The 2019 session is adjourned sine die! There are several days and moments from this session that I will never forget, but none are more consequential or important to me than February 14th. My wife and I celebrated our Valentine’s Day by welcoming our first child, Ava Kaye, into the world. For those of you who are parents, you know that having a child changes your life in many incredible, sometimes sleep-depriving ways. Ava has made me a more empathetic legislator. She has allowed me to join an esteemed group of colleagues in the Legislature who are also parents. Ava has made me more impassioned than ever to work hard to give her and her generation a fair, just, prosperous Nebraska.

This session was our busiest yet. We introduced 26 bills! Of those 26, 7 have passed and 13 have made it out of committee. The seven bills we passed were LB 292, LB 478, LB 678, LB 694, LB 713, LB 737, & LB 739. The legislation we passed will:

• Increase access to affordable housing;
• Protect and empower Nebraska children;
• Encourage technology and innovation;
• Promote clean energy;
• Combat prison overcrowding; and
• Provide long-term fiscal responsibility for our state.

One of my favorite parts of my job is engaging with our community. This year, I responded to over 650 constituent concerns, met with over 300 students, and held over 50 hours of conversations with constituents and community leaders. I look forward to every chance to communicate with my friends and neighbors in District 7, and I would like you to be on the lookout for more information about upcoming town halls. To stay informed, follow our blog at nebraskalegislature.gov for highlights from the session and on the social media handles below.

Every day I am honored to represent District 7 in the Nebraska Legislature. Even more importantly, I am thrilled to come home to District 7 every night to my family. Lauren and I could not be more excited to raise Ava in a community that values inclusivity, love, and diversity. As Ava grows older I know her neighbors in downtown and South Omaha will value her and our community. And I will fight every day to promote District 7 values to make Nebraska an even better place to call home for everyone.

As always, please feel free to reach out to me or my office at 402.471.2721, tvargas@leg.ne.gov, or any social media. Our Legislative Aide, Meg Mandy, Administrative Aide, Sam Colwell, and all of our interns are willing and excited to help.

Best regards,

Senator Tony Vargas

Nebraska Legislature, District 7

Facebook: @TonyVargasNE; Twitter: @TonyVargas;Instagram: @tonyvargasne