Attorney general must battle states, feds to protect Nebraska says Buescher

It is difficult to gauge the race for the Republican party's attorney general nod, particularly with so much attention directed toward the gubernatorial and Senate campaigns.

Knowing the relevant concerns of the Nebraska voters, on the other hand, is much easier, according to attorney general candidate Brian Buescher.

During a visit to Sidney on Thursday, he spoke of marijuana traffic resulting from Colorado's legalization of the drug, federal regulation affecting Nebraska's agricultural producers, water disputes and support for law enforcement offices.

He also pointed to a fight brewing with California.

That state voted in legislation on coop sizes for chickens, declaring that only products meeting these specifications be imported into California.

"It violates the commerce clause," Buescher pointed out. "California is regulating Nebraska farmers."

He applauded outgoing attorney general Jon Bruning for filing against the rival state.

Colorado's marijuana law is another example of a state government's decision affecting Nebraska, he explained. Buescher believes the attorney general's office must hold other states accountable for rulings that cost Nebraska, even issuing lawsuits when deemed necessary.

"That's the sort of thing we need to be vigilant against," he said.

On the federal level, Buescher is most concerned about the Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to regulate dust, as well as discussions underway on water runoff.

"If the regulate dust off farm fields and feedlots, it's possible they'd tell farmers they can't work when the wind is blowing," he said.

The runoff issue could lead to further regulation on the use of fertilizer, he added.

"That's the sort of thing that could happen," Buescher explained. "The fundamental problem is the outlook of the federal government. I think it's a problem of activism."

Buescher will continue on the campaign trail until Tuesday, when he heads home to Omaha to cast his ballot.

"It's been interesting," he said of the campaign. "We will see how it pans out."