LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska residents could gain a constitutional right to use medical marijuana under a proposed ballot measure presented Thursday to lawmakers.

Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln pitched a new version of a legalization measure to the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee, backed by a coalition of residents who suffer from chronic conditions and parents who see it as a way to treat their children’s epileptic seizures.

“Nebraskans deserve a chance to vote on this issue,” Wishart said.

Wishart introduced the amendment after several previous legalization bills stalled in the Legislature. Unlike past measures, the amendment would appear on the November general election ballot if lawmakers approve it. Wishart said she believes voters would approve it, based on a poll commissioned by the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group.

The proposal appears likely to advance out of the Judiciary Committee, but its prospects before the full Legislature are unclear. Gov. Pete Ricketts opposes legalization, but placing it on the ballot would bypass the Republican governor.

Supporters of legalization said cannabis is a safer alternative to addictive prescription painkillers that have led to fatal overdoses around the country. The Nebraska attorney general’s office and the state’s chief medical officer opposed the measure, noting that federal law still prohibits marijuana.

Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia allow marijuana for medical purposes. Federal authorities haven’t enforced the federal prohibition against states.

“Any regulatory scheme by the state of Nebraska to facilitate, promote or license marijuana products, even for medicinal purposes, would be pre-empted and illegal under federal law,” said Assistant Nebraska Attorney General Ryan Post. “The Legislature should not expose the state in this way.”

Dr. Thomas Williams, the state’s chief medical officer, said studies have shown “at best, inconsistent findings” that medical marijuana is beneficial to patients. Williams said more research is needed.

Placing a constitutional amendment on the ballot requires support from 30 of the Legislature’s 49 senators. The measure is also likely to face a filibuster, which supporters would need 33 votes to overcome. Last year, a filibuster halted a bill that would have allowed medical cannabis.

Shelley Gillen of Bellevue said legalizing cannabis would help her 15-year-old son, Will, gain access to a marijuana extract called cannabidiol, delivered in drops of oil. Will has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a rare and severe form of epilepsy that causes hundreds of seizures a day.

Gillen said her family has tried multiple federally approved drugs, special diets, surgical implants and chiropractic treatments, and nothing so far has worked. Their only remaining option is an invasive brain surgery that isn’t guaranteed to work.

“Our family has been begging and pleading with all 49 senators in our Legislature for five years now to help our child,” Gillen said.

Legalization supporters have tried in the past to place the issue of medical marijuana on the ballot through a petition drive, but failed to garner enough signatures.

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) — The seventh annual Panhandle Polar Plunge is set for later this month to raise money for Special Olympics Nebraska.

The fundraising event at Riverside Park in Scottsbluff is set for Feb. 24. Those brave enough will run into the icy waters of the river after raising pledges for the plunge. Plungers are encouraged to form teams and dress in costumes. Prizes will be awarded for raising pledges and creativity.

Each plunger is asked to raise at least $50 in donations, and incentives begin with $75 in donations. Individuals and teams can register at the Firstgiving website at https://www.firstgiving.com/sone.

There will be a post-plunge party immediately following the event at the YMCA camp.

Another Polar Plunge for Special Olympics will also be held in Lincoln on Feb. 24.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers could open the door to self-driving cars and trucks this year with new legislation designed to attract the industry while maintaining public safety.

A legislative committee will consider two measures Tuesday that would let researchers test self-driving vehicles in Nebraska to prepare for an expected surge in such vehicles in the coming decade.

“I want a statute that not only allows it, but allows the technology to grow,” said Sen. Tyson Larson of O’Neill, who sponsored a measure to allow testing statewide. “As with any new technology, you don’t want to pass a bill that’s too restrictive.”

Larson’s bill would allow automated vehicles on state roads and highways but require that testers be able to continuously monitor them and take immediate control if necessary. It also would require owners to submit proof of insurance to state officials and create a council of state and industry officials that would follow technology changes and recommend other laws.

The bill still faces skepticism from car and truck manufacturers, who argue that new restrictions could unintentionally hinder the fast-growing technology.

“We have concerns about passing a law based on what’s technologically available right now,” said John Lindsay, a lobbyist for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. “Three months from now, we may have a completely different technology.”

A second proposal by Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln would allow researchers to test self-driving vehicles, but only in Lincoln. The bill would authorize the city to join forces with a private company for a pilot project.

Wishart said her measure was designed to help city officials launch a driverless shuttle service that would carry passengers between downtown Lincoln, the popular Haymarket District and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s main campus. The service could eventually expand throughout Lincoln, with the aim of turning the city into a national leader for automated vehicles.

“The main challenge is making sure we have as many safety precautions in place as possible,” Wishart said.

Wishart said she worked with the Departments of Transportation and Motor Vehicles to craft the proposal, as well as advocates for people with disabilities, who stand to benefit.

The Legislature’s Transportation and Telecommunications Committee will review both bills.

The proposals come amid breakthroughs in automated vehicles, including a tech startup’s announcement last week that its self-driving truck recently completed a 2,400-mile test run from Los Angeles to Jacksonville, Florida.

The company, Embark, hailed the five-day trip as the first coast-to-coast journey by an automated truck after its modified Peterbilt tractor crossed the country on Interstate 10. A driver remained at the wheel, ready to take control if needed, and the trailer was empty.

Such test-runs illustrate why Nebraska should consider legislation, said Kent Grisham, president of the Nebraska Trucking Association. With the technology expanding so quickly, Grisham said state officials need to consider its potential impact on other motorists and industries.

