Thank you to all who have contacted my office about the vaccine hotline and subsequent overloading of the system. We appreciated hearing from you about your experiences and receiving these updates. 

We have had several conversations in recent days with Public Health Solutions (PHS) which serves Gage county, as well as four other counties in south central/southeast Nebraska. They are working to expand and improve the appointment system as quickly as possible. The overwhelming response to the hotline definitely taxed the system, as well as the limited staff at PHS and the hospital staff, who of course, have other crucial duties as well. 

The main problem is that demand for the vaccine far surpasses the supply. Our public health district receives just 700 doses of vaccine per week, and those must be shared among the five counties. Gage county, with the highest population, receives 200 of those. 

Our public health directors have been extremely diligent in making sure every dose is used and not wasted, and that the supply is stretched as far as possible. There are only a certain number that are manufactured at a time, and then allocated to all of the states. The State Department of Health and Human Services and the Public Health departments, developed plans that work for each district based on demographics, available facilities, health care providers and so on. PHS is also working to resolve the differences between the online registration sites, as each health district developed a plan to serve local needs before the state roll out.

Until the supply of the vaccine can be drastically increased however, distribution will continue to be an issue. Public Health Solutions is urging all of us to continue the measures to protect ourselves and others until everyone who wants the vaccine has one. So please, continue to wear a mask, sanitize your hands, keep your distance from others, and stay home with any symptoms of illness.  Thank you!

A week that is out of the ordinary should not really come as a surprise anymore, it would seem. However the past week did have a few unexpected events. From an “historic snowfall” to a committee quarantine, the routine at the Legislature was anything but normal.

The Appropriations Committee began hearing agency reviews on Monday. In this process, we look at state agency budgets, go over their requests and compare it to the budget proposed by the Governor.  We had been meeting in a room that allowed senators and staff to distance, but when it was learned on Tuesday that a person had received a positive test for the virus, Lincoln Lancaster County Public Health officials recommended we leave immediately and quarantine. On Wednesday we began meeting virtually, which has worked out well for hearing agency reviews. We are making the best of it and glad to be able to continue working. 

Several bills of interest have been heard in committee this week. LR 22CA introduced by Sen. Linehan, would cap the amount of property tax that can be collected. At first look, it sounds like it would cap spending growth at 3%, but the bill focuses on tax collections when valuations increase.  As an example, with our system in Nebraska, if valuations went up 5% and the levy was not changed, tax collections also went up 5%. This act would require the levy to be adjusted to reflect a maximum of 3% increase in tax collections. Those in agriculture know there have been some very large increases in valuation and not always a corresponding reduction in the levy. If there were no increases in valuations, the bill does allow for a 3% increase in tax asking. The bill also has some exceptions for improvements and new construction, annexation of subdivisions and so on. So the bill is a 3% cap on growth of property taxes collected, not a cap on spending.

In visiting with schools in our district, I know they are very aware of this and what’s going on with state spending. LR 22CA does have the potential to hinder certain entities moving forward, since it removes the “automatic” increase in tax revenue when valuations go up. So in the instance there was 5% growth which necessitated a 5% increase in spending, another funding source would need to be found. For schools, that source would be state funding; and schools have concerns that, as has happened in the past, when the state budget is tight, TEEOSA will not be fully funded. 

In my opinion, LR22CA has a decent chance of getting out of committee, and then we will see what direction it would take on the floor. There are quite a few bills introduced about property taxes and relief. My office is hearing from constituents in Lancaster County who just received their valuations and protest notifications; with the system we have in Nebraska, there are real concerns that property taxes will continue to go up. This bill was introduced as a constitutional amendment, so if it gets out of committee and is passed by the Legislature, it would go to a vote of the people at the next election. 

