Our office is constantly working with the Nebraska Department of Transportation and private companies on improving and expanding roads in Legislative District 32. I am happy to report that one such project came to fruition recently and was celebrated with a ribbon cutting where I was honored to be invited and participate. A new mile of pavement on Southwest 42nd Street, between West Hallam Road and Pella Road, opened late last month. The new stretch is located adjacent to the Monolith facility, located north of the Village of Hallam. Lancaster County Engineering was awarded a grant for the project from the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) Economic Opportunity Program (EOP), which was created as part of the Transportation Innovation Act. The remaining costs for the project were split between Lancaster County Engineering Department and Monolith. Lancaster County Engineering designed this section with asphalt to include a 28-foot surface with 4-foot turf shoulders. This 10-inch asphalt slab has a 12-inch stabilized lime base. New culvert pipes have also been installed at two locations. Rumble strips have been added to the edges of the pavement to notify drivers that they are about to leave the road. It is great to see another successful public private partnership and a smooth road!

As always during the first weekend of August, I attended Czech Days in Wilber, one of the most fun events of the year! My campaign team and I marched in the parade and handed out candy. During and after the parade, I enjoyed visiting with constituents in Sokol Hall and on Main Street. I also attended a lunch before the parade to meet with Czech queens and dignitaries as well as the Czech leadership in Wilber and greater Nebraska. This year, I learned more about a proposed Czech brewery that will be run by Wilber residents. The group has been working with Alpha Brewing in Lincoln to identify brewing equipment and with consultants from the Czech Republic who specialize in setting up authentic Czech breweries. I look forward to a pint of Czech beer when it opens! And Czech Days wouldn’t be complete without eating some delicious homemade kolaches as well as all of the local and Nebraska vendors who brave the heat and humidity to give the festival its unique atmosphere. Na zdravi!

Finally, the application process is now open for the Legislative Page Program to any Nebraska college student who is interested. Pages are selected in the fall each year to work for the upcoming legislative session, beginning the following January. Pages run errands, deliver messages, photocopy materials, assist the presiding officer, set up and staff committee hearings, and perform other duties as assigned. The deadline for submitting page applications with letters of recommendation for the 2023 legislative session will be Friday, October 7 at 5:00 p.m. The page selection committee will meet in October to select individuals for page positions. For further information, go to: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/unicampages/ or contact the Office of the Clerk of the Legislature at (402) 471-2271 or unicampages@leg.ne.gov. Feel free to contact my office at 471-2711 or tbrandt@leg.ne.gov if you have any questions or for help with the application process. 

My bill LB1009, to create a domestic abuse death review team for Nebraska, was amended into LB741, which passed and went into effect recently.

Flatwater Free Press mentioned the review team in an article on the Christiansen’s family:

In 2021, Brooke Koch was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend, who then turned the gun on himself. The family was working on legislation with Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth.

This year, the Kochs and Christiansens helped pass the creation of the Domestic Violence Death Review Team. Nebraska was one of only nine states that didn’t have one.

The hope: Looking at trends from past deaths in Nebraska will lead the team to make recommendations that become law – and prevent future deaths, MacTaggart said. 

Other states are already devising potential solutions that show promise. In other states, police conduct a specific risk assessment when a domestic violence offender is arrested. It can influence whether to set bail, and how high bail should be. The newly formed Nebraska review team may start to look at these ideas, and others.

“I have high hopes that this team will give the Legislature some useful information that can be acted on, and not sit on a shelf and collect dust,” Brandt said. 

Read the full article here.

Last week at the Capitol, a meeting was held on our interim study LR400 to examine current farm economic conditions in Nebraska and how best to aid and support beginning farmers and livestock producers in the state. The Agriculture Committee brought together the members of the Ag Leaders group (Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska Cattlemen Association, Pork Producers Association, and many others) and producers to hear from the NextGen program administrator and the State FSA Director on how state and federal programs are working, respectively. Some of the questions of the interim study are to examine current statutory policies used to support beginning farmers and livestock producers, the effectiveness of such policies, and potential changes to the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Act. It also looks to determine the type of support most beneficial to beginning farm and livestock producers.

