. revenue as the country faces record debt and interest costs.

Long, who served in Congress from 2011 to 2023 and previously spent multiple years as a talk radio host, testified to the Senate Finance Committee that he plans to get rid of “stinking thinking” at the IRS and implement a “comprehensive plan” to modernize the agency and “invest in retaining skilled members of the team.”

“This does not mean a bloated agency, but an efficient one where employees have the tools they need to succeed,” Long said.

The agency has lost more than 11,000 employees, or 11% of its workforce, either through deferred resignations or mass firing of probationary workers since Trump began his second term, according to a May 2&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tigta.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2025-05/2025ier017fr.pdf" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;from the agency’s inspector general. Trump said in December he intended to nominate Long for the IRS post.

Committee Chair Mike Crapo of Idaho opened the confirmation hearing expressing his confidence in Long, saying he will direct a “sea change” at the agency that will benefit taxpayers.

“President Trump called Congressman Long the ‘consummate people person.’ Congressman Long is very clear that he will make himself available to all IRS employees, no matter their seniority. Moreover, he wants to implement a top-down culture change at the agency,” Crapo said.

The confirmation hearing comes as lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-right-wing-tanks-trumps-big-beautiful-bill-budget-committee" target="_blank">struggle to agree</a>&nbsp;on a budget reconciliation package, which will extend and expand Trump’s 2017 tax law and in turn widen IRS responsibilities.

Sen. James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican, said he trusted Long’s work ethic and told him, “We’re going to do a tax bill here in the next couple of months. To be able to get that done, as we did it in 2017, there’ll be a lot of work the IRS has to do to be able to put guidance documents out, to be able to get clear instructions of what that means.”

Democrats approached the hearing with skepticism.

The nearly two-hour back-and-forth with Long followed recent revelations that he accepted donations to his defunct Senate campaign shortly after Trump nominated him as the IRS commissioner. Democratic senators on the panel have also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/cortez_masto_wyden_letter_white_river_energy_corp.pdf" target="_blank">called for an investigation</a>&nbsp;into Long’s work with a company that peddled nonexistent tribal tax credits.

“Bottom line, the American people have the right to know whether the future IRS commissioner is a crook,” said Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the panel’s top Democrat.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Nevada Democrat, pressed Long about $65,000 he allegedly received for his involvement promoting the fake tax credits for the companies Capital Edge Strategies and White River.

“Knowing that (the credits) are illegal, the IRS has said they’re illegal, how do you stand here before this committee and tell the chairman just a few minutes ago that you have no conflict of interest?” Cortez Masto asked.

Long replied that he’s in compliance with the Office of Government Ethics regarding his nomination and that he “did not have any perception whatsoever that these (credits) did not exist.”

Other Democrats on the panel questioned Long on Trump’s recent statements that he would pull Harvard University’s tax-exempt status over its refusal to comply with demands from the administration.

Wyden characterized Long as a “MAGA devotee” and said that Trump wants to use the IRS “as a cudgel to beat his adversaries into submission.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who sent Long&nbsp;<a href="https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_from_senator_warren_to_billy_long_on_nomination_concerns.pdf" target="_blank">a 14-page letter</a>&nbsp;questioning his past, repeatedly asked Long about a statute prohibiting the president from ordering tax audits on specific people or businesses.

“Is it illegal for the President to instruct the IRS to remove nonprofit status from taxpayers?” Warren asked several times.

“I’m not going to have the answer that you need, I apologize,” Long said.

Senate Republicans on the panel questioned Long on how he can improve customer service for taxpayers — despite the party successfully fighting in 2023 to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IN12172" target="_blank">cut</a>&nbsp;new IRS funding under President Joe Biden in 2022.

Sen. Todd Young of Indiana said the agency is “behind the curve” on technology and that its customer service issues are “out of hand.”

