Unclaimed property comes in many different shapes and sizes. It could be an un-cashed paycheck, stocks left in a safe deposit box, or expensive jewelry from a deceased and distant relative’s last Will and Testament.

The 2019 Unclaimed Property Report lists all of the properties received by the State Treasurer during the last year worth $25 or more.

You may check to see if your name is listed in the report by visiting the State Treasurer’s website by clicking on the following link Nebraska State Treasurer and then clicking on the link for the 2019 Unclaimed Property Report.

There are three ways to file your claim: 1) Complete a paper claim form and mail it to: Property Division – 809 P Street – Lincoln, NE 68508, 2) Stop by the State Treasurer’s Office at the State Capitol Building in Lincoln, or 3) Go to the State Treasurer’s website and click on “submit claim.”

If you would like more information, please call the Unclaimed Property Division at (402) 471-8497 or toll-free at 1-(877)-572-9688, or call my office at (402) 471-2616.

Good luck with your search, and may you find your pot of gold.

God has an amazing ability to bring good out of evil. When Amanda Gailey and Courtney Lawton shut down a seemingly insignificant college sophomore as she tabled for Turning Point USA at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln more than two years ago, Kaitlyn Mullen suddenly found herself being escorted home by a police officer. That event was evil, because Gailey and Lawton violated Mullen’s God-given right to free speech on campus by demonstrating directly in front of and blocking access to her recruitment table.

Little did Kaitlyn Mullen know at the time that what happened to her on that dark day would spark a new movement to bring free speech back to our college campuses all across the nation. She has now been propelled to the forefront of a new movement to end harassment against conservative students by extremist, Left-wing activist professors on college campuses.

Mullen was harassed by these two university professors on August 25, 2017. A couple of days later I decided to contact President Hank Bounds and Chancellor Ronnie Green to talk to them about this incident. They ignored several phone calls I made to them. So, after a week of waiting for them to call me back, I decided to write a story for the newspaper about this incident. But, before I published it, I called each of them one more time and told them that if I did not hear back from them that morning, I would go public with the story that afternoon. Once again, they ignored my phone calls. So, I sent out my first newspaper story on this incident on September 1, 2017. Since this time, I have written additional stories for the newspaper, some even co-signed by other State Senators, but Bounds and Green have refused to fix the problem of free speech and the harassment of conservative students on campus by these extremist, Left-wing activist professors.

This problem has not gone away. At least one activist professor has been arrested numerous times for vandalism in both Virginia as well as in Nebraska, and the administration continues to turn a blind eye to the problem. In order to help you see the double standard which now exists at the University of Nebraska, consider what coach Scott Frost said to football player, Maurice Washington, after a judge in California signed a warrant for his arrest: “I will say our guys at Nebraska need to understand they don’t just represent themselves, they represent their team, and the athletic department, and the University of Nebraska.” But, after Assistant Sociology Professor, Patricia A. Wonch-Hill was arrested for vandalism, the administration turned a blind eye to the incident and said “the activities were done on her own time,” and that they were leaving the matter to local law enforcement. So, the students represent the University of Nebraska, but the professors don’t.

All of this academic nonsense is now changing. Last week President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order tying university research funding to free speech. After referring to his signing of the executive order as historic, Trump went on to say, “Every year the federal government provides educational institutions with more than thirty-five billion dollars in research funding. All of that money is now at stake. That’s a lot of money. They’re going to have to not like your views a lot.”

Standing next to President Trump as he spoke from his podium at the White House was Kaitlyn Mullen. President Trump even invited her to speak. Here is some of what she said: “As the future of America, it’s important that our universities are a place where we can speak freely and have healthy, respectful dialog on campus.” She also went on to say, “No other student should ever have to go through what I went through.” And, I agree.

Sen. Steve Erdman invites high school students from the Panhandle to participate in the Unicameral Youth Legislature. High school students are invited to take on the role of a state senator at the Unicameral’s Youth Legislature June 9-12. At the State Capitol in Lincoln, student senators will sponsor bills, conduct committee hearings, debate legislation, and discover the process of how a bill becomes a law in the nation’s only Unicameral Legislature.

