Days can be slow but the years go fast. Here we are on the cusp of the holiday season once again. Let me take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and happy celebration of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The next legislative session is just a few weeks away. We are now considering what bills to introduce, and drafting the language for that legislation. Meetings with stakeholders have greatly picked up, as have zoom appointments and webinars. Many groups and individuals are hoping to get their proposals before the Unicameral.

There really are many needs – and even more wants – across the state and in our district. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I am already well aware that balancing the budget may be more difficult in the coming session than it has been in the past couple of years – mainly due to the end of the flow of federal funds linked to the pandemic. Hopefully we have managed and utilized those extra dollars well. Moving forward we will need to achieve fiscal stability by balancing spending and tax receipts, with far less reliance on federal funding.

Several working groups have convened in our office over the interim (the time between sessions) to look at property tax and education funding. We pulled together a consortium, and we are working hard to come up with a solution that we can get across the finish line. I am also a member of an inheritance tax committee hosted by the Nebraska Association of County Officials, looking for ways to compensate counties for lost revenue if the tax is repealed.

My staff and I continue to meet with health care providers for hospitals, nursing facilities and long term care, developmentally disabled facilities and DHHS. Closely related, we are again talking with EMTs and volunteer fire departments about training, equipment and licensing. The need for all of these services is growing as our population either ages or moves toward larger cities; and facilities close or scale back. Employees and residents, patients and providers are all affected by the challenges in this crucial sector.

We have attended a number of briefings and seminars on affordable housing and workforce recruitment. This issue continues to be a barrier to robust economic growth in our state. Until we can increase both the number of workers and low cost yet quality places for them to live, it will be difficult to attract good employees to Nebraska – that is simply the way development operates.

Also on our radar in District 30 – Natural Resource Districts, Mainstreet development, ag manufacturing and renewable fuels. And as always, the structure of taxation in Nebraska. Even with all the topics and activities listed here, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when you consider the subject matter we expect to take up in the coming session.

The Building and Maintenance Committee has met several times this interim to examine state owned properties. It is good for us senators to see state facilities in person, since some are hundreds of miles from the Capitol. The Performance Audit Committee, of which I am chair, conducts a systematic review of agencies and their programs to evaluate the effective implementation of legislative intent. In other words, are programs doing what the law says to do. I have really enjoyed working with this division of the Legislature and appreciate their hard work.

The 2024 election included all of the odd numbered state legislative districts. There were 24 races, one of which is still awaiting the counting of provisional ballots to determine the outcome – District 13 in Omaha. There will be 16 brand new senators and 8 returning senators. I remember well the whirlwind of training in rules and procedures, learning the people and protocols of the Legislature, hiring staff, office assignments – it’s a long list and a steep learning curve for the “freshmen” before we hit the ground running on January 8th.

As we get ever closer to that date, I encourage you to contact me at any time. Call 402-471-2620. Email mdorn@leg.ne.gov. Visit the Unicameral website at www.nebraskalegislature.gov. From there you can navigate to my landing page and to those of all senators, legislative divisions and committees. You can access the calendar and find information on every bill and resolution introduced. I look forward to hearing from you.