STAR WARS Update 3/4/25

This video covers the March 3rd, 2025 Appropriations Committee Meeting on the Funding of STAR WARS. This public hearing took place in Lincoln, Nebraska at the capitol building and was an opportunity for proponents of the funding the STAR WARS to be heard.

For review, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen is proposing to eliminate the STAR WARS funding for his proposed 2025 budget. Killing the STAR WARS bill would eliminate funding for the Weigand Marina make over on the Nebraska side of Lewis & Clark Lake. It would also eliminate funding ear marked for the Niobrara State Park and Lake McConaughy.

This issue of funding STAR WARS is very important to many people in Northeast Nebraska. But not just Northeast Nebraska… And not just Weigand Marina. As you will see in my report, I believe that funding STAR WARS is becoming more of a state issue.

STAR WARS funding will involve many areas and cultures of Nebraska including the Ponca Tribe, The Niobrara State Park, Weigand Marina (Lewis & Clark Lake) and Lake McConaughy (Keith County) in western Nebraska.

If you wish to contact Governor Pillen on your view of the funding of STAR WARS in his 2025 budget.

Some of the proponents of the funding of STAR WARS that came forward at this public hearing: 1) Stacy Miller with Knox County Economic Development 2) Angie Stinger with Growing Together Initiative 3) Traci Jeffrey as the Director of Visit Norfolk 4) Corey Crandall from Keith County 5) Joan Ervin who is a Keith County Commissioner 6) Thomas Wilbur who is the Keith County Highway Superintendent.

I have been covering the STAR WARS issue with the help of Senator Barry DeKay since October of 2023. I will stay in contact with Senator DeKay until the end of this legislative session in Nebraska which will likely run until mid-June. Stay with us and let us update you with all the details going forward.

More News: Senator DeKay introduced bill LB 491 at this public hearing. He introduced the bill on behalf of the Ponca Tribe to construct “Chief Standing Bear Museum & Visiting Center.” I did not do a good job of supplying you with the names and titles of the proponents of this bill. Mostly from the Ponca Tribe and I apologize to them. If you would like to comment on the names of these proponents and their titles I would appreciate it.

I hope you enjoy the video and the information that I am sharing with you through this process! I invite you to Like, Share & Subscribe to our YouTube Channel. We feel this is a topic that many people want information about and we feel the responsibility that goes with it. It’s just one reason we are Yankton’s Realtors of Choice! Keep On Keepin’ On!