Republicans flex muscles, give GOP majority to nearly all legislative committees

George Norris must be rolling over in his grave.Norris, the father of the onehouse Nebraska Unicameral Legislature and one of the greatest U.S. senators in history, sought a political body that would not be dominated by political parties.

‘Good Life District’ idea ‘a mess’ of unintended consequences

LINCOLN — Be wary of unintended consequences.That’s good advice for any endeavor, and appears to be the problem facing proposed retail/ sports/entertainment developments called “Good Life Districts.”The recent effort to create such districts was well intended.

Responding to illegal immigration

Laken Riley. Rachel Morin. Jocelyn Nungaray. Sarah Root.These young women never set out to become household names. They each lived their lives, studied and worked hard, and loved their families. But each of those lives were ripped away from them unjustly and prematurely.

The return of ‘Winner Take All’

Gov. Jim Pillen has asked me to reintroduce my “Winner Take All” bill in this year’s legislative session. The new bill, LB 003, seeks to return Nebraska to the way 48 other states count their electoral votes for president and the way Nebraska did it before 1992.

Daydreaming . . . so I don’t fall asleep

Do you ever just go on autopilot?I’m not talking about when you are the passenger in the car and you don’t pay attention to where you are. I’m talking about when you are the person behind the wheel.

Could the Legislature dish up a 'state dessert?'

As the State Legislature gets to work on its 90-day session, it’s time to consider whether the Unicameral should resolve an important, and regularly overlooked matter — designating a state dessert.Face it, we all love dessert and naming an official state dessert is long overdue.

LETTER: Continuing clean water talk

Happy New Year and hopefully all shared the gift of Human Health Protection that is nothing more than talking and asking questions. Can farmers in Nance County get you a Cornhusker Munitions contaminant sample? See what your thoughts are after reading the gift sharing’s from the last 4 years.

The power of words spoken in truth

Most everyone acknowledges the power of words and it’s interesting how sometimes just speaking a truth out loud can have dramatic consequences. This is powerfully illustrated by something that happened in my own family many years ago.

Governor calls for ‘pedal to the metal’ in seeking more federal funds

Years ago, I had the pleasure of covering the dedication of a new, $17-million bridge spanning the Missouri River east of Niobrara.The bridge was named after Chief Standing Bear, whose people, the Poncas, once ruled over that area of northeast Nebraska.

Nebraska’s energy needs are growing

As economies grow, so does the need for electrical power. Research shows a 90 percent correlation between the use of electricity in our country and our economic growth. Meanwhile, electrical power is vital to every aspect of modern life in America. Just imagine your world without electricity.