I want to start my comments this week by taking a moment to honor our Veterans in advance of Veterans Day.

Veterans Day was established in 1926 to acknowledge the sacrifices of those who served in America’s military. Its mission is different than Memorial Day, which was established to remember those who gave their lives in the line of duty.

A Veterans Day National Ceremony is held every year on November 11, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. The ceremony begins at 11:00 a.m. when a wreath is laid on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before a parade of colors by veterans’ organizations and remarks from dignitaries. The time and date of this observation coincide with the cessation of fighting on the Western Front of World War I at 11:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918. Veterans Day is easily remembered as being observed on the eleventh hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month. Each Veterans Day should be a time when Americans stop and thank the brave men and women who have risked their lives for the United States of America.

Please take a moment this weekend to say thank you to a veteran.

As your State Senator, I continue to look for ways to make the lives of our Veterans better. I am hopeful that we can make changes to the Homestead Exemption to allow Veterans to receive a property tax exemption equal to their degree of disability as opposed to the current law that only allows those Veterans who are 100% disabled to receive a Homestead Exemption. I am also working with Lincoln County Commissioner Micaela Wuehler to expand access to emergency funding for all veterans, not just those who served during a time of war. I am proud that so many of our elected leaders in Nebraska make showing our appreciation for veterans a priority.

I continue to spend some time in Lincoln each week, attending interim study hearings and meeting with stakeholders to fine-tune legislation for the coming session. Last week, I met with the health insurance lobbyists to continue negotiating a compromise to move LB32 (related to Medicare supplement insurance policies) forward this session. As with most legislation, there are many factors to consider, and in the end, finding common ground and working honestly to resolve obstacles is important if we want to get the best outcome. I am very pleased that these discussions are progressing, and the industry is genuinely interested in finding a solution. My goal is to get those under age 65 with disabilities covered by insurance and a workable solution for those under age 65 who suffer from End State Renal Disease (ESRD). At the same time, it’s also important to keep premium costs low for the remainder of those covered by Medicare Supplement policies. I am optimistic that we can find a path forward.

This week, I will be attending a legislative hearing for LR242, which will examine methods to promote the development of a competitive electric vehicle charging market in Nebraska and the creation of an electric infrastructure to support such a market. I plan to work with Senator Eliot Bostar to introduce a bill this coming session to gain access to Nebraska’s allocation of the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funds to build out charging stations, as well as other measures that might be necessary to protect road funding and regulate charging infrastructure. The timing of changes to make our federal funding request is of the essence, so having a hearing now will help resolve the issues between all the interested parties so that the bill can move quickly this coming session.

Finally, I had the pleasure of attending the Sandhills Symphony Legacy Concert on Sunday, where the group celebrated 60 years of music. Julie has played bassoon in the Symphony for many years, and our children also participated when they were in high school. The Symphony also honored Kay Toillion, who has taught music and string performance for decades. Our daughter, Mary, was fortunate to have Kay as a violin teacher growing up, and she is just one of the children Kay has touched with her love of music. Educators have a tremendous capacity to shape our children, and we are blessed to have many wonderful teachers throughout District 42!

I look forward to continuing to hear from you regarding issues that are important to you. It is a privilege to serve as your State Senator, and I will continue to give my full effort to make a positive difference for the District and the State. You can reach me at mjacobson@leg.ne.gov or by calling my legislative office at 402-471-2729.