We will officially be halfway through our legislative session on February 23rd. This column will highlight some of the bills that I presented to committees in the past couple of weeks that will directly benefit rural Nebraska and District One.

First, LB 942 was heard in front of the Judiciary Committee on February 10th. This bill would help our rural law enforcement agencies by changing some of the certification requirements for rural law enforcement officers. This is in response to the negative effect last year’s LB 51 had on our rural law enforcement agencies. LB 942 is still in committee and has not yet been voted on.

On Valentine’s Day, I introduced three different bills to three different committees. The first committee was Education, where I introduced LB 887, a bill that would authorize Peru State College to offer graduate programs. Currently, Wayne and Chadron State are able to offer a wide variety of graduate programs, while Peru State is only able to provide master’s programs in two different areas. LB 887 has already been voted out of the Education Committee unanimously and is currently on General File.

I also introduced LB 1110 to the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee on the 14th, which would make ATVs and UTVs street-legal statewide. This bill would be a huge benefit to our rural communities where many people use side-by-sides just as much as they do cars. There is no reason why Nebraskans should be labeled as criminals for driving their preferred vehicles, especially when we already allow the use of bikes on our state highways. The committee has not voted on LB 1110 yet, but I am hopeful to see what happens with this bill.

The last of the Valentine’s Day bills was LB 1210, a bill before the Appropriations Committee that would give American Rescue Plan (ARPA) dollars to revitalize main street businesses in rural areas across the state. This ten million dollar investment would allow businesses located in old, historical buildings to do any structural work they might need. It also would promote businesses moving into these downtown areas that are vital to our rural communities. So much money goes to Lincoln and Omaha, and it is time that we are able to invest in our small towns.

Finally, just this past Thursday, the Appropriations Committee held a hearing on LB 977, a bill that would allocate ARPA dollars to Falls City to help them upgrade their electrical infrastructure. Falls City has almost everything going for it to be the next site to grow Nebraska’s economy. However, their electrical grid has kept away many potential development prospects because of their inability to secure reliable access to power. By investing ARPA dollars in this program, we will be able to bring more business to Richardson County, creating countless jobs and strengthening our district’s economy as a whole.

As always, I welcome your input on issues important to you. Follow along on my Facebook and Twitter pages, both entitled “Senator Julie Slama” for more updates, or contact me directly at Senator Julie Slama, District 1 State Capitol, PO Box 94604, Lincoln NE 68509-4604; telephone: 402-471-2733; email: jslama@leg.ne.gov.