The 2020 census data has finally been released and the Legislative Research Office is hard at work analyzing it and preparing draft maps for the Special Session of the Legislature that is set to commence on Monday September 13th. In the meantime, David Drozd, Research Coordinator of UNO’s Center for Public Affairs Research, has compiled and presented some findings and numbers to keep in mind before we return to Lincoln.

Of Nebraska’s 93 counties, 25% had population growth last decade. It comes as no surprise that Nebraska’s “Big 3” most populated counties of Douglas, Sarpy, and Lancaster rank as the fastest growing and now contain 56% of the state’s population. This suggests the “Big 3” counties could hold 27 of 49 seats in Unicameral after redistricting and that is what we in the Legislature will be debating and deciding in September.

Nebraska’s 49 Legislative Districts (LD) have an average size of 40,031. Redrawn districts cannot vary by more than 10%. The most populated LD is 39 (Elkhorn) with 59,542 people and the least populated LD is 47 (Panhandle) with 33,841 people. Other LDs that gained a lot of residents include 49 (Gretna & LaVista), 10 (NW Omaha/Douglas Co) and 21 (NW Lincoln/Lancaster Co). Other LDs that lost a lot of residents include 42 (North Platte/Lincoln Co), 44 (SW Nebraska) and 43 (Sandhills). 

As for LD 32, which I represent, we fell somewhere in the middle, with .8% growth or 290 residents. Fillmore County’s population dropped 5.8% over the last decade to 5,551, Jefferson County dropped 4.1% from 7,547 to 7,240, and Thayer County lost 3.7% to end up with 5,034. During the same ten year period, Saline County gained 92 residents to push its population to 14,292. The remaining 198 new residents to LD32 came in the portion of southwest Lancaster County that I represent. If you would like to examine the data for yourself, you can go to: https://www.unomaha.edu/college-of-public-affairs-and-community-service/center-for-public-affairs-research/programs/2020census.php 

Finally, the Nebraska Department of Transportation is challenging you to “Buckle Up Phone Down”. They have set out a challenge for schools and businesses to accept whether it is down the street or across the country because buckling up and putting your phone down are two of the most impactful actions a driver can take to prevent collisions and reduce injuries in the event of one. Accept the Buckle Up Phone Down Challenge today to protect not only yourself, but your family and community as well. For more information, go to: https://dot.nebraska.gov/buckle-up-phone-down/