Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
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A recent report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected our nation will add nearly $19 trillion to the national debt over the next 10 years. CBO projects the debt will equal 118 percent of gross domestic product 2033. With the national debt already in excess of $31 trillion, inflation hammering American families, and economic uncertainty threatening American small businesses, it's clearer than ever we must put a stop to runaway spending in Washington. As recent numbers from the...
Last week we started floor debates in the Nebraska State Legislature, and the first thing on the agenda was to confirm the governor's appointments. In the past, this process would usually take three to four hours of floor debate to complete. The appointments would be confirmed and the Legislature would then move on to other business, such as debating bills. That has not been the case this year. A few Democrats have decided to hold up the confirmation process. Consequently, we spent the first...
Reaching back into the not so far distant past, one of the activities I participated in during my high school years was debate. Monroe High School in Fairbanks, Alaska had a debate club that I joined shortly after leaving the high school choir. My voice had changed and I couldn't hold a note without ending up screeching in C above high C. That simple change ended up making a great change in many things in my life over the following years. Among the things we were taught in the debate club,...
"'I have loved you.' says the LORD. Yet, you say, 'In what way have You loved us?'" Malachi 1:1 Can Mankind truly understand the Father's love? I Corinthian 13 tells us, briefly, what love is and is not. 1, 2 and 3 John add detail. Now, let us look at Galatians 5:22, 23 with fresh eyes, starting at the bottom. Faith believes that Jesus is Messiah. He told the Disciples, "You believe in God. Also believe in Me." John 14:1 If we don't believe in Jesus, we cannot please the Father (Hebrews 11:6)...
Last weekend, the United States shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon that entered our airspace. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is constantly looking for opportunities to spy on our nation's military facilities, steal intellectual property, and threaten the United States' position as the leader of the free world. The CCP cannot be trusted, and it's critical that we present a united front against any attempt to chip away at our national security. That's why my colleagues and I are...
State agencies are supposed to work for the State of Nebraska. State Senators represent the people of Nebraska because they are elected by the people of Nebraska. So, it is inappropriate for the director of any state agency to tell the Legislature what to do. Instead, it is the job of the Legislature to make the laws, and it is the job of each state agency to carry out those laws. That is, unless you work for the Game and Parks Commission. Protocol for the director of any state agency is to...
We celebrated St. Valentine's Day two days ago, February 14, a day when we reflect upon our good fortune that we have that special person in our life, our Valentine. Next Monday, February 20, government officials grant us a holiday to consider the forty-five Presidents, all men. Because Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms, officials count him twice, as #24 and #26. Thus, we give honor to forty-four men. First President George Washington was born on February 11, 1731, by the Julian...
"For this reason I bow my knees to the Lord, Jesus, the Anointed One, that He may dwell in your hearts, being rooted and grounded in His love and able to comprehend, within you, how His love is able to do exceeding abundantly above what you are able to ask or think." Ephesians 3:14-21 Pastor Bill Gothard produced the book "The Power for True Success, How to Build Character in Your Life"; 12th printing 2001, published by Institute of Basic Life Principles, PO Box One, Oak Brook, Illinois 60522-30...
By now many of you have received a postcard or two in the mail indicting me for trying to repeal term limits. Since these postcards went out in the mail, I have received numerous phone calls and emails about term limits. I deeply appreciate the phone calls and the emails I have received. I have been especially blessed by constituents who have sought me out to find out the truth about what this is all about, so today I would like to set the record straight about what the Legislature is trying to...
"He who loves his brother lives in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. Greater is He Who is in you than he who is in the world, because He has given us of His Spirit; you have an anointing from the Holy One to love as God has loved. God IS Love." 1 John 2:10, 20; 4:4. [As I bow before you, Lord, I will rise in confidence, I will see Your goodness, Lord, in the land I'm living in]. Song lyrics Homer and Emma began their day singing, "I've got the peace that passes...
After watching young people (anyone under 30 years old... snicker) demonstrating and rioting because they find their lot in life so difficult I want to throw up. It makes me that sick. They want other people to pay for their college education. They want to enter the work force and get paid large salaries for sitting on their duffs in front of a computer screen. They act like they are the only ones who have to deal with the stress of living. Yep. Living can be stressful, especially when you have...
Just for the record, would the Nebraska legislative district 47 voters who influenced Senator Steve Erdman to limit Nebraskans to election day voting only (with few exceptions); asked him to request that the Unicameral be changed to a two house bicameral; and sought a dangerous, untested consumption tax to replace all other government revenues, please step forward and identify themselves? And while we're at it, would those who followed his advice and used hydroxychloriquine as a treatment or preventative for Covid 19 during the recent pandemic...
Local control and keeping our families together – essential aspects of The Good Life in Nebraska – are threatened by LB 662. Imagine this waking nightmare: your water is contaminated, your rural road is overrun and torn up by heavy trucks and semi-trailers, your property has become nearly unlivable and so devalued that you may never be able to sell it, and your air is polluted by noise, odor, and particulates that sicken you, your family and your pets. Sounds unimaginable, right? Now, add this: you have no legal recourse against the ope...
