Senator Barry DeKay – 40th District
Hearings Set to Begin
This past week marked the transition from summer to fall, and as such, harvest season is almost here. Please be careful on the roads since more tractors, combines and semi-trucks will be on the roads in the coming weeks.
Activity at the Capitol is also picking up. Many committees hold public hearings related to study resolutions in the fall. The Agriculture Committee, of which I am the chairman, will be holding two interim public hearings this year.
The first hearing will be on Tuesday, Oct. 7, in Kearney to examine the Livestock Brand Act and the role and mission of the Nebraska Brand Committee. The second hearing will be on Friday, Oct. 31, to examine a variety of topics relating to livestock electronic identification devices, threats to Nebraska agriculture, noxious weeds, and youth agriculture programs. You can find a full schedule at nebraskalegislature.gov.
Although the Legislature adjourned in June, that does not mean senators are idle. The past several months have been busy with traveling for me. In addition to preparing for interim hearings, senators often attend many meetings and participate in events across their district.
In July, I attended the first of two meetings for the Legislative Energy Horizon Institute (LEHI), a policy program designed in partnership with the National Conference of State Legislatures to educate American and Canadian legislators and policymakers about the North American energy infrastructure and delivery system. These events are a good way to learn about new trends in the industry to get an idea of what might be coming to Nebraska.
In September, I joined 32 other legislators from Nebraska and Iowa in Washington, D.C. for an afternoon of listening and giving feedback to various federal cabinet secretaries and their staff. I did appreciate Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and his team for discussing the need for small modular nuclear reactors.
With the need for electricity only expected to grow in this state and country over the next 20 years, our electrical power grid needs a form of electricity that can provide reliable generation around-the-clock with few intermittent stoppages.
A quick list of some of the other events and activities I have participated in include: 1 meeting with other state senators regarding property taxes,
2 receiving input from the Public Service Commission regarding recent bills, 3 working with various state agencies to resolve constituent issues while in Lincoln, 4 holding constituent meetings in Chambers and Hartington, 5 attending the Fort Benning name dedication ceremony in Neligh, 6 participating in the bill signing ceremony for my bill LB246 in O'Neill alongside Governor Pillen and other state senators, 7 attending the various county fairs, 8 visiting with constituents in Ponca and Wakefield,
9 joining the Cedar County and Holt County Farm Bureau annual meetings, 10 attending the Governor's Growing Nebraska Summit on workforce development, manufacturing, and the bioeconomy, 11 taking zoom calls with individuals and constituents, 12 stopping by the Missouri River Outdoor Expo at Ponca State Park, and 13 most recently, visiting with USDA Under Secretary Luke Lindberg and Congressman Adrian Smith in York, NE.
I invite you to let me know your thoughts or concerns. My Capitol office telephone number is (402) 471- 2801 while my email is bdekay@leg. ne.gov. My mailing address is: Senator Barry DeKay, District #40, P.O. Box 94604, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509.