LB 590 as introduced by Sen. Groene would reduce the time that early ballots are available from 35 days to just 20 days prior to an election. If you visit with county clerks, you learn they need time to process ballots. It takes time to go through requests, double check for voting eligibility; then mail them out and take them back in. For candidates, some believe we have too much time for an early ballot, meaning you must have your campaign able to reach a majority of voters 35 days ahead of the election.  The bigger picture here is to make sure we have confidence in our election process. I have complete confidence in the system in Nebraska.  We have about 22,000 residents in Gage county, and about 14,000 of those are registered to vote. Los Angeles County in California has 10 million people, five times as many as our entire state. When I go to vote in Adams, there are three or four people helping run the polling place; they know me and I know them. So compared to states like California, I do understand that we want to know it was completely above board and accurate. I have 100% confidence in District 30 and Nebraska; and I know our Secretary of State, Bob Evnan, has paid great attention to detail in our state’s process. 

Sen. Matt Hansen introduced LB 255, to provide a one time death benefit of $50,000 to the family of a first responder killed in the line of duty. This proposal has a lot of support from first responder groups, and 30 other states provide similar benefits to families. I remember in Wymore we did lose an individual in a fire there and that would have been a benefit to the family. I don’t see this as a high cost to the state, but I do see it as something that might help attract more volunteers to serve on our rescue squads and fire departments which desperately need more people to remain adequately staffed for our smaller communities.

Please send me your thoughts and concerns about these or any bills coming up in committee. My email is mdorn@leg.ne.gov and the phone number is 402-471-2620.  Stay safe in this winter weather and keep following the health guidelines.

A dozen days of the session are already in the books. On both the state and national level, it has been an eventful January so far. The final day of bill introduction was on Wednesday, which allowed for some time to watch the presidential inauguration activities in Washington. While security was enhanced here at the state capital, I was pleased that it was not needed, and I even observed a small number of people outside the front steps representing both political parties. I believe that speaks to what a lot of the people in Nebraska feel – that we can work through this all together, and I was very glad to see that. We have a lot of work to do at the national level; we don’t need to argue, but we do need to get things done.

At the end of bill introduction here in the state legislature, 684 bills were thrown into the hopper. Two years ago, we had about 750 bills, so we are down about 10%. I was hoping for only 500 or so and heeded the recommendations to limit bill counts.  The committees will have a lot of work to do, especially the Judiciary Committee which gets the largest number of bills. At this point, they will need to work through at least ten per day to get through them all; plus they get the higher profile bills that deal with corrections, firearms and so on. 

Hearings will look different this session, as safety measures are being put in place due to the virus. There will be ways to safely distance and to provide testimony in person or virtually. All of this is centered around the safety of the public, staff and senators; and to make sure the public has their voice heard and feel they had  good input to the committee hearing process. Information about the changes can be found at www.nebraskalegislature.gov

For example, the Appropriations Committee on which I serve, has always met in room 1003, with only about 25 chairs, so we will need to move to a larger room to space people out and have room for the general public. (Please check the website for the correct hearing room each day.) Even with larger rooms, there is still concern about safety in the hallway with people waiting, so that was part of the discussion that led to more remote participation options. Also, if any senators end up being quarantined then remote options allow senators to still engage in the hearings. Extending hearings to an all day format, which is different from years past, is also part of the strategy to increase space and accommodations. We will check in at 9 am on the floor, then begin hearings at 9:30 am starting on the 25th of January. 

The Appropriations Committee has a slightly different schedule, in that the first week of hearings, we will focus on reviewing agency proposals and then start hearing bills on February 5th. As we do the reviews, we will look at larger agencies first like Health and Human Services. We do go over every agency and every program in those, over 75 agencies and over 275 programs, and we look at all of them. There will be some federal CARES funds that will be brought back into the state budget, which were not used or allocated, so that figures into our reviews and discussions as well. 

This week the Legislature heard from Chief Justice Mike Heavican as he delivered his state of the judiciary report. Despite the covid situation, the courts are required to remain open. He explained how they adapted, went on line for some things, and acquired larger venues in some parts of the state so they could hold court cases with jury trials and still be distanced. There were also changes in handling probation and in the drug courts, such as in Gage county, which were challenging. As Justice Heavican said, a year ago, no one envisioned the year like we had. 

