I had the honor and privilege to be selected as one of the thirty five lawmakers to complete a leadership training program that identifies and assists emerging state leaders in the Midwest. I met with fellow lawmakers from Nebraska, ten other Midwestern states and the Canadian province of Saskatchewan on October 1-5, in Minneapolis, for The Council of State Governments’ 26th annual Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development (BILLD).

BILLD is one of the premiere leadership training programs in the nation. The legislatures in the Midwest have benefited greatly from the skills their members have gained through this unique educational experience. Many of the graduates now hold leadership positions in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, and Wisconsin and were chosen to participate through a competitive, nonpartisan selection process.

In legislative news, the Speaker’s Office announced that The 107th Legislature, Second Session will convene January 5, 2022 and is scheduled to conclude April 20th. We are currently working on old and new legislation for the new session concerning farm to school, native seeds, bridge funding for counties, and right to repair for farmers, among other issues.

Finally, I have an update regarding the dangerous road conditions between County Roads H & I on Highway 103 outside of Crete which is a heavily trafficked highway and the turn off for Smithfield Foods. I have heard from many constituents over the last few months about this rough stretch of road and our office has been working with the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) to address this sooner rather than later. I am happy to report that NDOT completed an emergency maintenance project to mill and overlay the approximately .7 miles of highway to stabilize it. I would like to thank NDOT for their quick response to correcting these unsafe conditions. As the road work is in progress, if you would like an update or have questions about it, please contact my office about this or other issues.