Last session I introduced LB1103 to increase the number of applicants that would be eligible for the NextGen program, which included raising the net worth from $200,000 to $1 million and exempting personal assets such as pensions and retirement plans from net worth. There was a hearty discussion at the meeting about increasing the lease for beginning farmers and the tax credit for the owner from 3 years to 5 years. We also discussed a cap on NextGen program acres eligible for a tax credit and what different ways to spread the word about NextGen to farmers that may qualify – both tenants and owners. If you would like more information, stop by their table at Husker Harvest Days or contact Karla at 471-4876 or agr.NextGen@nebraska.gov.

As a member of the Building and Maintenance Committee of the Legislature, I have traveled to several state-owned facilities around Nebraska. It is always enlightening to see the management of existing infrastructure and look at future needs. My most recent meeting last week was held at the Nebraska Department of Corrections Reception & Treatment Center (RTC), formerly the Lincoln Correctional Center & Diagnostic Evaluation Center. We had the opportunity to hear from Director of Corrections Scott Frakes as well as the Engineering Administrator, Warden, and Maintenance Manager on the current state of the RTC. Our May meeting was held at Platte River State Park where we heard from Bill Oligmueller, Game & Parks Regional Superintendent, and the director of the Department of Administrative Services. We received a tour of the park and reviewed Game & Parks budget requests. 

Finally, I was the keynote speaker of the second annual Pork Expo that was held in York at the Holthus Convention Center. It was the state’s second pork expo hosted by the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture (AFAN). Nebraska is the sixth largest pork producer so it is one of our state’s biggest and most important industries. The event included many speakers, breakout sessions, a panel, the annual NPPA meeting and a social hour. I had a very pleasant time talking to members, producers and processors, particularly about the recently passed LB1261 that amends the Nebraska Advantage Rural Development Act. The new law raises the ceiling for accepted applications from the current $1 million to $10 million, and the refundable credit against taxes allowed a taxpayer with an approved application would increase from the current 10% of the investment not to exceed $150,000 to 10% of the investment not to exceed $500,000 per application. If you have questions about this bill or others, please contact my office.

News-Times/Callie Hurley

I was very happy to see and I offer a hearty congratulations to the Blue River Arts Council and the Friend Historical Society for being awarded ARPA funds to resurrect the Isis Theater and for the Warren Opera House, respectively. Several Nebraska organizations received millions of dollars in grants to help them fund capital projects as part of the Shovel-Ready Capital Recovery and Investment Act. The Nebraska Department of Economic Development allocated $115 million in funds to 76 recipients. $100 million came from the federal ARPA funds while the other $15 million came from the state’s general fund. I am thrilled to see these funds go to economic development in LD32 and look forward to attending the theater and opera house soon!

Along with farming full time, I am keeping busy this summer walking in parades, nine so far, including five over the Fourth of July weekend, including Hebron and Dorchester as you can see in the photos. I made time to tour the Department of Corrections Treatment Center in west Lincoln with other senators along with DOC officials as well as tour the Beatrice State Developmental Center. I also participated in a Zoom workshop educating nonprofit organizations about how to engage with the Legislature during the interim.

As always, my staff and I are available to help in any way we can if you have questions or concerns. Thank you for choosing me to represent you in your Nebraska Legislature.

From the Center for Rural Affairs press release:

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) is now accepting applications for grants through the Independent Processor Assistance Program, which is designed to improve and expand Nebraska’s meat processing capabilities. The NDA will award approximately $9.8 million in grants to small- and medium-sized processors for modification or construction of buildings; packaging, processing, and storage equipment; technology to improve logistics or enable e-commerce; and workforce training.

