Weekly Column

This November, the federal government will automatically enroll Americans into health insurance plans they did not choose. It will not ask their permission.

On the morning of October 8th, families gathered at Stinson Park in Omaha for the 15th annual Omaha Buddy Walk. The event began with carnival activities, including face painting and a photo booth. Walkers assembled behind the starting line at noon, and after crossing the finish, they enjoyed a picnic lunch in the park while a DJ played upbeat tunes. Amongst the beautiful smiles, joyful laughter, and silly photos that day there was abundant love and support for our friends with Down syndrome.

This time of year, you often hear the steady hum of combines working late into the night. Trucks haul corn, soybeans, and dry beans, among other crops, reaping the benefits of productive land and hard work. During harvest, Nebraska’s farm families are busy doing what they do best: feeding the world.

October. The very word brings to mind a flood of images, smells, and memories: football and freshly fallen leaves, the spicy scents of coffee, cider, and apple pie on cool air, and cheers from the bleachers on chilly evenings. October also brings a barrage of colors to our world and our wardrobes: autumn’s browns and deep reds, dusty yellows, bright oranges, and the most vibrant, most defiant color of the season: pink.

On the evening of Saturday, September 17, a bomb exploded in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood. Thirty-one people were injured. Two days later, police in Elizabeth, New Jersey removed from a public trashcan a backpack filled with pipe bombs. The devices were discovered near the town’s train station. Fortunately, no one was killed in either bombing.

Parents worry. It’s a fact of life. Every day, we worry about the safety and happiness of our children. But more and more, parents in Nebraska and across our country are worrying about whether their children will have the same opportunities as previous generations.

In 2013, the EPA released the private information of Nebraska livestock owners. The agency did so in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from radical environmental groups, who used this information to harass and bully private individuals. In giving this private information, the agency went well beyond what was legally required

Like so many members of the Greatest Generation, Orin R. Leslie was no stranger to dangerous situations. In 1944, he served as a radar man aboard the USS Wachapreague in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The largest naval battle in modern history, it was a pivotal moment in General MacArthur’s “island hopping” campaign in the southwest Pacific during World War II. There, and elsewhere in the Pacific, Orin’s ship provided support to the U.S. Navy’s famous PT boats, of the kind commanded by then-Lieutenant John F. Kennedy.

In August alone, I logged more than 2,000 miles driving our vast and beautiful state. Along the way, I spoke with Nebraska families in communities from Lincoln to Chadron, Omaha to Scottsbluff, and many, many places in between. Whether visiting the state fair in Grand Island, attending the investiture of our new federal judge in Omaha, or simply enjoying a cup of coffee with citizens in Thedford, Sidney, Bridgeport, or Kimball, it was great to be back in Nebraska.

Everyone has a memory of the state fair. For some young Nebraskans, it’s showing their animals and livestock, like cattle, hogs, and horses. For others, it’s exploring the 4-H and FFA exhibits, viewing the beautiful quilts, or ambling down the midway. For many others, it’s attending events like the tractor pull, draft horses, or concerts.