Flatwater managing editor Ryan Hoffman here. If I told you there was no record of the state’s chief executive conducting state business on his cellphone … would you believe it? That is what Gov. Jim Pillen’s office told Flatwater reporter Andrew Wegley, roughly four months after Wegley filed a request for two years worth of the governor’s phone records. The records do not exist, the governor’s attorney said.
This raised some questions. Does the governor use a cellphone? Does he have a cellphone?
Wegley got one answer: Gov. Pillen does not have a state-issued cellphone — a departure from his predecessors going back at least 20 years.
That, of course, sparked more questions. Is the governor arguing that calls on his personal cell phone aren’t public record? Is the log of calls found on every smartphone — and maintained by every phone company — not a record?
Spokeswoman Laura Strimple responded, writing Pillen’s office “is transparent, follows the law, and has diligently responded to the countless public records requests we receive, including several from your outlet.”
“If you choose to publish this non-story, your outlet will have demonstrated once again that it is more interested in political hits and sensationalism than news that matters to hardworking Nebraskans,” Strimple wrote.
I’ll note that Wegley didn’t set out to write a story about the governor’s phone. His request followed reporting by the Nebraska Examiner about a no-bid emergency contract awarded to a company belonging to a lobbyist who joined the governor on trips overseas.
You can read Wegley’s story and make your own call.
Club of one: More and more births in the U.S. are taking place at home, often with help from certified nurse midwives … except in Nebraska. Thanks to a four-decade-old law, the state is the only one in the country that prohibits nurse midwives — registered nurses with advanced training — from helping with home births. For mothers who don’t want to give birth in a hospital, that leaves few options, all of which are far more dangerous, advocates told Flatwater fellow Kaitlyn Kelly. There’s momentum to change the law but still some disagreements over who is qualified to assist with home births.
Homeownership help: We’re writing about the rising costs of homeownership and the barriers keeping Nebraskans from affording a home — and we need your help. Are you a renter who can’t imagine affording a home? Or a first-time owner who went to great lengths to save up for your home? We want to talk to you. We’re specifically hoping to connect with renters and first-time owners outside of the Omaha metro. Fill out our survey to share your story, or email editor Natalia Alamdari at [email protected].
Point of pride: Tyler Free-LaMere comes from a trailblazing family (recognize the name?). But Free-LaMere, a talented musician and composer, recently notched her own achievement: She is a National Endowment for the Arts composer — the first for Winnebago Nation. As one tribal official told correspondent Tim Trudell, the achievement amounts to a coup for the family and the entire tribe.
Free-LaMere’s published piece about acceptance and Indigenous pride will now be used in classrooms across the country. A coup indeed.
Questions wanted: Some of our best story ideas come from readers, and they typically start with a burning question that just cries out for an answer. Have a question that our reporters need to look into? Reach our newsroom at [email protected].
Thanks for reading,
Ryan Hoffman, Managing Editor
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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:
- Authorities allege a Nebraska man was the mastermind behind a plot to kill President Donald Trump and others during Sunday’s UFC fight at the White House. The World-Herald’s Grace Lewis dug into the man’s past. Federal officials say he is in the country illegally, WOWT’s Gina Dvorak reported Thursday. (Subscription needed to read The World-Herald story.)
- University of Nebraska Regents approved tuition increases for the state’s public university system. Reporting here by the Journal Star’s Chris Dunker and the Nebraska Examiner’s Zach Wendling. (Subscription needed to read the Journal Star story.)
- Five months after the closure of the Tyson plant in Lexington, former workers are still struggling to find work. Some are commuting long distances, others are trying to gain new skills, reports Jackie Ruiz-Rodriguez at KSNB in Hastings.
- A new interest group analysis finds the U.S. could lose millions of acres of corn if additional uses, including increased ethanol blends in fuel, don’t materialize, reports DTN’s Jake Zajkowski.
- An immigration court judge in Omaha seemed stunned upon learning the lengths a man made to make his court appearance. He drove from Sacramento … California. Stellar reporting by journalists with Nebraska News Service at UNL, republished here by Nebraska Public Media.
- A proposed ban on THC-infused food and drinks in Nebraska drew strong opposition at a hearing Thursday, reports Anthony D’Agostino with 10/11 News. The state’s proposal goes beyond what federal law allows.
- Attorney General Mike Hilgers is suing the City of Lincoln over officials’ decision to circumvent changes to the state’s minimum wage approved by lawmakers earlier this year, according to reporting in the Journal Star by The World-Herald’s Josh Reyes. It’s a likely warning to the City of Omaha, which is considering similar changes.
- A bar that’s served as a gathering space for Lincoln’s LGBTQ community is closing after its owners accepted a sale offer. But as Nebraska Public Media’s Theodore Ball reports, one of the owners isn’t ready to give it up.
- And finally, a fun bit of history from the Nebraska Examiner’s Paul Hammel. A collection of outdoor sculptures that sparked controversy 50 years ago are about to feature in Nebraska’s celebration of the nation’s 250th.
