LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers have declined to override Gov. Pete Ricketts’ veto of a bill that would have required gender-neutral language on marriage applications, licenses and certificates.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, of Omaha, filed a motion to override the veto Friday but withdrew it later after expressing disappointment over how her measure was handled. Cavanaugh says she was never told about the governor’s concerns.

Cavanaugh’s bill would have required marriage forms to use the words “Applicant 1” and “Applicant 2” for the two people getting married.

Nebraska’s current marriage application form uses “Groom/Party A” and “Bride/Party B.” Marriage license and certificate forms use “Groom” and “Bride.”

Ricketts says he directed the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to change all documents to read, “Groom/Party A” and “Bride/Party B.”

By DAVID CRARY AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Quantifying its vast sex-abuse crisis, the U.S. Roman Catholic Church said Friday that allegations of child sex abuse by clerics more than doubled in its latest 12-month reporting period, and that its spending on victim compensation and child protection surged above $300 million.

During the period from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018, 1,385 adults came forward with 1,455 allegations of abuse, according to the annual report of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection. That was up from 693 allegations in the previous year. The report attributed much of the increase to a victim compensation program implemented in five dioceses in New York state.

According to the report, Catholic dioceses and religious orders spent $301.6 million during the reporting period on payments to victims, legal fees and child-protection efforts. That was up 14% from the previous year and double the amount spent in the 2014 fiscal year.

The number of allegations is likely to rise further during the current fiscal year, given that Catholic dioceses in New Jersey and Pennsylvania have started large compensation programs in the wake of a scathing Pennsylvania grand jury report released in August. The grand jury identified more than 300 priests in six of the state’s dioceses who have been credibly accused of child sexual abuse committed over many decades.

Since then, attorneys general in numerous states have set up abuse hotlines and launched investigations, and a growing number of dioceses and Catholic religious orders have released names of priests accused of abuse.

“Victims are coming forward now because of real progress by secular authorities,” said the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. “Lawmakers are increasingly getting rid of archaic, predator-friendly laws and 16 attorneys general have launched investigations, so many victims are feeling hopeful.”

The advocacy group urged officials in every diocese to turn over sex abuse records to their state attorney general for investigation. The group also said church staff should be instructed to report suspected abuse to secular law enforcement before filing a report internally.

According to a survey included in the new annual report, more than 90% of the alleged abusers were already dead or removed from the ministry. Most of the reported abuse occurred between 1960 and 1990, with a peak in the 1970s.

Compilation of the annual report entails an audit of Catholic dioceses across the U.S. to assess their compliance with a 2002 charter outlining the church’s child-protection policies. Only one diocese, based in Lincoln, Nebraska, was found noncompliant due to lack of transparency in public communications about child sex abuse cases.

Members of the audit team made on-site visits to more than one-third of the 196 U.S. dioceses and found shortcomings in 14% of them that will warrant follow-up visits. Among the problems detected were poor record-keeping of background-check data, and allowing some clergy, staff and volunteers to have contact with children without undergoing training or background checks.

The findings were evidence of “complacency and lack of diligence on the part of some dioceses,” said a letter included in the report from Francesco Cesareo, who chairs a review board created by the bishops in 2002 to monitor sex abuse prevention efforts.

Referring to the Pennsylvania grand jury report, and the abuse allegations that led to the defrocking of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick , Cesareo said the events “have led to both frustration and anger among the faithful in the Church, a loss of the credibility of the hierarchy, and a questioning of the efficacy of the audit itself.”

The introductory section of the annual report said the McCarrick scandal and the grand jury report helped turn complacency into urgency, and it commended some of the steps taken in response.

“While it is unfortunate that it took such grave sins and crimes to spur action, as Catholics, we are grateful that God can bring good out of such evils,” the report said. “However, there remains work to be done.”

Specifically, the report urged new steps to address the accountability of bishops engaged in abuse or cover-ups, as well as increased involvement of lay experts in investigating abuse allegations.