The Unicameral Youth Legislature gives behind-the-scenes access to students who have an interest in debate, government, law, politics, public office, public policy, and public speaking. Students will learn about the inner workings of the Legislature directly from senators and staff.

Registrants are encouraged to apply for a Greg Adams Civic Scholarship award, which covers the full cost of admission. Applicants must submit a short essay. Other $100 scholarships are also available.

The Office of the Clerk of the Nebraska Legislature coordinates the Unicameral Youth Legislature. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Extension 4-H Youth Development Office coordinates housing and other recreational activities as part of the Big Red Summer Camps program.

To learn more about the program or about how to apply, please call (402) 471-2788. The deadline for registration is May 15, 2019.

The winter of 2019 will long be remembered in Nebraska for its historic harshness and brutality. In Western Nebraska residents are digging out of the snow and praying for warmer temperatures; in Eastern Nebraska they are filling sandbags and praying for the flood waters to subside. In Western Nebraska calves are being birthed on a bed of snow; in Eastern Nebraska residents are being rescued from flood waters. In Western Nebraska residents remain held up inside their homes; in Eastern Nebraska residents are evacuating their homes.

We have a new tourism motto in Nebraska this year, which says, “Nebraska is not for everyone.” Indeed, few people would ever choose to live in a land with such extreme weather conditions. But, it is precisely those who know how to weather these extreme conditions and who help others get through them who set our state apart from other parts of the country.

The true colors of Nebraskans shine most brightly during these times of disaster and extreme weather conditions. Nebraskans come together during these tough times of deep stress and put the needs of their neighbors ahead of their own personal and private interests. We will help our neighbors dig out of the snow, help them round up their cattle, help them fill sandbags, and we will even open up our homes to those who have lost theirs in a flood. These are the values we all share as Nebraskans, and these are the values which make Nebraska great. So, Nebraska may not be for everyone, because not everyone shares our values.

Besides displaying generosity and hospitality towards our neighbors, Nebraskans are also an inherently grateful people. We deeply appreciate and honor our fire departments, and the linemen who restore our power, the plowmen who clear our roads, the National Guardsmen and first responders who come to our rescue, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who supply us with sandbags, and the sheriffs and patrolmen who keep our streets safe. We also appreciate the many churches who have opened up their doors so that their buildings can be used as shelters for those who have been displaced, and we appreciate the many Red Cross volunteers who greet these victims of the weather with a cup of cold water or a hot cup of coffee. To all of these people and more, we say, “Thank you.”

Governor Ricketts has filed the paperwork and made the request for federal relief aid, and Congressman Adrian Smith has been assisting by assessing Nebraska’s needs for federal aid. However, an official survey and assessment of damages will be completed by the Nebraska Emergency Management Association (NEMA) to see if Nebraska qualifies for federal disaster relief dollars. While I am confident that Nebraska will meet these federal eligibility requirements, NEMA’s surveys will determine which areas of Nebraska get this relief aid. In the meantime, those in affected areas should contact their County’s Emergency Manager to report their need for assistance.

As the snow melts, please let me remind you about a few safety procedures. Please be wary of flooded roads and remember not to drive on or across any flooded roads, especially when you don’t know the depth of the water level. If you see someone in danger, don’t try to help them yourself; seek assistance first. If you are in danger or need emergency medical services, please dial 911. If you need assistance with food, shelter, clothing, or anything else, please call 211. Before you travel, remember to check road conditions at: www.511.nebraska.gov. You can also download their convenient APP on your phone, so that you can keep an eye on our ever changing weather patterns and road conditions throughout the trip. Finally, drive safe, buckle up, obey the rules of the road, and always drive sober.

The date for the public hearing on LB707 has been changed again by the Revenue Committee. Please disregard the date change provided in Sen. Erdman’s newspaper article in this week’s newspapers. The date of the hearing has been changed to March 13, beginning at 1:30 p.m. in Room 1524.