“I think it’s healthy that Nebraska is looking at these bills,” he said. “We don’t want to end up as the state that’s caught off guard when these fleets are testing vehicles in our backyard.”

Despite high-profile concerns that automation could put millions of truckers out of work nationally, Grisham said many will still be needed to navigate trucks through crowded cities. Under one scenario, trucks would drive themselves over long stretches of rural highway and pull into a station, where a driver would climb inside and finish the trip.

Twenty-one states have passed legislation related to automated vehicles, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Nevada was the first to allow them in 2011.

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Follow Grant Schulte on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GrantSchulte

SIDNEY, Neb. (AP) — Bass Pro and Cabela’s are offering $10,000 scholarships to four women from Nebraska or the Ozarks region of Missouri.

The outdoor outfitters are working with the Harry and Reba Huge Foundation to offer the scholarships.

The winners will receive $2,500 a year for four years, and they will have opportunities to intern with the company and learn from women in leadership positions.

Women who graduate in the spring of 2018 can apply online for the scholarships before March 7.

 

• Eric Edward Griffo, 36, North Platte and Shara Elizabeth Drake, 28, North Platte

 

• Taran James Coman, 25, Wallace and Katelyn Rae Melton, 23, Wallace

 

• Gregory Scott Miller, 23, North Platte and Ashley Maria Fogle, 24, North Platte

 

• Jefferson Patrick Cox, 26, North Platte and Natalie Rae Wood, 26, North Platte

 

• Michael Ray Davis Jr, 24, North Platte and Adrene Rae Carr, 23, North Platte

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture has signed a cooperative agreement with Mississippi State University to train students for poultry-related careers.

The new program includes three semesters at the Nebraska college in Curtis and a semester at MSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Students enrolled in the program will earn an associate of applied science in animal science degree with a concentration in poultry science.

Ron Rosati is the dean of the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. He says he chose to partner with the Mississippi university’s poultry science department because of its reputation for training leaders in agriculture.

MSU’s program is one of six nationwide that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in poultry science.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific says it expects to finish installing and testing a new automatic braking system on the railroad by the end of 2020.

The Omaha, Nebraska, based railroad said it is continuing to install the required positive train control system on 17,000 miles of its track.

The installation should be largely completed this year, but the railroad expects to continue testing and refining the system in next year and in 2020.

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board have been urging railroads to install such systems for years because they can prevent deadly railroad crashes.

Union Pacific operates 32,400 miles of track in 23 western states.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Much of Iowa and Nebraska are bracing for another wintry blast overnight into the weekend, with parts of eastern Iowa already under a winter storm warning.

The National Weather Service says a winter storm is expected to drop as much as 8 inches of snow in east-central Iowa, including the cities of Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Muscatine, and Davenport. The weather service says snow will start falling by late Thursday afternoon, continuing throughout the day Friday. Most of Iowa is under a winter weather advisory, where 2 to 5 inches of snow is expected.

The weather service has placed most of Nebraska under a hazardous weather outlook for Thursday night into Friday, with 1 to 3 inches of snow expected, as the storm system moves southeast across the state.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska state senator charged with driving under the influence apologized for his actions Thursday and accepted responsibility hours after he was stopped on Interstate 80.

Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha was arrested in Sarpy County on suspicion of first-offense DUI, failure to stay in a traffic lane and refusing to submit to a breath-alcohol test.

McDonnell, a former Omaha fire chief, was pulled over by a Nebraska State Patrol trooper Thursday just before 1 a.m. on the interstate on his way home from Lincoln. Authorities say he twice refused to submit to a breath test.

“I take full responsibility for my actions and the decisions I make, but I also need to apologize to this (Legislature) for making a decision that was more about me than about the people I’m representing,” McDonnell said in Thursday morning in a somber legislative floor speech.

McDonnell apologized to his family and constituents as well and described his decision as “selfish.” In a gathering with reporters after his speech, the 52-year-old said he doesn’t plan to step down and promised that that he would never drive impaired again.

McDonnell declined to specify where or with whom he was drinking, but said he was coming home from a late meeting. He said the meeting did not include any other state senators or lobbyists.

“At the time, I thought I was making a good decision,” he said.

McDonnell, a registered Democrat, was elected in 2016 to represent Legislative District 5, which includes portions of south and midtown Omaha.

At least three state lawmakers have been convicted of driving under the influence in recent decades, but all remained in office.

Former state Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh of Omaha was ticketed for DUI in February 2013, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two days of house arrest, one year or probation and a $500 fine.

Former state Sen. Danielle Conrad pleaded guilty to first-offense DUI and refusing to take a breath test after she drove into a city snowplow in February 2007. Conrad paid $1,000 in fines, served a year of probation and had her license suspended for 60 days.

Former state Sen. Kermit Brashear of Omaha pleaded no contest to drunken driving in 1996 and was sentenced to six months of probation and a 60-day license suspension. He was fined $150. Brashear later became speaker of the Legislature.

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) — A Scottsbluff man has been charged with three felonies after investigators say he mailed opioid patches to a woman jailed in Wyoming.

51-year-old Douglas Boyce has been charged with possession of a controlled substance and two counts of delivery of a controlled substance.

Authorities say in a Feb. 2 arrest affidavit that Goshen County, Wyoming, jail staffers twice intercepted fentanyl patches mailed to the woman. Authorities say they also monitored phone calls between Boyce and the woman, during which she advised the man how to send the patches and discussed where Boyce was storing them.

Police say a search Tuesday of Boyce’s home in Scottsbluff turned up two boxes of the patches.

Boyce remains jailed at Scotts Bluff County Detention Center on $50,000 bond.