On February 4, 1977, the band Fleetwood Mac released their record-selling "Rumours" album. Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie sang one of its songs, "Don't Stop." "If you wake up and don't want to smile. If it takes just a little while. Open your eyes and look at the day. You'll see things in a different way. Don't stop thinking about tomorrow. Don't stop. It'll soon be here. It'll be better than before. Yesterday's gone. Yesterday's gone." Last week, for the first time, I watched Bill...
It's hearing season at the State Capitol! Every bill that gets introduced in the Unicameral Legislature gets a public hearing. Hearings for certain committees will last through the month of March. Last week the Legislature held hearings on four of my bills, so today I would like to tell you about the hearings on those bills. The first of my bills to have a public hearing was LB 28, a bill designed to save taxpayers from paying too much in property taxes whenever the Tax Equalization and Review...
"Let patience have its perfect work that you may be complete and entire wanting nothing. If you lack wisdom, ask of God Who gives [it] liberally, without reproach (scolding or shame), and it will be given to him." James 1:4, 5. Emma knew when Homer hit the door that something had him upset. She welcomed him home with a kiss and a hug, then asked him about his day. Homer related the essence of the meeting between him, his boss Tom Hill, and Nola, the HR director. "A promotion is always good", he...
To the Sidney Sun-Telegraph, I just want to say how much I truly enjoy the turnaround of the paper. It is like a completely different paper! The front page is so cheerful and more than one time your headlines have made me chuckle because it is obvious you are trying to get a smile out of us and it works. The paper is not only easier to read, it is once again worth reading. I will admit that I quit subscribing over a year ago because the paper was just depressing. It seemed like there was someone’s opinion on every page trying to get one m...
LINCOLN, NE – Our current tax system fails Nebraskans and needs reform now. For too long, our tax code has not been competitive. We rank 29th in the country for personal income tax rate and 32nd for business income tax rate. And as all Nebraskans know, we have some of the highest property taxes in the country. From the Missouri River to Harrison, Nebraskans are demanding that their leaders have the courage to cut taxes. This past week, I introduced, with the help from state senators r...
There's no nice way to put this, so I'll cut right to the chase: Last night, my brother Mike collapsed and, as a result of a massive brain bleed, died hours later. For obvious reasons, I considered taking a day off from my writing schedule. For other obvious reasons I considered writing a eulogy about the man who was my idol from childhood -- among other things, a star athlete, a career Marine, and my constant competition in a contest to see who could be the family's blackest sheep. He was a goo...
"'For I know the thoughts I have toward you', says the Lord, 'thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope (expected end).'" Jeremiah 29:11 Find the right church for you, even if it is across the hemisphere, and there, God will fulfill the desires of your heart. Step forward to serve, in that church, and Father will provide His best to you, every time. Homer loved his job! Tom Hill, Kimray CEO, trained Homer on the console that painted every Kimray pressure valve Kimray...
We have read, been told and heard through the grapevine that our local government entities are nefariously "keeping stuff secret." For the most part, they're not. One of the last great freedoms people have is access to information, you just have to know where to look. Social media throttles content and the algorithms show you what it "thinks" you want to see. Government websites can be difficult to navigate and aren't always user friendly. Newspapers, however, are the tried and true method of de...
This year I was elected chair of the Rules Committee. At the beginning of each biennial session of the Nebraska Legislature new rule changes get proposed by State Senators and so it becomes the job of the Rules Committee to sift through their proposed rule changes and decide which ones to advance up to the floor of Legislature for a full debate. This year we received an extraordinary number of proposed rule changes. We received a total of 58 proposed rule changes this year. By way of...
John F. Kennedy served in the U. S. Congress for fourteen years, from 1947 until 1960. Born in Brookline, Massachusetts, JFK was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1946, and he stayed there until 1952, a total of six years. In 1952, he ran for Senate, won the election and stayed there from 1953 to 1960, a total of eight years. He was elected President of the United States in November 1960, and in January of 1961, he and his wife Jackie, and their two children, Caroline and John, Jr...
"Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there I am in the midst of you." Matthew 18:19. No matter the question or circumstance, the answer is in the Bible. Make it first and final Authority! Tom, Nola and Pastor Bill met to do just that. Pastor Bill noted that Kimray was not gleaning the right fruit (attributes) from its employees. He quoted Matthew 7:18-20. "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit." Then he cited Proverbs 18:9, "He who is slothful in his...
The 108th Legislature has begun. The legislative session began on January 4 and will extend through the month of May. This will be the longer 90-day session. The reason for the longer session has to do with passing the Statewide budget. On the first day of the session in odd numbered years we always elect a speaker and the chairmen of the standing committees. Out of the 14 committee chairs elected there were only three positions that had more than one candidate. 11 of the 14 committee...
