From Christmas to legislature, a year in review

It’s over. Another Christmas done. New Year’s a few days away. It’s that awkward time of the year for Nebraskans.
There’s no football to discuss, because who cares about bowl games if we aren’t going?  The Legislature has yet to convene.
At the risk of sounding like Internet click-bait, let’s look at the 12 big things that happened in 2018. Yes, the bane of every journalist’s existence, the list.
We had an election and an execution, but no property tax relief.  If you’re counting, that’s three. Here’s the list and a brief explanation:
Election. With the Republicans winning virtually everything—surprise, surprise—the big news was that the incumbent Governor managed to escape with only one debate and a joint appearance. I’d say that Democrat challenger Bob Krist, a 10-year legislative veteran, got the short end of the stick. Krist knew challenging deep pockets incumbent Pete Ricketts was an uphill battle. Debates could have changed things because Krist was far more affable and credible.
Execution. Transparency died Aug. 10 when a federal judge ruled the state can kill one of its citizens despite the protests of a drug company that didn’t want its products used for such purposes. He also said the state doesn’t have to reveal where it got the drugs. Simultaneously, a Lancaster County District Court judge ruled a legislative committee cannot exercise its legal right to subpoena a state official to answer questions about the aforementioned drug protocol. On Aug. 14, the state killed death row inmate Carey Dean Moore.

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