May 17, 2021 The weatherman smiled kindly on us for what for many, was graduation weekend. The first part of the week has been drippy, but guess we’ll take it.

From the 1940s until 1999, all quarters looked essentially the same. The U.S. Mint had been using the same design on every new quarter for more than 60 years – George Washington on one side, and a bald eagle on the other.

Back pain can be disabling, not only in terms of employment but also in terms of social connections. This point was never more clear to me than when I saw Maria, a 56-year-old experiencing severe low back pain for nearly five years. The pain prevented her from standing or walking for more than five minutes at a time and had cost her the job she loved. Maria shared with me her one heart-wrenching goal; she wanted to hold her first grandchild, a six-month-old baby boy. Doing so had caused pain so intense it put her in bed for a full day afterwards.

We are in the home stretch of wrapping up this first session of the 107th Legislature and it certainly has felt like an extra long session. The Speaker of the Legislature has announced that the last day will likely be May 27th. There are still several bills yet to be addressed this session and we will continue to work on them until the end. My colleagues and I will be back sometime this fall for a special session to address redistricting, but I think we are all ready for the lull in-between and I am certainly ready to get back home on the farm.

Annually, my wife and I have to cram some sort of anniversary "celebration" in however we can. May 5 is an easy anniversary date for me to remember, but it's easy to get lost in the shuffle of graduations, school activities, little league firing up, yard work to do, livestock chores and whatever else a person finds on their list in early May.

05/10/2021 Heather Bussard of Omaha: Possession of a Controlled Substance; Possession of a Controlled Substance Morphine; Possession of a Deadly Weapon by a Prohibited Person; Possession of a controlled Substance Marijuana 1 ounce or less Possession of drug paraphernalia; Pos Possession of drug paraphernalia; Possess or Consume open alcohol container; Preliminary Hearing May 21, 2021 @ 9 A.M. Darius Harris of Omaha: Possession of a Controlled Substance; Possession of a Controlled Substance Morphine; Possession of a Deadly Weapon by a Prohibited Person; Possession of a controlled Substance Marijuana 1 ounce or less; Possession of drug paraphernalia; Possess or Consume open alcohol container; Preliminary Hearing May 21, 2021 @ 9 A.M.

Nebraska has long been known as the Beef State and May is Beef Month, so it’s the perfect time to enjoy a delicious burger or steak. Agriculture is our state’s largest industry, and beef is the biggest segment of Nebraska agriculture.

The Executive Board Committee held a hearing on LR 107 last Thursday. The intent of the resolution, introduced by North Platte senator, Mike Groene, is to maintain and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Nebraska against foreign and domestic acts of aggression and abuse of power. The committee received approximately 40 letters in support and 6 opponent letters. We had about an even number of people come in and testify both for and against the bill. The committee heard from 11 proponent testifiers and 7 opponent testifiers, there was no one testifying in a neutral capacity. A resolution like this must have a hearing and if it is advanced from committee, it will have one round of debate on the floor of the legislature.

Nebraska is the least indebted State in the country because our state government, like our people, lives within its means. We take a common sense approach to finances. We pay as we go for new projects instead of taking on debt. This approach has helped us to build high-quality infrastructure and to grow Nebraska without mortgaging our future.

On weekends every May, families and communities across Nebraska come together to recognize our graduating seniors. Whether they are graduating from high school, college, or trade school, this is their time to shine. They have put in the work, they have completed what they started, and now they are being recognized for their achievements and they get to celebrate.