The One Hundred Fourth Legislature, First Session, is up and running and at a whirlwind pace. Although this past week has been a lot of pomp and circumstance with the swearing in of the newly elected senators, the inauguration ceremonies for the constitutional officers and the Governor’s inaugural address, senators have also been busy moving into their new offices and selecting what committees they will serve on for the next two years.

In his first speech to the Legislature, Governor Pete Ricketts revealed his top goals for the state. As part of his pro-growth agenda, he emphasized bolstering the economy by creating more and better paying jobs, cutting property taxes, reducing unnecessary state and federal regulations, and strengthening the state’s education system.

On the first day of session, senators elected committee chairpersons. I ran for and was elected as the vice chair of the Executive Board. Senator Bob Krist of Omaha was elected as chair. The Executive Board manages the Legislative Council, which consists of the offices of the Clerk of the Legislature, Accounting and Budgeting, Fiscal Analyst, Research, Ombudsman, Performance Audit, and Revisor of Statutes. The Executive Board makes the final decision as to what committee every bill is referenced to, makes appointments to various task forces and commissions, and holds hearings on bills referenced to the committee.

I was also selected to serve on the Appropriations Committee. This committee is responsible for reviewing budget requests and presenting a budget recommendation to be considered by the full Legislature. The primary constitutional duty of the Legislature is to pass the state budget. Due to the workload of the committee, it meets every afternoon of the week. I hope that my experience and talent gained from the business world will prove useful as we begin our work on the budget process.

Senators will continue with bill introduction for the first ten days of the legislative session. Public hearings, held on every bill introduced, will be held during the afternoons, beginning later this month. Senators will meet in session during the mornings. After every bill has a public hearing, then the Legislature will begin meeting in full-day session.

I want to make you aware of the Legislature’s website, which contains a wealth of information for viewers. You can read biographies on the new senators, review the bills that have been introduced and even watch the Legislature live. The website is nebraskalegislature.gov.

Although I will be in Lincoln for long hours during this 90-day legislative session, which is scheduled to adjourn on June 5, I will still try to attend as many events in the district as I can. If you are ever in the Capitol, make sure to stop by my office. I have moved to Room 2000, which is located on the second floor, north side.