A New Legislative District & A New State Senator
Nebraska State Senators met in special session during September to hammer out the details of redistricting Congressional, Legislative, Supreme Court, State Board of Education, and other political boundaries. Then, on September 30, with the stroke of a pen, residents of Furnas, Harlan, and Red Willow counties became residents of Dist. 38 when Gov. Pete Ricketts signed LB 3 into law. Since there was an emergency clause attached to the measure, the change went into effect immediately.
Sen. Dave Murman (Dist. 38) is now the Legislative Representative for constituents living in this area, replacing Sen. Dan Hughes (Dist. 44) Murman is serving his first term and plans to seek a second term next year. Sen. Dan Hughes (Dist. 44) is prohibited from seeking a third term under Nebraska’s term limits law.
Murman concedes that the redistricting outcome was a bit unexpected. “One third of the district shifted. I lost most of three counties and gained three counties,” he said before adding, “I look forward to serving the new counties, and I am happy that my former constituents are being served by fellow conservatives.”
In addition to Furnas, Harlan, and Red Willow counties, Dist. 38 still encompasses the city of Holdrege. However, the rest of Phelps County as well as Kearney County moved to Dist. 33 and Southwest Buffalo County residents were assigned to Dist. 41.
Prior to redistricting, the 38 th district was much more compact, so Murman says he plans to be on the road often during the Legislative Interim, meeting people in Harlan, Furnas, and Red Willow counties. He is confident that his agricultural and business background have equipped him well to serve the interests of his new constituents.
Murman, who is in partnership with his brother in an irrigated farming operation, was also involved in the day-to-day family dairy business for 50 years until seven years ago. The 38 th district legislator says he has always had a strong interest in politics, majoring in Animal Science at UNL with a minor in Political Science. Prior to running for the Legislature, Murman served on the Sandy Creek School Board for two years. When asked what prompted him to run for the Legislature, Murman said that he was surprised to hear on the news that his predecessor was not seeking a second term. “Since I was no longer committed to the daily dairy operation, I was able to pursue my lifelong interest in politics. “
Murman, who serves on the Committee on Committees, Education, and Health and Human Services committees, is considered one of the more conservative senators in the Legislature and is known to represent traditional family values. He opposed the Department of Education’s proposed Nebraska Health standards earlier this year. “The standards have a political agenda and health standards should be focused on health,” he said. He also was concerned that the standards trampled on parental rights. The father of three grown children and five grandchildren was also concerned that the standards as written could have opened the door for sexual predators to potentially have access to talk to children about intimate subjects.
During the Interim, Murman is using his platform to speak out against mandatory Covid vaccinations. “I am not an anti-vaxer, but I do not think the government should mandate vaccines for employment or any kind of benefit,” he said. In looking ahead to the 2022 elections, Murman says that it is imperative that election fraud does not take place. He favors the use of voter ids to ensure that all ballots are legitimate.
In terms of upcoming legislation, Murman says that he would like to see a broader based sales tax on services and goods to aid property tax relief. However, he says that he would want assurance that property tax rates decrease and that we were not just adding more taxes. He also is looking at introducing legislation regarding President Joe Biden’s 30 x 30 proposal. “North Dakota has a law that limits perpetuity to where a person can only control land throughout their lifetime. If perpetuity means longer than one hundred years, that needs to be looked at.” He also says that “if a non-profit organization is acquiring irrigated land with the intent to turn it back into grassland, for the sake of other property taxpayers, that land should still be taxed at the highest value tax.”
Throughout the interview, Sen. Murman’s faith in God was apparent. He used the word “blessed” in various contexts, once when referring to former dairy employees as well as when he referred to his wife who cares for one of the couple’s adult daughters who has a neurological condition and is non-verbal. He also spoke of the camaraderie he shares with some fellow legislators involved in a Bible study. For those wishing to contact their new state senator, they may do so by emailing him at: dmurman@leg.ne.gov or calling his Legislative Office at 402.471.2732.
