As the chair of the Education Committee in the Nebraska Legislature, I’ve always been a major believer in public schools. I believe firmly that every K-12-aged child in our state deserves access to a well-funded, competitive, safe education. I also believe that every family has unique needs and values in which a one-size-fits-all approach may not always be best. Because of this, I also support increasing school choice in the State of Nebraska.

Before last year’s historic legislative session, Nebraska was one of only two states that did not have any form of a school choice program. As a state, the majority of the Legislature knew we could do better and become more competitive. The idea that 48 other states were ahead of us in the race was simply unacceptable. So last year Nebraska finally took a step in the right direction and passed LB 753, the Opportunity Scholarships Act. Compared to most other school choice programs across the country, LB 753 is generally quite humble. It allows a tax credit scholarship to be given out to students who wish to attend private schools with prioritization given to low-income students, exceptional needs, students who have experienced bullying, foster children, military families, and children who have been denied option enrollment.

Critics of the Opportunity Scholarships have been quick to sow misconceptions across the State in hopes of repealing LB 753. Many have argued this is a way of defunding public education. The reality is that in the same year Nebraska passed LB 753, Nebraska passed a historic $300 million increase and a $1 billion Education Future Fund for our public schools. In total Nebraska spends nearly $5 billion in K-12 education. Compare this to the $25 million spent through LB 753 and it’s easy to see that their claim is wrong. Not only have we not defunded public education, but we’ve funded it more than ever.

Supporting school choice does not mean opposing public education. In reality, school choice is all about putting parents back in charge. If a parent wants a child to receive a public education, Nebraska should be there to do that. If a parent wants a child to receive a private education, Nebraska should be there to do that. If a parent wants to homeschool their child, Nebraska also should be there to do that. Every family is different- different values, different religions, and different needs. A system with no school choice makes it difficult to cater to every single family.

Some will say that school choice has always existed- that those who wish to send their children to private schools can already do so. This comes from a place of privilege. Private schooling can be incredibly costly. Many Nebraskans and Americans alike are living from paycheck to paycheck. The reality is that currently, private schools are only a viable option for the portion of Nebraska that can afford them. When it comes to getting a child a top-tier K-12 education, income shouldn’t be the deciding factor. Nebraska Opportunity Scholarships give all families, as the name implies, an opportunity.

Today, joined with 24 of my colleagues, I submitted a letter to the SEC opposing their proposed rule on Natural Asset Companies (NACs). NACs allow for investment into land with no financial goal but instead based on the land’s “community well-being” and “ecological services”. In a state where agriculture is our number one source of revenue, giving ownership of our land to the whims of climate activists and adversarial foreign countries puts our food and jobs in danger.

You can read the full letter through the link below:

http://news.legislature.ne.gov/dist38/files/2024/01/Murman-NAC-Letter.pdf

Recently I had the privilege to join the Governor, various leaders of Nebraska religious groups, and my fellow Senators in the tradition of declaring January 16th as Religious Freedom Day. Religious Freedom Day was first signed by proclamation by President Bush in 1993 and has continued to be proclaimed by every President each year after. President Bush chose January 16th as the date based on Thomas Jefferson’s draft bill for Establishing Religious Freedom in Virginia.

In John Winthrop’s famous 1630 City on a Hill sermon, he described his goal for the New England colony to “hold conformity with the rest of His world, being delighted to show forth the glory of His wisdom in the variety and difference of the creatures”. In short, the goal of the colonists who would soon create the model of our nation was seeking freedom to practice their religion in their own way. Their goal was noble. A government was telling them how to practice their religion their way, so they packed up and left, creating their own community to freely worship and pray to God in a way they thought was the best fit.

Most are familiar with our Constitution’s First Amendment which includes the right to free exercise of religion but Nebraska’s State Constitution also includes protections of our religious freedom. Article I-4 of the State Constitution reads, “All persons have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences”. Both our nation and our state recognize our long-held and treasured right of religious liberty.

Our founding fathers were wise to recognize religious liberty as the bedrock of our Republic. To some, their idea of religious freedom seemed radical- but these ideas went on to become the blueprint of our Constitutional rights. Religious Freedom Day serves as a reminder to Nebraskans that no Government has the right to demand we pray or worship in a certain way, instead, these privileges are given to us by God. January 16th is an opportunity for Nebraskans and Americans to celebrate and give thanks to God for our great freedom.

Thank you for visiting my website. It is an honor to represent the people of the 38th legislative district in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature.

You’ll find my contact information on the right side of this page, as well as a list of the bills I’ve introduced this session and the committees on which I serve. Please feel free to contact me and my staff about proposed legislation or any other issues you would like to address.

Sincerely,
Sen. Dave Murman

Recently I had the opportunity to discuss the upcoming legislative session with KRVN 880 radio. You can hear my thoughts by clicking the link below.

https://post.futurimedia.com/krvnam/playlist/193/listen-25020.html?cb=1703199310.724139&fbclid=IwAR2En-u-jlKQkPYRwPb5Ktl6oeBypW3VlkrARrLWx7i0u65EsYYeKqm-tKY