The first session of the 108th Legislature is well-underway, having convened on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January (January 4th) as required by the Nebraska Constitution. Not only did the start of the session see the swearing in of a new Governor, sixteen new senators joined the Legislature as well. The first three weeks of the session has included the assignment of committees and the election of legislative leadership. I was named the Speaker of the Legislature and am honored to have the opportunity to serve in that role for the next two years. Members have also debated the adoption of the permanent rules of legislative procedure and of course have introduced new legislation. The last day of bill introduction was January 18th and over 800 measures were introduced this session. Next week the fourteen legislative standing committees will begin the process of conducting public hearings on each and every measure introduced. While members of the Legislature always welcome the chance to personally interact with citizens who are able to testify at a public hearing, there is now an option to provide comments on bills online once the bill has been scheduled for a hearing. You can get more information about pending legislation on the Legislature’s webpage: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/ and of course, you are always welcome to contact my office.