Those issues are expected to be discussed at the bishops’ upcoming national meeting in Baltimore starting June 11.

By GRANT SCHULTE Associated Press

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers ended their 2019 session ahead of schedule Friday with more than 250 laws passed, a new state budget and a few major issues that remain unresolved.

Senators adjourned for the year after an often-bruising, 84-day session marked by heated arguments over property taxes, state spending and polarizing social issues such as gay rights and abortion.

At the same time, lawmakers found enough agreement to legalize industrial hemp, protect elderly homeowners, crack down on scam calls and update standards for civics lessons in classrooms. They also funded a request for new election equipment and created criminal penalties for people caught smuggling cellphones into a state prison.

Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer praised lawmakers for their accomplishments but said the session “certainly was not all blue skies” and urged his colleagues to build relationships. The session was marked by several high-profile meltdowns, with numerous senators yelling on the legislative floor and others bringing debate to a standstill for hours because they felt betrayed and disrespected. At least one senator described the session as exhausting.

“What’s not healthy and should not take place (in the Legislature) is personal attacks and vilification,” Scheer said. “That is what creates distrust.”

Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks, a progressive Lincoln lawmaker who often works with conservatives on issues such as human trafficking and Native American advocacy, said the Legislature could have been more productive.

“There are all sorts of things we don’t agree with each other on, but can’t we find the common good for Nebraska?” she said.

Gov. Pete Ricketts thanked lawmakers for their work this year and highlighted several new laws in his end-of-session speech.

He pointed to the state’s new $9.3 billion budget, which includes a 23% increase in Nebraska’s property tax credit fund, for a total of $275 million annually to reduce property taxes. Ricketts billed it as an important step toward lowering taxes, although some rural senators have grumbled that it isn’t nearly enough to offset soaring tax bills for farmland.

Ricketts acknowledged that more was needed but said this year’s work shouldn’t be minimized.

“We have continued to make good progress,” he said.

Lawmakers also rejected an effort to update Nebraska’s largest business tax incentive program, a major priority because the program is set to expire next year. If the current program dies with no replacement, Nebraska’s chambers of commerce contend the state will face a huge disadvantage in attracting companies.

Members of the tax-focused Revenue Committee will resume their work on property tax and business incentive packages in early June, said Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, the committee’s chairwoman. Linehan said she and other lawmakers need time to clear their heads and start fresh on a plan that can win enough support next year.

Linehan said she was disappointed at this year’s failure to pass a major tax package, but expressed hope that a compromise will come early in next year’s session that begins in January 2020.

“I think we were very close to the solution,” she said.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Trump administration is following through on a plan to allow year-round sales of gasoline mixed with 15% ethanol.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced the change Friday, ending a summertime ban imposed out of concerns for increased smog from the higher ethanol blend. The agency had proposed the change in March.

The change also fulfills a pledge that President Donald Trump made to U.S. corn farmers, who see ethanol as an important driver of demand for their crops. Oil refineries have been seeking exemptions from government requirements to include ethanol in their fuel mixes.

Environmental groups contend the U.S. Clean Air Act prohibits year-round sales of E15, and court challenges are expected.

HOLDREGE, Neb. (AP) – A judge has ordered a second mental competency evaluation for a Holdrege man accused of a shooting that killed two men and seriously injured a third.

The Kearney Hub reports the order came this week at the request of prosecutors, who cited “ambiguities and inconsistencies” in Manuel Gomez’s first evaluation. Prosecutors did not elaborate on what those issues were.

The 46-year-old Gomez is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of assault and several other counts.

Officials say Gomez shot and killed 65-year-old Raymond Burton and 54-year-old David Rogers in February. Their bodies were found in separate units at the Sunrise View Apartments in Holdrege. He’s also suspected of shooting and wounding his attorney at the time, 64-year-old Doyle Morse.

The public will get its first look at the 2019 North Platte Community College Foundation Auction House next week.

