Strommen Acclimating to Life in Lincoln

LINCOLN-- It was on a car ride back to Lincoln when the Sun-Telegraph had a few moments to catch up with District 47's new State Senator, Paul Strommen. As the 109th Legislature began its session on January 8, 2025, Strommen along with a group of other newly elected State Senators were sworn in by Chief Justice Jeffrey Funke. Since that moment it has been non-stop activity for the new Senator.

Strommen is well-known in Sidney and Cheyenne County and also became better known throughout District 47 as he vigorously campaigned throughout the area all Summer and into the Fall months. His campaign efforts paid off in a big way as he garnered 77% of the vote in the November election. Strommen won a mandate to represent the 47th District, and Cheyenne County residents are confident they have a representative who not only understands their needs and priorities but also can make an impact and get things done for his constituents.

"I knew it was going to be interesting, but I was surprised at the amount of information I've been given. There's going to be a pretty steep learning curve, but I'm prepared for that," said Strommen.

Strommen noted that he is one of 17 new State Senators in a group that totals 49. He said the senior members and their staff have been invaluable in getting himself and the other new Senators settled in and pointing them in the right direction to attend meetings and conferences. Strommen has been getting acclimated to the environment and is trying to develop a routine for his daily duties.

"When you're still learning where everything is and you're hustling to attend meetings and conferences, the time commitment involved in this position is intense. I didn't realize how much time would be involved. You get up early, usually have meetings starting at about 7:30 a.m., work through the whole day and then have more dinner meetings and other functions," he said.

One of the first responsibilities that needed to be taken care of was committee assignments. After the process was completed, Strommen was assigned to the Appropriations Committee.

"The way they go through the process is the senior members ask you questions about your background, skills and education, and other things to see where you would be a good fit. I'm happy to be on Appropriations, and it was the committee I was hoping to get assigned to," said Strommen.

In general, the Appropriations Committee is responsible for legislation that determines the allocations of budget funds to various governmental departments and entities. It is a prominent assignment that gives the Senator influence over how the taxpayer money is spent.

Strommen has an apartment a few blocks away from his office, and he will return to Sidney when he gets time over long weekends.

"I was able to come home over the past weekend because of the holiday on Monday. But, Tuesday morning I'll be back at it early as we're starting to work on budget issues. Being on the Sidney City Council really prepared me well for this job, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to serve in Sidney. We're dealing with similar issues on a larger scale, but my experience in Sidney makes this transition a lot easier," Strommen said.

Look for his weekly columns in the Opinion Section on page 3A of the Sun-Telegraph as he addresses issues that affect Cheyenne County and gets settled and involved with the legislative process.