The Summerland Advocate-Messenger - Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community

We are now over a third of the way through this short session of the biennium. This week focused on hearings and debate on railroads, daylight saving time, kratom, hemp-derived THC and many other...

Significant snow, wind, and brutally cold temperatures impacted Nebraska in January. Given the frequency of extreme weather events experienced across the U.S. during the past several years, preparing...

Full disclosure: My wife and I drive a four-year-old hybrid sedan. It runs on the electric motor up to 15 miles -per- hour before the gasoline engine engages. It feels and sounds like it's dead at...

Move aside, Carmela Soprano. I’m in my mob wife era. Cheetah print? You name it. I’ve got it. Shirts, skirts, dresses, jeans, sweaters, boots. You could say cheetah is one of my favorite colors. Ple...

Chief Justice Michael Heavican delivered his annual State of the Judiciary address this past week. As part of a longtime tradition, I was selected to be a member of the committee to escort the Chief...

I was not shocked, just disappointed when Governor Jim Pillen announced that he was going to reduce Nebraska's collective property taxes by $2 billion this year, somehow. Imagine that. In a short...

Crop insurance provides a safety net for farmers, protecting their operations from loss due to natural perils such as drought, frost, excess moisture, pest infestations or disease. While essential...

Several items I cherish most in life are found in a recipe box atop the refrigerator. The other, tucked away in my office in the file cabinet. The items have two common threads. They are handwritten...

Omaha Senator Justin Wayne, chair of the Judiciary Committee, has offered a bill that would put Nebraska's Legislature in charge of the state's prison system, which is currently under the purview of t...

Nebraska lawmakers are gathering once again in Lincoln for another year of debating and passing legislation. The democratic process is something America prides itself on and one that requires input...

On Thursday of this past week, Governor Pillen delivered his State of the State address. The governor began his speech by thanking members of law enforcement, first responders and road crews who have...

To borrow from the Rolling Stones, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you’ll find, you get what you need.” This has been one of my favorite songs since the 1970s. Yes, th...

This past week, senators commenced floor debate on possibly amending the rules adopted by the Legislature last year. Following a public hearing, the Rules Committee considered 34 rules proposals and...

As recent events have demonstrated, the readiness and modernization of the United States’ defense capabilities are as important as ever. Keeping Americans safe and prioritizing American interests m...

Comments from two state senators from Omaha have pretty much diminished hopes for a "normal" session of the Nebraska Legislature this year. "I think it will be a difficult session again. I'm not...

Were you part of the mad rush at Target stores, trampling others or being pushed out of the way, to snag one of the hottest items in the retail world? Were you part of the Stanley stampede, where the...

Wednesday, Jan. 3 marked the first day of the 108th Legislature, Second Session. This session also marks the beginning of the second year that I am serving as the representative of the 40th Legislativ...

The hole keeps getting deeper. Remember when I suggested someone should give the governor a shovel so he could dig a deeper hole for himself? That was when he had refused to read a published report on...

In life and legislative work, a new year brings new opportunities and new undertakings. As we enter 2024 and the second session of the 118th United States Congress, there is much work to do and I’m o...

What does it mean to be authentic? Credible. Trustworthy. Real. Genuine. These synonyms for the 2023 word of the year, as selected by the folks at Merriam-Webster, make an important statement about th...

They're back. The 108th Legislature, Second Session, convened Wednesday. One can expect proposed bills and discussion of some hot button issues, as well as what could be a protracted debate on rules....

The final minutes of Christmas 2023 are counting down. It's nearly midnight, the house is quiet except for the steady hum from the corn stove and an occasional cough from Scott, who is tucked in bed,...