LINOLN, NE&nbsp;– Reassuring news this last week for Nebraska motorists and corn growers. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has confirmed its intent to uphold the current April 28, 2025 implementation date for year-round access to E15. Nebraska is among eight states that had long been fighting a summertime ban on the higher ethanol blend. Last year, the EPA issued its&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.epa.gov%2Fgasoline-standards%2Ffinal-rule-response-request-states-removal-gasoline-volatility-waiver&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C8489aed3c74340462b4108dd538a7891%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C638758576388694764%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=qNg3TRvb5xLInXtCL4Oggl4UZyYiT1XuwC%2BXUWLnWec%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">final rule</a>, a significant win for Nebraska and other ethanol-producing states.&nbsp;

“Nebraska is in a leading position to reap the benefits of E-15, both from the production as well as the consumer side. This is a significant step forward in growing our state’s ag and biofuels economy,” said Gov. Pillen.&nbsp;

In a release from the EPA, Administrator Lee Zeldin&nbsp;stated: “Today’s decision underscores EPA’s commitment to consumer access to E15 while ensuring a smooth transition for fuel suppliers and refiners.”

Office of Governor Jim PillenLINOLN, NE&nbsp;– Reassuring news this last week for Nebraska motorists and corn growers. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has confirmed its intent to uphold the current April 28, 2025 implementation date for year-round access to E15. Nebraska is among eight states that had long been fighting a summertime ban on the higher ethanol blend. Last year, the EPA issued its&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.epa.gov%2Fgasoline-standards%2Ffinal-rule-response-request-states-removal-gasoline-volatility-waiver&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C8489aed3c74340462b4108dd538a7891%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C638758576388694764%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=qNg3TRvb5xLInXtCL4Oggl4UZyYiT1XuwC%2BXUWLnWec%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">final rule</a>, a significant win for Nebraska and other ethanol-producing states.&nbsp;“Nebraska is in a leading position to reap the benefits of E-15, both from the production as well as the consumer side. This is a significant step forward in growing our state’s ag and biofuels economy,” said Gov. Pillen.&nbsp;In a release from the EPA, Administrator Lee Zeldin&nbsp;stated: “Today’s decision underscores EPA’s commitment to consumer access to E15 while ensuring a smooth transition for fuel suppliers and refiners.”

Gov. Pillen Reacts to EPA Confirmation to Keep Date for Implementation of E15 Access

Acting United States Attorney Matthew Molsen announced that Jose Luis Deleon, 65, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 13, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for two counts of distribution of methamphetamine. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Deleon to a total of 57 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Deleon’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.

On or about May 12, 2014, a Confidential Informant (“CI”) working with the Central Nebraska Drug and Safe Streets Task Force arranged to purchase one ounce of meth for $1,100 in Grand Island.&nbsp; The CI and Deleon met at a location, where the CI gave the money to Deleon in exchange for 23 grams of actual meth.&nbsp;

On or about May 22, 2014, the same CI from the buy on May 12, arranged to purchase another one-ounce quantity of meth for $1,100 from Deleon.&nbsp; The CI and Deleon met at a location, where the CI gave the money to Deleon in exchange for another 23 grams of actual meth.

Deleon was originally set for an entry of plea in July of 2015.&nbsp; He failed to appear for that hearing and did not appear again, until he was arrested in Houston, Texas in June of 2024.

This case was investigated by the Central Nebraska Drug and Safe Streets Task Force

United States Attorney's OfficeActing United States Attorney Matthew Molsen announced that Jose Luis Deleon, 65, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 13, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for two counts of distribution of methamphetamine. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Deleon to a total of 57 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Deleon’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.On or about May 12, 2014, a Confidential Informant (“CI”) working with the Central Nebraska Drug and Safe Streets Task Force arranged to purchase one ounce of meth for $1,100 in Grand Island.&nbsp; The CI and Deleon met at a location, where the CI gave the money to Deleon in exchange for 23 grams of actual meth.&nbsp;On or about May 22, 2014, the same CI from the buy on May 12, arranged to purchase another one-ounce quantity of meth for $1,100 from Deleon.&nbsp; The CI and Deleon met at a location, where the CI gave the money to Deleon in exchange for another 23 grams of actual meth.Deleon was originally set for an entry of plea in July of 2015.&nbsp; He failed to appear for that hearing and did not appear again, until he was arrested in Houston, Texas in June of 2024.This case was investigated by the Central Nebraska Drug and Safe Streets Task Force

Central Nebraska Man Sentenced to Over 4 Years for Distribution of Methamphetamine

Acting United States Attorney Matthew Molsen announced that Robert Burkhardt, 56, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced February 19, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Burkhardt to 57 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Burkhardt is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.

On January 30, 2024, co-conspirators Jolene Armentrout and Lonnie Mason flew from Omaha to Los Angeles, California, and purchased 25 pounds of methamphetamine. Meanwhile, Burkhardt drove Mason’s car from Omaha to Las Vegas, Nevada, with co-conspirator Stephanie Cummings. Burkhardt and Cummings met Armentrout and Mason in Las Vegas.

Mason and Cummings then flew back to Nebraska while Armentrout and Burkhardt drove to California from Las Vegas and picked up the 25 pounds of methamphetamine purchased by Armentrout and Mason. Armentrout and Burkhardt then drove the 25 pounds of methamphetamine back to Nebraska and arrived on February 4, 2024. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and located the 25 pounds of methamphetamine contained in a hidden compartment.

Cummings pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and sentencing is scheduled for April 9, 2025. Armentrout pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and is scheduled for sentencing on March 19, 2025. Mason pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and is scheduled for sentencing on May 7, 2025.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Omaha Police Department. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF" target="_blank">https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF</a>.

United States Attorney's OfficeActing United States Attorney Matthew Molsen announced that Robert Burkhardt, 56, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced February 19, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Burkhardt to 57 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Burkhardt is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.On January 30, 2024, co-conspirators Jolene Armentrout and Lonnie Mason flew from Omaha to Los Angeles, California, and purchased 25 pounds of methamphetamine. Meanwhile, Burkhardt drove Mason’s car from Omaha to Las Vegas, Nevada, with co-conspirator Stephanie Cummings. Burkhardt and Cummings met Armentrout and Mason in Las Vegas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740408702217.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Mason and Cummings then flew back to Nebraska while Armentrout and Burkhardt drove to California from Las Vegas and picked up the 25 pounds of methamphetamine purchased by Armentrout and Mason. Armentrout and Burkhardt then drove the 25 pounds of methamphetamine back to Nebraska and arrived on February 4, 2024. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and located the 25 pounds of methamphetamine contained in a hidden compartment.Cummings pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and sentencing is scheduled for April 9, 2025. Armentrout pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and is scheduled for sentencing on March 19, 2025. Mason pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and is scheduled for sentencing on May 7, 2025.This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Omaha Police Department. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF" target="_blank">https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF</a>.

Central Nebraska Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine   

DAMASCUS —U.S. forces continue to battle terrorist activity in the Middle East.

On Feb. 21, U.S. forces conducted a precision airstrike in Northwest Syria, killing Wasim Tahsin Bayraqdar, a senior leadership facilitator of the terrorist organization Hurras al-Din (HaD), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

"The airstrike is part of CENTCOM's ongoing commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians and military personnel from the U.S., our allies, and our partners throughout the region and beyond."

"We will relentlessly pursue and destroy terrorist threats, no matter their location, in order to protect our homeland and our allies and partners," said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander, U.S. Central Command.⁩

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740235103563.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command." />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command.</figcaption>
 </figure>DAMASCUS —U.S. forces continue to battle terrorist activity in the Middle East.On Feb. 21, U.S. forces conducted a precision airstrike in Northwest Syria, killing Wasim Tahsin Bayraqdar, a senior leadership facilitator of the terrorist organization Hurras al-Din (HaD), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command."The airstrike is part of CENTCOM's ongoing commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians and military personnel from the U.S., our allies, and our partners throughout the region and beyond.""We will relentlessly pursue and destroy terrorist threats, no matter their location, in order to protect our homeland and our allies and partners," said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander, U.S. Central Command.⁩

U.S. forces kill Al Qaeda affiliate, Hurras al-Din, leader in Syria

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security last week announced a nationwide and international multimillion-dollar ad campaign warning illegal aliens to leave our country now or face deportation with the inability to return to the US.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on social media, "This campaign serves as a strong warning to criminal illegal aliens to not come to America. If they do, they will be hunted down and deported.

Thank you President Trump for securing our border and putting America first."

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security last week announced a nationwide and international multimillion-dollar ad campaign warning illegal aliens to leave our country now or face deportation with the inability to return to the US.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">🚨A MESSAGE TO ILLEGAL ALIENS🚨 &quot;We will hunt you down... you will be caught. You will be removed, and you will never return.&quot; –<a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sec_Noem</a> <a href="https://t.co/Yeozwi3VS2">pic.twitter.com/Yeozwi3VS2</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1891897694827803009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on social media, "This campaign serves as a strong warning to criminal illegal aliens to not come to America. If they do, they will be hunted down and deported.

Thank you President Trump for securing our border and putting America first."

🎥New ad campaign warns illegal aliens 'we will hunt you down'

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">TIM HENDERSON</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

Many policies are symbolic, meant to reassure residents that the city isn’t taking part in immigration enforcement.

Even as the Trump administration criticizes state and local sanctuary policies as an impediment to its deportation aims, officials touting the policies are finding there isn’t much they can do to prevent immigration arrests.

Some states and counties are nonetheless defending their sanctuary policies as a way to slow arrests, especially for purely immigration-related offenses, and to assure residents that local leaders are not taking part in the Trump administration’s deportation plans.

