Paul Hammel
Omaha World-Herald
A citizens group and Gov. Pete Ricketts scrapped last week over recent appointments to the state board that awards state lottery funds for environmental projects.
The Friends of the Environmental Trust called Rickettsâ appointments to the Nebraska Environmental Trust board âunfortunateâ and âbackwardâ because the appointments resulted in a panel that consists entirely of white men and has no representatives who live west of Hastings.
âThe mission of the Nebraska Environmental Trust is statewide, and the board should reflect our entire citizenry,â said former Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler, who chairs the Friends group and introduced the bill that created the trust when he was a state senator.