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DOJ Reaches Proposed Consent Decree with Nebraska on Tuition

The Department of Justice filed a complaint against Nebraska and a proposed consent decree to permanently enjoin the state from enforcing laws providing in-state tuition rates and financial assistance to illegal aliens. The DOJ alleges these laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens by granting reduced tuition and scholarship benefits to illegal aliens over American citizens. The proposed consent decree, which must be approved by a federal court, would resolve the DOJ's claims that Nebraska's laws violate federal law and incentivize illegal immigration.

Dunham v. Dunham Consolidated Cases - Parental Rights Appeal

The Nebraska Court of Appeals issued a consolidated opinion in Dunham v. Dunham addressing multiple parental rights appeals, clarifying standards for what constitutes a final appealable order in termination of parental rights proceedings. The court examined whether various trial court determinations met the threshold for appellate review under Nebraska law, addressing the legal requirements for final orders that trigger appeal rights.

State v. Williams, 2nd Degree Assault, Affirmed

The Nebraska Court of Appeals affirmed Christopher Williams' conviction for second-degree assault, a Class IIA felony, and his sentence of 16 to 20 years' imprisonment. The court rejected Williams' assignments of error regarding the admission of testimony about prior violent acts and the overruling of his motion for mistrial, finding the evidence was properly admitted as inextricably intertwined with the charged conduct.

Court Affirms William P. Parental Rights Termination

The Nebraska Court of Appeals affirmed the termination of William P.'s parental rights to Alayna N., upholding the juvenile court's determination that termination was in the child's best interests based on grounds including abandonment and neglect. William had been incarcerated throughout Alayna's life, never requested visitation, failed to respond to DHHS correspondence, and provided no financial support despite repeated outreach attempts by the caseworker.

In Re Interest of Keaira T. et al. - Parental Rights Termination Affirmed

The Nebraska Court of Appeals affirmed the Separate Juvenile Court of Lancaster County's order terminating parental rights of Deonte B. and Shae B. to their three minor children. The appellate court upheld the termination finding that statutory grounds under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-292(2), (6), and (7) were satisfied by evidence including parental substance abuse, failure to comply with court-ordered services, and incarceration.

Rosberg v. Rosberg Appeal Affirmed

The Nebraska Court of Appeals affirmed the Knox County District Court's dismissal of Paul A. Rosberg's complaint against his ex-wife Kelly R. Rosberg and three district court judges. The complaint alleged the judges conspired with his ex-wife to prevent custody and visitation with his children and sought $5 million in damages from Kelly and $1 million from each judge. All claims were dismissed for failure to properly serve defendants within the 180-day statutory window under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-217.

Palmer v. Palmer - Child Custody Relocation Affirmed

The Nebraska Court of Appeals affirmed the Douglas County District Court's denial of both parties' requests to relocate their child from Nebraska, along with modifications to child support and medical expense obligations. Brian A. Palmer appealed the district court's application of the removal standard, calculation of child support, and denial of the income tax exemption. The appellate court found no reversible error and affirmed the judgment in full.

Warren v. State - Marijuana Sentence Affirmed

The Nebraska Court of Appeals affirmed Brandon S. Warren's plea-based conviction for attempted possession of marijuana with intent to distribute (Class IIIA felony). The court rejected Warren's claim that his 18-month prison sentence followed by 18 months post-release supervision was excessive, finding it fell within the statutory range. The court also declined to address his ineffective assistance of counsel claim on direct appeal, noting it would require an evidentiary hearing.

Director Bradley Outlines Agency Accomplishments, July 2025

Nebraska DWEE Director Jesse Bradley announced agency accomplishments including $1.8 million in estimated first-year savings from the merger creating the department on July 1, 2025. The department is administering $307 million in EPA funding for energy efficiency projects and $628 million for the Perkins County Canal project, which is 60% designed and on track for 2032.

Nebraska Court of Appeals Unpublished Memorandum Opinions

The Nebraska Court of Appeals published a list of memorandum opinions filed between prior dates through April 21, 2026, that were not selected for posting to the court's public website. The single listed case is A-25-493 Ottosen v. Wagner. The opinions remain accessible through the appellate court case search system SSCALES via subscription through Nebraska.gov.

