What a difference a week makes! Last week we were dealing with fire damage caused by dry conditions, and now we are dealing with a record snowfall. But if I have learned anything over the years, it is to never complain about moisture when we need it, no matter what the form.

Julie and I stayed in Kearney last Thursday night to be there Friday morning to do a presentation at the Nebraska Planning Conference. Although we intended to be in North Platte that evening for the Town Hall sponsored by the Farm Bureau, we instead found ourselves driving back to Lincoln since the interstate was closed. Fortunately, the organizers of the Town Hall were able to reschedule it for Saturday, March 16, at the McKinley Education Center. If you can attend, I would love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have in person.

At this point in the legislative session, I have had two bills passed into law: LB628, which makes technical changes to the Professional Limited Liability Company and Professional Corporation statutes, and LB854, which makes technical changes to requirements for persons wanting to sit for the CPA exam. LB854 streamlines the process and helps get new CPAs into the workforce sooner while cutting red tape. This bill was passed this past week and sent on to the Governor’s desk for signature.

I was also able to get LB1087 (Hospital Quality Assurance and Access Assessment Act) moved to Final Reading. This bill, once passed, will bring nearly $1.5 billion in new federal funding to the Nebraska Medicaid Fund to help fund more of the Medicaid costs borne by Nebraska hospitals that care for Medicaid patients. Additional funding will also eliminate the need for the state to increase current Medicaid costs. This bill could be a real game changer for rural hospitals while holding the state’s costs at current levels.

The timing of these funds could not come at a better time. Many rural hospitals are losing money, and several are at risk of closure. There is a companion program for nursing homes that may also get passed this session. I cannot begin to stress how important rural health care is to attract and retain residents in rural Nebraska.

Each Senator also received a copy of the proposed budget on Thursday. Since we had a four-day weekend ahead, the Speaker wanted us to review the budget books over the weekend so that we could begin debating the budget bills this week.

At this point, the Speaker has scheduled two of my bills for debate on Tuesday morning. LB851 is on Select File and, if passed, would increase the size of companies in Nebraska eligible to participate in the Intern Nebraska Program. LB852 restricts certain unethical acts by some durable medical supply companies and is combined with my LB32 which requires Nebraska health insurance providers to include persons with disabilities under the age of 65 to have access to Medicare Supplement plans. If things go well, both will be heard before moving on to the budget bills debate. I expect the budget bill to dominate much of the floor time next week.

It should get interesting this week as there are many controversial bills to be debated that will shape the final budget and provide funding for the Governor’s property tax reduction goals. I should have much to discuss at the Town Hall meeting on Saturday.

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.