As summer is underway it is important to keep in mind safety concerns for children especially with swimming pools closed, COVID-19 concerns and youth activities curtailed   Children can easily become trapped in vehicles left unattended and parents of young child need to always double check your back seat after parking to ensure children are not left in the vehicle.  If young children are in your neighborhood consider locking your vehicles when unattended so children do not climb inside and become trapped.

According to Kids in Cars, there were 53 children who were left in a vehicle and later died due to heatstroke in the United States in 2019. On average, 39 children pass away after being left in a vehicle every year. Nearly all of these cases are not the result of irresponsible parents purposely leaving their child in the car. In 92% of cases negligence was not a factor. Ultimately, a tragedy such as this can happen to anyone. Please take extra care this summer and create a practice to always double check that everyone is out of the car.

I introduced LB832 to raise awareness and prevent kids from being left in vehicles. The bill provides civil and criminal immunity to someone who breaks into a vehicle to rescue a child from imminent danger. Providing immunity to rescuers is imperative as it will prevent someone from hesitating to act.  A Speaker Priority bill, LB832 was advanced to Select File and I will continue to push for the passage of this important bill when we reconvene in July.

As public swimming pools are staying closed this summer, swimming in backyard pools, local ponds and rivers needs our attention.  Water safety is always a concern, however, with an increase in use of areas without lifeguards or controlled access to pools extra care for our children needs our attention.   Life jackets for swimmers and extra awareness to backyard pools are simple precautions to ensure safety.

Governor Ricketts recently declared June as renewable fuels month in Nebraska. Renewable fuels such as ethanol play a vital role in our state’s economy. Our environment, farmers, ranchers, and rural communities all benefit greatly from the production and use of renewable fuel. Furthermore, high blend ethanol is cheaper to use than regular gasoline which can save you money at the gas pump. For renewable fuels month I encourage you to use renewable fuels and help support our farmers and rural communities around the state.

I want to wish all Fathers a happy and blessed Father’s Day. I hope everyone will take the time to spend with family and celebrate fathers around Nebraska. The care, patience, and knowledge fathers provide to their children help create the cornerstone for the future of our nation and should be celebrated.

We continue praying for everyone affected by COVID-19.  We are empathetically here to listen to your concerns and encourage you to contact my office at 402-471-2719 or bbostelman@leg.ne.gov if you have questions or need assistance.