I would add that we don’t know a year from now what we will be looking back on. But with vaccines and getting a better handle on the virus, we have real hope of returning to more of a normal sense of where we were, knowing full well parts of the economy have been really affected, and we need to be able to help these individuals and businesses thrive. Please continue to contact my office if you have any concerns or questions. mdorn@leg.ne.gov or 402-471-2620. Stay safe and well!

The second week of the Legislative session includes organization of committees and the introduction of bills. Again for the next two years, I will serve on the Appropriations Committee. My experience with county budgets has served me well as I work with the eight other members of the committee to develop a balanced budget for the state of Nebraska. Senator John Stinner will again serve as chairman, and Senator Anna Wishart was elected vice chair of the committee. 

Before the Governor presented his biennial budget proposal in his State of the State address on Thursday, members of the Appropriations Committee attended a briefing with him at the Mansion. We were able to preview his ideas for spending, taxes and tax credits. Now the Legislature’s Fiscal Office will dissect his proposal and compare it to the intentions of the Legislature. Beginning next week, our committee will meet daily to review state agency budget proposals. 

Most committees will start all-day public hearings on the 25th, under a new format of morning (10 am to noon)  and afternoon (starting at 1:30 pm) hearings. The Appropriations Committee will begin public hearings on bills that have a fiscal note, or a cost associated with the bill, on February 8th. 

The last day for bill introduction is the 20th, which marks the tenth day of the session. The remainder of the week will be used to debate changes to rules that govern the legislative process. This is done near the beginning of every legislative session; changes typically pertain to how we operate in committees and during debate. One new proposal that reflects our current environment is a discussion about meeting and voting remotely, due to situations like the pandemic. 

At this time, I have introduced five bills. Just a reminder that you can find every bill and the complete text of each one, by going to the legislature’s website:  www.nebraskalegislature.gov . Along the left hand side of the page, you will see a tab for “Bills and Laws”, and can search for bills in a number of ways.

LB 41 would make it easier for townships to receive their funds each month.

LB 42 makes a small appropriation to the Nebraska Hall of Fame, so the families of recipients are not stuck with the cost

LB 102 allows counties with Courts the option to reorganize the county court and district court employees

LB 103 – see below

LB 361 provides some funding for the state Educational Service Unit system.

I consider all bills to be important, because all the bills introduced by our state senators affect either a district’s constituents or the entire state. I introduced LB 103 as part of my continuing effort to reduce the burden and strain on Gage county residents due to the federal judgment, commonly known as the Beatrice Six. This bill allocates $2 million dollars per year for each of the next two years, from the state budget, towards payment of the judgment, and would reduce the time left to pay it off. This will not be easy to achieve and I will work hard to convince my fellow lawmakers of the merits of this action, because I feel it is necessary for the economic health of our district. 

And speaking of health, please continue to follow the recommended guidelines for avoiding the coronavirus – wear a mask, wash your hands, avoid gatherings, get tested, and get vaccinated as soon as it is available to you. These procedures are our best hope in conquering a disease that has taken far too much already. Let’s continue to work together to stop it.

In good news for District 30, the Homestead National Monument has been officially renamed the Homestead National Historic Park by Congress, as signed into law this week. The Homestead National Historical Park commemorates the first claim under the Homestead Act with a heritage museum, the Freeman School, a tall grass prairie, hiking trails, a forest, and farming demonstrations. If you have never visited this great tribute to all the residents of the plains, I encourage you to do so when conditions allow. Click here for more information:  Homestead National Monument of America (US National Park Service)

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at any time. Send your emails to mdorn@leg.ne.gov. Call my office at 402-471-2620. Visit the website for more information on the schedule, public hearings on all bills, and new guidelines for the hearings. www.nebraskalegislature.gov Stay well!

