And the beat goes on…
We’ve come to the end of yet another busy week with some contentious but productive debate over the budget. We as a body continue to look closely at what is in these pieces of legislation and I am working hard to make sure the Legislature is doing what is in the best interest of the people of Nebraska. The bills specifically devoted to the budget are LB328, LB329, LB330, LB149, LB327, LB331 and LB332.

Welcome to the Czech Republic
The Nebraska Legislature welcomed the Consulate General of the Czech Republic Borek Lizec, Ph.D. and other representatives on the morning of May 4th. I was proud to be able to greet them in their native language with a dobry’ den and jak se mas (good day & how are you?) as I welcomed our esteemed visitors to our chamber not only as a Nebraska State Senator, but one with Czech heritage.

Going Green in Bellevue

On Sunday, I joined Senator Sue Crawford, LD 45, in helping to congratulate supporters of Green Bellevue and its mission to make Sarpy County a greener, healthier place to live. Green Bellevue held an amazing Earth Day Celebration at the Lied Activity Center in Bellevue. There were demonstrations, hands-on activities, and educational opportunities. As always, it was well-attended and well-received.

The Blue Books Are Ready
I am pleased to announce that the 2016-17 Nebraska Blue Book are now available.

This is the 53^rd edition of the Nebraska Blue Book since it was first published in 1899. It is a biennial publication that details the structure of federal, state and local government in Nebraska and includes biographies of elected officials and judges. The book also includes constitutional, historical and statistical information about Nebraska, as well as information about the state’s geography, economy, people and culture.

Additional books may be purchased by contacting the Office of the Clerk of the Legislature at (402) 471-2271. The price for each additional book is $15.00 plus any applicable taxes and postage.

A free, downloadable version of the Blue Book will be available at: nebraskalegislature.gov/about/blue-book.php

USDA Rural Development Business Programs Director Speaking at May Event
The USDA Rural Development Business Programs Director Joan Scheel will be a speaker at the Brownfields Resources Workshop at the Arbor Bank, 911 Central Avenue in Nebraska City, Nebraska on May 18, 2017.  Please reach out to Scheel at the workshop to answer questions on your rural communities’ needs.

Local and regional government, economic development staff, not-for-profit economic and community development organizations, bankers, realtors, developers and others interested in financial resources for local redevelopment should plan to attend.

Learn what a brownfield is and develop skills in identifying them in your community.  Also to be discussed is cleanup and other funding available to communities and how to access them.  Participate in one-on-one discussions with representatives from funding programs. Hear about communities who have successfully applied for and utilized various types of funding.

The workshop is free and will begin at 8:45 a.m. and conclude at 3:00 p.m.  The cost is free and lunch will be provided, but registration is required.

Down the home stretch
Friday marked the the 77th day of this legislative session. As of now, we have had 84 bills signed by the governor and made into law. We have another 15 bills that have passed through final reason and will now go to the Governor’s desk for his approval. We have over 50 bills currently on final ready and another dozen on Select File. It has been a productive first session but we still have much to do.