Lincoln-area legislative candidates discuss environmental issues, data centers

Environmental issues should be top of mind in next year’s legislative session, half a dozen candidates for Lincoln-area legislative seats told a forum Monday. 

Candidates were asked about issues ranging from data centers to Environmental Trust funding at the forum, sponsored by environmental groups. 

All those who attended are Democrats running for seats in the officially nonpartisan Legislature. No Republican candidates attended. 

Answering a question about the effects of climate change, Shay Smith, a candidate in southeast Nebraska’s District 32, cited the economic fallout.  

“Economic changes are happening at rates that we can't even comprehend, and unless we're pursuing research and development, we're going to continue to be on the losing end of this,” Smith said. “It's affecting our homeowner insurance rates and going to cost people their homes if we don't figure out a way to look at insurance rates and how we can spread that risk a little bit better.” 

Smith also said legislators should support Nebraska Public Power District’s efforts to develop small nuclear reactors, which have been touted as a carbon-free source for electrical generation. 

District 32 includes Fillmore, Saline, Thayer and Jefferson counties, as well as a part of Lancaster County. Smith is competing for the seat with Mark Schoenrock, who did not attend the forum.  

Regarding data centers, Janet Bock, a candidate for District 30, said it is a top issue for people in her district, which includes Gage County and part of Lancaster County. 

“People are concerned, particularly the areas that, or the area that it's proposed to be in. They're worried about, of course, the environmental effect. They're worried about the fact that their property and ownership of their houses will deteriorate because nobody wants to live next to a data center,” Bock said.  

The Gage County Board has approved an eight-month moratorium on data centers, which is shorter than the 18 months recommended by the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission. Bock said she thinks the moratorium should be longer.  

Bock is competing for the District 30 seat with Cally Ideus. Ideus accepted an invitation to the forum but said she canceled because of a death in the family. She did attend Gov. Jim Pillen’s announcement that Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly would continue as his running mate slightly earlier Monday evening. Ideus said she thought it would be disrespectful to show up late for the forum, adding that she’s willing to meet separately with environmental groups to discuss their issues. 

Sen. Danielle Conrad, running unopposed for reelection in northeast and downtown Lincoln’s District 46, also commented on data centers. Conrad criticized Pillen’s announcement that he would deny tax incentives for data centers, as a “performative” attempt to suspend state law and tax policy through an executive order. And she derided a group he appointed to study the issue as a “sham commission, which might as well be a consortium of investors from big tech and big business who want to fleece our land and our water.” 

Responding to a question about conservation, Caitlin Knutson, running to represent east Lincoln and Cass County’s District 2, said preserving public lands is important for the state’s future. “

Young people are seeing and prioritizing health and being in outdoor spaces and want to make sure that they have that. And I think it will not only be environmental damage if we let those spaces go, but it will be a huge economic hit because we already see Nebraska loses a lot of college-educated folks,” she said. 

Knutson is competing for the seat with Dean Helmick, who did not attend the forum. 

Candidates were also asked about the Environmental Trust, which makes individual grants for environmental projects, but which Pillen and senators have tried to use for ongoing environmental programs during a time of budget shortfalls. 

Former Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks said she would reintroduce a proposed constitutional amendment that failed this year, which would limit state agencies’ ability to use the funds for ongoing programs. “I will defend against these authoritarian steps. That's what they are; they're authoritarian steps,” she said.  

Pansing Brooks is running in central Lincoln’s District 28, which she represented until forced out by term limits  four years ago. She is opposed by Colby Woodson, who did not attend the forum. 

Sen. George Dungan, running for reelection in northeast Lincoln’s District 26, said on many issues, public involvement is the key to persuading senators. 

“Part of the strategy is coming to the Legislature and making sure that our colleagues know this is important. If they think there's just a couple of upset people about it, they roll their eyes at the issue,” he said. “But once it starts to get traction and they realize how important it is to the larger populace, they start to pay attention.”

Dungan is competing for the seat with Tobias Howard, who did not attend the forum.