An open house is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. June 6. Additional open houses are planned for 5-7 p.m. June 18, June 20, June 25 and June 26.

The public can also schedule tours by calling Bonnie Kruse at (308) 535-3682 or Jo Ann Lundgreen at 535-3796.

Students in the college’s Building Construction, Electrical and Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC-R) Technology programs constructed the house from the ground up as part of their training.

The project gave them hands-on, real-world experience and an appreciation for quality craftsmanship they can take with them into the workforce.

The house will be sold via silent auction and proceeds will go back to building trade students in the form of scholarships.

About the house

 The 2019 auction house is a 1,886-square-foot, three bedroom, two and a half bath home. The foyer, living room, dining room and kitchen boast an open concept layout.

Other features include:

• Hardwood ¾-inch flooring throughout the kitchen, living and dining rooms and hallway
• Carpeted bedrooms
• Arched panel mocha stained interior doors
• Stained oak base and trim
• Cathedral ceilings in the living and dining rooms
• Pella entrance and side light with Artesian pattern decorative glass
• Arch windows above a front triple casement window and rear French door
• Raised-panel midnight stained maple cabinets
• Pella Designer Series windows with exceptional energy efficiency
• LP SmartSide siding resistant to rot, termites and mold with a 30-year finish warranty
• Versetta stone accent on the front of the home
• Rolex aluminum soffit and fascia

The entire house was built with convenience in mind. There are two pantries, granite countertops and a large island with a snack area in the kitchen. The home also comes with an outside-vented hood and dishwasher.

The master bedroom features a large walk-in closet, and the master bath has a spacious shower with a full ceramic tile enclosure. There is a mudroom with laundry space and a powder room next to an optional garage.

Energy saving LED lighting is installed throughout the home, which is also wired for cable and telephone. The ceiling insulation is R46 throughout the house with the exception of the vaulted area, which is R38. R21 insulation lines the 6-inch sidewalls. The shingles come with a 30-year warranty.

Those interested in more information about the construction of the house can contact Roger Fattig, building construction instructor, at 535-3646, or[email protected].

The bid process

Bidding will begin at 5 p.m. June 6 and continue until 2 p.m. June 27. Forms can be picked up at the South Campus Welcome Center, 601 W. State Farm Rd. They are also available online at: mpcc.edu/community/house-auction.

The minimum bid for the house is $145,000. The highest bid will be posted online throughout the duration of the auction.

More information about the bidding process is available through Oksana Empfield, (308) 535-3672 or [email protected].

The buyer must move the house by Sept. 16. Further details regarding the house, the auction and other processes can be found on the college’s website at:mpcc.edu/community/house-auction.

In connection with the severe weather and flooding in early March of this year, United States Attorney Joe Kelly urges individuals not to let disaster strike twice and to report storm related fraud 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or at[email protected].

The Department of Justice manages and tracks complaints of fraudulent activity, including sham charities and people posing as government officials or contractors who prey on storm survivors, looking to steal identities or storm benefits.

When a storm survivor makes a complaint, NCDF investigators review the complaint and, as appropriate, refer the complaint to the proper federal, state, or local agency in the relevant jurisdiction.  Since the NCDF’s creation in 2005, it has received more than 95,000 complaints.

The NCDF is the result of a partnership between the U.S. Department of Justice and various law enforcement and regulatory agencies to form a national coordinating agency within the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice to improve and further the detection, prevention, investigation and prosecution of fraud related to natural and man-made disasters and to advocate for the survivors of such fraud.

Additionally, federal disaster aid was approved for affected individuals, families, and other eligible applicants in approximately 27 designated counties and one tribe.  The deadline for eligible homeowners, renters, and business owners to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance has been extended to June 19, 2019, and the deadline for Public Assistance is June 20, 2019.  Those who sustained losses in the designated counties can apply for assistance by registering online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).  For TTY users, call 800-462-7585 or use 711 or Video Relay Service to call 800-621-3363.