Posted: 6:45 PM Nebraska Sen. Steve Lathrop is kicking off his statewide listening tour as he weighs a run for governor.

Posted: 6:50 AM Approval of a massive farm bill could hinge on a proposed new dairy program the House is expected to vote on this week.

Posted: 9:12 AM Members of the new Nebraska Tax Modernization Committee are preparing for a busy summer, with hearings throughout the state and a push to make additional reforms when lawmakers reconvene next year.

Posted: 4:48 PM A councilman for the city of Omaha has been taken to a local hospital after complaining of chest pain. City Councilman Garry Gernandt was taken Wednesday by ambulance to Creighton University Medical Center.

Updated: 8:09 PM The Senate overwhelmingly voted Monday to expand farm subsidies and make small cuts to food stamps in a five-year, half-trillion dollar measure. But passage in the House isn't expected to be so easy -- or so bipartisan.

Posted: 2:48 PM Former Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy has agreed to pay a $1,000 fine for improper use of a state cellphone as part of a settlement with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission.

Posted: 4:26 AM Several counties in Northeastern Colorado say they want to secede and form a new state. Some Nebraska counties are interested in the measure, as well.

Updated: 6:26 AM A federal lawsuit is challenging the Nebraska DMV's policy of denying driver's licenses to some young immigrants.

Updated: 4:41 AM Three state senators and a former Nebraska regent have either entered the race or are considering a run.

Updated: 5:15 AM Nebraska lawmakers have finished a legislative session highlighted by a $7.8 billion, two-year budget, increased spending for the university and state colleges, and an overhaul of juvenile services.

Posted: 4:02 PM State Sen. Steve Lathrop says he will embark on a statewide tour to introduce himself to Nebraskans and weigh a possible run for governor in 2014.

Posted: 5:01 AM Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman has signed a wind-energy bill that he opposes to prevent the city of Omaha from increasing its local option sales tax.

Posted: 6:44 AM Newborns in Nebraska will have to get screened for a potentially fatal heart disease, under a new state law. Gov. Dave Heineman approved a measure Monday that will require screenings for critical congenital heart disease, a leading cause of death in newborns.

Updated: 5:38 AM Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman has signed three tax-cut measures into law, calling them small but important steps toward an improved state tax climate.

Posted: 1:01 PM Former Nebraska State Treasurer Shane Osborn is now a candidate for U.S. Senate.

Posted: 3:23 PM Lawmakers have authorized a study of Nebraska's tax climate, with the expectation that they'll reform the system.

Updated: 9:14 PM Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska says he will not run for the U.S. Senate.

Posted: 6:57 PM Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman has signed a juvenile justice reform bill into law.

Posted: 2:47 PM A bill that would use sales tax exemptions to attract wind farms to Nebraska has won final approval from lawmakers.

Posted: 2:42 PM Nebraska lawmakers have voted to strike all references to the "R-word" from state law.

Posted: 2:41 PM Nebraska lawmakers have passed a bill to require heart screenings for newborns to catch potential health problems.

Posted: 6:37 PM Nebraska lawmakers have overridden Gov. Dave Heineman's budget vetoes for county court employees, child advocates, expanded dental services and mass transit funding.

Posted: 4:29 PM Businesses that are owned by disabled veterans could receive an edge over other companies when bidding for state contracts in Nebraska. Lawmakers gave first-round approval Tuesday to a bill that would give preference to businesses that are at least 51 percent owned by disabled vets. The preference would only apply to those living in Nebraska, when all other factors among the leading bidders are equal.

Posted: 4:25 PM Special interest groups have spent nearly $27.4 million over the last two years trying to influence government officials in Nebraska. The political watchdog group Common Cause reported Tuesday that $13.2 million was spent last year, a decline from the $14.2 million in 2011.

Posted: 3:51 PM The adjutant general of the Nebraska National Guard has been named the deputy director of the U.S. Army National Guard. Maj. Gen. Judd Lyons will assume his new role at the National Guard Headquarters in Arlington, Va., later this summer. His promotion was announced Tuesday by Gov. Dave Heineman.