State Senators Convene in Lincoln

By Senator Kate Sullivan

District #41 State Senator

The Second Session of the 101st Legislature was gaveled into order by Lieutenant Governor Rick Sheehy at 10 a.m. on January 6, 2010. 

This is the second year of a two-year session so we didn’t have to conduct elections for new committee chairs or other leadership posts. There are several hundred bills at various stages of debate that were carried over from 2009 to this year. Debate will begin on proposed rules changes and legislation on Monday, January 11. 

My staff and I are still located in suite 1019 which we share with Senator Kathy Campbell of Lincoln and her staff. Our office is on the first floor in the northwest corridor of the State Capitol. The Legislature is in session through mid-April, so please stop if you’re in Lincoln.

The legislative session brings many students to Lincoln on field trips. Teachers planning to bring students to the Capitol must schedule their tours directly with the Capitol Tour Office at (402) 471-0448. Tours must be booked in advance. Teachers should call the tour office as soon as possible to reserve their date and time. Tours can’t be booked through my office nor do I have any influence in changing the Capitol Tour Office’s schedule. My advice is to call early and be flexible on your dates.

If you have questions about legislative bills, a toll-free hotline is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to answer questions about bill status and fill requests for publications. The number is (800) 742-7456. The service is also available to the hearing and/or speech impaired. If you call the hotline at night or on weekends, you will hear a recorded message with the next day’s legislative agenda.

The Nebraska Legislature has an award-winning website which is updated daily during the legislative session. 

Information about bills, amendments, fiscal notes, hearing schedules and other legislative business is easily accessible at: www.nebraskalegislature.gov.

The Unicameral Update is published weekly during the legislative session. It contains hearing dates, summaries of floor debate and other legislative information. The publication is available online. You may also order a free printed subscription by calling the toll-free hotline at (800) 742-7456.

Introduction of new bills runs through January 21. Public hearings on new bills will begin on January 19. We are tentatively scheduled to complete public hearings and move to full-day floor debate the first week of March.

If you have questions regarding this newsletter, legislation or state issues, please call my legislative office at (402) 471-2631. There is Voicemail on my phone so if you get the recording, please leave a message and I’ll get back to you. You may also write to me c/o P.O. Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509 or email me at: ksullivan@leg.ne.gov.

If you write or email, please include your full name and mailing address.

I look forward to hearing from you AND working hard for you and the betterment of rural Nebraska in our Nebraska Legislature.