Localities in Connecticut, Oregon and Washington joined a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sfcityattorney.org/2025/02/07/san-francisco-leads-lawsuit-protecting-sanctuary-jurisdictions-from-illegal-federal-overreach/" target="_blank">February lawsuit</a>&nbsp;led by the city and county of San Francisco and Santa Clara County in California against a Trump administration executive order calling for defunding cities with sanctuary policies, calling the order “illegal and authoritarian.” California is also&nbsp;<a href="https://calmatters.org/justice/2024/12/sanctuary-cities-san-diego-letter/" target="_blank">preparing to defend</a>&nbsp;its state policies limiting cooperation with immigration authorities, based on a 2017 law that withstood a court challenge under the first Trump administration.

The laws under scrutiny generally limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The policies either prevent local officials from holding prisoners for immigration arrests or, alternatively, from notifying immigration authorities what time prisoners will be released, so federal agents can arrest them on immigration charges that could lead to deportation. There are generally exceptions for some serious crimes.

Chicago, Philadelphia and Seattle — all high-profile sanctuary locations — are among the cities that have seen&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/are-cities-ice-raids-are-taking-place-rcna189390" target="_blank">Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests</a>.

ICE can always find other ways to arrest a person, but it’s harder without local cooperation.

“You’re adding to the time and expense and resources ICE needs,” said Kathleen Bush-Joseph, a policy analyst for the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank devoted to immigration policy.

She noted a 2018&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/california-trust-act-reduced-deportations" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;from the CATO Institute, a libertarian think tank, suggesting that deportations fell in California after a 2013 law limited cooperation with ICE for minor and immigration crimes, though they later rose again.

“There is suggestive evidence that sanctuary policies reduce deportations but many reasons to also be skeptical of big effects,” the report concluded.

Most deportation arrests happen when ICE agents get fingerprint records from jails, whether run by city governments or independently elected sheriffs as they are in many counties, and identify people subject to court deportation orders. All jails regardless of sanctuary policy send the fingerprints for federal background checks during the booking process.

Still, federal officials complain that sanctuary policies can force them to arrest people on the street where it’s more dangerous and time-consuming than a transfer of custody inside a jail.

That happened recently in heavily Democratic Tompkins County in upstate New York, where the county and the city of Ithaca reaffirmed their sanctuary policies after criticism by the Trump administration.

A man who had been held in the county’s jail since 2023 was released on a judge’s order in late January, before ICE agents could arrive to arrest him for deportation. Several agencies, including state police, later arrested him in a parking lot in a show of force, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://cnycentral.com/news/local/federal-government-challenges-ithacas-sanctuary-city-policy-with-arrest" target="_blank">local press accounts</a>.

The 27-year-old man, a citizen of Mexico, had been identified for deportation in early January because he had returned to the United States after being deported seven times in 2016. He pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting a police officer and a jail guard and was sentenced to time served.

After the ICE arrest, acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove criticized the county, writing in a Jan. 30&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/violent-illegal-alien-arrested-after-release-local-jail-despite-federal-arrest-warrant" target="_blank">statement</a>: “We will use every tool at our disposal to prevent sanctuary city policies from impeding and obstructing lawful federal operations designed to make America safe again.”

Tompkins County Attorney Maury Josephson, in a statement to Stateline, called Bove’s statement “false and offensive.” Josephson wrote that the sheriff, Derek Osborne, had notified ICE about the prisoner’s release and that federal agents “had every opportunity to come to the jail to obtain the individual in question without any need for a pursuit or other incident.”

Many sanctuary policies are mostly symbolic, meant to assure residents that the city isn’t taking part in federal immigration enforcement. Many policies say city employees will not ask about immigration status when people seek services.

Some sanctuary policies can help indirectly fight deportations by providing legal help and advice for immigrants on how to respond to questions from federal agents, said Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock, a supervisory policy and practice counsel for the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

“There have been some steps forward in creating an immigration public defender system, but it’s not available at the federal level yet,” Ibañez Whitlock said. That can make it tricky when an immigration prisoner is moved to another state for detention, and they could lose their legal representation, she said.

Sanctuary policies also aim to improve public safety by assuring immigrants it’s safe for them to report and help investigate crimes. Often the policies forbid asking questions about immigration status for people seeking services.

“For us it’s simple. We are striving to create a culture of trust and security within our communities so that our residents know that they can come to the county when they are in need or when they can be of help,” said Tony LoPresti, county counsel for Santa Clara County, California, during a news conference announcing the San Francisco lawsuit this month.

“That includes feeling safe coming to local law enforcement to report crimes or to participate in investigations without fearing that they or their loved ones face deportation,” LoPresti added.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740147958319.png" alt="U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrest a man from Venezuela in Miami in February after a wire fraud conviction. As the Trump administration attacks local sanctuary policies, some states and local governments continue to do what little they can to protect some immigrants from deportation. (Courtesy of Miami ICE Enforcement &amp; Removal Operations office)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrest a man from Venezuela in Miami in February after a wire fraud conviction. As the Trump administration attacks local sanctuary policies, some states and local governments continue to do what little they can to protect some immigrants from deportation. (Courtesy of Miami ICE Enforcement &amp; Removal Operations office)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">TIM HENDERSON</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a><h2>Many policies are symbolic, meant to reassure residents that the city isn’t taking part in immigration enforcement.</h2>Even as the Trump administration criticizes state and local sanctuary policies as an impediment to its deportation aims, officials touting the policies are finding there isn’t much they can do to prevent immigration arrests.Some states and counties are nonetheless defending their sanctuary policies as a way to slow arrests, especially for purely immigration-related offenses, and to assure residents that local leaders are not taking part in the Trump administration’s deportation plans.Localities in Connecticut, Oregon and Washington joined a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sfcityattorney.org/2025/02/07/san-francisco-leads-lawsuit-protecting-sanctuary-jurisdictions-from-illegal-federal-overreach/" target="_blank">February lawsuit</a>&nbsp;led by the city and county of San Francisco and Santa Clara County in California against a Trump administration executive order calling for defunding cities with sanctuary policies, calling the order “illegal and authoritarian.” California is also&nbsp;<a href="https://calmatters.org/justice/2024/12/sanctuary-cities-san-diego-letter/" target="_blank">preparing to defend</a>&nbsp;its state policies limiting cooperation with immigration authorities, based on a 2017 law that withstood a court challenge under the first Trump administration.The laws under scrutiny generally limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The policies either prevent local officials from holding prisoners for immigration arrests or, alternatively, from notifying immigration authorities what time prisoners will be released, so federal agents can arrest them on immigration charges that could lead to deportation. There are generally exceptions for some serious crimes.Chicago, Philadelphia and Seattle — all high-profile sanctuary locations — are among the cities that have seen&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/are-cities-ice-raids-are-taking-place-rcna189390" target="_blank">Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests</a>.ICE can always find other ways to arrest a person, but it’s harder without local cooperation.“You’re adding to the time and expense and resources ICE needs,” said Kathleen Bush-Joseph, a policy analyst for the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank devoted to immigration policy.She noted a 2018&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/california-trust-act-reduced-deportations" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;from the CATO Institute, a libertarian think tank, suggesting that deportations fell in California after a 2013 law limited cooperation with ICE for minor and immigration crimes, though they later rose again.“There is suggestive evidence that sanctuary policies reduce deportations but many reasons to also be skeptical of big effects,” the report concluded.Most deportation arrests happen when ICE agents get fingerprint records from jails, whether run by city governments or independently elected sheriffs as they are in many counties, and identify people subject to court deportation orders. All jails regardless of sanctuary policy send the fingerprints for federal background checks during the booking process.Still, federal officials complain that sanctuary policies can force them to arrest people on the street where it’s more dangerous and time-consuming than a transfer of custody inside a jail.That happened recently in heavily Democratic Tompkins County in upstate New York, where the county and the city of Ithaca reaffirmed their sanctuary policies after criticism by the Trump administration.A man who had been held in the county’s jail since 2023 was released on a judge’s order in late January, before ICE agents could arrive to arrest him for deportation. Several agencies, including state police, later arrested him in a parking lot in a show of force, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://cnycentral.com/news/local/federal-government-challenges-ithacas-sanctuary-city-policy-with-arrest" target="_blank">local press accounts</a>.The 27-year-old man, a citizen of Mexico, had been identified for deportation in early January because he had returned to the United States after being deported seven times in 2016. He pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting a police officer and a jail guard and was sentenced to time served.After the ICE arrest, acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove criticized the county, writing in a Jan. 30&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/violent-illegal-alien-arrested-after-release-local-jail-despite-federal-arrest-warrant" target="_blank">statement</a>: “We will use every tool at our disposal to prevent sanctuary city policies from impeding and obstructing lawful federal operations designed to make America safe again.”Tompkins County Attorney Maury Josephson, in a statement to Stateline, called Bove’s statement “false and offensive.” Josephson wrote that the sheriff, Derek Osborne, had notified ICE about the prisoner’s release and that federal agents “had every opportunity to come to the jail to obtain the individual in question without any need for a pursuit or other incident.”Many sanctuary policies are mostly symbolic, meant to assure residents that the city isn’t taking part in federal immigration enforcement. Many policies say city employees will not ask about immigration status when people seek services.Some sanctuary policies can help indirectly fight deportations by providing legal help and advice for immigrants on how to respond to questions from federal agents, said Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock, a supervisory policy and practice counsel for the American Immigration Lawyers Association.“There have been some steps forward in creating an immigration public defender system, but it’s not available at the federal level yet,” Ibañez Whitlock said. That can make it tricky when an immigration prisoner is moved to another state for detention, and they could lose their legal representation, she said.Sanctuary policies also aim to improve public safety by assuring immigrants it’s safe for them to report and help investigate crimes. Often the policies forbid asking questions about immigration status for people seeking services.“For us it’s simple. We are striving to create a culture of trust and security within our communities so that our residents know that they can come to the county when they are in need or when they can be of help,” said Tony LoPresti, county counsel for Santa Clara County, California, during a news conference announcing the San Francisco lawsuit this month.“That includes feeling safe coming to local law enforcement to report crimes or to participate in investigations without fearing that they or their loved ones face deportation,” LoPresti added.

