Happy Labor Day!

Voting is one of our important rights as Americans and the general election is quickly approaching so I would like to provide some pertinent information regarding it. This year you will have the opportunity to vote for many offices including governor, state senator, House of Representatives, and many more. First and foremost, you should register to vote if you have not done so already. If you cannot remember whether you have
registered or not, you can check your status at: https://www.votercheck.necvr.ne.gov/voterview.  To register to vote, go to your county election office (clerk’s office) or NEReg2Vote. Any registered voter in Nebraska can request a mail-in ballot. Nebraska is a “no-excuse” state so any registered voter may request an early-voting (absentee) ballot. If you voted by mail in the last election, you must re-apply in order to vote by mail in this year’s election. You can register for a mail-in ballot when you register to vote and if you’re already registered, contact your county election office or the Nebraska Secretary of State for the application. The last day for an early-voting application to be received is 6 p.m. on October 28th. Early-voting ballots are not sent out until October 3rd. Early-voting ballots should be mailed back at least one week before the general election. You can also hand deliver your mail in ballot to the county dropbox by 8 p.m. on election day, November 8th. You may also vote early in-person at your county election office for 30 days prior to the general election until the day before the election, November 7th. If you have questions about voting, call the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office at 402-471-2554.

Dilapidated buildings, especially in our downtown areas, are a serious issue in rural and small town America that needs to be addressed, and Legislative District 32 is no exception. Last month I met with officials from Fairbury, Geneva, Thayer County, Chester, Hebron and Beatrice along with my colleague Senator Myron Dorn, to discuss dilapidated buildings and what can be done about them. We talked about the reasons that almost every community in Nebraska seems to have them, the cost and number of such structures, assisting local communities, the relevant groups to get involved, and how we can address the problem. I am going to continue to have conversations with community stakeholders on dilapidated buildings and come up with some feasible solutions, including consideration of introducing a bill with Sen. Dorn, who sits on the Appropriations Committee.

Lastly, I would like to congratulate Hebron-based MetalQuest on its $125,000 grant award to interest more Nebraska teens in high-tech jobs. MetalQuest is using the grant to purchase robotic equipment to introduce students to industrial robotics automation and coding. The grant came from the Developing Youth Talent Initiative. Nebraska is facing a crisis in attracting workers, with about 50,000 vacant jobs across the state, so every little bit helps. Good work MetalQuest!