Opinion

While most attention is paid to the policy work I do for Nebraskans in Washington, D.C., my first priority will always be ensuring government is working for all taxpayers. When I was governor, I was proud of the progress we made to streamline and simplify how Nebraskans interact with state agencies, but navigating the federal bureaucracy can be even more daunting.

Four years ago this month, our home of Nebraska experienced a uniquely challenging natural disaster. A severe winter storm, a bomb cyclone, caused historic levels of flooding from Nebraska rivers, resulting in the tragic loss of life as well as destruction to homes, businesses, infrastructure, and farmland.

The recent failures of Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) have increased the concerns of many over the threat of a deepening international economic crisis. While the failure of major financial institutions is particularly troubling on top of the inflation and supply chain problems of the past two years, we should take time to ensure new policies enacted in response address real problems without harming the majority of local banks across states like Nebraska who are unconnected to the failed banks.

My colleagues and I on the Senate Agriculture Committee have already begun working on the 2023 Farm Bill, a package of critical agriculture legislation passed only once every five years. Those of us on the Agriculture Committee often agree on many aspects of the Farm Bill, and one of the most popular solutions we hope to implement this year is an increase in the accessibility of precision agriculture technologies.

Agriculture producers in Nebraska have earned their standing as world leaders in agriculture through their excellence and tradition of respecting the natural resources with which our state is blessed. No one cares more about the land and water of our state than the farmers and ranchers whose livelihoods depend on careful management these resources.

Last week, Senator Linehan’s LB 753, the Opportunity Scholarships Act, advanced to the next round of debate. This is historic as it marks the first time in many years that a “school choice” bill has moved forward in the Nebraska Legislature. However, it is important to note that LB 753 is part of a larger school finance and property tax reduction plan proposed by Governor Jim Pillen. I am proud to support this legislation (along with the other legislation included in the package) as it is a win-win for Nebraska taxpayers and our state’s children. LB 753 helps to expand educational options for families who might not otherwise have the means to afford private school tuition, while at the same time reducing the burden on our public school system. By providing scholarships to students in need, we can help to level the playing field and ensure that every child in Nebraska has access to options for education. Parents are the best judges of their children’s educational needs and deserve to be able to choose the educational environment that best suits their children’s needs, regardless of their income.

We’re rolling toward the halfway mark of the session. At this point, we’re debating legislative bills/resolutions that have been voted out of their respective committees in the mornings until the lunch hour with committee hearings following in the afternoon. There are many issues we face in Southeast Nebraska; tax relief is always at the top of my agenda. Governor Jim Pillen designated six priority bills for this Legislative session aimed at modernizing Nebraska’s tax code and making our state’s tax structure more competitive with other states. This week, I would like to highlight some of those bills for tax relief.

This weekend, I had the opportunity to visit our southern border and see firsthand the chaos occurring there. Our trip to the Rio Grande Valley reaffirmed that what is going on at our border is nothing short of a national security crisis. The Biden administration’s reckless disregard for border security has turned every state — including Nebraska — into a border state.

This week the Supreme Court heard arguments on Biden v. Nebraska and U.S. Department of Education v. Brown, two challenges to the Biden administration’s student debt cancellation proposal. The administration’s debt cancellation scam is just one example of a pattern of irresponsible economic policies that have resulted in ongoing inflation, exacerbated workforce woes, and increased financial hardship hitting American households.