Even sanctuary policies can’t stop ICE arrests

WASHINGTON —For the second time within 48 hours, the U.S. conducted a Bomber Task Force Mission in the Middle East on Thursday, demonstrating force projection capabilities and partner nation integration in the region, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

Two B-52s from RAF Fairford, U.K., flew across Europe and six partner countries in CENTCOM's area of responsibility during their mission, which included aerial refueling and training missions at ranges. 

Additionally, one partner nation provided fighter escorts for the bombers throughout the mission.

U.S. forces conducted a similar Bomber Task Force Mission in the Middle East on Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740081202044.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —For the second time within 48 hours, the U.S. conducted a Bomber Task Force Mission in the Middle East on Thursday, demonstrating force projection capabilities and partner nation integration in the region, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.Two B-52s from RAF Fairford, U.K., flew across Europe and six partner countries in CENTCOM's area of responsibility during their mission, which included aerial refueling and training missions at ranges. Additionally, one partner nation provided fighter escorts for the bombers throughout the mission.U.S. forces conducted a similar Bomber Task Force Mission in the Middle East on Monday.

Show of force: Second U.S. bomber task force mission this week

Conservative cities and states across the country have taken to President Donald Trump’s deportation plans and are increasing cooperation with federal authorities — even seeking new laws against illegal immigration that would be enforced by local and state police.

Florida’s legislature held a special session last week and&nbsp;<a href="https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/02/13/florida-legislature-passes-immigration-bills-the-governor-is-expected-to-sign/" target="_blank">passed legislation</a>&nbsp;creating a state-level immigration enforcement operation. Tennessee’s&nbsp;<a href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2025/01/30/tennessee-house-passes-immigration-enforcement-bill-aclu-plans-legal-challenge/" target="_blank">new law</a>&nbsp;creates a similar office and makes it a felony for public officials to back sanctuary policies.

<a href="https://x.com/KathleenBushJo2/status/1884268940110749965" target="_blank">Iowa</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/federal-court-temporarily-blocks-oklahomas-anti-immigrant-hb-4156#:~:text=OKLAHOMA%20CITY%20%E2%80%94%20A%20federal%20court,and%20conflicts%20with%20federal%20law." target="_blank">Oklahoma</a>&nbsp;passed state deportation laws that have been blocked by courts. Six Colorado counties are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.douglas.co.us/douglas-county-appeals-denver-judges-dismissal-of-immigration-lawsuit/" target="_blank">suing the state</a>&nbsp;over its sanctuary policies, and Indiana is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.insideindianabusiness.com/articles/ag-sues-st-joe-county-police-over-alleged-lack-of-cooperation-with-immigration-officials#:~:text=%2D%20Indiana%20Attorney%20General%20Todd%20Rokita,to%20honor%20ICE%20detainment%20requests" target="_blank">suing one of its counties</a>&nbsp;over immigration enforcement.

The New Hampshire House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/house-democrats-join-republicans-passing-anti-sanctuary-city-bill-pointing-compromise" target="_blank">overwhelmingly</a>&nbsp;passed legislation that would prohibit sanctuary cities, though that bill has a competing version in the state Senate. And last week, Georgia’s Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2025/02/13/georgia-senate-passes-bill-to-take-lawsuit-immunity-away-from-so-called-sanctuary-cities/" target="_blank">passed</a>&nbsp;a bill that would allow local government employees and officials in sanctuary cities to be held civilly liable for any crimes committed by immigrants without permanent legal status.

In Louisiana, Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill last week&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2025/02/14/new-orleans-sanctuary/" target="_blank">filed a motion</a>&nbsp;in U.S. District Court in New Orleans to force the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office to abandon its sanctuary approach.

Despite Trump’s pledge to deport millions of people living in the United States illegally, the key targets so far have been the roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2024/12/19/immigration-enforcement-deportations-biden/" target="_blank">750,000 people</a>&nbsp;who already have open deportation orders signed by a judge, said Kathleen Bush-Joseph, a policy analyst for the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank devoted to immigration policy.

Suburban Nassau County on Long Island, New York, is one locality planning closer cooperation with immigration authorities. The county voted Republican in last year’s presidential race for the first time since 1988.

The county has agreed to allow 10 detectives to help arrest wanted immigrants with criminal convictions and to hold them for up to 72 hours, in exchange for reimbursement from ICE, County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Republican, said in a statement.

The partnership gives Nassau County more leeway to hold people on suspicion of immigration violations than it would have if it were acting independently, he wrote, because of&nbsp;<a href="https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2025-01/oag-immigrationenforcement-guidance-1.10.pdf" target="_blank">state guidance</a>&nbsp;questioning the legality of jailing someone after their release by a court.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738002670796.png" alt="Photo Homeland Security" />
 <figcaption>Photo Homeland Security</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">TIM HENDERSON</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>Conservative cities and states across the country have taken to President Donald Trump’s deportation plans and are increasing cooperation with federal authorities — even seeking new laws against illegal immigration that would be enforced by local and state police.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">KBI director, Kansas attorney general allow agents to work with ICE on immigration cases | | <a href="https://t.co/RfW1IPzKSL">https://t.co/RfW1IPzKSL</a> <a href="https://t.co/zkUMzyNJx0">pic.twitter.com/zkUMzyNJx0</a>&mdash; Kansas AG&#39;s Office (@KSAGOffice) <a href="https://twitter.com/KSAGOffice/status/1891972999227576388?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Florida’s legislature held a special session last week and&nbsp;<a href="https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/02/13/florida-legislature-passes-immigration-bills-the-governor-is-expected-to-sign/" target="_blank">passed legislation</a>&nbsp;creating a state-level immigration enforcement operation. Tennessee’s&nbsp;<a href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2025/01/30/tennessee-house-passes-immigration-enforcement-bill-aclu-plans-legal-challenge/" target="_blank">new law</a>&nbsp;creates a similar office and makes it a felony for public officials to back sanctuary policies.<a href="https://x.com/KathleenBushJo2/status/1884268940110749965" target="_blank">Iowa</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/federal-court-temporarily-blocks-oklahomas-anti-immigrant-hb-4156#:~:text=OKLAHOMA%20CITY%20%E2%80%94%20A%20federal%20court,and%20conflicts%20with%20federal%20law." target="_blank">Oklahoma</a>&nbsp;passed state deportation laws that have been blocked by courts. Six Colorado counties are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.douglas.co.us/douglas-county-appeals-denver-judges-dismissal-of-immigration-lawsuit/" target="_blank">suing the state</a>&nbsp;over its sanctuary policies, and Indiana is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.insideindianabusiness.com/articles/ag-sues-st-joe-county-police-over-alleged-lack-of-cooperation-with-immigration-officials#:~:text=%2D%20Indiana%20Attorney%20General%20Todd%20Rokita,to%20honor%20ICE%20detainment%20requests" target="_blank">suing one of its counties</a>&nbsp;over immigration enforcement.The New Hampshire House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/house-democrats-join-republicans-passing-anti-sanctuary-city-bill-pointing-compromise" target="_blank">overwhelmingly</a>&nbsp;passed legislation that would prohibit sanctuary cities, though that bill has a competing version in the state Senate. And last week, Georgia’s Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2025/02/13/georgia-senate-passes-bill-to-take-lawsuit-immunity-away-from-so-called-sanctuary-cities/" target="_blank">passed</a>&nbsp;a bill that would allow local government employees and officials in sanctuary cities to be held civilly liable for any crimes committed by immigrants without permanent legal status.In Louisiana, Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill last week&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2025/02/14/new-orleans-sanctuary/" target="_blank">filed a motion</a>&nbsp;in U.S. District Court in New Orleans to force the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office to abandon its sanctuary approach.Despite Trump’s pledge to deport millions of people living in the United States illegally, the key targets so far have been the roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2024/12/19/immigration-enforcement-deportations-biden/" target="_blank">750,000 people</a>&nbsp;who already have open deportation orders signed by a judge, said Kathleen Bush-Joseph, a policy analyst for the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank devoted to immigration policy.Suburban Nassau County on Long Island, New York, is one locality planning closer cooperation with immigration authorities. The county voted Republican in last year’s presidential race for the first time since 1988.The county has agreed to allow 10 detectives to help arrest wanted immigrants with criminal convictions and to hold them for up to 72 hours, in exchange for reimbursement from ICE, County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Republican, said in a statement.The partnership gives Nassau County more leeway to hold people on suspicion of immigration violations than it would have if it were acting independently, he wrote, because of&nbsp;<a href="https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2025-01/oag-immigrationenforcement-guidance-1.10.pdf" target="_blank">state guidance</a>&nbsp;questioning the legality of jailing someone after their release by a court.

The Latest on How States are Cooperating with Trump’s Deportation Plans

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>

WASHINGTON — All Senate Republicans, except two, voted on Thursday to confirm Kash Patel to a 10-year term as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, an agency in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump.

In a 51-49 vote, the Senate GOP approved the 18th of Trump’s nominees just one month into the president’s second term. All Democrats and independents opposed Patel’s nomination.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, along with Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, broke with the GOP to vote against Patel, citing a “compelling need for an FBI Director who is decidedly apolitical.”

