Opinion

Baseball is America’s pastime. There’s nothing quite like enjoying a hot dog in the stands, hearing the sound of a home run, or watching your favorite player beat the tag at home. Every year in June, Nebraskans look forward to the sights, sounds, and thrills of this beloved game when Omaha hosts the College World Series.

Early last session, my friend Sen. Steve Halloran passed Legislative Resolution 14. This was Nebraska’s application to Congress to call a convention of the states for proposing amendments to the federal constitution. Nebraska became the 17th state to pass this resolution. Since last January, the West Virgina and South Carolina legislatures have passed this resolution bringing the total to 19 states. Six other state legislatures have passed the measure in one chamber, including our neighbors Iowa and South Dakota. Two-thirds of the states, 34, must pass the resolution for the convention to be called.

Recent acts of senseless violence have reignited debate over the best way to protect our communities, and Americans are understandably outraged and concerned. The shootings at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, TX, at a supermarket in Buffalo, NY, and other devastating and unacceptable acts of violence across the country are heartbreaking. Americans should feel safe and secure, especially in schools and houses of worship. My heart breaks for the victims and their families and, as a father, I share their outrage.

Kudos to the lame duck Ricketts’ administration for embracing another mental health initiative aimed at solidifying the state’s position, according to one publication, as having the fourth-best mental health in the nation.

Two hundred forty-six years ago, our Founding Fathers bravely defied the most powerful nation on earth and put pen to paper to assert an eternal, self-evident truth: All men are created equal. We are endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights that no government can justly take away. This recognition is what makes our country so unique. What unites us as Americans is neither religion, ancestry, nor language. Rather, it’s our shared commitment to the truth of equal human dignity. Every Independence Day, we honor the men and women who started the great American experiment all those years ago. And we celebrate the triumph of the principles we hold dear. America is at its best when we honor our founding principles; our greatest suffering and division have come from neglecting them.

I always enjoy visiting with Nebraskans and seeing the exciting developments happening across our state. As part of a recent state work period, I had the chance to spend the day in Hastings and participate in a series of business tours. In this week’s column, I’d like to tell you a little bit about what I saw that day.

By now everyone is familiar with the Uvalde, TX, mass murder. As one of the strongest supporters of the Second Amendment in the Nebraska Legislature, I felt expressing my opinion on this matter was something many people expected me to do. Out of respect for the families of the victims, I wanted to wait for the funerals to at least be finished before making any public comments.

Since 1948, Israel has been an important ally of the United States. Unfortunately, Israel has also endured a great deal of conflict with those who seek its destruction in the Middle East. Recently, they marked the 55th anniversary of Yom Yerushalayim, or Jersusalem Day, a celebration of the liberation of the city of Jerusalem from the forces of six of Israel’s aggressing neighbors during the Six Day War in 1967.

Just when we breathed a sigh of relief that the particularly nasty primary election was over and our mailboxes would once again be empty and our TV sets would resume regular programming; somebody decided we deserve more of the same.

Mental illness is a national public health issue that affects Nebraska as well. During my time as Governor, we’ve made mental health a priority and have rolled out several programs to identify mental illness and get Nebraska’s students, veterans, and others the care they need.