LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Early momentum toward using a substantial chunk of Nebraska tax dollars to try to ease alcohol-related problems in and near Whiteclay mostly fizzled out Monday.

Citing a lack of clear strategy and participation from other government entities, including the state of South Dakota, Nebraska lawmakers backed off plans to put $100,000 in a fund to help address issues in and near the village of 14. They instead gave second-round approval to $25,000 and a grant writer that will cost roughly $40,000.

Four stores in Whiteclay sell a total of about 4 million cans of beer annually, mostly to members of South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian reservation, which is dry and within walking distance of Whiteclay. The reservation has one of the country’s highest alcoholism-related mortality rates.

“We need to separate the real needs from the feel good,” said Sen. Dennis Utter of Hastings, who proposed no money be put in the Whiteclay fund. “One-hundred thousand dollars won’t make a dent in the alcohol problem in Whiteclay,” he added later.

The $25,000 plan that includes the grant writer is about 10 times smaller than an early proposal to funnel $250,000 to the Whiteclay fund and hire a grant writer. That proposal had been whittled down to $100,000 before being pared again Monday.

The state’s budget problems have helped erode support for spending money on Whiteclay.

“This is not the time we should be doing this,” said Sen. Lavon Heidemann of Elk Creek, chairman of the budget-writing Appropriations Committee.

Another lawmaker countered that there apparently never has been a good time, pointing out that there never has been legislative action aimed at addressing the problems in Whiteclay.

“We have a chance to make a difference,” said Sen. John Harms of Scottsbluff, who wanted $100,000 set aside. He and others believed that might be enough to attract grant dollars that could make a difference. The money could have been used to start an alcohol-detoxification center near Whiteclay, which will be harder to do with less money.

“We have never ... dealt with the issue,” Harms continued. “We just keep pushing it aside ... it’s always South Dakota’s problem. It’s our problem.”

Nebraska senators have said their South Dakota counterparts told them they’re interested in cooperating to address alcoholism-related problems, but couldn’t help this year.

Theresa Two Bulls, president of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council, did not immediately respond to a phone message Monday. During a legislative hearing in December, she told lawmakers the tribe wanted to work with them and that “now is the time to come together ... we need to stop pointing fingers.”

At the time, Two Bulls said the tribe supported an additional tax on beer sold in Whiteclay, with revenues going toward a detox center and possibly, a homeless shelter. That idea, and another presented in January to use existing sales tax revenue from beer sales, fell flat earlier in the legislative session.

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