Opinion

nOte frOm d.C . Wildfires are a natural part of the prairie landscape.

insights frOm d.C . Now that Congress has adjourned for its August work period, I'm doing what I enjoy most — get out and travel across our great state.

Our constitutional freedoms depend on more than the laws we pass. They depend on the judicial system that applies those laws fairly, protects individual rights, and ensures every Nebraskan receives due process under the law.

W There is nothing I enjoy more than returning home to Nebraska, traveling across the Third District and meeting with constituents in their communities. While my work in Washington is important, nothing can replace hearing direc t ly from Nebraskans and seeing firsthand the opportunities and challenges they face.

Well, it now appears that we will have a third, substantial candidate on the ballot to become the next governor. Last week, former State Sen.

In 2022, Karly Rain Wood, a 20-year-old from Omaha, was murdered. She went to a friend’s birthday party and was shot eight times. She was there for only 15 minutes. Five other victims were also shot. Karly Rain’s killer was previously convicted of four different felonies. But he had been released.

From our rolling Sandhills to the Missouri River Valley and everywhere in between, Nebraskans are bound by a set of exceptional values: hard work, determination, and above all, a natural tendency to serve those around us. Seeing this value in action is what inspired me to run for my local school board, the Nebraska Unicameral, and eventually the U.S. Senate. Today, it is what drives me to advocate for Nebraska in Washington.

Sometimes the most memorable adventures in life begin by taking the road less traveled and, in the words of my beloved grandmother, taking time to “stop and smell the roses.” That's part of what makes the Nebraska Passport program so beneficial. It gives us a reason to take the scenic route, explore communities across our state, support local businesses, and discover places we might otherwise miss.

In Nebraska, August marks the close of summer and the beginning of a busy new season. It means the return of Husker football and volleyball games, final preparations ahead of harvest, and the rush of back-to-school shopping.

insights frOm d.C . When Nebraskans sent me to the U.S.