LINCOLN - State Sen. Bob Hallstrom’s latest column includes congratulations to creative districts and potential local impacts from competing budget bills.

The senator says one of the budget bills that advanced to final reading includes his bill to make $150,000 available to the Missouri River Basin Lewis and Clark center.

His bill LB 1191 could benefit NioCorp by providing a three-year extension to deadlines under the Nebraska Advantage Act.

Here is the senator’s column:

We have reached the final ten working days of the 2026 Legislative Session. We are scheduled to have late night floor debate on every remaining work day and address as many Priority Bills as we can before the session ends. We are currently scheduled to adjourn and complete session activities on Friday, April 17.
The Nebraska Arts Council recently awarded Development Grants to Nebraska Creative Districts. The grants are available to all certified Creative Districts and are made
possible through an appropriation from the State of Nebraska.
Southeast Nebraska is blessed with a number of fantastic Creative Districts, so we were excited to learn that Creative Districts in Auburn, Falls City and Nebraska City each individually received a grant of $100,000.
The purpose of the Development Grant is to provide funds to the Creative Districts of Nebraska for projects that focus on creating significant cultural tourism and economic development. Projects supported by the funds must demonstrate the potential to attract visitors, create jobs, attract or retain young people, and revitalize Nebraska communities.
Nebraska has received $218.5 million for the first year of a five-year grant from The Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP).
This is a $50 billion federal program to improve health care in rural areas across the 50 states.

RHTP is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernize rural health care and make it more sustainable. All local hospitals and EMS programs are encouraged to go to the website at https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Grant-Opportunities.aspx to apply for these grants.

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