“While Mr. Patel has had 16 years of dedicated public service, his time over the past four years has been characterized by high profile and aggressive political activity.&nbsp; Mr. Patel has made numerous politically charged statements in his book and elsewhere discrediting the work of the FBI, the very institution he has been nominated to lead,” Collins said in a statement ahead of the vote.

Murkowski said her “reservations with Mr. Patel stem from his own prior political activities and how they may influence his leadership.”

“The FBI must be trusted as the federal agency that roots out crime and corruption, not focused on settling political scores,” Murkowski&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/lisamurkowski/status/1892651718053396919" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;on social media.

Patel, a career Department of Justice prosecutor who also worked for the first Trump administration, will now head up the federal law enforcement agency responsible for stamping out terrorism, white-collar crime, violent crime and public corruption among other criminal activity.

Patel, of Nevada, also has a lengthy resume of media appearances, consulting positions and commercial publications, according to his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25540408-patel-kashyap-final278/" target="_blank">financial disclosure</a>.

He sits on the board of directors for the Trump Media and Technology Group, which owns Truth Social, but pledged to resign upon confirmation as FBI director.

However, Patel declared on his disclosure that he will not divest from his investments in the Chinese online clothing retailer Shein while he serves as head of the FBI. Patel’s investments in the company are valued between $1 million and $5 million, and are registered in the Cayman Islands, where Shein’s parent company, Elite Depot Ltd., is based.

Patel pulled in between $230,000 and $550,000 in recent years from book sales, including his 2023 title “Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth and the Battle for Our Democracy.” Patel is also the author of a children’s series that depicts a cartoon Donald Trump as a king confronting opposition, including battling a fictional stolen election — even though kings are not elected.

Patel, 44, a frequent guest on right-wing media,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjWCnh42Sc4" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;podcast host Shawn Ryan last year that he’d “shut down the FBI Hoover Building on day one and reopen it the next day as a museum of the ‘deep state.’”

Patel was also one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/j6-choir-trump-national-anthem-capitol-riot-79618f1f2a689c308dfdc34d54d327ea" target="_blank">producers</a>&nbsp;on the recorded version of the “Star-Spangled Banner” sung by defendants jailed in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-waco-rally-texas-9a5676b734bb087a977ffe0216d0a6a8" target="_blank">played</a>&nbsp;the song on the campaign trail.

However during his confirmation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/senate-committee/fbi-director-nominee-kash-patel-testifies-at-confirmation-hearing-part-1/654894" target="_blank">hearing</a>, Patel spoke out against Jan. 6 defendants who committed violence against law enforcement.

When asked about his previous comments about shutting down the FBI headquarters, Patel told senators that accusations that he would “put political bias before the Constitution are grotesquely unfair.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune praised Patel on the Senate floor as the right choice to lead the FBI “at a critical time” and restore trust in an agency suffering from “a perception that politics has infected the FBI’s important work.”

“The next director of the FBI needs to focus on rooting out politics, so the FBI can enforce the law, uphold the Constitution, and keep Americans safe,” Thune said.

“The bureau also needs a renewed focus on empowering the FBI’s field offices to be good partners to local law enforcement. I’m encouraged that Mr. Patel has the support of the National Police Association, the National Sheriffs’ Association, and multiple state attorneys general — all of whom will be his partners in law enforcement should Mr. Patel be confirmed,” the South Dakota Republican continued.

Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1892589465308184925" target="_blank">posted</a>&nbsp;his support on social media Thursday morning.

“Kash will reform the agency and not a moment too soon,” Schmitt wrote.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin wrote on social media early Thursday in all caps that within hours he and his colleagues would “CONFIRM KASH PATEL”

“We’re almost there, America,” the Oklahoma Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SenMullin/status/1892606859464351777" target="_blank">posted</a>.

Trump was charged with multiple federal crimes in recent years stemming from classified documents held at his Florida estate after his presidency and his attempt to subvert the 2020 presidential election results.

Both cases were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/doj-special-counsel-smith-drops-federal-criminal-cases-against-trump" target="_blank">dropped</a>&nbsp;after Trump won his second presidency in November, according to a long-standing policy that the department does not prosecute sitting presidents.

Durbin slams Patel support of Jan. 6 defendants

Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, said Thursday morning that his Republican colleagues are “willfully ignoring myriad red flags about Mr. Patel.”

Durbin, of Illinois, led the morning remarks outside the Washington, D.C., FBI headquarters at the J. Edgar Hoover Building.

The committee’s ranking member criticized Patel’s support for those who broke into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, many of whom violently attacked law enforcement.

“I was there that day on January 6, as many of my colleagues standing here (were) with me. Those insurrectionists are not political prisoners. They were rioters on a mission from Donald Trump,” Durbin said.

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-issues-pardons-1500-defendants-charged-jan-6-attack-us-capitol" target="_blank">granted clemency</a>&nbsp;to all of the nearly 1,600 Jan. 6 defendants on his first night in office, with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-republicans-have-little-say-about-trump-pardons-1500-jan-6-defendants" target="_blank">little pushback</a>&nbsp;from Senate Republicans.

The Trump administration has forced out FBI agents and Department of Justice prosecutors who worked on Jan. 6 cases, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-officials-target-agents-prosecutors-who-worked-on-trump-investigations-3a80b280" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a>.

Durbin alleged in a Feb. 11&nbsp;<a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2025-02-11%20RJD%20Letter%20to%20DOJ%20OIG%20re%20Patel%20Allegations.pdf" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;that he obtained “highly credible information from multiple sources that Kash Patel has been personally directing the ongoing purge of career civil servants at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who spoke alongside Durbin and five other Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary panel, accused Patel of being a “sycophantic suck-up.”

“Kash Patel, mark my words, will cause evil in this building behind us, and Republicans who vote for him will rue that day,” Whitehouse said.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the criticism by Collins, Murkowski and Senate Democrats of Patel.

During Trump’s first administration, Patel served as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council, and as a senior adviser to Trump’s director of national intelligence, Rick Grenell. Patel briefly served as the chief of staff to the acting defense secretary from November 2020 to January 2021.

Prior to joining Trump’s White House, Patel worked as a national security adviser on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from March 2018 to January 2019 and as senior counsel for the committee in the months prior.

Patel was a trial attorney with the Department of Justice National Security Division from 2014 to 2017 during former President Barack Obama’s second term in office.

Patel began his career as a public defender&nbsp;<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article296428549.html" target="_blank">in Miami</a>, Florida.

