The year was 1988, back when I still bestrode my trusty Big Wheel and made mud pies with good ol’ neighbor pal Jeffrey. Michael Dukakis was politically peaking. And it was the last time Nebraska voters decided to give their lawmakers a raise.
State senators have made the same amount — $12,000 a year, or $1,000 a month — ever since. And as you can imagine, a dollar doesn’t go as far as it used to. New FFP reporter Sara Gentzler took a deep dive into the issue, finding that we have more retirees, more lawyers, and more farmers as a result. One lawmaker took a job at Target to balance out her legislative responsibilities. One has a day job as a lobbyist, and tries to beg off issues that intersect with how she pays the bills. Others pause careers or change them entirely to accommodate the crushing legislative calendar.
Sara talked to more than a dozen lawmakers, some serious academics, and pored over each and every financial disclosure form filed by our legislature. It’s a story about how policy impacts politics, the kind of above-the-fray, well-researched journalism I love. Welcome aboard, Sara. You fit in just fine.
The high cost of high nitrate: Speaking of money, small towns across Nebraska are spending an awful lot of it to overcome nitrate that infuses the water they drink. The latest installment of Our Dirty Water found villages spending hundreds of dollars — per person — to continue offering legally drinkable water. Some have given out bottled water, or gotten into the home filtration business. In Prosser, base rates doubled to pay for the new equipment. Folks who created these solutions fear they won’t last much longer as nitrate levels continue to rise. Another oh-so important story, well told.
New sponsor, Sandhills Elixir! It’s the holiday season, which means I am on an impressive streak of delicious, boozy cocktails. It also means it’s almost Dry January, that annual experiment in temperance (and one we covered last year). Our newest sponsor, Sandhills Elixir, specializes in alcohol alternatives that spice up a teetotalers cupboard. I’m a fan of the sage offering; Mrs. Wynn prefers ginger lemon. And we both appreciate Sandhills Elixir’s support for great Nebraska storytelling.
We got merchhhhhh: A few months back, we added tote bags to our picklist of cool swag for sale via Raygun. Now you can wear your FFP T-shirt while sipping from an FFP mug and carrying a backup of each in your FFP-branded tote. A Christmas miracle!
Next week: We’re rounding out the year with another great interview by the legendary Mike’l Severe — a follow-up on the skatepark project in Walthill — as well as a piece involving the entire FFP staff teaming up on an important bit of reporting. You’ll also get back to your regular weekly host, who is busy doing that reporting as I type. Exciting!
Sincerely,
—Matt Wynn, Executive Director
Here’s what we’re into this week: News from around Nebraska
Every week we like to share great Nebraska journalism, no matter who made it. Here’s what caught our eye this week:
- Feels like I’ve been reading more about book bans lately than ever before. Add two more to the list. The Kearney Hub reports on citizens who asked their school district to ban two books… books that they themselves hadn’t even read. In each case, the board unanimously voted to leave the books on library shelves.
- I’m a new fan of former Fremont city councilwoman Susan Jacobus. I know but one Jacobus fact: This week she called the council out on failing to live up to Nebraska’s Open Meetings Act. She accused the council of having meetings in secret, failing to post minutes and more, the Fremont Tribune reports. A (former) politician after my own heart.
- Last but far from least, here’s a story on the thorny issues associated with so-called “Black Americana,” those overtly racist doodads from days gone by that still crop up in antique stories across the state. Nebraska Public Media’s William Padmore talked to a number of collectors and sellers who still encounter the stuff. Some refuse to sell it. Others are making plans to bequeath their collections so they can live on.