Nebraska LB 921 Enacts Mini-WARN Act and Healthcare Staffing Rules

Nebraska Legislative Bill 921 enacts two worker protection frameworks: the Nebraska WARN Act requiring 90-day advance notice of business closings and mass layoffs for employers with 100+ employees, and the Health Care Staffing Agency Registration Act mandating annual registration, prohibiting noncompete clauses, and imposing insurance requirements on healthcare staffing agencies. The Nebraska WARN Act provisions take effect July 2026; healthcare staffing provisions take effect July 2027. Both Acts include civil penalties and grant enforcement authority to the Nebraska Department of Labor.

State AI Healthcare and Chatbot Laws: April 2026 Legislative Update

Troutman Pepper Locke published its 14th weekly tracking update on proposed state AI legislation for 2026. Nebraska enacted the Conversational AI Safety Act (signed April 14) and Maine enacted LD 2082 prohibiting unlicensed AI-delivered therapy or psychotherapy services (signed April 13). Multiple bills advanced in Iowa, Tennessee, Hawaii, Oklahoma, California, Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, and Rhode Island, covering chatbots, AI pricing, provenance disclosures, employment, health, and personhood.

16 States Enact AI Laws Covering Elections, Health, Labor

The NCSL AI Legislation Tracker has been updated with new state AI bills from 16 states (Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey). Notable enacted bills include Kentucky S 4 (Protection of Information), Maine H 1154a (Transparency in Consumer Transactions), Montana S 25 (Deepfakes in Elections), Maryland H 956 (AI Implementation Workgroup), and Minnesota H 2432 (Public Safety/Child Pornography). Bills cover categories including elections, health, education, criminal use, housing, labor, and government use.

Nebraska Assn. of Pub. Employees v. State

The Nebraska Supreme Court reversed the Commission of Industrial Relations' decision and ruled in favor of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees in a collective bargaining dispute. The Court found that NAPE's arbitration agreement with the State required the State to pay attorney's fees following a successful arbitration. The Court awarded NAPE $8,888 in attorney's fees and taxed costs to the State. The ruling clarifies the enforceability of arbitration provisions in collective bargaining agreements for public employees.

DNA Editing Using Single-Stranded DNA - EP3303585A1 Patent Grant

The European Patent Office published patent grant EP3303585A1 for DNA editing using single-stranded DNA. The patent names Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska and Tokai University Educational System as applicants. The invention covers biotechnology methods for DNA editing with applications in genetic research and development.

Motion to Intervene Granted, Nebraska Public Power District

The United States District Court for the District of Colorado granted Nebraska Public Power District's Motion to Intervene as Respondent-Intervenor in Civil Action No. 26-cv-00862. The Court found that the District met all four requirements for intervention as a matter of right under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24(a)(2): timeliness, a direct legal interest in the challenged permit, potential impairment of that interest, and inadequate representation by existing parties. Petitioners did not oppose the motion and Respondents took no position.

Nebraska Law Targets Social Media Fraud, Protects Older Adults

Nebraska lawmakers passed legislation requiring social media platforms to detect and remove fraudulent advertising. The law, championed by the Nebraska Bankers Association with support from the American Bankers Association, requires platforms to verify advertiser identity, investigate user fraud claims, and remove fraudulent ads within five business days. A similar federal SCAM Act has been introduced in both chambers.

POET Biorefining Fairmont Air Construction Permit Comment Period

The Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment (NDWEE) is soliciting public comments on a proposed air construction permit for POET Biorefining – Fairmont, LLC (FID 86026), an ethanol manufacturing facility in Fairmont, Nebraska. The permit would authorize routing of fermentation emissions to Tallgrass High Plains Carbon Storage, LLC, resulting in projected emissions of 0.88 tons per year of acetaldehyde and 0.19 tons per year of total Hazardous Air Pollutants. Comments will be accepted through May 18, 2026.

AG Hilgers Joins Amicus Brief Supporting Religious Liberty and Free Speech Rights of Churches

Nebraska Attorney General Hilgers announced his office joined an amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in support of religious liberty and free speech rights of churches. The amicus brief was filed on April 8, 2026, with the document available for download from the Nebraska AG's official website.

Nebraska CTSO Students Visit Capitol for Legislative Day

Nebraska Department of Education announced that students from Career and Technical Student Organizations visited the state Capitol on February 3rd for CTSO Legislative Day. The event enabled students to meet with state leaders, attend legislative hearings, and learn about Nebraska's unicameral government. Commissioner of Education Brian Maher participated in the event.