After my first legislative session, I have taken the opportunity to sit back this interim and learn from what our state has to offer. I have attended multiple meetings focused on property tax relief, which has been my main priority since I was elected to office last year. The revenue committee is working diligently to compose a comprehensive plan to present to the legislature in January. I am circulating the property tax ballot petition throughout our district. I enjoyed seeing many of you at the county fairs and getting the chance to chat. 

I am on the Health and Human Services committee which means that I hear from many organizations across our state that are working daily to keep Nebraska residents healthy and taken care of. This interim I have toured many organizations and facilities across the state.  My tours have included the Nebraska Children’s Home in Grand Island, QLI in Omaha that specializes in Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries, the PACE Program at Immanuel Pathways, the State Developmental Center in Beatrice, and the Lincoln Regional Center. I also had the opportunity to visit the Youth Rehabilitation & Treatment Center in Geneva. I know that DHHS is working very hard to ensure the welfare of the girls during this time. 

One special event that my family hosts is a Goodwill Industries tour of our Dairy Farm. Goodwill of Hastings helps individuals with disabilities or barriers grow into more independent lives with effective programming. My Daughter Whitney has Rett Syndrome and we have utilized the services of Goodwill Industries. Our grandson, Carter, was visiting from Texas at the time and he was a great help in giving the tour!

As fall approaches, I will be very busy between traveling to the Capitol more often to attend different interim hearings for the committees I sit on and the beginning of harvest. In the HHS committee we will be focusing on funding for rural health providers, drug testing protocol in the child welfare system, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs, the Health Care Cash Fund, waivers under the Medical Assistance Act, and much more. In the Education Committee I will be attending different listening sessions and interim hearings for safe and effective student discipline in the classroom, administrative costs of local school systems, and Educational Service Units. Also fair funding for all schools in the state is the number one priority. 

I’m looking forward to the legislative session in January, but I know there is much to be done before then. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to call my office at 402-471-2732, email me at dmurman@leg.ne.gov, or visit my Facebook page.