“If confirmed, will you commit to developing a comprehensive IRS modernization plan that prioritizes customer service, identifies critical technology infrastructure needs and ensures greater transparency and audit practices? Yes or no?” Young asked.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747859738526.png" alt=" Former U.S. Rep. Billy Long, nominee for Internal Revenue Service commissioner, testifies before the Senate Finance Committee at his confirmation hearing on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Screenshot from committee webcast)" />
 <figcaption> Former U.S. Rep. Billy Long, nominee for Internal Revenue Service commissioner, testifies before the Senate Finance Committee at his confirmation hearing on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Screenshot from committee webcast)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a>WASHINGTON — Senators tasked with tax writing split along party lines Tuesday praising and grilling former Republican U.S. Rep. Billy Long of Missouri, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Internal Revenue Service, the agency tasked with enforcing the largest source of U.S. revenue as the country faces record debt and interest costs.Long, who served in Congress from 2011 to 2023 and previously spent multiple years as a talk radio host, testified to the Senate Finance Committee that he plans to get rid of “stinking thinking” at the IRS and implement a “comprehensive plan” to modernize the agency and “invest in retaining skilled members of the team.”“This does not mean a bloated agency, but an efficient one where employees have the tools they need to succeed,” Long said.The agency has lost more than 11,000 employees, or 11% of its workforce, either through deferred resignations or mass firing of probationary workers since Trump began his second term, according to a May 2&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tigta.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2025-05/2025ier017fr.pdf" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;from the agency’s inspector general. Trump said in December he intended to nominate Long for the IRS post.<h2>‘Top-down culture change’</h2>Committee Chair Mike Crapo of Idaho opened the confirmation hearing expressing his confidence in Long, saying he will direct a “sea change” at the agency that will benefit taxpayers.“President Trump called Congressman Long the ‘consummate people person.’ Congressman Long is very clear that he will make himself available to all IRS employees, no matter their seniority. Moreover, he wants to implement a top-down culture change at the agency,” Crapo said.The confirmation hearing comes as lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-right-wing-tanks-trumps-big-beautiful-bill-budget-committee" target="_blank">struggle to agree</a>&nbsp;on a budget reconciliation package, which will extend and expand Trump’s 2017 tax law and in turn widen IRS responsibilities.Sen. James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican, said he trusted Long’s work ethic and told him, “We’re going to do a tax bill here in the next couple of months. To be able to get that done, as we did it in 2017, there’ll be a lot of work the IRS has to do to be able to put guidance documents out, to be able to get clear instructions of what that means.”<h2>Nonexistent tribal tax credits</h2>Democrats approached the hearing with skepticism.The nearly two-hour back-and-forth with Long followed recent revelations that he accepted donations to his defunct Senate campaign shortly after Trump nominated him as the IRS commissioner. Democratic senators on the panel have also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/cortez_masto_wyden_letter_white_river_energy_corp.pdf" target="_blank">called for an investigation</a>&nbsp;into Long’s work with a company that peddled nonexistent tribal tax credits.“Bottom line, the American people have the right to know whether the future IRS commissioner is a crook,” said Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the panel’s top Democrat.Long denies any wrongdoing.Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Nevada Democrat, pressed Long about $65,000 he allegedly received for his involvement promoting the fake tax credits for the companies Capital Edge Strategies and White River.“Knowing that (the credits) are illegal, the IRS has said they’re illegal, how do you stand here before this committee and tell the chairman just a few minutes ago that you have no conflict of interest?” Cortez Masto asked.Long replied that he’s in compliance with the Office of Government Ethics regarding his nomination and that he “did not have any perception whatsoever that these (credits) did not exist.”Other Democrats on the panel questioned Long on Trump’s recent statements that he would pull Harvard University’s tax-exempt status over its refusal to comply with demands from the administration.Wyden characterized Long as a “MAGA devotee” and said that Trump wants to use the IRS “as a cudgel to beat his adversaries into submission.”<h2>14-page letter</h2>Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who sent Long&nbsp;<a href="https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_from_senator_warren_to_billy_long_on_nomination_concerns.pdf" target="_blank">a 14-page letter</a>&nbsp;questioning his past, repeatedly asked Long about a statute prohibiting the president from ordering tax audits on specific people or businesses.“Is it illegal for the President to instruct the IRS to remove nonprofit status from taxpayers?” Warren asked several times.“I’m not going to have the answer that you need, I apologize,” Long said.Senate Republicans on the panel questioned Long on how he can improve customer service for taxpayers — despite the party successfully fighting in 2023 to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IN12172" target="_blank">cut</a>&nbsp;new IRS funding under President Joe Biden in 2022.Sen. Todd Young of Indiana said the agency is “behind the curve” on technology and that its customer service issues are “out of hand.”“If confirmed, will you commit to developing a comprehensive IRS modernization plan that prioritizes customer service, identifies critical technology infrastructure needs and ensures greater transparency and audit practices? Yes or no?” Young asked.“Yes,” Long replied.“Excellent,” Young said.&nbsp;

IRS nominee Billy Long probed by Democrats over nonexistent tribal tax credits

McClain County, Oklahoma—Authorities in Oklahoma shared a video Tuesday of a dramatic lightning strike of a police car.

The strike occurred on Monday during a severe storm, according to Newcastle Emergency Emergency Management.&nbsp;No one was hurt. 

"But that could’ve been anyone," the agency reminded. "If you hear thunder, you’re close enough to get hit. Get inside, stay away from trees and metal, and unplug electronics until the storm passes. Take lightning seriously every time."&nbsp; Newcastle is located approximately 2 and one half hours south of Wichita.

McClain County, Oklahoma—Authorities in Oklahoma shared a video Tuesday of a dramatic lightning strike of a police car.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=395&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F100068070158289%2Fvideos%2F1709176623353212%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1" width="560" height="395" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The strike occurred on Monday during a severe storm, according to Newcastle Emergency Emergency Management.&nbsp;No one was hurt. "But that could’ve been anyone," the agency reminded. "If you hear thunder, you’re close enough to get hit. Get inside, stay away from trees and metal, and unplug electronics until the storm passes. Take lightning seriously every time."&nbsp; Newcastle is located approximately 2 and one half hours south of Wichita.