The first session of the 107th Legislature convened on Wednesday the 6th, as prescribed by the Constitution of Nebraska. The first order of business is to swear in newly elected and re-elected senators, with the Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court administering the oath of office. The ceremony was different than when I was sworn in two years ago. At that time, my wife, children and grandchildren were able to be on the floor with me for that event. This year, senators all stayed at their seats and family and special guests were required to watch from the balcony. All this is a vivid reminder that we will continue to deal with the effects of the pandemic going forward.

With the new members officially seated, we moved on to the election of a new Speaker and the chairs of each committee. Senator Mike Hilgers, who represents District 21 – the area of northwest Lincoln and northwest Lancaster county – was elected as Speaker of the Legislature. He was unopposed in his bid to lead the Unicameral for the next two years.

The Executive Board elections followed. Sen. Dan Hughes, District 44 – which encompasses the southwest portion of the state from roughly Alma, NE to the Colorado state line – was chosen as chair of the Executive Board. Senator Tony Vargas of east Omaha, was elected as Vice Chair, assuring border to border representation on the Executive Board.

Senator Robert Hilkeman of west Omaha was elected chair of the Committee on Committees. This committee meets at the very beginning of the session to assign seats on the various committees. The state is divided into three caucuses based on our state’s congressional districts, and each caucus puts forward the names of those interested in serving on the Executive Board and each standing committee. 

Senator Robert Clements of Elmwood, and Senator Wendy DeBoer of north central Omaha both ran for chair of the Rules Committee and Senator Clements was elected. The chair of Enrollment and Review traditionally goes to the youngest new senator, and this year Senator Tyrell McKinney, District 11 in north Omaha, will hold that post. 

There are fourteen standing committees in the Legislature. These committees are responsible for holding hearings for all bills introduced, based on subject matter. Elections for these chairs were held in alphabetical order.  Only three committee chairmanships were contested, for all the rest just one senator ran for the chair. The contested committees were Business and Labor, Education, and Natural Resources.  Senators re-elected as chairs are starred with an *. Those elected were:

Agriculture – Senator Halloran*, District 33, western Hall County and all of Adams County

Appropriations – Senator John Stinner*, District 48, all of Scottsbluff County

Banking, Commerce and Insurance – Senator Matt Williams*, District 36, northern Buffalo and all of Dawson and Custer counties

Business and Labor – Senator Ben Hansen, District 16, Cuming, Burt and Washington counties

Education – Senator Lynne Walz, District 15, all of Dodge County

General Affairs – Senator Tom Briese*, of Albion, District 41, nine counties in north central Nebraska

Government, Military and Veterans Affairs – Senator Tom Brewer*, District 43, the Sandhills and parts of the northern Panhandle

Health and Human Services – Senator John Arch, District 14, west central Omaha

Judiciary – Senator Steve Lathrop*, District 12, southern Omaha, centered around I-80

Natural Resources – Senator Bruce Bostelman, District 23, Butler, Saunders and most of Colfax counties

Nebraska Retirement Systems – Senator Mark Kolterman*, District 24, Seward, York and Polk counties

Revenue – Senator Lou Ann Linehan*, District 39, western third of Douglas county

Transportation and Telecommunications – Senator Curt Friesen*, District 34, Nance, Merrick, Hamilton and portions of Hall County

Urban Affairs – Senator Justin Wayne*, District 13, northeast Omaha and northeast Douglas County

For the first ten legislative days, the Legislature will accept bills for introduction. As I mentioned in my previous update, all senators have been encouraged to limit the number of bills because of the concerns about large groups of people at committee hearings. I have adhered to the recommendation and will be limiting the number of bills that I introduce, which I will describe in more detail next week.

My office continues to be open for your communication at any time – via email at mdorn@leg.ne.gov or by telephone at 402-471-2620, and the answering service is available 24 hours a day if staffers are busy. I welcome your input, opinions, suggestions and comments and look forward to representing you and hearing from you in these next few months of the 90 day session.