It was definitely an interesting first week at the Nebraska Legislature, not only for those of us in the freshman class, but even for those who have been in and around the legislature for decades. Much of Wednesday through Friday in the first week of 2017 was the swearing in of new and re-elected senators, the election of Senator Jim Scheer of Norfolk to Speaker of the Legislature, committee assignments, and the introduction of some bills, but there was much speculation, accusation, and lamentation surrounding the election of chairs and the assignment of committees.

Some folks have labeled what happened an “ideological shift.” Since the imposition of term limits, every election year changes the membership of the Unicameral by 25 to 35 percent. Just as there have never been two people with the same views on every single issue, there has never been a senator replaced by someone with the exact same ideology. Regardless of the degree of the shift, perceived or otherwise, the goal of the Legislature must always be to make sound policy for our state, and to put forth the best effort by each of us to work in the interest of the roughly 39,000 men and women we each represent, and the nearly 1.9 million citizens we collectively speak for. I will always do my best to represent the 41st district of Nebraska as best I can.

In the first week, I received positions on two committees: Transportation and Telecommunications, and on Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs. You can find the areas of responsibility for both of my committees, as well as each of the other committees in the Legislature, at nebraskalegislature.gov/committees.

By the 18th of this month –the last day to introduce new bills– I intend to have introduced 2-3 bills addressing property taxes, along with a bill addressing the housing shortage in many parts of Nebraska.

Additionally, my staff and I were assigned an office during the first week, and we now have a phone number and an office to call home this year. You can reach us at (402)471-2631, and if you’re ever in Lincoln, feel free to stop by our office in room 1120. It is on the south side of the building, just west of the central hallway.