Opinion

nOte frOm d.C . It’s been a little over one month since I swore the oath of office to become a United States Senator for the great state of Nebraska.

WashingtOn d.C . Constituents often ask me in person or in their letters what my favorite part of serving as your Senator is.

It has been 35 years since members of the Nebraska Legislature had a pay raise and 17 years since term limits took effect. If lawmakers are wondering why, they simply need to check the actions of some of their colleagues.

In the seven sessions that I have been a senator, 2023 marks the fourth time I have introduced Constitutional Carry. As a freshman in 2017, I introduced a model bill from another state that was not really adopted to Nebraska. We got a Judiciary Committee hearing at the end of March, and the bill went nowhere: No debate, no votes, nothing. That was part of the learning curve for me as a rookie.

nOte frOm One in 12 Nebraskans are employed by the trucking industry, making it the third largest industry in our state. Over three million Americans work as commercial truckers, carrying essential products across our country.

This week I introduced two bills in the Natural Resources Committee. They both deal with “renewable” energy and the duties and responsibilities of our public power utilities.

When the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Trump in 2020, it received widespread bipartisan support. The USMCA was a historic achievement for trade relations between the U.S.

We all agree that our kids are our future. In every community across our state, no matter the size, we all want the same thing – a better future for our kids than we had.

ieW by J.L. Schmidt The State of the State on its 156th birthday.

Dear Editor, City Hall - why not relocate to old gym/junior high? All kinds of parking on east side along with room for any and all offices; ADA approved. Bathrooms for the ladies and men. Change out heating with new HVAC duct.