Opinion

We are now one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. While the virus has drastically and unfortunately changed the way we operate personally and professionally, my staff and I have continued serving Nebraskans. Although a lot of my travel has been limited, I look forward to hitting the road again and visiting with folks in person very soon.

They weren’t sitting around the firepit singing Kumbaya, but Nebraska lawmakers were mostly congenial in advancing several economic development measures, which could actually help the little guy for a change.

When spring arrives in Nebraska, snow melts, days get longer, and we enjoy the warmer weather and sunlight. It’s refreshing to get outside and resume activities that weren’t possible during the winter months.

Every state is home to an industry that drives its economy forward. In Hawaii, that’s tourism. In Massachusetts, many exceptional hospitals attract first-rate doctors. And in Michigan, the automobile industry employs nearly 291,000 people across the state.

Congressman Adrian Smith, who has offices in Grand Island and Scottsbluff, will hold the mobile offices online on Wednesday, April 7 at the following times and links: Morning Virtual Mobile Office Wednesday, April 7 9:00 a.m. CDT/8:00 a.m.

LITTLE ROCK, AK (AP) - The FBI on Friday, April 2, 20201, arrested an Arkansas man who was photographed sitting at a desk in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office following the storming of the Capitol by a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters, authorities announced.

In response to both burdensome and unnecessary regulations coming from the Biden White House, I am launching a Regulation Rewind initiative. President Biden has not held office for 100 days yet and we are already experiencing his bureaucratic overreach. Because we know we can expect more Executive Orders from this administration, my initiative will be an ongoing project to call attention to harmful regulations and stand against them on behalf of the Third District.

In four decades of covering government and politics in this state, I never thought I’d see the major cultural shift we are facing right now. At least not in my lifetime.

The Nebraska Legislature is halfway through its 2021 session. Senators are working on passing a budget that controls spending and delivers on Nebraskans’ top priority—property tax relief. The Unicameral is also working to achieve other important objectives like providing veterans tax relief, replacing the crumbling Nebraska State Penitentiary, and expanding our state’s broadband infrastructure.

I know I am not the first person to say that the pandemic has changed many things about our daily lives. In some such as mask-wearing and social distancing, these changes are temporary and would never have happened if COVID-19 had not come to the United States last year. But in other cases, the past year has simply accelerated permanent changes that were already taking place.