Senators weigh one-year $150,000 bridge to keep Lewis and Clark Visitor Center open
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Sign Up Free
Summary
Sen. Bob Hallstrom introduced LB1058 to authorize a $150,000 grant (proposed from the Tourism Commission cash fund under AM2050) to bridge federal funding that lapsed in 2025 for the Lewis and Clark Visitor Center in Nebraska City; local leaders said the center needs the funds by July 1 to avoid closure.
Sen. Bob Hallstrom presented LB1058 to the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, proposing a one-year grant program administered by the Nebraska Tourism Commission and a $150,000 appropriation to help the Missouri River Basin Lewis and Clark Interpretive Trail and Visitor Center in Nebraska City cover an immediate operating shortfall after federal funding lapsed in 2025.
Hallstrom said the visitor center is a gateway attraction for the state and that federal support — previously up to $150,000 a year — was not extended in 2025. He offered AM2050 to switch the funding source from the general fund to the Nebraska Tourism Commission cash fund and described the request as a short-term bridge while members of the federal delegation work to restore long-term funding.
Sarah Crook, chair of the foundation's board, told senators the center opened in 2004, averages nearly 10,000 visitors annually and has recorded more than 290,000 visitors over 22 years; she said the center relies heavily on volunteers and a modest budget and needs $150,000 by July 1 or it may have to close. "We need to raise 150,000 by July 1 to cover our operating expenses," Crook said.
Jeffrey Owusu Ansah, a registered lobbyist for the Nebraska Travel Association, urged the committee to act quickly but cautioned against legislatively directing tourism-commission grant dollars because it could set a precedent that politicizes a small pool of grant funds.
Committee members pressed Hallstrom on the timeline for federal action, whether the visitor-promotion fund has been swept in past budget cycles, and whether the Tourism Commission cash fund can sustainably absorb a $150,000 grant. Hallstrom said his intent was a one-year bridge and that he would look for non-general-fund sources and minimize the tourism fund hit if possible.
Online comments reported during the hearing included 1 proponent and 8 opponents; senators said they would consider the amendment and funding source as the bill proceeds.