🎥 Lightning bolt strikes police vehicle 

— Adam Wegner, Nebraska Beef Council

KEARNEY, Neb. — In the panhandle of Nebraska, where the beef industry stands as a pillar of the community, local ranchers are extending their support beyond the pastures to embrace foster families through an initiative called Foster Love with Beef. This program ensures that families welcoming new foster children can bond over hearty, nutritious meals featuring locally donated beef.

Founded by Jessi Grote, a rural nurse, rancher, and mother, Foster Love with Beef was born out of personal experience and a deep-seated desire to give back. Reflecting on her journey, Jessi shared how the groundwork for the initiative took shape.

“As our long-term foster son transitioned home, there were so many mixed emotions. During this time, my heart was aching for what I knew was going to come.” She and her husband pondered how they could remain involved in the foster care community, but in a different way. “We are ranchers in the Nebraska Panhandle and found the foster kids in our home really enjoyed nights when we cooked with our homegrown beef,” Jessi noted. This realization sparked the idea for Foster Love with Beef—a way for local ranchers to make a meaningful difference in the lives of foster families by providing donated beef.

The beauty of the program lies within its simplicity: when a child is placed into a foster home within the service area, Foster Love with Beef is notified. Jessi then coordinates with local farmers and ranchers who have volunteered to donate beef. Each donation consists of five pounds of hamburger and a roast, offering families the opportunity to share meals together during pivotal moments of transition.

Nicole Dean, a rancher from Bridgeport, NE expressed the significance of contributing to the cause. “Foster Love with Beef has been a blessing to so many families, communities, and to the donors,” said Dean. “Jessi’s desire to love and serve others has created a beautiful space to form a connection between foster families and ranchers. We are all called to love our neighbor and Foster Love with Beef is putting this command into action. As donors, my family and I are blessed to be a part of this wonderful program.”

May is celebrated as “Beef Month” in Nebraska, highlighting the vital role the beef industry plays in the state’s economy and culture. Foster Love with Beef exemplifies how Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers are dedicated not only to their livelihoods but also to nurturing their communities. By providing quality beef to foster families, they help create an environment where new family bonds can flourish over shared meals.

Jessi emphasized the broader impact of the program: “Foster Love with Beef has been a blessing in so many ways. Not only to the foster families and kids in care, but also for the ranchers who donate and for my mental health too. This program gave me hope at a time when that was incredibly challenging.”

As Nebraska honors its beef industry this month, initiatives like Foster Love with Beef remind us that the essence of community lies in coming together to support one another, ensuring that every family has a place at the table and a nourishing meal to share. To learn more about Foster Love with Beef, visit their website www.fosterlovewithbeef.org or find them on Facebook and Instagram.

The Nebraska Beef Council is a non-profit organization served by a nine-member board of directors. The volunteers oversee the beef checkoff in Nebraska and checkoff-funded programs. Programs for marketing and promotion are funded by the $1/head beef checkoff.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747828456684.jpeg" alt="Jessi Grote and her family started Foster Love with Beef as a way for local ranchers to support foster families by providing donated beef. (Courtesy photo of Grote family)" />
 <figcaption>Jessi Grote and her family started Foster Love with Beef as a way for local ranchers to support foster families by providing donated beef. (Courtesy photo of Grote family)</figcaption>
 </figure>— Adam Wegner, Nebraska Beef CouncilKEARNEY, Neb. — In the panhandle of Nebraska, where the beef industry stands as a pillar of the community, local ranchers are extending their support beyond the pastures to embrace foster families through an initiative called Foster Love with Beef. This program ensures that families welcoming new foster children can bond over hearty, nutritious meals featuring locally donated beef.Founded by Jessi Grote, a rural nurse, rancher, and mother, Foster Love with Beef was born out of personal experience and a deep-seated desire to give back. Reflecting on her journey, Jessi shared how the groundwork for the initiative took shape.“As our long-term foster son transitioned home, there were so many mixed emotions. During this time, my heart was aching for what I knew was going to come.” She and her husband pondered how they could remain involved in the foster care community, but in a different way. “We are ranchers in the Nebraska Panhandle and found the foster kids in our home really enjoyed nights when we cooked with our homegrown beef,” Jessi noted. This realization sparked the idea for Foster Love with Beef—a way for local ranchers to make a meaningful difference in the lives of foster families by providing donated beef.The beauty of the program lies within its simplicity: when a child is placed into a foster home within the service area, Foster Love with Beef is notified. Jessi then coordinates with local farmers and ranchers who have volunteered to donate beef. Each donation consists of five pounds of hamburger and a roast, offering families the opportunity to share meals together during pivotal moments of transition.Nicole Dean, a rancher from Bridgeport, NE expressed the significance of contributing to the cause. “Foster Love with Beef has been a blessing to so many families, communities, and to the donors,” said Dean. “Jessi’s desire to love and serve others has created a beautiful space to form a connection between foster families and ranchers. We are all called to love our neighbor and Foster Love with Beef is putting this command into action. As donors, my family and I are blessed to be a part of this wonderful program.”May is celebrated as “Beef Month” in Nebraska, highlighting the vital role the beef industry plays in the state’s economy and culture. Foster Love with Beef exemplifies how Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers are dedicated not only to their livelihoods but also to nurturing their communities. By providing quality beef to foster families, they help create an environment where new family bonds can flourish over shared meals.Jessi emphasized the broader impact of the program: “Foster Love with Beef has been a blessing in so many ways. Not only to the foster families and kids in care, but also for the ranchers who donate and for my mental health too. This program gave me hope at a time when that was incredibly challenging.”As Nebraska honors its beef industry this month, initiatives like Foster Love with Beef remind us that the essence of community lies in coming together to support one another, ensuring that every family has a place at the table and a nourishing meal to share. To learn more about Foster Love with Beef, visit their website www.fosterlovewithbeef.org or find them on Facebook and Instagram.About the Nebraska Beef Council:The Nebraska Beef Council is a non-profit organization served by a nine-member board of directors. The volunteers oversee the beef checkoff in Nebraska and checkoff-funded programs. Programs for marketing and promotion are funded by the $1/head beef checkoff.

