Opinion

Every so often the Nebraska Legislature advances a bill that makes sense and causes one to wonder what took them so long. Take the Nebraska farm-to-school program, LB396, that would provide locally grown and minimally processed food to elementary and secondary school students.

Here in the Cornhusker State, agriculture and conservation go hand in hand. Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers are the original conservationists. Agricultural families in our state have been growing crops and tending livestock for generations. They know their land and animals better than anyone else and care deeply about them. Their livelihood depends on ensuring the land remains fertile—that’s why they are always working to improve it so that the next generation can continue their way of life.

Infrastructure is in my DNA. My father was Jerry Strobel, a civil engineer who spent his entire career with the Nebraska Department of Transportation back when it was called the Department of Roads. He eventually became Director/State Engineer, serving under Republican Governor Kay Orr and Democratic Governor Ben Nelson.

There have been three property tax reduction bills debated on the floor of the legislature this month. There will be more coming up. Two of these bills advanced to the next round of debate, and one has been killed. LB408 by Senator Briese was killed by a filibuster on a 29–8 vote. Thirty-three votes (two-thirds of all 49 senators) are required to invoke cloture and defeat a filibuster.

Nebraskans know how important it is to protect our environment, especially the farmers and ranchers across the Third District whose livelihoods are tied directly to the land they cultivate, the water they use to irrigate, and animals they raise. Across party lines it is clearly understood that there are ways we can address environmental concerns and improve access to the energy we need to fuel our economy. However, the government must not arbitrarily pick winners and los ers or create new policy solely for messaging purposes. We need initiatives which make sense, are affordable to consumers, and do not incapacitate small businesses or agriculture. We must be smart and consider the practical implications before enacting policies in the environmental and energy space.

Lawmakers have amended and advanced a package of bills that will keep the Nebraska Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers on track toward becoming treatment-based instead of corrections-based facilities.

Earlier this year, the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) published draft health standards for public comment that included several sex education topics. Like many Nebraska parents, I was deeply troubled by the standards. They would teach young children age-inappropriate content starting in kindergarten. They would also inject non-scientific, political ideas into curriculum standards. That’s why I have called on the NDE to scrap the proposed sex education topics in the standards.

For the last year, our highest public health priority has been defeating COVID-19 and getting back to our normal lives. But this phrase means more than just our fight against the coronavirus.

LB51 is a bill introduced by Senator Steve Lathrop. He is the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and this bill is one that he made a committee priority. LB51 will change the requirements for the certification law enforcement officers and accreditation of law enforcement agencies in Nebraska. It will end the reserve officer program in Nebraska and mandate a number of new police policies concerning the use of force.

Earlier this year, President Biden pushed his $1.9 trillion spending package, the American Rescue Plan, through Congress and signed it into law claiming it was a dire necessity because of the pandemic. However, his administration has been very slow in rolling out programs created by this massive bill despite saying it was so urgently required. Instead, they have been busy proposing more “emergency” spending, before money allocated in the previous bill has even been spent and while our economy has begun bouncing back, largely on its own.