With access to health care on the line for 90,000 Nebraskans, OTOC leaders worked hard to expand Medicaid for those with no health insurance.  After efforts to secure enough votes to overcome a filibuster in the Nebraska Unicameral proved unsuccessful, OTOC partnered with allies in 2018 to secure a place on the November Midterm ballot for 'Initiative 427' as a way to secure Medicaid Expansion in Nebraska.  On November 6, 2018, the effort succeeded.

Over the course of the year, OTOC leaders mobilized 50 individuals who secured 3,500 signatures in the effort to get the initiative on the ballot.  OTOC organized 17 civic academies in Omaha congregations and public libraries to help build an educated constituency and, in efforts to educate the public, published seven Opeds, including four in the Omaha World Herald.  In the final days leading to the vote, the World Herald selected OTOC to counter final arguments by a team including the former Governor, Attorney General and a member of Koch Brothers Nebraska.  

Leaders testified at State hearings, leveraged commitments from winning Congressional candidates to protect Medicaid Expansion if Initiative 427 were to pass, and organized a fall accountability assembly in which all seven Unicameral candidates committed to implementing Medicaid expansion.    

Initiative 427 won with a margin of 41,594 votes statewide.  Counties where OTOC focused -- Douglas and Sarpy -- were critical to overcoming vote deficits elsewhere.  In Douglas County, alone, 111,630 residents voted FOR Initiative 427, approximately one third of the statewide total, and far exceeding the margin of victory. &nbsp

OTOC leaders are now turning their attention to implementation of Medicaid expansion, to ensure it reaches those who most need it.  

Imperative That Nebraska Pass Initiative 427 and Expand Medicaid, Omaha World Herald

Medicaid for Public Health, Omaha World Herald

Complete report of OTOC Action, OTOC

In an effort to stand with immigrants, Nebraska Lutheran Bishop Brian Maas, Catholic Archdiocese Chancellor Rev. Tim McNeill, and College of St. Mary President Maryanne Stevens joined Omaha Together Organized Communities (OTOC) in a column calling on Congress for an 18-month extension of 'Temporary Protective Status (TPS).'

TPS allows immigrants and refugees like OTOC leader and 20-year resident Wilfredo Rivera (featured in photo above) to avoid deportation. This issue affects 400,000 immigrants nationally, not including their children.

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After working for the last 6 years to increase City funding to demolish 800 condemned buildings in Omaha, Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) testified in favor of $1.1 Million included in the proposed 2018 City budget for demolition of condemned structures, up from just $250,000 in 2012 when OTOC started pushing for increases. As a result, the backlog of abandoned houses has been brought down from over 750 to less than 125.

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Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) leaders and Nebraska allies convened at the Capitol to call on their congressional representatives to replace the Affordable Care Act before repealing it. Said Mary Spurgeon, "to repeal the ACA without an as-good-as-or-better plan immediately replacing it would be an immoral act against both individual well-being and the common good of this nation."

Referencing Catholic Social Teaching, the Methodist Book of Discipline and Lutheran social statements, Spurgeon announced that OTOC "does not care who is named after," it just needs to be in place before withdrawing currently available healthcare options.

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After 85 Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) religious leaders called on Congressperson Brad Ashford to end indefinite detention of women and children seeking political asylum, 350 leaders of Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) assembled to challenge congressional candidates Brad Ashford (incumbent) and Don Bacon to support the OTOC agenda regarding immigration reform, the death penalty and more. Both candidates, including Ashford, committed to working to end the indefinite detention of Central American women and children.

Leaders also engaged candidates for the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) to secure commitments to work with the organization to move more quickly towards clean energy sources.

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In reaction to a proposal from the Omaha Public Power District to more than triple fixed fees from $10.25 to $35 per month, Fr. Mike Eckley and other OTOC leaders publicly challenged the wisdom of punishing low-income families for conserving energy. OTOC not only succeeded in compelling the Board to reduce the proposed increase by 80%, the Board was forced to create a $1.5 Million customer assistance program for low-income low-use families. Leaders plan to intervene in the November 2016 Board election to prevent future fixed fee hikes from being phased in.

On the dignified housing front, Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) not only succeeded in tripling the budget for demolition of blighted properties between 2012 and 2015, it persuaded the City Council to increase housing re-inspection fees levied on neglectful property owners, sufficient to increase the number of trained rental housing inspectors in the field to nine. In a move against slumlords who abandon their properties, OTOC compelled the Council to pass a vacant property registration ordinance requiring owners to pay $500 for every quarter a house lies vacant (up to $2,000 / year). OTOC succeeded over the opposition of the Landlord's and Nebraska Bankers associations.

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Following up on fall training offered to members of OTOC, the Institute for Public Leadership of Omaha expanded its offerings this year to include civic academies that deal specifically with the interests of refugee women. Women from Burundi, Myanmar, Congo and South Sudan gathered for four sessions that covered local governance in America and how school districts work. Says Ndaizeye Immaculee: "By coming to Refugee Women Leadership I learned how the levels of government work in Omaha and Nebraska...."

In one instance, conversation in the civic academy revealed that immigrant women are often not covered by their husband's health insurance policy (nor by CHIP which covers their children) and thus do not have access to affordable care. Subsequent sessions have been scheduled through the Spring to cover areas like healthcare access, domestic violence, housing and consumer credit.

Less than a week after Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) leaders began circulating a statement in support of unaccompanied children at the border, 140 leaders signed on -- including Nebraska Episcopal Bishop Scott Barker and NE Lutheran Bishop Brian Maas.

The campaign was precipitated by OTOC immigration action leader Sr. Kathleen Erickson, who had spent 5 weeks on a mission trip to San Pedro Sula in Honduras (the murder capital of the world). With legal experts and other Sisters of Mercy, the immigration action team educated OTOC leadership about the dangers children face in Central America.

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The OTOC Environmental Sustainability Team formed early this year upon learning that the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) planned to continue burning coal in North Omaha and retreat from the use of renewable energy sources (including wind and solar). They presented 4 key demands to the OPPD Board leading them to revise their plans to end coal burning in North Omaha by 2016 and maintain a minimum use of 32% of renewable sources.

Pictured at right is the team of OTOC leaders that pushed the Board to revise its energy plan. Articles below quote OTOC leader Laurie Gift and OTOC ally Rev. Eric Elnes.

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