A Seat at the Table: Ranchers Donate Beef to Help Foster Families Bond Over Meals

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;–&nbsp;Today, Governor Jim Pillen hosted U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on a day-long visit that included three separate stops and two significant announcements. He was joined in the visits by Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Sherry Vinton and U.S. Congressman Adrian Smith.

“I’m pleased that Sec. Rollins has had the opportunity to experience the depth and breadth of Nebraska agriculture and what our state is doing to help feed the world and save the planet,” said Gov. Pillen. “Today, she heard from a diverse group of producers, visited a typical multi-generational Nebraska family farm, and got a first-hand look at what sets our state apart for the future -- value-added agriculture.&nbsp; I’m glad we could make these connections and look forward to continuing the work that makes Nebraska the innovative agricultural leader it is, between crop, livestock and ethanol production.”

The ag tour kicked off at the Cargill Bioscience 650-acre facility in Blair this morning. That facility is Cargill’s largest and directly employs approximately 600 Nebraskans while processing over 340,000 bushels of corn daily to produce products such as fuel grade ethanol, corn gluten meal and meat for poultry, pet food and cattle feed. The company also makes sweetener, corn syrup and other corn-based products such as enzymes, biopolymers, and amino acids.

Upon arriving at Wholestone Farms in Fremont, Sec. Rollins took a few minutes to greet employees waiting inside. The group witnessed part of the plant’s hog processing operation and later gathered in the staff cafeteria with members of the media. There. Sec. Rollins signed off on Nebraska’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) waiver request, excluding soda and energy drinks from the list of approved purchases. Nebraska submitted its waiver in early April and is the first state in the nation to have its application approved by the USDA, effective Jan. 1, 2026.

“Today’s waiver to remove soda and energy drinks from SNAP is the first of its kind, and it is a historic step to Make America Healthy Again. Under President Trump’s leadership, I have encouraged states to serve as the ‘laboratories of innovation.’ Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and Governors in Iowa, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, West Virginia, and Colorado are pioneers in improving the health of our nation,” said Sec. Rollins.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“There’s absolutely zero reason for taxpayers to be subsidizing purchases of soda and energy drinks. SNAP is about helping families in need get healthy food into their diets, but there’s nothing nutritious about the junk we’re removing with today’s waiver. I’m grateful to have worked with Secretary Rollins and the Trump Administration to get this effort across the finish line. It is a tremendous step toward improving the health and well-being of our state. We have to act because we can’t keep letting Nebraskans starve in the midst of plenty,”&nbsp;said Gov. Pillen.&nbsp;

Gov. Pillen, Sec. Rollins, Rep. Smith and NDA Dir. Vinton wrapped up their tour of ag businesses with a stop in the afternoon at Ohnoutka Family Farm in Valparaiso. There, the group engaged in a roundtable with invited producers from across the state. Discussion hit on a variety of topics, from tariffs to grants, water quantity and quality, educating youth about agriculture and keeping generational farming going in Nebraska. Prior to the roundtable event, the group was greeted by youth from the local FFA chapter.

Following the roundtable, Sec. Rollins made her second announcement – a policy initiative aimed at supporting small family farms. Called&nbsp;Farmers First, the program is part of the USDA’s&nbsp;Make Agriculture Great Again&nbsp;agenda and outlines 10 action items that aim to help the 86 percent of small family farms across the nation.

