As Nebraska moves into the fall harvest season, one of the most dangerous times of year for those in agriculture, it’s good for all of us to take special caution when working on the farm.  According to the Grain Handling Safety Coalition, on average, 167 agricultural workers suffer work related injuries each day.  Being careful not to wear loose clothing around power take-offs and wearing safety harnesses when working in grain bins can save a life.

Our farmers are working long days with harvest, moving heavy equipment on our roadways and we all need to be aware and use caution when approaching them on the roads.  If you encounter a slow-moving tractor, combine, or semi always give them adequate room. Often these vehicles make wide turns and sometimes need both lanes to do so.

These vehicles may appear to be pulling off onto the right shoulder of the road, but in fact they are turning left by going wide to line up with a gate or driveway. Be careful not to pull out in front of farm vehicles as they may be hauling heavy loads which could make a quick stop impossible.  Be patient when attempting to pass a slow moving vehicle and double check to ensure that it is not obscuring oncoming traffic before you pass.  It takes all of us to ensure a safe harvest season.

Last Sunday, the National Firefighters Association hosted their annual “America’s Tribute to Fallen Firefighters”. The tribute included the weeklong vigil, “Light the Night to Fallen Firefighters” which saw national monuments and landmarks, fire stations, and homes lit up red to honor the fallen. The tribute honored 103 firefighters, 82 of which perished in the line of duty in 2019. Firefighters around the country put their lives at risk to save others and it is important that we honor and remember these heroes.

Recent fiscal and unemployment reports show that Nebraska is recovering quickly from the effects of COVID-19. The Nebraska Department of Revenue recently released the August 2020 General Fund receipts. This new report was encouraging as it showed that in August, Nebraska’s net receipts were 15.2% above the certified forecast of $446 million. The department also reported that the net general fund receipts for fiscal year 2020-2021 were 6.4% above the forecast of $1.051 billion.

Not only are our tax receipts showing a rapid improvement in Nebraska’s economy, Nebraska currently has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation, at just 4% in August with about 4,600 Nebraskans collecting unemployment according to the Nebraska Department of Labor. This highlights the Nebraska work ethic, and shows that we are overcoming the impact caused by economic shutdowns.

I appreciate hearing from constituents on issues affecting District 23 and encourage you to contact my office on legislation at 402-471-2719 or bbostelman@leg.ne.gov.