This week, as the nation listened and watched, President Biden gave the second State of the Union address of his presidency. Over the last year the American people have struggled under historic inflation, rising crime rates, and severe economic uncertainty.
Last week concluded all-day committee hearings and this week the legislature begins debate on the legislative bills that have been kicked out of their respective committees. This week, I would like to highlight Senator Briese’s LB 685 as I have received many emails and phone calls from constituents in regard to this bill, expressing the need to “stand up for the little guys.” With this said, let me be clear: “I hear you.” LB 685 would boost the fees for “games of skill” machines to $1,000 per machine and impose a 20% tax on the net proceeds.
Families, schools, and teachers do a lot to support Nebraska kids, but sometimes they need more. That is where mentors fill the gap. They provide guidance, a hand on the shoulder, a source of support, and more. Nebraska has many such programs. Unfortunately, the need for mentors far outnumbers those who are available.
This month marks the beginning of the 118th Congress, a fresh opportunity for the U.S. Senate to unite and accomplish important goals for the American people. My priority this new Congress will remain the same: to advocate for the people of Nebraska. As a mom, rancher, former schoolboard member, and former State Senator in Nebraska’s Unicameral, I am committed to delivering results that benefit our great state and its residents.
One month into the 118th Congress, we are forging ahead with our Commitment to America. In order to restore a strong American economy, we are working to exercise oversight over reckless federal spending and the failed White House policies that have hamstrung recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the severe inflation and large-scale layoffs we’ve seen throughout the first 23 months of the Biden presidency. Despite the fact President Biden declared “the pandemic is over” in an interview with 60 Minutes last September, he has since extended the Public Health Emergency (PHE) while pursuing harmful proposals such as student loan debt cancelation and heavy-handed vaccine mandates. This week, the Republican-led House took action to check these abuses of executive power and uphold government accountability.
Today marks day 22 of the 90-day legislative session. Although the legislature has nearly surpassed a quarter of the remaining days, my colleagues and I have already debated some of the most significant issues facing Nebraskans: protecting innocent life and voter ID.
Every Nebraska kid should be given the opportunity to have their educational needs met, whether they live in Omaha or Scottsbluff. Every parent regardless of socio-economic status should have the ability to decide what is the best school to meet their child’s need.
with Phyllis Buell Well, I amazed that the sun is coming up after all this morning. At least in Kansas City! I can imagine there are people in that great city that haven’t gone to bed yet because they didn’t want Sunday to end! I am at least wise enough to know which side “my bread is buttered on” with my family.
Students are a large part of why I’m so optimistic about the future of our great country. In recent years they’ve faced unprecedented challenges as COVID-19 disrupted traditional classroom settings. While Nebraskans worked hard to keep our schools open, other states can’t say the same. The resulting spotlight on public schools highlighted just how important parental engagement and freedom is to student success. Parents, not politicians, know what their children need in the classroom. This isn’t to say private education is always superior – I proudly attended Nebraska’s excellent public schools – but no child should be stuck in a failing system because of their ZIP code or socioeconomic status.
Last year, I introduced LB 1110, which outlined the provisions for registering all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and utility-terrain vehicles (UTVs) for street use. Unfortunately, that bill got stuck in committee and never made it to the floor. This year, I have introduced LB 66, which has the same intent as last year’s bill.