Cutting taxes. This is a perennial issue that most senators promise to address in the legislature. They campaign on this issue and make promises, usually with good intentions. But then, year after year, little, if anything, is accomplished.

The Biden administration has never wanted to admit that what is going on at our southern border is a crisis. But what else would you call a situation where illegal crossings are at an all-time high, dangerous drugs are pouring into our country, and the men and women charged with protecting the border aren’t given the resources they need to do their jobs?

Experts estimate that well over 80 percent of people will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Perhaps ten percent of adults experience it at any given moment. Back pain is extremely common, and people with back pain can be extremely miserable. It may hurt to move, sit, stand, lay, even breathe. No wonder back pain accounts for so many visits to the doctor! When people with acute back pain

Like millions of Americans, I took in the Super Bowl Sunday evening, pulling for the eventual losers as seems to be my custom of late. While I was watching, I glanced at some social media and saw a post from one of my all-time favorite sports personalities - Bill Curry.

There is a proposal before the legislature this session to fund the Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability (STAR WARS) project. This project proposes to build a lake between Lincoln and Omaha. It also intends to fund projects in other parts of the state, including Lake McConaughy and the Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area.

At the request of Governor Ricketts, Speaker Mike Hilgers introduced LB 1015. This bill intends to protect Nebraska’s water supply by giving the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources the ability to build a canal and reservoir system that would be tied to the South Platte River. The project has been called the Perkins County Canal project and cost estimates have been up to $500 million dollars. In 1923, Nebraska and Colorado signed a compact outlining the use of the water that flows from Colorado into Nebraska via the South Platte River. Under the compact Nebraska is allowed to divert 500 cubic feet per second during the non-irrigation season but to do this Nebraska must construct, maintain and operate a canal for the diverted water out of the South Platte River.

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” Those are wise words and good advice. I wish I had read them before Tuesday morning.

Each session of the legislature is complicated, but I feel this session may be more so than most. The state has excess revenue and also has ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act of 2021) funds available. Nebraska was projected to receive about $6 billion in total funds. Over 80% of that money flowed directly through existing programs or funding mechanisms which dictated where that money would go. The state’s allocation is $1.04 billion. The federal government has laid out what are eligible expenditures and we must be careful to stay within the guidelines or we could be required to pay back that money. Eligible expenditures are; responding to a public health emergency, replacing public sector revenue premium pay for essential workers, and also infrastructure, including water, sewer and broadband. There were over 100 bills introduced that would utilize these funds, we will have to wait and see what ideas make it out of the Appropriations Committee and onto the floor.

INDIANOLA - The Indianola City Council met Monday to discuss an ongoing issue with trains blocking a city crossing for extended periods of time as well as to hire for the open utilities position and other items of business.

CAMBRRIDGE - The Cambridge City Council met in regular session Monday evening, January 7, 2022 with all council members, City staff including Kandra Kinne, Lisa Shifflet, Maria Downer, and Dave Houghtelling, and three visitors, John Kutnink, Bruce Lefler, and Randy Heitmann in attendance.