Last week my bill, LB372, passed through Final Reading by a vote of 47-0. Sen. Chambers and Sen. Hughes were excused from the Chamber and did not vote on the bill. This means that LB372 will now proceed to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.

LB372 is a bill which will require the Property Assessment Division to use all of the land capability groups provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) when valuating agricultural land and horticultural land for property tax purposes. In the past, the Property Assessment Division has acquired the very bad habit of using only dryland classifications for valuating other kinds of agricultural lands and horticultural lands, such as irrigated cropland. This practice has led to many inaccurate valuations of agricultural lands and horticultural lands.

Once LB372 gets signed into law, the Property Assessment Division will begin the process of classifying agricultural land and horticultural land according to their specific land capability groups as provided by the NRCS. These land capability groups can be found online at: www.nrcs.usda.gov.

One of my primary goals since becoming a Nebraska State Senator has been to make agricultural land and horticultural land valuations fair and accurate. LB372 represents a significant step in that direction. However, while LB372 will certainly move the valuating process further in the direction of fairness and accuracy, it will not completely solve the problem. The reason is that market sales will continue to plague the valuation process.

The fact of the matter is that the Property Assessment Division will continue to valuate agricultural land and horticultural land based on market sales, instead of using only the productivity of the soil. Therefore, I am waiting for the Legislature’s Revenue Committee to advance my other bill, LB483, out of committee and onto General File. LB483 is my priority bill for the year, and this bill will overhaul the entire system and change the way we valuate agricultural land and horticultural land for property tax purposes. LB483 will tie agricultural land valuations and horticultural land valuations exclusively to the productivity of the soil. Ultimately, this is what farmers and ranchers in Nebraska need in order to make their valuations fair and accurate.

On a similar note, on Thursday, March 14, a public hearing will be held on my bill, LB707. The Legislature’s website has erroneously published the date of this hearing for March 13, but the hearing will actually be held by the Revenue Committee on March 14 beginning at 1:30 p.m. in Room 1524 at the State Capitol Building in Lincoln, Nebraska.

LB707 is a bill that will make the process of protesting the valuation of your agricultural or horticultural property much easier. It used to be the case that board members of the Tax Equalization & Review Commission (TERC) would hold hearings in Scottsbluff. However, the TERC board no longer holds hearings anywhere in Western Nebraska. Consequently, anyone wishing to protest the valuation of their agricultural land or horticultural land has to drive to Lincoln in order to present their case before the TERC board, and I believe this practice puts an undue burden on folks living in Western Nebraska.

LB707 would change this. LB707 would eliminate the burden of driving all the way to Lincoln by allowing TERC hearings to be held by way of video conferencing or by way of telephone conferencing. So, this is a common sense bill that would save folks living in Western Nebraska from the needless hassle of having to drive all the way to Lincoln just to protest the valuation of their land.

Are you an inventor? Are you an entrepreneur? Do you like to watch Shark Tank?  Well, Shark Tank is coming to Lincoln, Nebraska April 5th and 6th!

UNL and the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program are hosting an Open Casting Call for ABC’s Shark Tank. This will be more than a simple opportunity for you to pitch your product.  Instead, it will be a unique opportunity to network with other small business owners, to hear from local business leaders, to celebrate Midwest entrepreneurship, and to take a shot at being on Shark Tank.

So, if you would like to share your product, expand your business, or audition for Shark Tank, then please contact Michelle Bassford at:  mbassford7@unl.edu.

A public hearing was recently held on my bill, LB482. LB482 is a bill to prorate property taxes for those who have had their homes destroyed by a fire or some other natural disaster, such as a tornado or a flood. The bill would exempt a property owner from paying property taxes on the real estate for as long as the home or living unit remains unlivable. This is a common sense bill, which I believe should slide easily through the legislative process. However, this is the second year I have introduced this bill. Even with bills which ought to be considered a slam dunk in the Legislature, unreasonable opposition often lurks in the hallways of the Capitol Building, waiting to pounce on a good bill during a public hearing.

