LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gun rights advocates say requiring Nebraska residents to obtain concealed-carry permits violates their constitutional rights, but gun control supporters argue carrying without a permit could lead to more shootings.

Both groups spoke Thursday to a Nebraska legislative committee about a bill that would allow non-felons to carry concealed weapons without a permit. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, says gun rights are the only constitutional rights citizens must pay to use.

Supporters compared the permits to poll taxes. Obtaining a permit costs $100 and requires a training course.

Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha says gun owners should challenge laws they find unconstitutional in court. Federal courts have said states can restrict concealed carry without violating the Second Amendment.

Lincoln – The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services received a report of a confirmed measles case in eastern Nebraska. The person spent time in both Douglas and Sarpy counties.  Measles is a highly contagious disease spread through the air by breathing, coughing or sneezing and it’s possible that other people who were in the same locations may have been exposed.

Locations include:

Eppley Airfield, Omaha    
March 12, 2017

Delta flight 798 from Minneapolis to Omaha  
8:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

South Terminal      
10:30 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

South Baggage Claim     
10:30 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

Hampton Inn, 12331 Southport Pkwy, La Vista 
March 12, 2017 – March 17, 2017

Urgent Care of Papillion, S 73rd Plaza   
March 15, 2017 – 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

CHI Urgent Care, S 96th St, La Vista   
March 15, 2017 – 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Bergan Mercy Hospital Emergency Room, Omaha 
March 15, 2017 – 8:30 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.

“If people visited one of these locations and come down with a fever and a rash, they should see a health care provider,” said Dr. Tom Safranek, State Epidemiologist for DHHS. “Those most at risk of being infected with the measles are people who have had no doses or only one dose of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine or who have not had the measles.”

DHHS continues to work with the Douglas County Health Department, the Sarpy/Cass Health Department and health care providers to reach Nebraskans at risk for exposure and make sure they receive testing and/or vaccination if appropriate.

“Public health agencies in Nebraska have worked together quickly to address this situation and minimize the risk of further transmission,” said Dr. Adi Pour, Director of the Douglas County Health Department.

Symptoms of measles generally begin within 7-14 days after exposure.  It starts with a fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes and sore throat and is followed by a rash that spreads all over the body. It can also cause severe complications like pneumonia and encephalitis.

“Measles is a disease that can be prevented by routine childhood vaccines. This is a reminder for all of us of the importance of vaccinations,” said Shavonna Lausterer, Director of the Sarpy/Cass Health Department.

Measles vaccination is highly effective. Studies show more than 97 percent of people who receive two doses of vaccine are protected.

Public health officials stress that it’s good for all Nebraskans to know if they have measles immunity. A person is considered immune if they have two doses of vaccine or were born before 1957.

Measles is not a new disease but it’s something we haven’t seen very often in Nebraska over the last several decades. There were no measles cases in 2016, three in 2015 and one measles case in 2014. Prior to that, the last measles case in a Nebraska resident was in the early 90s.

For additional measles information, go to:

• Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services – http://dhhs.ne.gov/measles
• Douglas County Health Department – http://www.douglascountyhealth.com/measles-information
• Sarpy/Cass Department of Health and Wellness – http://sarpycasshealthdepartment.org/documents/FactSheet-Measles.pdf
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – http://www.cdc.gov/measles

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A plan to merge two state agencies that serve Nebraska veterans has won initial approval from lawmakers.

Senators on Thursday advanced the proposal through the first of three required votes. Gov. Pete Ricketts pitched the plan as a way to streamline services for veterans and tap federal dollars to cover $1.4 million in expenses that are currently paid by the state.

Veterans’ groups and the state’s public employee union have applauded the idea.

The bill would place the state’s Division of Veterans Homes into the Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Currently, the division is a part of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Sen. John Murante of Gretna, the bill’s sponsor, says the proposal will eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy. The merger would go into effect July 1.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers won’t be getting their evening meals from lobbyists at the Capitol this year.

Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer said Thursday that his office will coordinate the meal service provided to lawmakers during late-night debates. Lobbyists have traditionally pooled their money to provide food for senators, but Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha has criticized the practice as inappropriate.

Scheer, of Norfolk, encouraged lawmakers to help cover the cost of the meals. Lawmakers already receive state-funded reimbursement for their expenses and a per diem on top of their $12,000-a-year salaries.

Chambers introduced a bill this year that would have barred lobbyists and special interests from feeding lawmakers at the Capitol during session, but the proposal stalled in committee.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Federal officials have taken a step toward increasing safety in prisons by making it easier to find and seize cellphones obtained illegally by inmates.

The Federal Communications Commission unanimously voted Thursday to approve rules to streamline the process for using technology to detect and block contraband phones in prisons and jails across the U.S.

The vote came in Washington after testimony from Robert Johnson, a former South Carolina corrections officer who was nearly killed in a shooting orchestrated by an inmate using an illegal cellphone.

Johnson has become an advocate on the issue. He wants state prisons to be able to jam cell signals, but that would require congressional changes to a decades-old communications law.