Columns

The 109th session of the Nebraska Legislature adjourned Sine Die on Monday, June 2. There are many things I can reflect on but this week I want to focus on one particular theme of controversy this year; “the will of the people”, specifically related to ballot initiatives. This session we debated proposed changes to three specific ballot initiatives; paid sick leave, minimum wage, and medical marijuana. As a constitutional Republic, the “will of the people” can and is exercised in four specific ways: 1. We vote for representatives, not only in the Legislature but on a variety of boards such as County Commissioner, school boards, NRD boards, City Councils and much more. We vote for the person we believe will best represent our values and beliefs but most importantly, the person who we believe will uphold the Constitution of both Nebraska and the United States.

Sometimes I feel totally exhausted from all the noise and distractions of our world. Does anyone else feel that way? May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and though the month may be over, I think it is important to make our mental health a priority every month!

Remember going to the store and shopping casually, And when you went to pay for it, you used your own money? Nothing that you had to swipe or punch in some amount, Remember when the cashier person had to really count? There was time when mailed letters came right to your door, Without a lot of junk mail ads sent out by every store. The mailman knew each house by name and knew where it was sent, There was not loads of mail addressed to “present occupant”.

I was reading a book about the Pony Express and enjoying it very much right up to the point where it talked about the race between the eastbound and westbound riders to see who, during the very first mail run, would get to the midpoint across the western United States first. According to the book, the westbound riders were three hours behind schedule when they got to the Midway Station located south of present day Gothenburg.

This week wraps up our final full week of legislative debate. Many have asked about my experience as a new senator, and while I’ll share more in future newsletters, I wanted to offer a few reflections here.

The weather this past Memorial Day weekend certainly did not provide ideal conditions for the typical picnics and family barbecues that one associates with the traditional kick-off of summer weekend. Many families likely found themselves spending their time indoors watching movies or playing board games, maybe even with the fireplace on to escape the chilly and damp days. We certainly are not going to complain about the rain though!

“Lemon Pickers Needed” - ad in the newspaper. Ms.

Last week I mentioned that the next citizen science project sponsored by the Cornell Lab is “Nest Watch.” I’m not participating but I am watching a nest. We leave the side garage door open so the cats and dog can come and go.

20 YEARS AGO: Distrust and frustration may have eased a bit as real dialogue was opened between Callaway School District 180 and a committee of patrons seeking change in how the school operates. Improved communication between patrons, school staff and administration could also be in the offing. The formation of a combined task force of patrons, students, staff and administration is possible to more closely examine the issues brought and try to identify solutions. There could also be efforts to provide more teacher inservices dealing with classsroom discipline methods and perhaps an outside evaluation by a disinterested expert to identify problems and offer solutions.

As of the writing of this column, we're on Day 84 of this legislative session. Things are definitely heating up as we put in 10-12 hour days on the floor making crucial decisions that will impact our state.