He received his law degree from Pace University Law School in 2005. He is from Garden City, New York.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740091174453.png" alt="Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley during a Dec. meeting with Patel -courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley during a Dec. meeting with Patel -courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>WASHINGTON — All Senate Republicans, except two, voted on Thursday to confirm Kash Patel to a 10-year term as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, an agency in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump.In a 51-49 vote, the Senate GOP approved the 18th of Trump’s nominees just one month into the president’s second term. All Democrats and independents opposed Patel’s nomination.Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, along with Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, broke with the GOP to vote against Patel, citing a “compelling need for an FBI Director who is decidedly apolitical.”“While Mr. Patel has had 16 years of dedicated public service, his time over the past four years has been characterized by high profile and aggressive political activity.&nbsp; Mr. Patel has made numerous politically charged statements in his book and elsewhere discrediting the work of the FBI, the very institution he has been nominated to lead,” Collins said in a statement ahead of the vote.Murkowski said her “reservations with Mr. Patel stem from his own prior political activities and how they may influence his leadership.”“The FBI must be trusted as the federal agency that roots out crime and corruption, not focused on settling political scores,” Murkowski&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/lisamurkowski/status/1892651718053396919" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;on social media.Patel, a career Department of Justice prosecutor who also worked for the first Trump administration, will now head up the federal law enforcement agency responsible for stamping out terrorism, white-collar crime, violent crime and public corruption among other criminal activity.Patel, of Nevada, also has a lengthy resume of media appearances, consulting positions and commercial publications, according to his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25540408-patel-kashyap-final278/" target="_blank">financial disclosure</a>.He sits on the board of directors for the Trump Media and Technology Group, which owns Truth Social, but pledged to resign upon confirmation as FBI director.However, Patel declared on his disclosure that he will not divest from his investments in the Chinese online clothing retailer Shein while he serves as head of the FBI. Patel’s investments in the company are valued between $1 million and $5 million, and are registered in the Cayman Islands, where Shein’s parent company, Elite Depot Ltd., is based.Patel pulled in between $230,000 and $550,000 in recent years from book sales, including his 2023 title “Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth and the Battle for Our Democracy.” Patel is also the author of a children’s series that depicts a cartoon Donald Trump as a king confronting opposition, including battling a fictional stolen election — even though kings are not elected.Patel, 44, a frequent guest on right-wing media,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjWCnh42Sc4" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;podcast host Shawn Ryan last year that he’d “shut down the FBI Hoover Building on day one and reopen it the next day as a museum of the ‘deep state.’”Patel was also one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/j6-choir-trump-national-anthem-capitol-riot-79618f1f2a689c308dfdc34d54d327ea" target="_blank">producers</a>&nbsp;on the recorded version of the “Star-Spangled Banner” sung by defendants jailed in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-waco-rally-texas-9a5676b734bb087a977ffe0216d0a6a8" target="_blank">played</a>&nbsp;the song on the campaign trail.However during his confirmation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/senate-committee/fbi-director-nominee-kash-patel-testifies-at-confirmation-hearing-part-1/654894" target="_blank">hearing</a>, Patel spoke out against Jan. 6 defendants who committed violence against law enforcement.When asked about his previous comments about shutting down the FBI headquarters, Patel told senators that accusations that he would “put political bias before the Constitution are grotesquely unfair.”<h2>Thune praises Patel</h2>Senate Majority Leader John Thune praised Patel on the Senate floor as the right choice to lead the FBI “at a critical time” and restore trust in an agency suffering from “a perception that politics has infected the FBI’s important work.”“The next director of the FBI needs to focus on rooting out politics, so the FBI can enforce the law, uphold the Constitution, and keep Americans safe,” Thune said.“The bureau also needs a renewed focus on empowering the FBI’s field offices to be good partners to local law enforcement. I’m encouraged that Mr. Patel has the support of the National Police Association, the National Sheriffs’ Association, and multiple state attorneys general — all of whom will be his partners in law enforcement should Mr. Patel be confirmed,” the South Dakota Republican continued.Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1892589465308184925" target="_blank">posted</a>&nbsp;his support on social media Thursday morning.“Kash will reform the agency and not a moment too soon,” Schmitt wrote.Sen. Markwayne Mullin wrote on social media early Thursday in all caps that within hours he and his colleagues would “CONFIRM KASH PATEL”“We’re almost there, America,” the Oklahoma Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SenMullin/status/1892606859464351777" target="_blank">posted</a>.Trump was charged with multiple federal crimes in recent years stemming from classified documents held at his Florida estate after his presidency and his attempt to subvert the 2020 presidential election results.Both cases were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/doj-special-counsel-smith-drops-federal-criminal-cases-against-trump" target="_blank">dropped</a>&nbsp;after Trump won his second presidency in November, according to a long-standing policy that the department does not prosecute sitting presidents.<h2>Durbin slams Patel support of Jan. 6 defendants</h2>Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, said Thursday morning that his Republican colleagues are “willfully ignoring myriad red flags about Mr. Patel.”Durbin, of Illinois, led the morning remarks outside the Washington, D.C., FBI headquarters at the J. Edgar Hoover Building.The committee’s ranking member criticized Patel’s support for those who broke into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, many of whom violently attacked law enforcement.“I was there that day on January 6, as many of my colleagues standing here (were) with me. Those insurrectionists are not political prisoners. They were rioters on a mission from Donald Trump,” Durbin said.Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-issues-pardons-1500-defendants-charged-jan-6-attack-us-capitol" target="_blank">granted clemency</a>&nbsp;to all of the nearly 1,600 Jan. 6 defendants on his first night in office, with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-republicans-have-little-say-about-trump-pardons-1500-jan-6-defendants" target="_blank">little pushback</a>&nbsp;from Senate Republicans.The Trump administration has forced out FBI agents and Department of Justice prosecutors who worked on Jan. 6 cases, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-officials-target-agents-prosecutors-who-worked-on-trump-investigations-3a80b280" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a>.Durbin alleged in a Feb. 11&nbsp;<a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2025-02-11%20RJD%20Letter%20to%20DOJ%20OIG%20re%20Patel%20Allegations.pdf" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;that he obtained “highly credible information from multiple sources that Kash Patel has been personally directing the ongoing purge of career civil servants at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who spoke alongside Durbin and five other Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary panel, accused Patel of being a “sycophantic suck-up.”“Kash Patel, mark my words, will cause evil in this building behind us, and Republicans who vote for him will rue that day,” Whitehouse said.The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the criticism by Collins, Murkowski and Senate Democrats of Patel.<h2>Patel’s background</h2>During Trump’s first administration, Patel served as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council, and as a senior adviser to Trump’s director of national intelligence, Rick Grenell. Patel briefly served as the chief of staff to the acting defense secretary from November 2020 to January 2021.Prior to joining Trump’s White House, Patel worked as a national security adviser on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from March 2018 to January 2019 and as senior counsel for the committee in the months prior.Patel was a trial attorney with the Department of Justice National Security Division from 2014 to 2017 during former President Barack Obama’s second term in office.Patel began his career as a public defender&nbsp;<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article296428549.html" target="_blank">in Miami</a>, Florida.He received his law degree from Pace University Law School in 2005. He is from Garden City, New York.

U.S. Senate confirms Kash Patel as FBI director, with two Republicans dissenting

Broken Bow, Ne - An explosion was reported around 6:30am Thursday morning at the Broken Bow Power Plant. The Broken Bow City Administrator is calling it a "catastrophic system failure". Broken Bow like many communities across the region had temperatures near -30 this morning. 

Most of the town was without power this morning. Broken Bow Pubic Power says power has been restored to much of the community, but there are still portions of Broken Bow without power as of 10am Central Time. 

Broken Bow, Ne - An explosion was reported around 6:30am Thursday morning at the Broken Bow Power Plant. The Broken Bow City Administrator is calling it a "catastrophic system failure". Broken Bow like many communities across the region had temperatures near -30 this morning. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740068109615.png" alt="Broken Bow Power Plant on fire on Thursday morning, picture taken by Leah Peterson" />
 <figcaption>Broken Bow Power Plant on fire on Thursday morning, picture taken by Leah Peterson</figcaption>
 </figure>Most of the town was without power this morning. Broken Bow Pubic Power says power has been restored to much of the community, but there are still portions of Broken Bow without power as of 10am Central Time.

Explosion Thursday Morning at Broken Bow Power Plant

WASHINGTON —U.S. forces conducted a Bomber Task Force Mission in the Middle East, this week to demonstrate force projection capabilities in the region, according to a statement from the&nbsp;U.S. Central Command.

The test involved the flight of two&nbsp; B-52 H Long-Range Strategic Bombers from RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom across the Middle East. 

During the Flight, the Bombers flew over Europe as well as nine partner nations in the Middle East, carrying out Aerial-Refueling and Live-Munitions Drops at ranges in several nations. Additionally, U.S. Air Force F-15s as well as Fighter Jets from 4 Allied Air Forces in CENTCOM’s Area-of-Responsibility, provided escorts during the mission.

“Bomber Task Force missions demonstrate U.S. power projection capability, commitment to regional security, and ability to respond to any state or non-state actor seeking to broaden or escalate conflict in the CENTCOM region,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM commander.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740002612425.png" alt="Image from video during the mission- U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Image from video during the mission- U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —U.S. forces conducted a Bomber Task Force Mission in the Middle East, this week to demonstrate force projection capabilities in the region, according to a statement from the&nbsp;U.S. Central Command.The test involved the flight of two&nbsp; B-52 H Long-Range Strategic Bombers from RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom across the Middle East. During the Flight, the Bombers flew over Europe as well as nine partner nations in the Middle East, carrying out Aerial-Refueling and Live-Munitions Drops at ranges in several nations. Additionally, U.S. Air Force F-15s as well as Fighter Jets from 4 Allied Air Forces in CENTCOM’s Area-of-Responsibility, provided escorts during the mission.“Bomber Task Force missions demonstrate U.S. power projection capability, commitment to regional security, and ability to respond to any state or non-state actor seeking to broaden or escalate conflict in the CENTCOM region,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM commander.

Show of force: U.S. sends bomber task force over the Middle East

February 17, 2025 (OMAHA, Neb.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— The Nebraska State Patrol is heartbroken to announce that a Nebraska State Trooper has been killed in the line of duty today.

The&nbsp; Trooper was Kyle McAcy #302, who gave his life in the line of duty this morning while assisting motorists who had been involved in a crash on Interstate 80 near Ashland. 

Preliminary investigation shows that Trooper McAcy was responding with other troopers to a crash on Interstate 80 near mile marker 424, between Ashland and Greenwood. During that response, Trooper McAcy was outside his patrol unit and was struck by a snowplow.

Trooper McAcy has been a dedicated Trooper for 10 years and an incredible friend to countless people. Please keep his family, friends, colleagues, and all who have the honor of knowing him in your hearts following this unimaginable loss.&nbsp; Trooper McAcy served in North Platte prior to taking post on the eastern side of the state.

“Our NSP family is devastated today,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Kyle was a dedicated trooper, a devoted public servant, and most importantly a good friend to many in Omaha and beyond. His loss is being felt by countless people. Please keep his family, friends, colleagues, and community in your hearts as they deal with this unimaginable loss.”

Trooper McAcy, 31, was a ten-year veteran of the Nebraska State Patrol. He was a graduate of Camp 56 and wore badge #302. Trooper McAcy has served in the Patrol Division, Carrier Enforcement, and as a Crisis Negotiator. He was stationed in Omaha.

NSP has asked the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office to conduct the crash investigation. As winter weather conditions continue across the state, NSP urges all motorists to be safe if they must travel.&nbsp;

February 17, 2025 (OMAHA, Neb.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— The Nebraska State Patrol is heartbroken to announce that a Nebraska State Trooper has been killed in the line of duty today.The&nbsp; Trooper was Kyle McAcy #302, who gave his life in the line of duty this morning while assisting motorists who had been involved in a crash on Interstate 80 near Ashland. Preliminary investigation shows that Trooper McAcy was responding with other troopers to a crash on Interstate 80 near mile marker 424, between Ashland and Greenwood. During that response, Trooper McAcy was outside his patrol unit and was struck by a snowplow.Trooper McAcy has been a dedicated Trooper for 10 years and an incredible friend to countless people. Please keep his family, friends, colleagues, and all who have the honor of knowing him in your hearts following this unimaginable loss.&nbsp; Trooper McAcy served in North Platte prior to taking post on the eastern side of the state.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739843479943.jpeg" alt="Trooper Kyle McAcy #302" />
 <figcaption>Trooper Kyle McAcy #302</figcaption>
 </figure>“Our NSP family is devastated today,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Kyle was a dedicated trooper, a devoted public servant, and most importantly a good friend to many in Omaha and beyond. His loss is being felt by countless people. Please keep his family, friends, colleagues, and community in your hearts as they deal with this unimaginable loss.”Trooper McAcy, 31, was a ten-year veteran of the Nebraska State Patrol. He was a graduate of Camp 56 and wore badge #302. Trooper McAcy has served in the Patrol Division, Carrier Enforcement, and as a Crisis Negotiator. He was stationed in Omaha.NSP has asked the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office to conduct the crash investigation. As winter weather conditions continue across the state, NSP urges all motorists to be safe if they must travel.&nbsp;

Former North Platte Trooper killed while responding to crash on Interstate 80 near Ashland

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/02/14/pillen-plan-to-merge-two-agencies-hits-rough-waters-at-legislative-hearing/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts and key ag leaders were among those who threw cold water this week, at least for now, on an idea from Gov. Jim Pillen to merge two state agencies.