Sen. Tom Brandt, who introduced legislation to create IPAP in 2021 and again to secure funding for the program earlier this year, welcomed the NDA’s announcement. “We started working on the Independent Processor Assistance Program two years ago with the Center for Rural Affairs and Nebraska Cattlemen Association in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to create more capacity and strengthen food security,” Brandt said. “We were successful in that collaboration with the inclusion of the allocated ARPA funding of $9.8 million in LB 1014, and I look forward to our small and medium processors receiving the assistance they need.”

The deadline to apply is Aug. 12. The application, as well as information about eligible expenses and answers to frequently asked questions, are available at nda.nebraska.gov/promotion/meat_processors. Once completed, the application may be submitted via email to breanna.wirth@nebraska.gov or mailed to Nebraska Department of Agriculture P.O. Box 94947, Lincoln, NE 68509.

NDA TO AWARD GRANTS FOR MEAT PROCESSOR ASSISTANCE Press Release

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) will award approximately $9.8 million in Independent Processor Assistance Program Grants to support projects designed to improve and/or expand Nebraska’s meat processing capabilities. The money was designated for this program through Governor Ricketts’ recommendation to utilize a portion of Nebraska’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, and in Sen. Brandt’s LB755 companion bill, with similar language passing in LB1014.

NDA will begin accepting grant applications on July 5. Applications are available at https://nda.nebraska.gov/promotion/meat_processors and must be received by the Aug. 12, 2022, deadline. 

The Independent Processor Assistance Program Grants are available to new or existing meat processors to facilitate improvements, enhancements, or expansions that will increase harvest capacity and/or product throughput. Eligible processors must operate as either a USDA-FSIS facility or a federally regulated custom-exempt slaughter and processing facility, while also complying with federal regulations. To be eligible, existing operations must be domiciled in the State of Nebraska and be registered in good standing with the Secretary of State to conduct business in Nebraska. Additionally, the processing facility’s existing sales revenue must be less than $2.5 million, and it must employ fewer than 25 people.

Application information and frequently asked questions about the grants are available on NDA’s website at nda.nebraska.gov. Completed applications may be submitted via email to breanna.wirth@nebraska.gov or mailed to Nebraska Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 94947, Lincoln, NE 68509. For additional questions, contact Breanna Wirth, NDA Legislative Coordinator, at 402-890-1509 or by the email listed above, or Senator Tom Brandt’s office.

Last week, I was invited to participate in a groundbreaking for the Fillmore County Fiber Project, which is the result of a public private partnership between the Village of Shickley, Fillmore County and Glenwood Telecommunications, Inc. This is a win-win for all involved, especially to the residents that do not have broadband today and will soon have access to affordable, reliable high speed internet for their businesses, for their children’s learning, and for their telehealth. Higher internet speeds will help rural residents better compete with their counterparts in Omaha, Lincoln and other better served communities, and it will help bring younger folks back to rural Nebraska helping to revitalize our rural communities. This project is part of a greater effort to connect Nebraska communities through investment and infrastructure, and as a step in stimulating economic development in Fillmore County, which will result from higher broadband speeds. This public-private partnership will serve customers and provide jobs that are vital to the health of our small towns, such as Shickley.

During my first term, I have been a strong proponent of expanding high speed broadband to rural communities, having introduced bills LB460 and LB600 in 2021 to find alternative ways to fund broadband expansion, and LB996 which was signed into law in 2020 that created the Broadband Data Improvement Program to ensure that Nebraska was accurately represented in federal broadband grant programs. I will continue to advocate for affordable, reliable, high speed broadband for rural communities in my second term. When the Legislature passed the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program last year, we allocated $20 million for FY 2021-22 and $20 million for FY 2022-23 for broadband development in unserved and underserved areas, and the Fillmore County Fiber Project is one of many projects that will benefit from its passage. 

