J.L. Schmidt has been covering Nebraska government and politics since 1979. He has been a registered Independent for more than 20 years.
At a time when people’s trust in government is waning, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers issued an opinion that the Legislature’s Office of the Public Counsel, better known as the Ombudsman’s Office, is unconstitutional.
The office exists to promote accountability in government by independently and impartially investigating issues related to state agencies and employees. The departments of Hea…