<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59431&amp;docnum=LB317&amp;leg=109" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 317</a>, by State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth and introduced at the request of Gov. Jim Pillen, would fold the&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.nebraska.gov/about" target="_blank">Nebraska Department of Natural Resources</a>&nbsp;into the&nbsp;<a href="https://dee.nebraska.gov/about" target="_blank">Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy</a>. Pillen has said his goal is to enhance the state’s focus on water.

The combined agency would be the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment, effective July 1, if adopted by the Legislature this spring.

Pillen has also set his sights on creating a Water Quality and Quantity Task Force, eyeing 15-18 members likely to be appointed by the governor, which he said would seek proactive solutions and possible policy help to proactively protect the state’s water resources.

Jasper Fanning, general manager of the Upper Republican Natural Resources District, testifying on behalf of the association for the&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.nebraska.gov/water-planning/interactive-maps" target="_blank">state’s 23 NRDs</a>, argued against the merger for now.

Fanning described the Department of Natural Resources as very collaborative and problem-solving, urging a more surgical and refined approach to merger conversations. He said carving out only&nbsp;<a href="https://dee.nebraska.gov/organigram/organization_chart" target="_blank">water-related structures</a>, if that’s the goal, could be a focus.&nbsp;

The task force could help frame those conversations, Fanning said.

“This is probably a terrible analogy, but you don’t arrange for and conduct a shotgun wedding and then make the first step after that wedding looking at what the [pregnancy] test result is,” Fanning said.

He continued: “We need to take a scalpel and a very refined approach as opposed to just kind of a broad, sweeping approach to [the] discussion.”

The merger would replace the director of the Natural Resources Department with a “chief water officer” as a division leader below the new merged agency’s director.&nbsp;

The water position would require legislative approval and, at a minimum, require at least five years’ experience in a position of responsibility in irrigation work. Multiple testifiers said the chief water officer should be required to be a licensed professional engineer, as currently required.&nbsp;

Brandt and others said that requirement would return in a future amendment.

Fanning said Jesse Bradley, interim director of both of the agencies proposed to merge, needs to continue to be focused on the “most important water issue and project governance in the history of the State of Nebraska.”

For the NRD general manager, that is the&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.nebraska.gov/perkins-county-canal" target="_blank">Perkins County Canal</a>, a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/appendix.php?section=1-105" target="_blank">100-year interstate compact</a>&nbsp;that former Gov. Pete Ricketts, now U.S. senator, unearthed and passed on to Pillen.

The canal would capture water in Keith County in western Nebraska from Colorado. Lawmakers have already appropriated funds for such construction, which Colorado officials have criticized as a “canal to nowhere.”

“Some might disagree with that, but I think the Perkins County Canal, and the South Platte [River] Compact, is the most important thing in Nebraska’s water future,” Fanning said.

Fanning said Environment and Energy focuses on federal mandates, pass-through funding and “a lot of check-the-box things, not really asking the question every day, ‘How do we best serve Nebraskans and what can we do to help Nebraska grow?’” He said that would take up necessary staff time.

“Anything that takes Mr. Bradley’s efforts and his staff’s efforts away from focusing on ensuring Nebraska’s water future, which has significant impacts on Lincoln and Omaha’s water supply, it’s a big deal,” Fanning said.

Bradley has been interim director of Natural Resources since August 2024, and he&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/pillen-eyeing-merger-appoints-interim-natural-resources-director-to-lead-environment-and-energy/">assumed the top role at Environment and Energy on Wednesday</a>, as Pillen eyed the merger.

The interim director said the merger would improve focus on long-term issues, such as nitrogen management, water utilization and soil health. He said it would also help streamline the process for planning and permitting.

He said he supports the merger and told the committee he believes staff are excited to work together and break through existing silos. Both agencies are already co-located at the same office building in northwest Lincoln.

Natural Resources has a budget of more than $104 million, largely in cash funds, and has about 112 employees. Environment and Energy has a budget of nearly $99 million, split in half roughly between cash and federal funds, and has 252 employees.

Pillen told the Natural Resources Committee, which Brandt chairs, that water is the “lifeblood” of Nebraska and that future innovations will lead to an “economic boom” in the state.&nbsp;

He noted new hydrogen plants, companies based around biofuels and biobased products, animal processing plants and data centers are looking to locate in the state and will need water.

“Moving forward, we need to double down on our efforts to protect and enhance this valuable resource,” Pillen testified. “Combining DEE and DNR sets the foundation for water quantity and quality under the same leadership.”

Pillen, who is 69 years old, grew up on a farm in Platte County where he raised pigs with his father. In 1993, he started Pillen Family Farms and later added DNA genetics, which has grown into a massive hog operation.

Much of the state has&nbsp;<a href="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/many-nebraskans-still-under-threat-of-high-nitrate-in-drinking-water-report-finds/" target="_blank">high nitrate levels</a>, which has&nbsp;<a href="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/our-dirty-water-nebraska-water-nitrates/" target="_blank">landed criticism at Pillen</a>&nbsp;and his family operation in recent years as he ascended to the governor’s office.

Pillen and lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://dee.nebraska.gov/water/nitrate-drinking-water-study" target="_blank">commissioned a study in 2023</a>&nbsp;to recommend viable solutions for nitrate-affected drinking water. They also allocated $500,000 annually for one-time income tax credits, up to $1,000, for&nbsp;<a href="https://revenue.nebraska.gov/tax-credits/reverse-osmosis-system-tax-credit-act" target="_blank">reverse osmosis systems</a>&nbsp;to help filter out&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/09/16/environmental-group-continues-fight-against-contaminants-nitrates-in-nebraskas-water/">nitrates</a>&nbsp;and other chemicals from drinking water.

The governor testified that it is “no secret” that the state has faced elevated nitrate levels for 60 years, which he said the merger and his task force would help combat.

“This has to stop. It cannot continue,” Pillen said of nitrate contamination. “We need to get aggressive and address these issues.”

He described the merger as “simply good governance” that would lead to cost savings over time.

<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/FN/LB317_20250212-120433.pdf" target="_blank">Fiscal estimates</a>&nbsp;provided by the Natural Resources and Environment and Energy Departments showed no immediate savings but projected $100,000 in rebranding costs in the next fiscal year.

Jacob Leaver, deputy state budget administrator, said the merger wouldn’t impact any current obligations or projects for either agency. He said, if merged, that cost savings might come in the 2027-2029 fiscal years.

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln said she was surprised there were no specific savings identified. Pillen and Leaver said that was intentional.

“To be able to go out and say exactly what that is,” Pillen told the committee of potential savings, “I just don’t think it’s fair to the public servants who are part of those agencies to do that today.”

Timothy McCoy, director of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, also supported the proposal, limiting his comments to a small section in the 446-page bill that would return authority for determining the boundaries of state game refuges to his commission from Environment and Energy. McCoy, like Fanning, said he anticipated coordination with the sister agencies would continue either way.

Much of the bill is limited to correcting references if the agencies are merged, with roughly only 30 of the 393 sections in the bill offering substantive new or modified legal changes.

Many are limited to eliminating “obsolete” provisions that haven’t been used in years, Bradley explained, such as a specific soil survey fund and repealing the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Act. Nebraska&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=71-3522" target="_blank">withdrew from a related waste disposal interstate compact in 1999</a>.

LeRoy Sievers, who serves on the board of directors of the Nebraska State Irrigation Association, which has been around since 1893, argued that based on his experience, mergers don’t save money.

“Prior mergers did not save money and only created additional bureaucratic barriers,” he said. “This proposed merger will do the same.”

Sievers said he is a former assistant attorney general and legal counsel for what was previously the Nebraska Department of Water Resources and became Natural Resources in the 2000s.

He said that having a dedicated agency for water is critical in interstate litigation, which could include the Perkins County Canal, for example. Sievers said large bureaucracies hurt other states in those lawsuits while Nebraska had a leg up.

Al Davis, on behalf of the Nebraska chapter of the Sierra Club, opposed the merger, pointing to the environmental disaster in Mead, Nebraska, which he said was exacerbated by a slow response at Environment and Energy.

Davis, a former state senator from the Sandhills, said that the merger of the state’s energy functions atrophied&nbsp;potential energy innovations&nbsp;at a time when the state could be strengthening and diversifying its energy grid.

Kurt Bogner, vice chair of the Nebraska&nbsp;<a href="https://dee.nebraska.gov/resources-services/laws-regulations/environmental-quality-council/environmental-quality-council-members" target="_blank">Environmental Quality Council</a>, which adopts rules and regulations for Environment and Energy and also vets candidates for the agency director, also opposed the move.

Bogner, testifying in his individual capacity, said the council has received no information or updates on selecting a director since former director Jim Macy resigned in April 2024.

LB 317 would remove the Council’s advisory role to vet candidates for the governor, a responsibility that Bogner suggested should be carried over.

Bruce Rieker, for the Nebraska Farm Bureau, and John Hansen, for the Nebraska Farmers Union, also testified in opposition to the change.

