“Falletta Conducts ‘Pines of Rome'”
Omaha, NE—Omaha Symphony welcomes guest conductor Maestra JoAnn Falletta, and guest violinist, Blake Pouliot, for a performance this weekend in homage to Rome. Maestra Falletta, the only female conductor of a top 40 orchestra, will lead the orchestra in the works of Berlioz and Respighi.
Road to Omaha – Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
Omaha, NE – On today’s episode of “Road to Omaha,” KVNO’s Brandon McDermott spoke with Oral Roberts head coach Ryan Folmar.
Lawmakers move forward on pipeline regs; Gov. wants credit
November 16th, 2011
Lincoln, NE – The Nebraska Legislature is moving forward in the battle over regulating oil pipelines. But how long it will take until Nebraskans know the fate of a revised Keystone XL proposal remains uncertain.
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[audio:https://kvnonews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/pioeline_KVNO01.mp3]On the first front of the battle, Nebraska lawmakers gave first-round approval Wednesday morning to a bill that would apply only to Keystone XL.
Lawmakers advanced Speaker Mike Flood's proposal, which would require a state-funded environmental review of an alternate route for Keystone XL. (Photo courtesy Nebraska Legislature)
It’s an agreement worked out by legislative Speaker Mike Flood, under which TransCanada agrees to move the proposed pipeline out of the Sandhills. In exchange, the state will conduct an expedited environmental review of a new route to be proposed. That review is expected to take six to nine months. In a hearing Tuesday afternoon, representatives of TransCanada, Sandhills residents and the Nebraska Chapter of the Sierra Club voiced their support.
Flood said the state should pay for the review, which the legislative fiscal office estimates will cost $2 million. Flood said TransCanada had not asked the state to pay. “I’m telling you straight up, I think the taxpayers should pay for this, because this report belongs to us,†Flood said. “And it will be objective, and it will belong to the people that live along that new proposed route.â€
The only person to testify against the Flood’s proposal, Emily McKeone, mentioned that among her objections. “It is not in Nebraska’s best interest to use our tax dollars to speed up the federal government’s process when the decision for a presidential permit has already been delayed until 2013.â€
TransCanada officials have said they hope the federal decision could be speeded up by the expedited state review. But in a press briefing Tuesday, a State Department spokesperson repeated the first quarter of 2013 as the earliest date for a decision.
On another aspect of his proposal, Flood argued it still gives the governor the power to approve or disapprove a new route for Keystone XL.
Gov. Heineman said he deserves some credit for the State Department's decision to delay a decision on Keystone XL. (Photo courtesy State of Nebraska)
“Ultimately, the people in this state have to convince one person – that being Governor Dave Heineman at this current time – that this route’s in the best interest of Nebraska or it’s not. And he has to certify in writing.â€
In a news conference, Heineman said he would be comfortable making that decision. The governor, who left a meeting in Nashville early to hold a news conference on developments, said his decision to call a special session had been the catalyst for the deal to move the pipeline.
“I think we were leaders in this process because we called a special session. It wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t called the special session,†he said. “Secondly, I want to acknowledge the great work that Speaker Flood did. I really appreciate – and I think that’s part of the legislative process. So I think everybody was doing their job allowing us to move forward.â€
Heineman had resisted calling a special session for months, and Flood had said he didn’t think the Legislature could enact siting legislation that would be constitutional, before the governor called the session late last month. The State Department then announced a lengthening of the federal review process, citing environmental concerns in Nebraska.
On the second front, dealing with the routing of future pipelines, the Legislature gave first round approval to a bill giving the Nebraska Public Service Commission siting authority. The bill lists various factors the PSC would have to take into account, including depletion of natural resources and intrusion into unusually sensitive groundwater areas.
Omaha Sen. John Nelson was among several senators who suggested the bill may go too far. “When I first read through the bill it just seemed to me like we’re building a wall here that’s going to make it almost impossible for any oil line to come through,†Nelson said.
But Sen. Annette Dubas of Fullerton, the bill’s sponsor, said that given Nebraska’s reliance on agriculture, the protections it contains are necessary. “We need to be able to weigh that, if you’re putting a pipeline in, is there that potential for any adverse impact that would impact that particular area of the state’s ability to generate a positive economy?â€
To try and balance those concerns, lawyers for TransCanada and those who want to regulate pipeline routes were to meet to try and agree on language before the next round of debate.
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