Opinion

Floor debate begins

January 21, 2011

By Deb Fischer, Senator, District 43
Bill introduction is complete with 698 bills and 11 constitutional amendments being introduced this legislative session. Committee hearings began on January 18th and floor debate on January 20th.
I have heard from many of you about several bills that have been
introduced to increase taxes. Two bills to increase the tobacco tax, LB
436 and LB 590, have been introduced by Senator Mike Gloor of Grand
Island. LB 436 raises the tax on cigarettes from $.64 to $1.99, which
is over a 200% increase. LB 590 closes a loophole that allows

Senator Fischer's Legislative Notes

December 20, 2010

By Senator Deb Fischer

The 102nd Legislative Session begins on January 5, 2011,
and we have a significant amount of work to do over the 90 days. As I
have discussed many times, the budget is the primary concern this
session. Estimates of the budget shortfall have changed over the last
several months, with the most recent estimates being $986 million.
Standing committees just completed the LR 542 process to identify
potential budget cuts. These potential cuts were made public on
Thursday, December 16th and include a wide range of options. I will

Food Safety Bill Important to Nebraska's Health and Livelihood

December 8, 2010

By Senator Mike Johanns
The livelihood of Nebraska's agricultural producers depends upon consumer confidence in the entire food safety system. If this confidence is lost in any part of the system - from production to the produce aisle - our state's number one industry, agriculture, pays a heavy price. As Secretary of Agriculture, I witnessed firsthand how outbreaks and scares of food-borne illnesses devastated certain food industries and their producers. To help safeguard against future outbreaks and panics in our food system, I voted for the Senate food safety bill last week.

CAPITOL VIEW: By Ed Howard, Statehouse Correspondent, The Nebraska Press Association

November 29, 2010

What critics call the federal Dog Food Commission have zeroed in most especially on proposals from the panel’s co-chairs that would take an axe to Social Security benefits.

Questions of the Broken Bow Mayor candidates

October 27, 2010

Mayor Candidates Q&A
Cecil Burt and Mac McMeen
October 26, 2010
by Belinda Vavricek

What experience do you have that would make you a good mayor?

Cecil Burt:
Burt began by stating that he has lived in Broken Bow since 1979, making him familiar with the issues of this small rural town. He also commented about how he comes from an ag background, which gives him a common sense approach to solving problems. In the past, he has managed several businesses and has owned his own for approximately ten years.

Mac McMeen:

The Value of Parent-Teacher Conferences

October 21, 2010

By Gov. Dave Heineman

Dear Fellow Nebraskans:

I want to encourage parents to attend their children's parent-teacher conferences. Many schools hold parent-teacher conferences early the fall, typically during the month of October. One of the most important things we can do for our children is to attend these meetings.

A different kind of Junk Jaunt treasure

September 29, 2010

By Ellen Mortensen, Chief Editor
After three full days of driving, hoping in and out of the car, digging through piles of stuff for hidden treasures and snacking on junk food while cruising down the road - I think I am probably set for another year.
We took a different route on our Junk Jaunt journey this year than in years past, and for me the new route brought not only a chance to view different things from different vendors, but also the chance to renew past acquaintances. This year our travels took us through my home town of Ashton.

Events Calendar

December

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