“Welcoming Secretary Rollins to Nebraska alongside Governor Pillen provided a tremendous opportunity to showcase Nebraska’s world-leading livestock, crop, and biofuels producers,” said Rep. Smith, who represents the state’s third district. “As we mark 163 years since the signing of the Homestead Act, agriculture remains the economic driver of our state and the nation’s Heartland. USDA’s new&nbsp;Farmers First&nbsp;strategy will expand markets, deliver regulatory relief, promote long-term certainty, and ensure the accessibility of USDA resources for&nbsp;American&nbsp;farming families working tirelessly to feed and fuel the world. I will continue to work with Secretary Rollins and President Trump to unleash prosperity for generations to come.”

Some of the efforts in the&nbsp;Farmers First initiative&nbsp;include:&nbsp;

“Our family-owned farms and ranches are at the heart of agriculture in America and are the backbone of the economy in states like Nebraska. Generations of producers have passed down the love of farming, strongly rooted values, and common-sense stewardship of our land and water to the next generation,” said Gov. Pillen. “I’m glad that Secretary Rollins and the USDA are highlighting the value and importance of family owned and small operations as part of our efforts to put Farmers First. I look forward to this tremendous initiative, and I am thrilled that she chose to launch it from a family farm right here in Nebraska.”

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;–&nbsp;Today, Governor Jim Pillen hosted U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on a day-long visit that included three separate stops and two significant announcements. He was joined in the visits by Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Sherry Vinton and U.S. Congressman Adrian Smith.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747767446688.jpeg" alt=" Governor Jim Pillen hosted U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on a day-long visit that included three separate stops and two significant announcements. He was joined in the visits by Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Sherry Vinton and U.S. Congressman Adrian Smith, touring Cargill" />
 <figcaption> Governor Jim Pillen hosted U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on a day-long visit that included three separate stops and two significant announcements. He was joined in the visits by Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Sherry Vinton and U.S. Congressman Adrian Smith, touring Cargill</figcaption>
 </figure>“I’m pleased that Sec. Rollins has had the opportunity to experience the depth and breadth of Nebraska agriculture and what our state is doing to help feed the world and save the planet,” said Gov. Pillen. “Today, she heard from a diverse group of producers, visited a typical multi-generational Nebraska family farm, and got a first-hand look at what sets our state apart for the future -- value-added agriculture.&nbsp; I’m glad we could make these connections and look forward to continuing the work that makes Nebraska the innovative agricultural leader it is, between crop, livestock and ethanol production.”The ag tour kicked off at the Cargill Bioscience 650-acre facility in Blair this morning. That facility is Cargill’s largest and directly employs approximately 600 Nebraskans while processing over 340,000 bushels of corn daily to produce products such as fuel grade ethanol, corn gluten meal and meat for poultry, pet food and cattle feed. The company also makes sweetener, corn syrup and other corn-based products such as enzymes, biopolymers, and amino acids.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3Dpfbid02DM7Gsbhx1bNiDeT1qi2gMzYsbSvgARm1ZisBKFRSYiaLP7NMqB6RAAmcN2v8NaX6l%26id%3D100087314096798&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="684" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Upon arriving at Wholestone Farms in Fremont, Sec. Rollins took a few minutes to greet employees waiting inside. The group witnessed part of the plant’s hog processing operation and later gathered in the staff cafeteria with members of the media. There. Sec. Rollins signed off on Nebraska’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) waiver request, excluding soda and energy drinks from the list of approved purchases. Nebraska submitted its waiver in early April and is the first state in the nation to have its application approved by the USDA, effective Jan. 1, 2026.“Today’s waiver to remove soda and energy drinks from SNAP is the first of its kind, and it is a historic step to Make America Healthy Again. Under President Trump’s leadership, I have encouraged states to serve as the ‘laboratories of innovation.’ Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and Governors in Iowa, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, West Virginia, and Colorado are pioneers in improving the health of our nation,” said Sec. Rollins.&nbsp;&nbsp;“There’s absolutely zero reason for taxpayers to be subsidizing purchases of soda and energy drinks. SNAP is about helping families in need get healthy food into their diets, but there’s nothing nutritious about the junk we’re removing with today’s waiver. I’m grateful to have worked with Secretary Rollins and the Trump Administration to get this effort across the finish line. It is a tremendous step toward improving the health and well-being of our state. We have to act because we can’t keep letting Nebraskans starve in the midst of plenty,”&nbsp;said Gov. Pillen.&nbsp;Gov. Pillen, Sec. Rollins, Rep. Smith and NDA Dir. Vinton wrapped up their tour of ag businesses with a stop in the afternoon at Ohnoutka Family Farm in Valparaiso. There, the group engaged in a roundtable with invited producers from across the state. Discussion hit on a variety of topics, from tariffs to grants, water quantity and quality, educating youth about agriculture and keeping generational farming going in Nebraska. Prior to the roundtable event, the group was greeted by youth from the local FFA chapter.Following the roundtable, Sec. Rollins made her second announcement – a policy initiative aimed at supporting small family farms. Called&nbsp;Farmers First, the program is part of the USDA’s&nbsp;Make Agriculture Great Again&nbsp;agenda and outlines 10 action items that aim to help the 86 percent of small family farms across the nation.“Welcoming Secretary Rollins to Nebraska alongside Governor Pillen provided a tremendous opportunity to showcase Nebraska’s world-leading livestock, crop, and biofuels producers,” said Rep. Smith, who represents the state’s third district. “As we mark 163 years since the signing of the Homestead Act, agriculture remains the economic driver of our state and the nation’s Heartland. USDA’s new&nbsp;Farmers First&nbsp;strategy will expand markets, deliver regulatory relief, promote long-term certainty, and ensure the accessibility of USDA resources for&nbsp;American&nbsp;farming families working tirelessly to feed and fuel the world. I will continue to work with Secretary Rollins and President Trump to unleash prosperity for generations to come.”Some of the efforts in the&nbsp;Farmers First initiative&nbsp;include:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Streamlining Processes: Simplifying USDA applications, like the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP), to reduce barriers for farmers</li><li>Credit and Land Access: Reforming loan programs and using tools like the Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) to help farmers buy and protect land</li><li>Farm Transitions: Calling on Congress to adjust tax policies, like expanding Section 179, to ease passing farms to the next generation</li><li>Market and Infrastructure: Prioritizing local farmers in procurement and reforming programs to ensure funds reach producers, not special interests</li><li>Labor Access: Working with other agencies to address labor shortages, including exploring visa reforms for agricultural workers</li><li>Risk Management: Making USDA programs simpler and launching a disaster portal for better access to assistance</li><li>Energy and Regulations: Supporting affordable energy and reviewing environmental permitting to lower costs for farmers</li>
 </ul>“Our family-owned farms and ranches are at the heart of agriculture in America and are the backbone of the economy in states like Nebraska. Generations of producers have passed down the love of farming, strongly rooted values, and common-sense stewardship of our land and water to the next generation,” said Gov. Pillen. “I’m glad that Secretary Rollins and the USDA are highlighting the value and importance of family owned and small operations as part of our efforts to put Farmers First. I look forward to this tremendous initiative, and I am thrilled that she chose to launch it from a family farm right here in Nebraska.”

