As always, November and December seem to go by quickly as everyone prepares for the holidays. Here at the Legislature the pace picks up rapidly, gearing up for the next session.

The month of November began with a meeting of area school superintendents and ESU administrators and an important discussion of education and school finance issues as it pertains to property tax. Those keywords – property tax – will be an obvious theme in my updates for the foreseeable future.

I was able to participate in a round table discussion on herbicide use in early November. The Department of Agriculture continues to investigate this matter which concerns a fair number of farmers in our district.

It was good to be able to talk a bit with Ted Carter, who is in line to become the next president of the University of Nebraska system if approved by the Board of Regents. He has an impressive background and range of experiences that could be a benefit to NU.

My guest on KWBE Radio in November was Senator Tony Vargas of Omaha. I appreciated his willingness to come to Beatrice and discuss how he represents his district in the Legislature and the ways our districts are similar and vastly different.

The Appropriations Committee held two more hearings in November and another this past week. We had joint sessions with the Revenue Committee to receive reports on research projects at the University all across the state and a tax expenditure report from the Department of Revenue; and a session with the Transportation Committee to hear from the Department of Transportation. Joining me in the office for his job shadowing project on one of the hearing days was Trystin Somers of Palmyra High School. I enjoyed meeting him and learning about his goals for the future.

My legislative aide and I took a tour of the Nebraska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Lincoln last week.  The Center works with sight impaired individuals of all ages, training them to live independently.

In the office and across the district, we continue to meet with stakeholders and organizations to discuss their concerns and potential legislation. The range of topics is quite varied, as you would expect in a district with both urban and rural interests.

I was a panelist for the Peace and Civility Project event on the UNL campus on Nov. 19th. Also on the panel were senators Patty Pansing Brooks, Tom Brandt, Suzanne Geist and Anna Wishart. UNL journalism professor Rick Alloway was the moderator. We discussed ways to work “across the aisle” for the students and members of the public who attended, and took questions afterwards.

Just before Thanksgiving, the members of the Legislature met for the annual Legislative Council. Most of us had not seen each other since May, and this informal setting allowed us to catch up and talk about issues in general terms rather than in specific bill language. We also heard updates from the chairman of the major committees, an important preview to what’s ahead when we convene in January.

If you have visited the Capitol in the past year, you have seen the HVAC project underway, which affects a significant portion of the building. My office will be moving into the tower for the coming session, so you will need to call ahead to arrange any visits. You are always welcome and encouraged to contact me. Wishing you all a very merry and blessed celebration of the Christmas season. Here’s to a good new year for everyone in District 30. mdorn@leg.ne.gov  402-471-2620