Among Brandt’s committee members, many appeared open to the merger.

State Sen. Barry DeKay of Niobrara, committee vice chair, noted it’s not as if Natural Resources and Environment and Energy are “oil and water,” because both already work together.&nbsp;

State Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus voiced what he described as the “elephant in the room” to Brandt: balancing the use of water for agriculture, cities and industry.

Moser told Fanning that, whatever moves forward, he hopes local NRDs will embrace the changes and make it work well.

“That’s our goal,” Fanning said. “We’re always working to improve collaboration with both agencies, and that’s what we want on a daily basis.”

Brandt said he’s open to taking more time to meet with stakeholders and specify how the merger would work. He said he remains committed to getting his bill over the finish line this year.

“Everybody wants better water issues tomorrow than we have today,” Brandt told his committee. “I think we all share that goal in this room.”

History of the Nebraska Departments of Natural Resources, Environment and Energy

Current:&nbsp;<a href="https://dee.nebraska.gov/about#:~:text=The%20agency%20was%20originally%20created,of%20Environmental%20Quality%20in%201992." target="_blank">Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy</a>

Current:&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.nebraska.gov/about" target="_blank">Nebraska Department of Natural Resources</a>

Nebraska is the only state with separate natural resources districts, which were created in 1972 as multipurpose, locally elected management bodies. There are currently 23 NRDs statewide.

Water management in the state is largely shared by the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Environment and Energy and NRDs, with specific support from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739809669479.jpeg" alt="State Sens. Loren Lippincott, Steve Erdman, Brian Hardin, Teresa Ibach and Robert Dover joined Gov. Jim Pillen, at center right, and Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, at right, for a tour of water resources on April 29, 2023. (Photo courtesy of State Sen. Teresa Ibach)" />
 <figcaption>State Sens. Loren Lippincott, Steve Erdman, Brian Hardin, Teresa Ibach and Robert Dover joined Gov. Jim Pillen, at center right, and Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, at right, for a tour of water resources on April 29, 2023. (Photo courtesy of State Sen. Teresa Ibach)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wending<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/02/14/pillen-plan-to-merge-two-agencies-hits-rough-waters-at-legislative-hearing/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts and key ag leaders were among those who threw cold water this week, at least for now, on an idea from Gov. Jim Pillen to merge two state agencies.<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59431&amp;docnum=LB317&amp;leg=109" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 317</a>, by State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth and introduced at the request of Gov. Jim Pillen, would fold the&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.nebraska.gov/about" target="_blank">Nebraska Department of Natural Resources</a>&nbsp;into the&nbsp;<a href="https://dee.nebraska.gov/about" target="_blank">Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy</a>. Pillen has said his goal is to enhance the state’s focus on water.The combined agency would be the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment, effective July 1, if adopted by the Legislature this spring.Pillen has also set his sights on creating a Water Quality and Quantity Task Force, eyeing 15-18 members likely to be appointed by the governor, which he said would seek proactive solutions and possible policy help to proactively protect the state’s water resources.<h2>‘We need to take a scalpel’</h2>Jasper Fanning, general manager of the Upper Republican Natural Resources District, testifying on behalf of the association for the&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.nebraska.gov/water-planning/interactive-maps" target="_blank">state’s 23 NRDs</a>, argued against the merger for now.Fanning described the Department of Natural Resources as very collaborative and problem-solving, urging a more surgical and refined approach to merger conversations. He said carving out only&nbsp;<a href="https://dee.nebraska.gov/organigram/organization_chart" target="_blank">water-related structures</a>, if that’s the goal, could be a focus.&nbsp;The task force could help frame those conversations, Fanning said.“This is probably a terrible analogy, but you don’t arrange for and conduct a shotgun wedding and then make the first step after that wedding looking at what the [pregnancy] test result is,” Fanning said.He continued: “We need to take a scalpel and a very refined approach as opposed to just kind of a broad, sweeping approach to [the] discussion.”The merger would replace the director of the Natural Resources Department with a “chief water officer” as a division leader below the new merged agency’s director.&nbsp;The water position would require legislative approval and, at a minimum, require at least five years’ experience in a position of responsibility in irrigation work. Multiple testifiers said the chief water officer should be required to be a licensed professional engineer, as currently required.&nbsp;Brandt and others said that requirement would return in a future amendment.<h2>The Perkins County Canal</h2>Fanning said Jesse Bradley, interim director of both of the agencies proposed to merge, needs to continue to be focused on the “most important water issue and project governance in the history of the State of Nebraska.”For the NRD general manager, that is the&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.nebraska.gov/perkins-county-canal" target="_blank">Perkins County Canal</a>, a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/appendix.php?section=1-105" target="_blank">100-year interstate compact</a>&nbsp;that former Gov. Pete Ricketts, now U.S. senator, unearthed and passed on to Pillen.The canal would capture water in Keith County in western Nebraska from Colorado. Lawmakers have already appropriated funds for such construction, which Colorado officials have criticized as a “canal to nowhere.”“Some might disagree with that, but I think the Perkins County Canal, and the South Platte [River] Compact, is the most important thing in Nebraska’s water future,” Fanning said.Fanning said Environment and Energy focuses on federal mandates, pass-through funding and “a lot of check-the-box things, not really asking the question every day, ‘How do we best serve Nebraskans and what can we do to help Nebraska grow?’” He said that would take up necessary staff time.“Anything that takes Mr. Bradley’s efforts and his staff’s efforts away from focusing on ensuring Nebraska’s water future, which has significant impacts on Lincoln and Omaha’s water supply, it’s a big deal,” Fanning said.Bradley has been interim director of Natural Resources since August 2024, and he&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/pillen-eyeing-merger-appoints-interim-natural-resources-director-to-lead-environment-and-energy/">assumed the top role at Environment and Energy on Wednesday</a>, as Pillen eyed the merger.The interim director said the merger would improve focus on long-term issues, such as nitrogen management, water utilization and soil health. He said it would also help streamline the process for planning and permitting.He said he supports the merger and told the committee he believes staff are excited to work together and break through existing silos. Both agencies are already co-located at the same office building in northwest Lincoln.Natural Resources has a budget of more than $104 million, largely in cash funds, and has about 112 employees. Environment and Energy has a budget of nearly $99 million, split in half roughly between cash and federal funds, and has 252 employees.<h2>‘Double down’ on water enhancement</h2>Pillen told the Natural Resources Committee, which Brandt chairs, that water is the “lifeblood” of Nebraska and that future innovations will lead to an “economic boom” in the state.&nbsp;He noted new hydrogen plants, companies based around biofuels and biobased products, animal processing plants and data centers are looking to locate in the state and will need water.“Moving forward, we need to double down on our efforts to protect and enhance this valuable resource,” Pillen testified. “Combining DEE and DNR sets the foundation for water quantity and quality under the same leadership.”Pillen, who is 69 years old, grew up on a farm in Platte County where he raised pigs with his father. In 1993, he started Pillen Family Farms and later added DNA genetics, which has grown into a massive hog operation.Much of the state has&nbsp;<a href="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/many-nebraskans-still-under-threat-of-high-nitrate-in-drinking-water-report-finds/" target="_blank">high nitrate levels</a>, which has&nbsp;<a href="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/our-dirty-water-nebraska-water-nitrates/" target="_blank">landed criticism at Pillen</a>&nbsp;and his family operation in recent years as he ascended to the governor’s office.Pillen and lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://dee.nebraska.gov/water/nitrate-drinking-water-study" target="_blank">commissioned a study in 2023</a>&nbsp;to recommend viable solutions for nitrate-affected drinking water. They also allocated $500,000 annually for one-time income tax credits, up to $1,000, for&nbsp;<a href="https://revenue.nebraska.gov/tax-credits/reverse-osmosis-system-tax-credit-act" target="_blank">reverse osmosis systems</a>&nbsp;to help filter out&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/09/16/environmental-group-continues-fight-against-contaminants-nitrates-in-nebraskas-water/">nitrates</a>&nbsp;and other chemicals from drinking water.The governor testified that it is “no secret” that the state has faced elevated nitrate levels for 60 years, which he said the merger and his task force would help combat.“This has to stop. It cannot continue,” Pillen said of nitrate contamination. “We need to get aggressive and address these issues.”<h2>Uncertain cost savings</h2>He described the merger as “simply good governance” that would lead to cost savings over time.<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/FN/LB317_20250212-120433.pdf" target="_blank">Fiscal estimates</a>&nbsp;provided by the Natural Resources and Environment and Energy Departments showed no immediate savings but projected $100,000 in rebranding costs in the next fiscal year.Jacob Leaver, deputy state budget administrator, said the merger wouldn’t impact any current obligations or projects for either agency. He said, if merged, that cost savings might come in the 2027-2029 fiscal years.State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln said she was surprised there were no specific savings identified. Pillen and Leaver said that was intentional.“To be able to go out and say exactly what that is,” Pillen told the committee of potential savings, “I just don’t think it’s fair to the public servants who are part of those agencies to do that today.”Timothy McCoy, director of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, also supported the proposal, limiting his comments to a small section in the 446-page bill that would return authority for determining the boundaries of state game refuges to his commission from Environment and Energy. McCoy, like Fanning, said he anticipated coordination with the sister agencies would continue either way.Much of the bill is limited to correcting references if the agencies are merged, with roughly only 30 of the 393 sections in the bill offering substantive new or modified legal changes.Many are limited to eliminating “obsolete” provisions that haven’t been used in years, Bradley explained, such as a specific soil survey fund and repealing the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Act. Nebraska&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=71-3522" target="_blank">withdrew from a related waste disposal interstate compact in 1999</a>.<h2>Environmental leaders voice concerns</h2>LeRoy Sievers, who serves on the board of directors of the Nebraska State Irrigation Association, which has been around since 1893, argued that based on his experience, mergers don’t save money.“Prior mergers did not save money and only created additional bureaucratic barriers,” he said. “This proposed merger will do the same.”Sievers said he is a former assistant attorney general and legal counsel for what was previously the Nebraska Department of Water Resources and became Natural Resources in the 2000s.He said that having a dedicated agency for water is critical in interstate litigation, which could include the Perkins County Canal, for example. Sievers said large bureaucracies hurt other states in those lawsuits while Nebraska had a leg up.Al Davis, on behalf of the Nebraska chapter of the Sierra Club, opposed the merger, pointing to the environmental disaster in Mead, Nebraska, which he said was exacerbated by a slow response at Environment and Energy.Davis, a former state senator from the Sandhills, said that the merger of the state’s energy functions atrophied&nbsp;potential energy innovations&nbsp;at a time when the state could be strengthening and diversifying its energy grid.Kurt Bogner, vice chair of the Nebraska&nbsp;<a href="https://dee.nebraska.gov/resources-services/laws-regulations/environmental-quality-council/environmental-quality-council-members" target="_blank">Environmental Quality Council</a>, which adopts rules and regulations for Environment and Energy and also vets candidates for the agency director, also opposed the move.Bogner, testifying in his individual capacity, said the council has received no information or updates on selecting a director since former director Jim Macy resigned in April 2024.LB 317 would remove the Council’s advisory role to vet candidates for the governor, a responsibility that Bogner suggested should be carried over.Bruce Rieker, for the Nebraska Farm Bureau, and John Hansen, for the Nebraska Farmers Union, also testified in opposition to the change.<h2>Merger wouldn’t be ‘oil and water’</h2>Among Brandt’s committee members, many appeared open to the merger.State Sen. Barry DeKay of Niobrara, committee vice chair, noted it’s not as if Natural Resources and Environment and Energy are “oil and water,” because both already work together.&nbsp;State Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus voiced what he described as the “elephant in the room” to Brandt: balancing the use of water for agriculture, cities and industry.Moser told Fanning that, whatever moves forward, he hopes local NRDs will embrace the changes and make it work well.“That’s our goal,” Fanning said. “We’re always working to improve collaboration with both agencies, and that’s what we want on a daily basis.”Brandt said he’s open to taking more time to meet with stakeholders and specify how the merger would work. He said he remains committed to getting his bill over the finish line this year.“Everybody wants better water issues tomorrow than we have today,” Brandt told his committee. “I think we all share that goal in this room.”<h2>History of the Nebraska Departments of Natural Resources, Environment and Energy</h2>Current:&nbsp;<a href="https://dee.nebraska.gov/about#:~:text=The%20agency%20was%20originally%20created,of%20Environmental%20Quality%20in%201992." target="_blank">Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy</a><ul>
 <li>The Nebraska Department of Environmental Control is established (1971).</li><li>The department is renamed the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (1992).</li><li>Nebraska Energy Office is folded into the Environmental Quality Department, becoming DEE (2019).</li><li>State-delegated environmental health programs from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, housed in the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, are moved over to DEE (2021).</li>
 </ul>Current:&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.nebraska.gov/about" target="_blank">Nebraska Department of Natural Resources</a><ul>
 <li>The&nbsp;<a href="https://dot.nebraska.gov/about/history/#:~:text=In%201933%2C%20the%20Legislature%20passed,Department%20of%20Roads%20and%20Irrigation.&amp;text=In%201957%2C%20the%20Legislature%20divided,become%20a%20division%20within%20NDOT." target="_blank">State Board of Irrigation</a>&nbsp;is established (1895).</li><li>The board is renamed the State Board of Irrigation, Highways and Drainage (1911).</li><li>The name changes again to the Department of Public Works, expanded to include the Bureau of Roads and Bridges; Bureau of Irrigation, Water Power and Drainage; and the Motor Vehicle Records Division (1919).</li><li>The department is renamed the Nebraska Department of Roads and Irrigation (1933).</li><li>The&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.nebraska.gov/water-planning/history-water-management-nebraska" target="_blank">Nebraska Department of Water Resources</a>&nbsp;is established as the prior department is divided into three separate state agencies, alongside the Department of Roads and the Department of Motor Vehicles (1957).</li><li>The Natural Resources Commission merges with the Nebraska Department of Water Resources to become the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (2000).</li>
 </ul>Nebraska is the only state with separate natural resources districts, which were created in 1972 as multipurpose, locally elected management bodies. There are currently 23 NRDs statewide.Water management in the state is largely shared by the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Environment and Energy and NRDs, with specific support from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Pillen Plan to Merge Two Agencies Hits Rough Waters at Legislative Hearing