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins Announces Farmers First Initiative, Approves Nebraska SNAP Waiver During Tour of Ag Businesses with Gov. Pillen

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://t.co/q5CPyHZkLD">pic.twitter.com/q5CPyHZkLD</a>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1924523182909747657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

President Trump describes phone call with Russian President Putin

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727691434816.png" alt="File photo former President Joe Biden -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo former President Joe Biden -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Former President Joe Biden diagnosed with prostate cancer. <a href="https://t.co/qszrloAsvR">pic.twitter.com/qszrloAsvR</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1924199062443569402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Former President Biden diagnosed with prostate cancer

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Fuel shortages in Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska spurred a federal agency to issue an emergency declaration this week that gives leeway to commercial drivers hauling fuel.

<a href="http://chrome-extension//efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.kcc.ks.gov/images/PDFs/transportation/Emergency%20Declaration%20No.%202025-007%20-%20Fuel%20Shortages%20-%2005-13-2025.pdf" target="_blank">The emergency order</a>&nbsp;by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association extended an April 30 state of disaster emergency proclamation from Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. The state-level declaration expired on May 13, said Linda Berry, spokesperson for the Kansas Corporation Commission, which regulates gas and oil production in the state.

Areas in Kansas and surrounding states are experiencing a fuel shortage, causing long lines at fuel stations, delivery delays and a need for truck drivers to increase the number of hours they can drive to deliver fuel, said an April 30 press release. The short-term changes only apply to drivers who are part of the fuel delivery system.

Under the declaration, drivers can temporarily work longer hours to ensure fuel supplies are going through, the release said.

“This declaration is in response to the widespread fuel shortages in affected states impacting agricultural operations and the national food supply, and their effects on people and property, including immediate threats to human life, public safety, or public welfare,” the federal declaration said.

Berry said planned pipeline and refinery maintenance and higher demands among farmers and drivers during planting season were likely sources of the supply chain disruption.

Primarily, the impact has been on diesel fuel and has not affected consumers.

