Greetings from your State Capitol. I’m often asked what senators do when the legislature is not in session. During the session, which begins in early January and ends in either April or June, we are focused on the current legislative agenda. This involves committee hearings, discussing and debating current economic and legislative directions, and setting public policy for the state.

For me the 'off-season' involves two primary tasks.

The first is meeting with constituents throughout my legislative district to be sure I receive their input on issues like taxes, education, and roads. This is completed with a series of public and private meetings held throughout the summer and fall.

In the fall the second important task comes into play, that being the development of a personal legislative agenda for the upcoming session. Part of this process includes interim study hearings conducted by the Standing and special committees, or other means Senators use to bring stakeholders together to discuss solutions to issues that come before the Legislature.

While I will not be working on a personal legislative agenda because I am term limited, as Chair of the Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee, I will continue to work with the regulatory agencies over which the Committee has oversight jurisdiction. Every year the Department of Banking and the Insurance Department require updates to their governing statutes, which in turn enable companies in Nebraska to continue to compete with businesses in other States.

As a member of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee, I will also participate in several interim study hearings the Committee has scheduled related to child welfare, behavioral health, and assistance to children and families. Even though interim study topics are very different, my goal has always been the same. I’ve worked to bring people together who have knowledge and input on the subject.

Share our ideas and together come up with a suitable solution that best serves the public policy interests of the state of Nebraska. Most times this is not an easy task because people have very strong beliefs on what they believe is the right direction for our state. It is my job as your senator to find middle ground. The work is important to bringing needed change into fruition.

As always, feel free to contact me anytime at (402) 471-2642 or mwilliams@leg.ne.gov. Thanks again for your continued support.