The Heart of Madison DeMeo 

L-R: Bellevue Mayor Rusty Hike, Senator Sue Crawford – Dist.45, Madison DeMeo, Senator Blood 

I was proud to join Mayor Hike, Senator Crawford, and the DeMeo family, as Madison received her award from U.S. Cellular.

From a very young age Madison has been interested in making her community a better place for all, especially those in need of a little help. At the age of 9, Madi, as she likes to be called, began selling Halloween candy she didn’t care for to friends and neighbors. With the money raised, she purchased non-perishable food items to donate to the Bellevue Food Pantry.

In the six years that have passed, Madi has raised more than $6,000 to support local causes, including the Food Pantry and The Alzheimer’s Association.

For her hard work and dedication Madi was recently recognized by U.S. Cellular as one of their top 16 Under Sixteen and became a recipient of $10,000 to go to a her charity of choice. I am glad Madi DeMeo is a part of our community and look forward to seeing much more from her in the years to come.

On March 7th, I introduced Legislative Resolution (LR) #39 to formally recognize the accomplishments of Madison DeMeo. You can read the Resolution here.

These are your roads and bridges, Nebraska!
Tell them what you think.

NDOT District 2 Program Hearing – State Highway Commission Meeting
This meeting is open to all members of the public. Future Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) highway improvement projects will be discussed at the meeting and public attendance and participation is highly encouraged.

Date and Time:
March 22, 2019 at 8:30 a.m.
Location:
University of Nebraska – Omaha
Thompson Alumni Center
6705 Dodge Street
Omaha, NE

For more information, please contact: Jason Prokop at 402-471-4567 or Jason.prokop@nebraska.gov

2019 State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Report

Advance copies of the State Treasurer’s annual Unclaimed Property Report are out and we have on in our office. The 2019 report represents $19,835,822 in NEW unclaimed property.

This report will be included in 16 Nebraska newspapers, as required by State Statute.
Here is the schedule for publication:
Sunday, March 10, 2019 – Omaha World Herald, Schottsbluff Star Herald
Saturday, March 23, 2019 – Beatrice Daily Sun, York News-Times, Columbus Telegram, Fremont Tribune
Sunday, March 24, 2019 – Lincoln Journal Star
Friday, April 5, 2019 – Holdrege Citizen, McCook Gazette, Sidney Sun-Telegraph
Saturday, April 6, 2019 – Alliance Times Herald, Hastings Tribune, Kearney Hub
Sunday, April 7, 2019 – Grand Island Independent, North Platte Telegraph

If you just can’t wait to claim your piece of the lost loot, you may check for unclaimed property at any time online here.

L-R: Senator Blood, Emily Barrson

The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency Announces its Severe Weather Awareness Poster Contest Winner

In a ceremony held at the State Capitol on Tuesday, Governor Ricketts handed out awards to the top four winners in the NEMA Severe Weather Awareness Poster Contest. Earning the top prize was 10-year-old Jack Barrson, son of Emily and Robert Barrson of Papillion. For his efforts Jack was awarded a $125 gift card and will have his poster professionally framed. His poster will become a part of the NEMA 2020 Calendar. Jack was unable to join the ceremony as he  is spending his Spring Break in Washington, D.C..      

Congratulations Jack, and very well done!

Unicameral Youth Legislature  You are invited!

High school students are invited to take on the role of state senators at the Unicameral Youth Legislature June 9-12. At the State Capitol, student senators
will sponsor bills, conduct committee hearings, debate legislation and discover the unique process of the nation’s only unicameral.

The Unicameral Youth Legislature gives behind-the-scenes access to students who have an interest in public office, government, politics, law, public policy, debate or public speaking. Students will learn about the inner workings of the Legislature directly from senators and staff.

Registrants are encouraged to apply for a Greg Adams Scholarship award, which covers the full cost of admission. Applicants must submit a short essay. Other $100 scholarships are also available.

The Office of the Clerk of the Nebraska Legislature coordinates the Unicameral Youth Legislature. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Extension 4-H Youth Development Office coordinates housing and recreational activities as part of the Big Red Summer Camps program.

To learn more about the program go here, or call (402) 471-2788.
The deadline for registration is May 15.

More Bill News

Earlier this week three of my bills were officially made law!  LB7, LB11, and LB115 were all signed by the Governor!

LB115 allows dependents of active duty military personnel accepted into a state college or university, but are then transferred out of Nebraska, to still get in-state tuition. This is important to military family members who want to go to one of our colleges and universities, but could be scared away by the high cost of out-of-state tuition.

The bill also puts us one step away from being fully compliant with the DOD’s list of what a state must do in order to be designated “military friendly.” That designation is extremely important when it comes to the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission discussions regarding which bases will close, and which will remain open. Another round of discussions regarding base decommissioning is going to happen sooner rather than later, and it is important to Nebraska and the country, that Offutt remain operational.

Another of my bills is on its way to the governor’s desk –LB8, my medical director flashing lights bill passed Final Reading without a single “no” vote on Friday the 15th.

APPLY FOR A BOARD OR COMMISSION

It’s that time of year again when there are all kinds of boards and commissions in the state that are looking for dedicated citizens to serve. These positions are appointed by the governor and range in topics from Juvenile Justice to Geology.

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, please visit to the Governor’s website here. You will be able to find a listing of every board that has an opening, as well as a brief synopsis of what is involved. You can also find an application here. Our state is a better place to live and raise our families when our citizens step up and get involved.

MEET OUR TEAM

Dee Austin-Administrative Aide
Senator Carol Blood, District 3
Oliver VanDervoort-Legislative Aide

We are here to serve the residents of District 3 and we are happy to respond to any questions or concerns you may have.

Did you know that there is a long list of items available for free to the public relating to the Nebraska Legislature? Here is a list of only a few that you might find interesting. If you are receiving this email digitally, you should be able to link to the information from your newsletter.

1. Unicameral Update
2. About the Legislature
3. Unicam Kids
4. Inside Our Nation’s Only Unicameral
5. Poster of Nebraska Senators
6. Membership & Committees Card
7. Lines of Government

For hard copies of these documents, please call my office at 402-471-2627 and we will be happy to place one in the mail to your home address.