Things are picking up at the Capitol and all across Nebraska. Maintaining health and safety while reopening our state and re-starting our economy are at the forefront of many minds. To be successful, we must all work together—individuals, businesses, and the ag community—to continue to build and remain #NebraskaStrong. To that end, I continue to monitor re-stabilizing ag and other businesses, the overall health of District 17 and our state, and the anticipated issues we will encounter going forward.

LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS! ACT NOW! – SMALL BUSINESS STABILIZATION GRANT APPLICATION PERIOD IS JUNE 15TH TO JUNE 26

. Governor Rickets announced that, as part of his Get Nebraska Growing initiative, there are small business grants and grants for livestock producers being made available from funds that were provided to the State under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The grants will be distributed to small businesses and livestock producers that have been greatly affected by the impacts of COVID-19.

The funds are finite and will be distributed by the Department of Economic Development on a first-come, first-served basis in qualified amounts to eligible producers and small businesses.

You may apply for a grant up to $12,000 if you are a small business with five to forty-nine employees or a livestock producer with fewer than ten employees and have closed or sustained a loss of revenue or employment since March 13, 2020. Nebraska Cattlemen reports that the following livestock producer industries are eligible: Beef Cattle Ranching and Farming, Dairy Cattle and Milk Production, Hog and Pig Farming, Poultry and Egg Production, and Sheep/Goat Farming.

In addition, Nebraska Livestock producers must have at least 20 animal units and two-thirds (2/3) of gross income must come from Farming or Ranching. More information is available at https://getnebraskagrowing.nebraska.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Small-Business-Stabilization-Program-FAQ-for-Livestock-Producers.pdf

Apply at: https://getnebraskagrowing.nebraska.gov/ag-grants/

The application period ends June 26, 2020. If you believe you are eligible, be sure to get your application in right away.

REOPENING NEBRASKA

As Nebraska reopens, each health district, and in fact, each county and city encounters its own unique challenges. Nowhere is this more visible than in District 17, where Thurston and Wayne Counties are opening under a Phase 2 Directed Health Measure (DHM) while Dakota County is operating under a more restrictive Phase 1 DHM. Even within the counties, differing challenges exist. COVID-19 has greatly impacted individuals, families, churches, businesses, and industry. Hardest hit economically have been the hospitality (restaurants, hotels, venues) and agricultural industries. We have seen inspiring creativity and adaptability in many areas, including re-directing agricultural products unable to get into the bottleneck created by processing slowdowns and shutdowns, processor plant re-fits to improve safety for workers, and a hospitality industry that has completely re-worked everything from delivery methods (think take-out) to interior design to protect employees and guests. Because of the willingness and dedication of so many producers and business owners, we can all look forward to healthy re-openings.

We mourn those we have lost to COVID-19. We also mourn alongside families who have been unable to hold traditional funerals for their loved ones. We are all heartbroken that most of our high school and college seniors were not able to walk across the stage after so many years of working towards a graduation goal. This has all been hard work and sacrifice, but as Nebraskans, we are not strangers to hard work and we know hard work pays off. As residents of District 17, we can see that there is hope on the horizon. Even in Dakota County, where we experienced a spike in the number of positive cases of COVID-19 over a short period of time, the number of new cases has been slowing down and leveling off, just as they have statewide. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS) has continued to find the health of our healthcare system strong and stable. Our sacrifice and hard work have kept our health care system from being overwhelmed. In fact, NDHHS reports that we continue to see 40%-50% of our hospital beds available for those who need it, with 45%-50% of ICU beds, and over 70% or more ventilators. Thank you for being a partner in helping Nebraska flatten the curve.

LEGISLATURE:

There are a lot of issues facing the Legislature as we move into Session again on July 20, 2020. With 17 days left, we expect to be working long days. My staff and I are working to make sure we are as prepared as we can be. I am in Lincoln this week meeting with various individuals and groups about issues before us when we reconvene. Tuesday morning, I and my staff will be attending a briefing from the Revenue Committee on CARES Act tax cuts.
I also anticipate conversations about things like improving rural broadband service as we all face a post-COVID-19 Nebraska. With so many working from home and schools working to implement more distance learning, this particular issue takes on more urgency moving forward. I will continue to keep residents of District 17 updated.

We continue to work on property tax reform as I have previously discussed in my weekly updates. Until it passes, you still have opportunity to act on your own behalf. As a reminder, property tax valuation disputes must be filed with the County Clerk’s Office in triplicate in person or postmarked by no later than June 30, 2020.

As always, I invite you to let me know your thoughts, ideas, concerns, or suggestions by contacting me at jalbrecht@leg.ne.gov or by calling my office at 402.471.2716.