In the Nebraska Legislature, a state senator has introduced bills that protect marriage, regardless of race and gender.
Ten years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court granted same-sex couples the right to marriage in all 50 states.But Nebraska’s constitution does not recognize same-sex relationships,
Therefore, state Senator Machaela Cavanaugh has proposed bills to allow voters to repeal and revise the article in the constitution that validates marriage if it's between a “man and a woman."
Though same-sex marriage is federally protected, a person who testified on the Cavanaugh bill said she's fearful the decision will be overturned.
An Idaho case appears to be on the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark ruling that declared the right to same-sex marriage.
The Judiciary Committee will determine whether the bill advances for further debate on the floor.
*Additionally, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed an executive order Monday launching the Iowa Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, task force.
With that step, Reynolds is hoping to build on her previous government reorganization efforts, by modeling it on the federal DOGE that recently was begun by President Donald Trump.
Reynolds said the task force will simply make recommendations for streamlining government, it won’t have access to employees’ personal information or give direct orders to state agencies.
“So we need to work with the federal government. We need to work with local government, figure out how we can streamline all of our processes, and if there’s duplication happening, well guess what? Then that’s a cost to the taxpayers,” she said.
Reynolds says she has to keep state spending in check to help ensure her tax cuts are sustainable. She says she can’t rule out layoffs being included in the recommendations.
Reynolds is putting Emily Schmitt of Sukup Manufacturing in charge of the task force. The full list of 15 to 20 task force members hasn’t been finalized yet.
*In other news, Iowa lawmakers have advanced several bills aimed at increasing the number of medical providers in the state.
State lawmakers unanimously advanced three bills in legislative subcommittees last week.
They would allow physicians assistants from other states to practice in Iowa through a licensure compact and study transitioning certain medical school programs from four years to three. A third bill would give Iowa residents or those who went to college or med school in state priority for medical residency slots.
Rep. Tom Jeneary, a Republican from LeMars, says he supports prioritizing Iowa connections, but also wants to make sure residency slots go to the best qualified candidates.
Gov. Kim Reynolds has made increasing the number of providers in the state one of her legislative priorities this session.
*Additionally, South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden has signed the first bill of his term as governor.
The bill that Rhoden signed Sunday bans any local government in the state from implementing sanctuary city laws, as a backdoor way of granting undocumented immigrants legal citizenship status.
Rhoden said South Dakota “has been negatively impacted by the unlawful and uncontrolled illegal immigration.” Rhoden was elevated from lieutenant governor in January after Kristi Noem exited to become Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The South Dakota Legislative session will run through March 30.
*Jeff Kaufmann was unanimously re-elected on Sunday to a sixth two-year term as chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa.
Kaufmann first became the state Republican Party chair in 2014. He oversaw Iowa’s shift to Republican control of state government and the congressional delegation.
Kaufmann says going into the 2026 midterm elections, he’ll be highlighting President Donald Trump’s accomplishments and supporting his priorities.
“I clearly feel that I have a mandate, not only from this relatively small committee that is actually my governing board, but also Republicans at large, to hitch my wagon to the Trump agenda. And so that’s what we will do,” Kaufmann said.
Trump posted on social media in support of Kaufmann before Saturday’s vote, saying he thinks Kaufmann is doing “an incredible job.”
