The Rita Record

Despite the freezing temperatures, your Legislature is still working in Lincoln. While the cold is quite unpleasant, it has resulted in some beautiful scenery around Nebraska. My staff member took this picture as we commuted to Lincoln Tuesday morning:

This is the west bank of the Platte River at I-80. The hoarfrost on the bank’s trees give the branches their crystalline appearance. Also, the temperature outside at the time of the photo was -12 degrees Fahrenheit. This resulted in the steam that you can see rising from the river’s surface. It was a really cool sight – and I mean that quite literally.

Currently

Today (Friday) is a recess day for Senators. We have completed 26 days of our 90-day session so far, and we will return next Tuesday to pick up where we left off after the Monday holiday. This four-day weekend gives us and our staff some time to rest and recuperate before three more weeks of mostly full-day hearings.

I am particularly excited to begin hearing floor debate on bills next Tuesday morning! In a normal year, committee hearings take place in the afternoons and will continue into early April; however, because of COVID-19, we will complete our full-day hearing schedules three weeks from today. Meanwhile, February 16th and March 2nd will feature morning floor debates on bills that have been passed through committee.

You may be asking yourself: What is floor debate? What’s a committee? Here’s a very brief summary of the steps that a bill goes through to become law:

Introduction: The Senator works with stakeholders to craft, write and introduce a bill to change Nebraska law.
Committee Hearing: There are multiple committees in the Unicameral that will consider bills by subject matter. The committee hears from a bill’s introducer and testifiers about the bill at a hearing. Later, the committee will vote to decide whether to advance the bill or not.
To The Floor: If a committee approves a bill, it goes to the full Legislature. There, it must pass three separate stages of debate: General File, Select File, and Final Reading.
To The Governor: If a bill passes these stages, it goes to the Governor for his signature. If he chooses not to sign it, the Legislature can vote to override the veto. If this happens, or if the bill is signed, the bill becomes law.

For more information on the Unicameral’s process, click here.

Focus

Yesterday, I finished my sixth bill hearing! I introduced seven bills for this session, and I only have one more hearing to go: LB 370 on March 11th.

Preparing for a hearing takes a lot of work – especially for a brand-new Senator. While other members of the Legislature spent all of last summer and fall preparing and negotiating bills, I had three weeks to choose my bills and learn as much about them as possible before hearings began.

Senators have to anticipate what questions will be asked about the bill at its hearing, and we have to know everything about the topic. What does the law say about this topic right now? Has this been considered by the Legislature before? Who would it impact? Would it cost money? And most importantly what do my constituents think about this?

Two of my bills, LB’s 368 and 369, have already been advanced by the Government Committee to General File! I am excited for the next step of the process.

Bellevue First

This past Monday, I introduced LB 389 to the Education Committee on behalf of Governor Pete Ricketts. I am pleased to announce that this is my Personal Priority Bill for the 2021 Legislative Session. This bill would cut unnecessary red tape so that spouses of military members who are also teachers can get a temporary teaching certification in Nebraska quickly.

This does two great things: first of all, this allows military families to quickly create a second stream of income for their families. Second, it gives school districts near Offutt Air Force Base (such as Bellevue Public Schools) access to more qualified teachers to hire. I was honored by Bellevue Superintendent Dr. Jeff Rippe’s presence and supportive testimony at the hearing, as well as Jeremy Ekeler from the Nebraska Catholic Conference and Laura Ebke from the Platte Institute.

In his testimony, Mr. Ekeler quoted G.K. Chesterton in saying, “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” This is why the success of Offutt Air Force Base and its community is my primary focus in the Unicameral, and I am thrilled that the Ricketts Administration feels the same way. Together, we can make sure that Bellevue is the most welcoming place for military members and veterans.

COVID-19

All statistics as of 11 AM on 2/11/2021

Confirmed cases in Sarpy County: 18,924
Active cases in Sarpy County: 629
Deaths in Sarpy County: 98
Metro area hospitalizations: 138 (all-time high: 445 on 11/23)

For more information regarding COVID-19, visit:
https://www.sarpycasshealthdepartment.org/

Thank You for Reading!

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Stay safe, and stay healthy!