Opinion

As I packed my bags in Washington for our month-long state work period and some much-needed time back in the Good Life, I reflected on the progress we’re making for Nebraskans.

On August 8, 2005, President George Bush signed the Energy Policy Act into law. Among other measures, this bill established the Renewable Fuels Standard, which for the last two decades has supported a growing American energy sector by providing more affordable fuel options in addition to complementary markets for agricultural commodities.

Rural Economic Development. This is a subject that has been a central focus in statewide discussions for most of my adult life.

Forgive me if I’m feeling a little confused (regular readers of this column will probably say “what’s new?”) but aren’t we in a national debt crisis? Our national debt has ballooned to nearly $37 trillion dollars in recent years, thanks in large part to spending during the COVID-19 pandemic to assure that businesses didn’t close and workers could still feed their families and pay the bills. The debt is why, supposedly, that we allowed a team of 20-somethings with no government experience called the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE to take a meat cleaver to federal agencies.

W While Nebraska’s Third District has existed since our state was first divided into congressional districts following the 1880 census, it first began to resemble its current shape after the 1960 census, when Nebraska moved from four districts to three for the first time. A total of 21 Nebraskans have represented the Third District in the U.S.

WASHINGTON D.C . Agriculture is the heart and soul of what we do in Nebraska.

Anymore, having high-speed internet at your home, farm or business has become as important as having electricity. You run a business and have a website? You need high-speed internet.

D.C . Here in the Good Life, we live by a few enduring principles: grit, humility, and a profound sense of duty.

August has arrived quickly, and I continue preparing for interim hearings and early discussions about potential legislation for the 2026 session. These hearings are a critical part of understanding the challenges Nebraskans face and shaping effective, responsive policy. This week, I want to highlight LR152, an interim study focused on the real costs Nebraskans incur when complying with state regulations. Whenever a state agency proposes a new rule or amends an existing one, it’s required to provide a fiscal impact statement estimating potential costs to state agencies, political subdivisions, and the public. However a closer look reveals that these statements often claim “no impact” or list the effect on the regulated public as “indeterminate.”

This is probably speaking to the choir because if you’re reading this, you already believe that maintaining a healthy media – with fact-checking editors instead of conspiracy spreading folks in pajama pants – is really important. It’s even more important now because there’s so much misinformation out there, and so much wrong information, mostly spread on social media.