The Nebraska Legislature is halfway through its 2021 session.

Last week a total of 89 bills were named either a senator or a committee priority bill. If priority bills are advanced out of committee they will have a better chance of being heard on the legislative floor this year. The speaker also named 25 bills as speaker priority bills.

Recently I saw a patient who had experienced two consecutive days of pain in his right upper abdomen. I questioned him, looking for clues of gallstones, liver mass, or maybe an ulcer in the small bowel, but his answers did not fit my expectations.

Did you think I was gone for good? To all eight of you that read these each week (well, when I actually get around to writing them), I am sorry I have been absent so much lately, but I had something I wanted to say this week.

From March 21-27, 2021 we’ll celebrate National Agriculture Week in Nebraska. It’s a great opportunity to highlight the hard work our farmers and ranchers do to produce high-quality and crops they raise feed families in our state, across the nation, and around the world.

Last week and early this week, things continued to be busy around here. Committees were busy meeting in executive session, trying to advance bills so that senators could decide on what bill they would like to prioritize for the session.

As a primary care physician, I walk with my patients as they face many of life’s challenges. Facing the diagnosis of dementia may be one of the hardest. Any chronic illness involves loss, but dementia threatens the loss of not only ability and independence, but of the very self.

March 7, 2021 Whenever someone is admitted to the hospital, they are asked to stipulate their “code status.” Levels of code status include full code, meaning resuscitate and intubate if required; as well as various combinations of do not resuscitate (DNR) and do not intubate (DNI).

03/08/2021 Colton Hillin of Holdrege: Leaving the Scene of an Accident; Found: Guilty; Sentenced to 6 months’ probation and ordered to pay court costs, probation costs and all other fines. George Mullowney of Alma: Driving Under Suspension; Sentencing: Ordered to pay fines and court costs.

Since taking office as Governor, property tax relief has been my top priority. That’s because high property taxes continue to be the number one concern I hear from Nebraskans. This legislative session, Senators have a golden opportunity to give Nebraska families the relief they need.