So, this week I would like to take you inside the Revenue Committee’s hearing room and show how this bill was opposed by lobbyists in the evening hours of February 27th. Due to the lateness of the hour most of the testifiers who had filled the hearing room to testify on other bills had already decided to go home. LB482 was the last bill on the Revenue Committee’s agenda for the day, and the hearing started shortly after 6:30 p.m. while most Nebraskans were finishing up their supper or settling down for the evening.

Mr. Tom Placzek, who works as the assessor for Platte County, was the first one to testify against LB482. Mr. Placzek said he spoke on behalf of all county assessors in the state, and he indicated that he could not find a single county assessor who liked LB482. Placzek’s primary complaint was that the bill requires county assessors to report all destroyed properties to the County Board of Equalization. Placzek insisted that county assessors do not always know when properties get destroyed, and that county assessors do not want this responsibility being transferred onto them.

Mr. Placzek’s main reason for opposing my bill made no sense at all. So, during my closing remarks I reminded the members of the Revenue Committee that it is the job of every county assessor to accurately valuate every property in their county. Furthermore, every homeowner instinctively knows that if they so much as build a doghouse on their property, the county assessor knows all about it. So, if assessors know when you improve your home, then they also know when your home is destroyed. So, in the final analysis Placzek’s opposition to my bill amounted to nothing more than a bad excuse for him not to do his job.

The second person who testified against LB482 was Mr. John Cannon, who represented the Nebraska Association of County Officials (NACO). Mr. Cannon’s primary complaint with LB482 was that the bill could potentially put counties into a precarious situation in the event of a widespread disaster, such as the tornado which devastated the entire village of Pilger on June 16, 2014. The Pilger tornado, for example, wiped out so many homes that recovery would have been extremely difficult for the village without access to all of the property taxes.

Again, Mr. Cannon’s primary reason for opposing my bill made no sense at all. So, during my closing remarks I reminded the members of the Revenue Committee that those who have had their homes destroyed have no money either. In the final analysis, NACO would rather put the public finances of counties, metropolitan areas, cities, towns and villages over the personal finances of those who’ve had their homes completely destroyed. To me, their argument represents the inverted value system that is routinely imposed upon legislators by paid lobbyists. Government should exist for the betterment of the people, not for the betterment of the government.

As long as I serve in the State Legislature, I will represent the people of Nebraska, not the Lobbyists.

Pilger, NE 2014

Radical Left-wing activism continues to run out of control at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL). The University’s administration continues to turn a blind eye, instead of dealing honestly with the illicit behavior of its own faculty members. The unhinged behavior of the faculty will continue to worsen until University President, Hank Bounds, and Chancellor, Ronnie Green, are finally forced to deal with it.

Certain events unfolded last week in Lincoln, linking a Left-wing, activist professor at UNL to illegal behavior. While it should be needless for me to have to say that any kind of deviant or illicit behavior is inappropriate for a university professor, the University’s administration doesn’t seem to care. Meanwhile, the reputation of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln continues to slide into the cesspool of radical, Left-wing political activism, including illicit acts of vandalism.

On February 20th Patricia A. Wonch-Hill was arrested and ticketed for three counts of vandalism. Hill is an assistant research professor of Sociology at UNL. Hill was ticketed for putting googly eyes on two of U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry’s campaign signs and using a piece of tape to change the “o” in his name to an “a”, insinuating that his name refers to human flatulence. She was also ticketed for putting fake blood and “Betsy Riot” stickers on the front door of Sen. Deb Fischer’s office. According to the Lincoln Police Department Hill’s fingerprints were found at all three locations; thus, linking her to these three crimes.

This was not the first time Patricia A. Wonch-Hill has been charged with an illegal act of vandalism, though. Last year Hill was found guilty in a Virginia court for spraying fake blood on the house of Chris Cox, a spokesman for the National Rifle Association. While in Virginia Hill also harassed Cox’s wife by passing out anti-gun pamphlets in front of her place of business.