Nebraska Broadcasters Association&nbsp;

The Nebraska Broadcasters Association will induct Dennis &amp; Kathi Brown, Dale Johnson, Mike McKnight and Dave Wingert into the NBA Hall of Fame on August 12h in La Vista during the NBA Annual Convention. Established in 1972, the NBA Hall of Fame will grow to 123 members with these pending inductees.

Our first husband &amp; wife owner/operator inductees, Dennis and Kathi Brown met while working at a Colorado radio station. Sharing a passion for radio and a dream of ownership, their 1991 purchase of KCSR AM in Chadron, Nebraska saved the station from going under. Strongly focused on community service, Dennis and Kathi grew KCSR through a dedicated team of local employees that paved the way for them to buy KBPY FM in 2011. Beyond their strong commitment to local news, weather, high school sports and more, Kathi has helped countless businesses grow through advertising solutions. Dennis has been a tireless advocate for radio broadcasting on Capitol Hill and is a three-time Chairman of the NBA Board of Directors. Dennis and Kathi remain actively involved in station operations every day, taking great pride in serving the Chadron area.

In a Nebraska radio career now spanning 51 years, Dale Johnson is a highly respected source of radio news in Lincoln. After his early years as an announcer in Holdrege, Kearney, Omaha and Grand Island, Dale spent 38 years as news director for Lincoln’s KFOR before joining Nebraska Public Media in 2023 where he currently serves as morning host and news reporter. Dale’s unique ability to build trust with interviewees has allowed him access to Nebraska’s biggest newsmakers, earning numerous industry awards from AP, RTDNA, the NBA and UPI. In 2005, Dale was the only Nebraska media member to accompany Governor Dave Heineman on a trade mission to Cuba. Dale enjoys giving back as a frequent guest speaker on writing and conducting interviews at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL) College of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Nebraska Broadcasters Association&nbsp;The Nebraska Broadcasters Association will induct Dennis &amp; Kathi Brown, Dale Johnson, Mike McKnight and Dave Wingert into the NBA Hall of Fame on August 12h in La Vista during the NBA Annual Convention. Established in 1972, the NBA Hall of Fame will grow to 123 members with these pending inductees.Our first husband &amp; wife owner/operator inductees, Dennis and Kathi Brown met while working at a Colorado radio station. Sharing a passion for radio and a dream of ownership, their 1991 purchase of KCSR AM in Chadron, Nebraska saved the station from going under. Strongly focused on community service, Dennis and Kathi grew KCSR through a dedicated team of local employees that paved the way for them to buy KBPY FM in 2011. Beyond their strong commitment to local news, weather, high school sports and more, Kathi has helped countless businesses grow through advertising solutions. Dennis has been a tireless advocate for radio broadcasting on Capitol Hill and is a three-time Chairman of the NBA Board of Directors. Dennis and Kathi remain actively involved in station operations every day, taking great pride in serving the Chadron area.In a Nebraska radio career now spanning 51 years, Dale Johnson is a highly respected source of radio news in Lincoln. After his early years as an announcer in Holdrege, Kearney, Omaha and Grand Island, Dale spent 38 years as news director for Lincoln’s KFOR before joining Nebraska Public Media in 2023 where he currently serves as morning host and news reporter. Dale’s unique ability to build trust with interviewees has allowed him access to Nebraska’s biggest newsmakers, earning numerous industry awards from AP, RTDNA, the NBA and UPI. In 2005, Dale was the only Nebraska media member to accompany Governor Dave Heineman on a trade mission to Cuba. Dale enjoys giving back as a frequent guest speaker on writing and conducting interviews at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL) College of Journalism and Mass Communications.When Mike McKnight joined Omaha’s WOWT TV in 1977, he never dreamed that 49 years later he’d still be holding people accountable as a one-man watchdog through his tireless investigative reporting. An advocate for the truth – despite threats often made against him – Mike has taken on big business, government agencies, sketchy contractors and others with a knack for gathering evidence and righting wrongs with professionalism and integrity. One of Nebraska’s most respected reporters, McKnight has earned regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and an Eric Sevareid Award along with numerous awards from AP, the NBA, Omaha Press Club and others. Mike was on the ground floor of establishing courtroom camera access in Nebraska, and to this day, enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists at UNL through tips and feedback on their weekly live newscasts.With an on-air resume covering 60 years and still counting, Dave Wingert has touched numerous radio audiences with his energy, wit and infectious personality. While his career includes stops in Kansas City, Seattle and ten years in national syndication as “Dave ‘Til Dawn,” Wingert made Omaha radio his home through his presence on KQKQ, KGOR and KLTQ before becoming the morning show host in 2016 on “Boomer Radio” – KOBM FM – where he continues entertaining his loyal “Wingy” fans to this day. Beyond his on-air effervescence, Dave is known for giving his time and talents to support the community through fundraising efforts for the Durham Museum, Omaha Community Playhouse and The Salvation Army to name a few. Through vast changes in technology, formats and ownership, Wingert’s legendary career shines on.