LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska bars could remain open 24 hours a day under a new bill in the Legislature.

Sen. Tyson Larson of O’Neill submitted a measure Thursday that would strike the mandatory closing times from state law.

Nebraska imposes a 1 a.m. closing time for bars, but gives local governments the option to extend theirs to 2 a.m. with a supermajority vote of a city council, village board or county board. Omaha and Lincoln have allowed bars to close at 2 a.m. since 2010.

The bill would also apply to public commons areas designated as entertainment districts, such as Lincoln’s West Haymarket, and to retail alcohol sales.

All of Nebraska’s border states let bars stay open until 2 a.m.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A state fund created to reduce local property taxes would get a $50 million boost under a new bill in the Nebraska Legislature.

Sen. Al Davis of Hyannis submitted legislation Thursday that would add $25 million annually to the fund this year and in 2016.

The fund uses state money to reduce what all Nebraska property owners pay in local property taxes. Last year, lawmakers increased the fund to $140 million. With that additional money, a home or property valued at $100,000 gets a tax credit of $74.11.

Lawmakers and Gov. Pete Ricketts have said cutting property taxes is a top priority for this year’s session.

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — A monsignor from Omaha has been chosen to lead Roman Catholics in the Grand Island Diocese.

The appointment of Monsignor Joseph Hanefeldt was announced Wednesday. He will replace Bishop William Dendinger, who submitted his resignation on his 75th birthday, as is required of all bishops. Dendinger has held the post since 2004.

The 56-year-old Hanefeldt was born in Creighton and grew up on an 800-acre farm near Center. Hanefeldt has been the pastor of Omaha’s Christ the King Parish since 2012.

Hanefeldt will be installed as bishop on March 19 at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The diocese covers more than 42,000 square miles in central and western Nebraska.

NEW YORK (AP) — As predicted, this year’s flu vaccine is doing a pretty crummy job. Health officials say a new study shows it’s only 23 percent effective.

That’s one of the worst performances since the government started tracking how well vaccines work a decade ago. The best flu vaccines were 50 to 60 percent effective.

But this year, the vaccine doesn’t include the specific virus that is making most people sick. Early in the season, officials warned the vaccine probably would not work very well.

The study results were released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They studied about 2,300 people in five states who were sick.