Update: 4/5, 7:30am: LB 1161, which is now a brand new bill, gets a "second" round of debate today at 10am. This is a brand new bill, this is not an "ammendment" and it CANCELS out the two laws passed during the Special Session. Speaker Flood's ammendment was apparently not acceptable to the pipeline supports or TransCanada since Sen. Smith hours later had "his" own version. Citizens and landonwers have no chance to understand this version of the bill. They are doing this on the Thursday before everyone wants to leave Lincoln by noon so they can spend the Easter holiday with their families. This is not what democracy looks like.

Update, 4/3, 2pm: Speaker Flood has now offered an amendment that would require TransCanada to first apply for their Federal permit and then would allow the DEQ to review the pipeline. Any company that has not applied for a Federal permit would have to go through the PSC. Flood's bill, according to some who have reviewed it, essentially erases the two laws put in place during the special session. Any new bill/amendments state senators put on the floor at this point will have ZERO public input or accountability since there will be no hearings on the bill.

In yesterday's House markup meeting on Lee Terry's pipeline bill, we noticed that Rep. Terry liked to mention how the NRDC and Sierra Club asked President Obama to stop Keystone XL. But Terry nevers mentions that thousands of Nebraskans and our own Governor Heineman also asked the President to deny the permit.

Terry's selective memory times well with the unveiling of our new website HeinemanAgreesWithObama.com. We hope it serves as a healthy reminder that the Governor and the President have agreed about the risks Keystone XL poses to our land and the Ogallala Aquifer.

The last time Rep. Boehner was in Nebraska he was golfing and making bets with Gov. Heineman and staff from the newly named pipeline consultant HDR (yep, the company hired to study new Keystone XL routes in our state). Maybe Rep. Boehner needs to come back to Nebraska and instead of golfing in the Sandhills with Gov. Heineman and HDR, he should actually listen to landowners and citizens about our valid concerns for land, water, health and property rights.  

Rep. Boehner and Rep. Terry, along with support from Gov. Heineman and Sen. Johanns, passed a payroll tax bill and attached a "rider" to rush the approval process for the TransCanada's Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. They all agree the project is "shovel ready" and should be approved now since it is safe and will bring lots of jobs.

Neal's got a guide for politicians who'd like to model their campaign financing after Governor Heineman and Attorney General Jon Bruning:

Neal's latest cartoon for us.  Heineman takes a page out of the Roman Empire's handbook: