Hughes Views: Two more bills this week

Last week in the Natural Resources Committee, I introduced LB368, a bill to eliminate the over-appropriated designation on certain Natural Resource Districts. The hearing served as a means of educating the committee on how and why we manage water the way we do and the relationship between ground and surface water. Currently, just the upper Platte River basins are designated as over-appropriated. 

I also did a short interview recapping my bill LB227 with Nebraska Farm Bureau on Thursday. That is the bill about nuisance lawsuits and changes to ag operations. I am hoping by the time you are reading this LB 227 will have been advanced out of committee and on to the floor. You can watch the interview on Farm Bureau’s Facebook page.

This week, I’m most excited to have students from the district begin visiting the Legislature. I always enjoy speaking with the students, whether they’re fourth graders, high school seniors or beyond. The students usually join me for pizza over lunch, and we’ll talk about the legislative process as well as their interests and views. 

 I have two more of my bills to introduce this week. The first is LB144 which will be introduced to the Government committee, and the second is LB632 to be heard in the Natural Resources committee. 

LB144 changes election law to allow county officers in primary elections to be nonpartisan. This addition only applies in counties with 15,000 residents or less and requires county boards to pass a resolution or residents of that county file a petition for the nonpartisan election to take place. Then, the top two county candidates for each office, regardless of political party, would be on the general ballot. 

LB632 is what we call a “shell bill”. It is just a bill introduced during the first 10 days that really has no content. This “placeholder bill” allows the committee to deal with emergency situations or other issues of importance that may pop up during the session that need the Legislature’s immediate attention. 

If you would like to speak directly to me about legislative issues, join the Great Plains conference call Tuesday at 7 a.m. MT and McCook Chamber Conference call Thursday at 7 a.m. MT.   

I always enjoy hearing from the Nebraskans I represent. Please feel free to contact my office with any questions or concerns that you might have. My email address is dhughes@leg.ne.gov and my phone number is (402) 471-2805.

You can read more about bills and other work of the Legislature at www.nebraskalegislature.gov, and you can click on the Live Video Streaming NET logo to watch sessions, hearings, and other Capitol events.