May 2025

Law Day 2025

Fifth-grade students from Hayward Elementary and Lourdes Central Catholic visited the Otoe County Courthouse on Thursday, May 1, for Law Day 2025. This year’s theme was “Advancement of Civics Education” and featured presentations from Otoe County Sheriff Colin Caudill, Lori Broady of the Nebraska Bar Association Foundation, Otoe County Public Defender Michael Ziskey, Otoe County Attorney Jenniffer Panko-Rahe, District 2 County Judge David J. Partsch, Probation Officer Katie Clapper, Otoe County Clerk of the District Court Janis Riege, and retired District Court Randall Rehmeier, who coordinated this year’s event. Students had the opportunity to take part in a mock trial to determine whether Superman was guilty of trespassing and criminal mischief in Metropolis (final determination: Man of Steel 2, State of Nebraska 0) and also see a drug-search demonstration by Otoe County Sheriff Sergeant Dan Lionberger and K9 Officer LEO.

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Working Hard for Nebraska

Our country faces many threats. Communist China is our greatest external threat. Our $36 trillion national debt is our greatest domestic threat. Over the past two weeks, I’ve focused on both of those issues on behalf of Nebraskans.

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Legislative Update

We’ve entered the final full month of the 2025 Legislative Session and will begin our work on the state budget starting Tuesday, May 6. On Friday, April 25, Nebraska’s Economic Forecasting Advisory Board revised its budget projections, adding another $190 million to the state budget deficit over the next two years, as revenues continue to fall short of expectations. As a result, we are now facing a larger budget shortfall than anticipated just a few weeks ago.

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