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Fuel shortages in Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska spurred a federal agency to issue an emergency declaration this week that gives leeway to commercial drivers hauling fuel.<a href="http://chrome-extension//efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.kcc.ks.gov/images/PDFs/transportation/Emergency%20Declaration%20No.%202025-007%20-%20Fuel%20Shortages%20-%2005-13-2025.pdf" target="_blank">The emergency order</a>&nbsp;by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association extended an April 30 state of disaster emergency proclamation from Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. The state-level declaration expired on May 13, said Linda Berry, spokesperson for the Kansas Corporation Commission, which regulates gas and oil production in the state.Areas in Kansas and surrounding states are experiencing a fuel shortage, causing long lines at fuel stations, delivery delays and a need for truck drivers to increase the number of hours they can drive to deliver fuel, said an April 30 press release. The short-term changes only apply to drivers who are part of the fuel delivery system.Under the declaration, drivers can temporarily work longer hours to ensure fuel supplies are going through, the release said.“This declaration is in response to the widespread fuel shortages in affected states impacting agricultural operations and the national food supply, and their effects on people and property, including immediate threats to human life, public safety, or public welfare,” the federal declaration said.Berry said planned pipeline and refinery maintenance and higher demands among farmers and drivers during planting season were likely sources of the supply chain disruption.Primarily, the impact has been on diesel fuel and has not affected consumers.

Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska fuel shortages lead to federal emergency declaration

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/rsequeira/">Robbie Sequeira</a>

There’s debate over whether classrooms need stricter control or a shift toward restorative justice.

In the wake of President Donald Trump’s executive order aiming to reinstate “common sense” school discipline, more states may follow and expand the authority of teachers and school officials to deal with disruptive students.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/reinstating-common-sense-school-discipline-policies/" target="_blank">order</a>, signed in April, repeals prior federal guidance that encouraged schools to address racial disparities in discipline, arguing that such policies promoted “discriminatory equity ideology” and compromised school safety by pressuring administrators to underreport serious student misconduct.

In some states, new legislation already is trending toward giving teachers more authority to address student misbehavior.

In West Virginia, for example,<a href="https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb199%20sub1.htm&amp;yr=2025&amp;sesstype=RS&amp;i=199" target="_blank">&nbsp;a new law creates a structured process</a>&nbsp;for responding to violent, threatening or disruptive behavior among students in grades K-6.

Under the law, a student exhibiting such behavior can be immediately removed from class, evaluated by counselors or behavioral specialists and placed on an individualized behavior plan. If there’s no improvement after two rounds of intervention, the student could be moved into a behavioral intervention program or an alternative learning environment.

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, and supporters say the law empowers teachers to maintain safe classrooms.

“This legislation provides teachers with the tools to regain control of the classroom and ensure safe learning environments for our kids,” Morrisey&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.wv.gov/article/governor-patrick-morrisey-signs-school-discipline-bill-law" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;at the bill’s signing.

In April, the Texas House of Representatives&nbsp;<a href="https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/HB6/2025" target="_blank">passed</a>&nbsp;a bill referred to as the “Teacher’s Bill of Rights” with a bipartisan vote of 124-20.

That bill, now sitting in the Senate’s education committee, would significantly expand the grounds for out-of-school suspensions, allowing students to be suspended for repeated disruptions or threats beginning in third grade. It would reverse earlier changes that limited suspensions for younger students. It also would mandate that students making terroristic threats or assaulting school employees be placed in alternative education programs for at least 30 days.

Texas civil rights groups argue that the bill would impose a one-size-fits-all punitive approach, rather than addressing students’ developmental and behavioral needs.

Alycia Castillo, associate director of policy at the Texas Civil Rights Project and a former teacher, said state lawmakers are taking the wrong approach by mandating sweeping discipline policies for&nbsp;<a href="https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/news/2023/09/20/texas-diverse-state-in-u-s--" target="_blank">a state as diverse as Texas</a>.

During the 2020-21 school year, according to the latest data available from the U.S. Department of Education, Black students faced the highest rates of disciplinary action across all categories — suspension and expulsion — among all racial and ethnic groups.

