LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill that would expand mail-in voting in rural Nebraska precincts could increase voter turnout in those areas.

The measure was presented as a cost-saving proposal for counties in a legislative hearing Thursday, but Secretary of State John Gale says it also has been shown to increase voter participation.

The bill by Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion would give all counties the chance to designate certain rural precincts as mail-only, if the state approves. Current law only lets counties with fewer than 10,000 people apply.

It’s intended for precincts that aren’t able to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, or that don’t have many voters. Smith says it would save counties time and money, and make it easier for voters to cast ballots.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Attorney General Doug Peterson has issued a warning to Nebraskans telling them to beware of scam text messages.

A news release distributed Thursday says the scam involves a text message claiming to be from Great Western Bank. It alerts that an account has been blocked and includes a link that opens to request an online banking username and password.

The release says the scam is trying to compromise online user credentials to gain access to further identifying information. It says such text messages should be ignored and deleted immediately.

The Attorney General’s Office says it has received several reports of the scam, mostly from Verizon Wireless customers.

Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Karen Smith says customers can forward suspected spam messages to the company’s spam database

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — With a pronounced focus on slashing property taxes this year, two Nebraska lawmakers say cutting corporate taxes should also be a priority.

Sen. Paul Schumacher of Columbus and Sen. Dan Watermeier of Syracuse brought bills to the revenue committee Thursday which they say would help the state more than its myriad tax incentives.

Schumacher’s measure would create a state tax credit equal to their federal tax liability. Corporations could not use the credit for their own income tax, but would distribute the credits between employees and shareholders.

Watermeier’s bill would lower corporate taxes to align with the two highest individual income tax rates. The measure would only apply to corporations that are owned by shareholders.

KIMBALL, Neb. (AP) — Sentencing is scheduled next month for a Wyoming man who again has been convicted of killing a former roommate in Nebraska.

Online court records say 43-year-old Vencil Ash III was found guilty earlier this week of murdering Ryan Guitron, of Fort Collins, Colorado, in 2003. Guitron’s remains were found in 2010 at an abandoned farm near Bushnell in western Nebraska.

Ash was first convicted in July 2012, but the Nebraska Supreme Court later ordered a new trial. The high court said the trial court erred in denying Ash’s request to postpone the trial, saying that Ash was not given fair notice of the prosecutor’s deal with his wife to testify against him.

Ash, originally from Cheyenne, Wyoming, is scheduled to be sentenced on March 24 in Kimball County District Court.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers have advanced a new boating fee to cover the cost of fighting invasive water species.

The measure won first-round approval Thursday with a 36-1 vote.

It would create a new fee of $5 to $10 to register or renew a motorboat registration. Out-of-state residents would pay a $10 to $15 stamp fee for motorboats operating in Nebraska’s waters.

Sen. Ken Schilz of Ogallala says he introduced the bill to pay for water monitoring, decontamination equipment, and additional staffing for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Nebraska’s lakes have faced problems with zebra mussel invasions in recent years, including at Omaha’s Lake Zorinsky. The mussels can clog water intakes and boat motors and disrupt a lake’s ecosystem.

• Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 49. South wind 5 to 7 mph becoming west southwest in the morning.
• Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. Calm wind becoming west 5 to 8 mph after midnight.
• Friday: Sunny, with a high near 57. West wind 7 to 10 mph.
• Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 22. West southwest wind 5 to 8 mph.
• Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. West wind 8 to 13 mph.
• Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.

 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska legislative committee has heard hours of testimony on bills that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in hiring, adoptions and foster parent selection.

The Judiciary Committee heard from supporters Wednesday who said the bills would provide more homes for needy children and keep Nebraska’s job market competitive.

Opponents included representatives for Nebraska Catholic Conference and Thomas More Society. They argued that opposite-sex parents are best suited to raise children and said that the hiring bill could conflict with employers’ religious beliefs.

The committee’s chairman said the panel won’t vote on the bills until next week at the earliest.

Sen. Colby Coash of Lincoln said he’s not sure of the legislation’s chances of advancing to the overwhelmingly conservative full Legislature, where he said it would face a tough road.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Cigar smokers could once again light up in licensed Nebraska cigar bars under a bill advanced by lawmakers.

The first-round vote on Wednesday comes after the Nebraska Supreme Court struck down a 2009 law that allowed smoking in cigar bars and shops, despite the Nebraska Clean Indoor Air Act.

The measure by Sen. Tyson Larson of O’Neill makes clear that state lawmakers intended to create a legal exemption for those establishments so they could continue to operate.

Larson says only 10 cigar bars have been in operation statewide over the last five years, and those businesses have made large investments to ensure they have adequate ventilations systems.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill to reinstate Nebraska’s winner-take-all system in presidential elections is headed to the full Legislature.

The Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee voted 7-1 on Wednesday to advance the proposal.

Nebraska and Maine are the only states where it’s possible to split electoral votes between opposing presidential candidates. Nebraska adopted a system in 1991 that awards two electoral votes to the statewide winner, while distributing the other three based on who wins its three congressional districts.

Nebraska split its electoral votes for the first time in 2008, when Democrat Barack Obama captured one from the state’s 2nd congressional district.

Nebraska’s Republican Party has endorsed the proposal, while Democrats oppose it.

Omaha Sen. Beau McCoy, who sponsored the bill, says the debate was taking place long before the 2008 election.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill that would require Nebraska voters to show government-issued photo identification at the polls is headed to the full Legislature for debate.

The Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee voted 7-1 on Wednesday to advance the measure. Opponents have promised to filibuster the bill on the legislative floor and file a lawsuit if the bill becomes law.

The proposal by Sen. Tyson Larson of O’Neill would require voters to show a driver’s license, state ID card or other government-issued photo identification.

An amendment backed by the committee would also allow for the use of tribal identification or county-issued voter registration acknowledgements.

Voters who cast ballots early or by mail would not have to provide identification unless they’re voting for the first time.