DeKay outlines priority topics for upcoming legislative session

This past week, the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee held an interim hearing to discuss the status of highways and broadband in Nebraska. The Committee first heard from Director Vicki Kramer of the Nebraska Department of Transportation who testified that the impact of inflation is presenting challenges to fulfill future highway construction and maintenance projects. Nebraska’s current highway needs for the next 20 years currently sit at $16.9 billion, but when inflation is accounted for, the estimated cost to build and maintain our state’s roads increases to $24.3 billion by 2045. If revenue to the NDOT remains flat or decreases, then the department will likely shift focus to highway maintenance and slow down the number of new highway construction projects. Nonetheless, Kramer did testify that the expansion of U.S. Hwy 275 to a four-lane expressway from Norfolk to Omaha is being expedited with the target deadline for completion now set for 2029 instead of 2033.

The Committee then heard from Director Patrick Haggerty of the Nebraska broadband Office who testified that his office was currently on track to deliver broadband to the last 70,000 locations currently identified as unserved or underserved by 2029. This progress is being accelerated by more than $400 million in federal support through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program. As with the NDOT, however, cost will play a vital role in determining whether timelines will be met, especially since many of the current unserved and underserved locations are in rural parts of the state where the cost to provide broadband service is much higher.

Meanwhile, this week the legislature will be meeting as the Legislative Council in Kearney to prepare for the upcoming 109th legislature in January. Here, senators and senator-elects will review procedures relevant to the upcoming session as well as receive updates on a number of internal changes made by division offices and legislative leadership. For many senators, including myself, this will also be the first opportunity to meet all of the 17 new senator-elects who will be sworn into office next year. Of the new senator-elects, only one person comes with prior experience in the legislature: Dan Quick of Grand Island, who previously served from 2017-2021.

Additionally, I recently submitted my intention to run for chair of the Agriculture Committee in the upcoming session. This position, to be vacated by Senator Steve Halloran of Hastings, due to term-limits, is tasked with leading the committee responsible for tackling issues relating to farming and ranching, Nebraska State Fair, food inspection, Department of Agriculture, pet shops and, most recently, foreign ownership of ag land. As someone who has farmed and ranched in Knox County for over 40 years, it is my intention to make sure that agriculture issues are brought forward front and center during the next two years.

Looking ahead, I anticipate a number of important issues will emerge next year, including:

1. A return of legislation similar to LB575 Sports and Spaces Act which proposed guidelines for opposite-sex participation in sports activities and the use of restroom and locker room facilities;

2. Reworking the state’s school funding formula to schools to provide a more stable and consistent method of budgeting to help reduce school’s reliance on property taxes;

3. Banning the sale of lab-grown meat;

4. Returning the state’s allocation of electoral votes to winner-take-all. This proposal would eliminate the so-called “Blue Dot” around Douglas County, which has deviated from the rest of the state three times (2008, 2020, and 2024) in presidential elections;

5. Stabilizing the upcoming two-year state budget which is projected to have an ending balance shortfall of $432 million below the minimum reserve required by statute; and

6. Implementing medical marijuana and paid sick leave now that both issues were recently passed by voters this past November.

I invite you to let me know your thoughts, ideas, concerns, or suggestions. My Capitol office telephone number is 402-471-2801 while my email is [email protected]. My mailing address is: Senator Barry DeKay, District #40, P.O. Box 94604, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509.