When I agreed to run for the Legislature, I did so with the intent to support and advance legislation that would positively impact District 42 and rural Nebraska. For far too long, rural Nebraska has been underrepresented in the Nebraska Legislature, and as a result, we have not gotten our “fair share” of funding and have been left out of many economic development programs.

The TEEOSA funding for public schools is an example of how school funding has disproportionately favored urban areas. Additionally, most of the economic development programs have focused on Lincoln and Omaha at the expense of rural Nebraska. I have long believed that rural Nebraska has much to offer and can grow if we make growth a priority and take the steps to work collaboratively at all levels of government to accomplish this goal.

Over the past several years, we have watched Grand Island exceed the 50,000-population threshold to officially make it a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Kearney has exceeded 35,000 population and growing as well. Thanks to many forward-thinking County Commissioners, City Council members, and business leaders, North Platte and Lincoln County are on a strong growth trajectory as well. With growth comes more retail opportunities, higher paying jobs, and even better health care options that include more specialists who can treat more health care problems, more housing options, better recreational opportunities, and even better schools.

Over the next several weeks, I plan to update you on bills of interest that were passed during this past legislative session and will impact District 42.

One bill I want to focus on this week is LB1108, which I co-sponsored with Senator Myron Dorn. LB1108 transfers $1.27 million from the Game and Parks Commission to fund the Nebraska Emergency Medical System Operations Fund each year beginning in June 2025. (The annual funding comes from sales/use tax proceeds on ATVs/UTVs.) The fund will provide financial support for the statewide patient care reporting system and trauma registry and for emergency care providers’ recruitment, retention, and training.

Senator Dorn is an EMT and has witnessed firsthand the difficulty in attracting EMTs and EMS volunteers. I became aware of the problem after visiting with individuals in the Thedford area who shared with me the challenges they have in trying to cover a very large geographic area with a shrinking number of volunteers. It is hard enough to find the volunteers, but when you add the cost and time to get them trained, you are fighting a losing battle. I appreciate all of Senator Dorn’s efforts and want to thank those who helped educate me on the problems they face to provide much-needed emergency services. Hopefully, this will be a good first step in fixing the problem.

Another issue facing our region is the lack of sufficient childcare facilities to help more young parents return to the workforce and offset the worker shortage. Several bills were offered during this past legislative session, and I was a co-sponsor of several of those bills.

The first bill was LB856, offered by Senator John Fredrickson. LB856 allows a childcare program to receive subsidy reimbursement for children under the direct care of their own parents who are employed by the program if a reasonable accommodation cannot be made. This is particularly common in smaller programs with limited staff when employees cannot reasonably be kept from their own children. It also allows those who meet the eligibility requirements to enroll their own children in other programs besides their own. All programs, however, must be licensed. This program will be operational on July 1, 2025.

Another bill, LB1178, introduced by Senator Anna Wishart, creates the Intergenerational Care Facility Incentive program to provide one-time startup grants for childcare programs in nursing and assisted living facilities that are certified for Medicare or Medicaid. The program will be funded through a one-time $300,000 appropriation from the Medicaid Managed Care Excess Profit Fund. Certified facilities are eligible for a grant of up to $100,000 for structural updates, outside campus space, and equipment and supplies. The bill also requires DHHS to collaborate with a statewide association representing long-term care facilities and other stakeholders prior to October 1, 2024, to develop the program and identify barrios that may impede the development of intergenerational care facilities.

I will follow up next week with updates on other bills of interest. Meanwhile, I remain open to meeting with groups who want to meet in person to discuss pertinent issues.

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 402-471-2729.