In Jefferson County, The Progressive Agriculture Safety Day will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 2, from 8:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Fairbury. It is open to area children who will be entering Kindergarten through seventh grades in the fall. The registration deadline is July 26. Safety Day is designed to provide safety information that is agriculturally oriented as well as general safety information. Through hands-on activities, participants learn to prevent incidents and reduce the extent of injuries if incidents do occur. Safety Day stresses the importance of children taking responsibility for their own safety, respecting parents’ safety rules, and sharing safety tips with their family and friends. For more information on Safety Day, including registration information, please call the Nebraska Extension office in Jefferson County at (402) 729-3487, or Coordinator Lana Likens at (402) 729-6855.

Lastly, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) is encouraging 4-H and FFA members to submit photos to the NDA’s annual Poultry Photo Contest. Official contest rules and entry forms are available at nda.nebraska.gov. Submit entries online at https://tinyurl.com/NDAPhotoContest by the July 15, deadline. NDA will feature winning photos throughout the year in promotional materials, an online calendar, and on social media. The contest also gives NDA the opportunity to share information on biosecurity measures that poultry owners can use to keep their flocks healthy and prevent the spread of diseases. Bird owners in Nebraska should always practice sound biosecurity measures to help prevent diseases like highly pathogenic avian influenza. If a disease outbreak is suspected, poultry owners can call their local veterinarian or NDA at 402-471-2351.

The Independent Processor Assistance Program that was created in LB324 (2021) and the funding for it that passed in LB1014 (introduced as LB755) earlier this year was the subject of a Nebraska Examiner article by Paul Hammel:

The Independent Processor Assistance Program … allocates $10 million to small meat processors like the Goods. The grants will help eligible meat processors with fewer than 25 employees and less than $2.5 million in sales. 

The money came from the state’s $1 billion-plus allocation from the American Rescue Plan Act enacted under President Joe Biden. The grants will be allocated by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.

Brandt said he could typically get an animal in for slaughter within three or four weeks at his local locker plant in Diller.

After COVID-19 arrived, the wait was 16-18 months, which the senator said is longer than it takes to finish a steer.

If hogs don’t get to a processing plant in normal time and grow too large, they can’t be slaughtered at a normal processing plant, Brandt said. 

He said he was offering his pigs at a cut-rate of $100 a head to anyone who could butcher them themselves. There were also reports of some hog producers euthanizing pigs because they had too many to give away or sell on the cheap.

The impact was felt on the farm and ranch — the Platte Institute, along with the Nebraska Farm Bureau, estimated the losses suffered due to supply chain disruptions at $971 million for beef producers and $166 million for pork producers. 

Read the entire article here.

A big congratulations to Anna Zeleny, who testified in support of my bills LB324 and LB755, the recipient of the Center for Rural Affairs’ 2021 Citizenship Award. It is well-deserved and anyone who has heard Anna testify knows that she passionately and articulately explains the situation for meat lockers in Nebraska.  Read more about Anna and the award from the Center’s full coverage. Here is a snippet:

“Not only were we educating the public, but we were educating lawmakers,” Anna said. “Not everybody understands what we are going through.” 

LB 324, which created the Independent Processor Assistance Program (IPAP), and made it easier for consumers to buy meat directly from producers or processors, was unanimously approved by the Legislature in 2021. 

Earlier this year, Anna returned to Lincoln to join other processors to testify before the Appropriations Committee in support of a bill to provide $10 million to IPAP from the state’s allotment of funds from the American Recovery Program Act. 

Having spent days writing her testimony the first time around, Anna said she decided that this year, it was best to leave the statistics to others and just speak from her heart. 

“My role was advocating for us on a personal level,” she said. “I didn’t even write my testimony on a piece of paper. It was how I was feeling and what we are personally experiencing. I told myself, ‘Anna, nobody knows what you are going through and this is the only way to show them right now.’” 

She also brought a new perspective to the discussion, one that could be beneficial as longtime owners look to retire. 

“So many lockers have closed down lately because nobody will take them over,” she said. “To be able to be a female advocate and also bring the youth and family aspect of it was important.”