They were 39% more likely than white students to receive in-school suspensions, 70% more likely to face out-of-school suspensions, and 71% more likely to be expelled.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691616488001.jpg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/rsequeira/">Robbie Sequeira</a><h2>There’s debate over whether classrooms need stricter control or a shift toward restorative justice.</h2>In the wake of President Donald Trump’s executive order aiming to reinstate “common sense” school discipline, more states may follow and expand the authority of teachers and school officials to deal with disruptive students.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/reinstating-common-sense-school-discipline-policies/" target="_blank">order</a>, signed in April, repeals prior federal guidance that encouraged schools to address racial disparities in discipline, arguing that such policies promoted “discriminatory equity ideology” and compromised school safety by pressuring administrators to underreport serious student misconduct.In some states, new legislation already is trending toward giving teachers more authority to address student misbehavior.In West Virginia, for example,<a href="https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb199%20sub1.htm&amp;yr=2025&amp;sesstype=RS&amp;i=199" target="_blank">&nbsp;a new law creates a structured process</a>&nbsp;for responding to violent, threatening or disruptive behavior among students in grades K-6.Under the law, a student exhibiting such behavior can be immediately removed from class, evaluated by counselors or behavioral specialists and placed on an individualized behavior plan. If there’s no improvement after two rounds of intervention, the student could be moved into a behavioral intervention program or an alternative learning environment.West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, and supporters say the law empowers teachers to maintain safe classrooms.“This legislation provides teachers with the tools to regain control of the classroom and ensure safe learning environments for our kids,” Morrisey&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.wv.gov/article/governor-patrick-morrisey-signs-school-discipline-bill-law" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;at the bill’s signing.In April, the Texas House of Representatives&nbsp;<a href="https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/HB6/2025" target="_blank">passed</a>&nbsp;a bill referred to as the “Teacher’s Bill of Rights” with a bipartisan vote of 124-20.That bill, now sitting in the Senate’s education committee, would significantly expand the grounds for out-of-school suspensions, allowing students to be suspended for repeated disruptions or threats beginning in third grade. It would reverse earlier changes that limited suspensions for younger students. It also would mandate that students making terroristic threats or assaulting school employees be placed in alternative education programs for at least 30 days.Texas civil rights groups argue that the bill would impose a one-size-fits-all punitive approach, rather than addressing students’ developmental and behavioral needs.Alycia Castillo, associate director of policy at the Texas Civil Rights Project and a former teacher, said state lawmakers are taking the wrong approach by mandating sweeping discipline policies for&nbsp;<a href="https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/news/2023/09/20/texas-diverse-state-in-u-s--" target="_blank">a state as diverse as Texas</a>.During the 2020-21 school year, according to the latest data available from the U.S. Department of Education, Black students faced the highest rates of disciplinary action across all categories — suspension and expulsion — among all racial and ethnic groups.They were 39% more likely than white students to receive in-school suspensions, 70% more likely to face out-of-school suspensions, and 71% more likely to be expelled.The disparities were even starker for Black students with disabilities, who experienced suspension and expulsion rates far exceeding those of both their white peers and non-disabled students.Reviving old, harsh disciplinary policies risks disproportionately harming students of color, students with disabilities and those from low-income backgrounds, Castillo said.“What works in Austin may not work in West Texas,” Castillo said.“Children are naturally disruptive — that’s part of their development,” she added. “Excluding them only harms their growth into functional adults.”<h2>Restorative justice models</h2>In recent years, some other states have passed laws promoting restorative practices in schools, in which students and teachers work through problems and focus on repairing the harm caused by disruptions or conflict.Michigan’s 2017 law&nbsp;<a href="https://www.studentadvocacycenter.org/rethink-discipline-toolkit/" target="_blank">requires schools</a>&nbsp;to consider restorative approaches before suspensions or expulsions, aiming to repair harm rather than exclude students. Nevada began mandating restorative justice approaches in 2019, but&nbsp;<a href="https://nevadacurrent.com/2023/11/03/though-scaled-back-by-nv-lawmakers-restorative-justice-plans-still-making-progress-report-says/" target="_blank">scaled back</a>&nbsp;that approach in 2023.This year, Maryland passed a&nbsp;<a href="https://legiscan.com/MD/text/HB197/2025" target="_blank">law</a>&nbsp;requiring the state to establish “restorative practices schools,” specific schools with trained educators who use the approach in everyday discipline.Kimberly Hellerich, an assistant professor at Sacred Heart University and a former K-12 teacher, said discipline policies should go beyond punitive measures to foster accountability and community healing.“Adding restorative practices to accompany codes of conduct can allow students to recognize the impact of their actions on themselves, peers, the teacher, the class and the school community,” Hellerich said.In her own classrooms, Hellerich used what she called “community circles” to guide students in processing behavior, offering apologies and rebuilding trust. “The apology served as a way to restore the student’s relationship with the entire class community,” she said.<h2>Calls for a cultural shift on expectations</h2>While lawmakers debate discipline procedures, other education advocates warn that an even deeper issue is unfolding inside classrooms: the gradual erosion of behavioral expectations and academic rigor.Jessica Bartnick, co-founder and CEO of the Dallas-based mentorship program Foundation for C.H.O.I.C.E., said that declining school discipline and lowered standards are quietly undermining educational outcomes.“Discipline is the backbone of effective learning,” Bartnick, who supports the Texas legislation, told Stateline in an email. “Without it, classrooms become chaotic, instructional time is lost and teachers are forced to shift their focus from instruction to behavior management.”Bartnick said efforts to promote equity sometimes inadvertently lower behavioral standards and deprive teachers of the tools they need to maintain safe learning environments.She also criticized lenient grading policies and unlimited test retakes, arguing that they diminish the value of preparation, responsibility and resilience.“If students are shielded from the discomfort of failure, they are also shielded from the growth that comes with it,” she wrote. “If we want to prepare students for a world that will not offer endless second chances, we must return to a classroom culture grounded in discipline, responsibility, and rigor.”Stateline reporter Amanda Hernández contributed to this report. Stateline reporter Robbie Sequeira can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:rsequeira@stateline.org">rsequeira@stateline.org</a>.