The holiday season always seems to be the busiest time of year. When you add in a legislative session that begins in about three weeks, the calendar fills up even faster.  The past couple of months I have been meeting with constituents and organizations about their requests and suggestions for bills. 

To be honest, having money in the budget and extra federal money coming into Nebraska, makes things far more complicated. The key is to remember that robust state revenues are always on a cycle, and an infusion of cash from federal sources often comes with restrictions. That means we need to be extremely thoughtful and cautious about our spending in the coming session.

Meetings in the past month have included several health organizations and health care provider groups. The pandemic has placed additional stress on scarce resources and understaffed institutions, and I will be working with other senators to find solutions.  I continue to meet with the Courts and our counties to find a way to streamline services, making them more cost efficient without sacrificing jobs or accessibility to the public. 

As a member of the school funding interim study committee, I have attended several briefings and brainstorming sessions. Once again, we find there is no simple answer to the linkage between school funding and taxation. Added to that is the vast difference between school districts across our state, even within our own legislative district. Remembering the phrase “if it was easy, it would be done by now”, I anticipate much debate on this issue again on the floor of the Legislature, but hold out hope that we can find a good solution.

I toured some of the correctional facilities in Lincoln this past month, and will visit some sites in Omaha yet before the end of December. The recent wage increase is showing some promise in alleviating the staffing crisis, but facility ages and conditions are also a concern. This too will be a ‘hot topic’ when we convene in January.

Small business and local economic development continue to be crucial in every city and town in District 30. I have met with a couple of groups who have proposals to boost opportunities and will be supporting their efforts with legislation. The power grid and state infrastructure will also be addressed during the session. The University of Nebraska system has some proposed legislation dealing with cyber security and its importance in profitability for agriculture that I believe will be very beneficial. I continue to monitor the ‘right-to-repair’ topic regarding agricultural machinery and technology and expect some work to be done there as well.

Again, nearly everything my staff and I are working on will come down to funding. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I know our work will be more intense this coming year than ever before. Putting together a budget in a lean year is sometimes easier than having resources where everyone wants a portion.  The main budget work was done last year, which was the first half of this biennium (two year) legislative session. So technically, we will be working on “adjustments”. I anticipate there to be several adjustments. 

In the midst of the hustle and bustle, may you find moments of real peace and joy as we celebrate Christmas. Wishing you all good health and happiness, and all the best in the new year ahead.

Please contact me at any time at mdorn@leg.ne.gov, 402-471-2620. Follow me on Facebook at Senator Myron Dorn, and check my state website at http://news.legislature.ne.gov/dist30/. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!