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Today, Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson announced that the Appropriations Committee adopted a bill granting Nebraska constituencies over $5 million in direct funding earmarks for anti-crime, anti-meth, after school family and youth support programs included in the Fiscal Year 2009 Commerce, Justice Science Appropriations bill.
In addition to the funding for Nebraska specifically, the committee included $580 million for the Department of Justice’s Byrne Justice Assistance Grants. This program is crucial to Nebraska's law enforcement agencies which have used Byrne funding incredibly effectively to combat crime and the spread of drugs in the state. Senator Nelson continues to fight for a similar funding level to be included as part of the Fiscal Year 2008 Supplemental so that these efforts are not compromised in the latter part of this year.
"This is the first step to ensuring that Nebraskans have access to the services they need to lead a fulfilling and healthy life," said Senator Nelson. "I will continue to work with the Appropriations Committee and the Senate to ensure that funding for Byrne grants as well as funding for specific programs within Nebraska are retained throughout the appropriations process."
The bill contains direct funding for the following Nebraska groups totaling $5.4 million:
Nebraska METH Project: $500,000
To execute an integrated program consisting of market research, public service messaging, and community action to effect a substantial reduction in methamphetamine use among Nebraska’s youth.
- University of Nebraska Omaha, METH Remote Recovery Support: $600,000
To implement a project to improve Nebraska’s community corrections and methamphetamine abuse treatment services, particularly in rural areas, through utilization of technological resources to provide remote recovery support. - City of Omaha/Midlands Mentoring, Partnership Afterschool project: $500,000
For expansion of after school educational programming in the Greater Omaha Metropolitan Area. - Visiting Nurse Association Child Abuse Prevention and Intervention, Omaha: $300,000
To further implement this program to help prevent child abuse and neglect to reduce crime - Boys and Girls Home of Nebraska, Traumatized Youth Counseling, South Sioux City: 250,000
To enhance and further its focus on serving children and adolescent victims of trauma. - Heartland Family Services, METH Treatment Program, Omaha: $100,000
For the Methamphetamine Treatment Program, to assist law enforcement, the courts, and human service agencies by providing services to women and children in methamphetamine abuse cases. - Zero-to-Three, Judge Johnson’s Douglas Co. Family Court, Omaha: $150,000
For the Omaha Court Team for Maltreated Infants and Toddlers to raise awareness, increase knowledge and skills, and change practices regarding the needs of maltreated infants and toddlers and their families involved in the child welfare system. - Regional Climate Centers, University of Nebraska Lincoln, High Plains Regional Climate Center: $3,000,000
To support the nation’s 6 Regional Climate Centers including the High Plains Regional Climate Center at UNL. The High Plains Regional Climate Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and five other Regional Climate Centers around the nation would share in this funding that would support operating expenses for the network of regional climate centers. The UNL center collects near real-time weather and climate data, conducts research on weather and climate and their impact on crop production, and provides educational services. An online system provides information about weather, water use and performance for major crops, pest development, livestock conditions, soil moisture and heat indices. The Center’s data is available through their website, which is heavily used by farmers, ranchers, businesses, government agencies, and researchers in Nebraska and nationwide, receiving 34.5 million hits in 2006.
To learn more about earmarks, visit Senator Nelson's Nebraska Earmarks webpage at: http://bennelson.senate.gov/issues/earmarks/index.cfm
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