LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Republicans have cleared a major hurdle in their efforts to reinstate in the winner-take-all system in presidential elections, a move that would wipe out any chance of the state splitting its electoral votes as it did for Democrat Barack Obama in 2008.

Lawmakers voted 32-15 on Monday to advance a bill that would end Nebraska’s practice of awarding its votes by congressional district.

Nebraska and Maine are the only states where it’s possible to split electoral votes between opposing presidential candidates. Two of Nebraska’s electoral votes are awarded to the statewide winner. The remaining three are distributed by congressional district.

One final vote is required before the bill goes to Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts.

.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A push to create “Choose Life” specialty license plates is dead in the Nebraska Legislature.

Senators abandoned the bill Monday at the sponsor’s request.

Sen. Tommy Garrett of Bellevue says the measure faced sharp opposition from lawmakers who support abortion rights, and he is choosing to focus on other bills in the legislative session’s final days, such as his priority measure to legalize medical marijuana.

The bill would have authorized the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles to create “Choose Life” plates that cost $5 more than standard plates. The additional revenue would go toward funding prenatal care facilities.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska senators say the federal process law enforcement agencies use to seize property from people suspected of crimes is robbing schools of valuable funding.

Lawmakers voted 36-0 Monday to advance a bill by Sen. Tommy Garrett of Bellevue to reform Nebraska’s civil forfeiture laws.

Current law allows schools to collect half of the forfeited money, while state law enforcement gets the other half. But if assets are seized through the federal forfeiture process, the local police agency gets back up to 80 percent of the money seized.

Garrett says law enforcement chooses the federal process because it’s easier and has a better payout.

Garrett’s measure would prohibit law enforcement from using the federal process unless the money seized is more than $50,000.

A North Platte man has been charged with multiple felonies after an alleged disturbance involving his ex-girlfriend, on Friday night.

At around 10:56 p.m., officers with the North Platte Police Department responded to the report of a prior disturbance at a residence in the 2800 block of Pawnee Avenue.

Officers met with a female, who alleged that her ex-boyfriend, 39-year-old Terry Yonker, came to her house and knocked on the door.

The victim claimed that she thought it was her friend knocking, so she opened the door.  As she did, she alleges that Yonker forced his way into her house, pinned her arms behind her back and held a pocket knife to her throat.

According to Investigator John Deal, the victim was able to somewhat reason with Yonker and convince him to let her go and leave the residence.

Police located Yonker inside a parked car in the 4oo block of South Tabor Street and placed him under arrest without incident.

Deal said officers recovered a pocket knife matching the description given by the victim.

Yonker was charged with felony burglary (for forcing his way into the home), felony terroristic threats, use of a weapon to commit a felony and domestic assault.

He was transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center and jailed.

The victim did not sustain any injuries, according to Deal.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska is one step closer to overhauling the process it uses to draw legislative and congressional districts in an effort to reduce direct political influence.

Lawmakers voted 30-5 on Monday to advance a bill that would create an independent redistricting commission to draw the maps, which lawmakers and the governor would have to approve.

Nebraska’s current process requires a legislative committee to propose new boundaries once every decade, after the census. Once the maps are drawn, they’re sent to lawmakers and eventually the governor for approval.

The system was criticized as overly partisan during the last redistricting in 2011.

Republican Sen. John Murante of Gretna and Democratic Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha worked on the proposal to try to increase public trust in the process.