Patricia A. Wonch-Hill also took over as president of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) one year ago after ousting former president, Donna Duffner, who served for only one month, in order to censure UNL for terminating Courtney Lawton, the graduate teaching assistant who harassed Kaitlyn Mullen. UNL has remained on the AAUP’s list of censured universities since May 2018.

In the world outside of academia employees are expected to represent well the business they work for. Illegal behavior is not tolerated because it tarnishes the reputation of the company. I expect no less from our flagship university. As a land grant university, Patricia A. Wonch-Hill does not just represent the university who signs her paychecks, she also represents the State of Nebraska.

In response to Hill’s arrest last week by the Lincoln Police Department, University of Nebraska spokesman, Leslie Reed, said in a written statement that the University does not “condone vandalism” and that the situation is “…a personal legal matter based on actions of a faculty member on their own time, and they will have to take accountability for their actions based on the outcome of the legal process.” In other words, “We don’t want to deal with it.”

When our Founding Father, Abraham Baldwin, a man of high moral character who signed the U.S. Constitution, founded the College of Georgia in 1785, which later became the University of Georgia, he wrote in the school’s original charter that “…civil order should be the result of choice and not of necessity…” By saying this, he did not mean that civility is always a matter of personal choice; instead, he meant that when civility is the result of good moral character, it does not have to be regulated or coerced. Unfortunately, the lack of action by the administration at UNL to confront the behavior of its own faculty continues to reduce civility to a matter of necessity, rather than choice. Unfortunately, UNL will never restore a sense of civility among its own faculty until it is finally forced to do so.

Patricia A. Wonch-Hill

2011 arrest in Lincoln County, NE for DUI

This week I will have public hearings on three of my bills. Today I would like to introduce you to those bills and present my reasons for introducing them.

On February 19 I will have a public hearing on LB161. This is a bill to eliminate the Learning Community. The Learning Community offers early childhood education, family engagement, and educational preparation programs to children and families in Douglas and Sarpy counties. Although the Learning Community does not directly affect folks living in Nebraska’s Panhandle, it has become a scourge in Douglas and Sarpy counties with a vision to expand across Nebraska.

The Learning Community has lost sight of its purpose and has devolved into an organization in search of a mission. The Learning Community’s board has abandoned its original purpose, they have started their own private foundation, they have wasted tax-payers dollars, and they have inadvertently driven private businesses and charity organizations out of Omaha’s inner city neighborhoods. For these reasons and more, the Learning Community needs to be terminated and replaced with a better program with proven results.

On February 21 I will have a public hearing on LB386. LB386 is a bill to correct the relationship between taxes levied and cash reserves. The bill will cap the cash reserves of local units of government with tax asking authority at fifty percent of their annual operating budget.

The reason for this bill is to prevent the abuse of cash reserves. Some local units of government have abused their tax asking authority by accumulating egregious amounts of cash reserves at the expense of the tax-payers. This bill will prevent this kind of abuse from recurring in the future. There simply is no reason why any local unit of government with tax asking authority needs cash reserves in excess of fifty percent of their annual operating budget.

On February 21 I will have another hearing on LB483. LB483 is my priority bill for 2019. The bill will change the way agricultural land gets valuated for property tax purposes. LB483 will change agricultural land valuations from the current market based system to a productivity based system.

LB483 is needed because the current market based system has never valuated agricultural land in a fair and equitable way. In most cases the current market based system valuates agricultural land upon one percent of sales in the county. Oftentimes hunting groups or other special interest groups will pay exorbitant prices for land which drives up agricultural land values across the county. The result has been that agricultural land valuations have risen beyond the level where many landowners can continue to farm or ranch in Nebraska.

LB483 will change the way we value agricultural land to a productivity based system. The bill will tie agricultural land valuations to the soil productivity ratings provided by the National Resources Conservation Service. The bill will also create the Agricultural Land Valuation Board, which will be charged with the task of setting the discount rate and creating a manual for county assessors to use when valuating agricultural land.