Be assured, your voice is heard

Your voice is heard. You may think that is just something we politicians say to you to make you feel good. At the end of these articles, I've asked for your input. Do I really want it? Yes. Do I pay any attention to it? Yes. Many of you have e-mailed, snail-mailed, and called in on a variety of bills, not just those I introduced. Some of you participate in the conference calls. Some of you have even made the trek to Lincoln to participate in hearings. I think all of this is great!

Remember that I've been on your end of this communication line. Now that I'm on this end, I want to express to you how valuable your participation is to me. This is a partnership between myself and those in the District who choose to take time to let their thoughts and concerns be known. If you haven't yet participated, be encouraged to do so. The best way for me to get a feel for what the District desires is to get input from a variety of people from all walks of life. That means you -- the one who is reading this right now.

What happens to your letters and calls? How do your thoughts get to me? We get a lot of letters, emails, and calls per day. During the race track of session, we sometimes fall behind in getting everyone an immediate response on their input regarding a bill. But, please trust that we receive it and incorporate it into our daily routine here. If it is a situation you're in where you need help or want to set up a meeting, we respond as soon as possible.  

 If you gave your views on a bill, this is what we do here in the office. If it is a call, we create a call transcript where we write down the bill number (LB xx), your name and community name, and whether you oppose or support the bill and why. If it is a postal letter or e-mailed letter, we send a form letter response so you know we got it. But first, it goes immediately to a spot where I can see it before the bill comes up for discussion.

Each of the bills introduced this session have a folder of their own. Yes, each of the 700+ bills has its own folder! We take the call transcript, email we printed out, or snail-mailed letter from you and place it in the relevant bill's folder. Sometimes, there are no responses. Many times, there are only a few responses. Other times, there's a massive amount of input (such as what happened with LB 395 [clean air act/smoking ban]). When there are many responses, we keep a running tally of those in support and those in opposition. Then what?

All of the folders for the bills that will be discussed on the Floor or in Committee that day get stuffed into a bigger folder. I take this stack of folders to the Floor, meeting or hearing. There, I can read your input and gain a sense of what you are all thinking on any particular bill. My staff highlights for me the key points in your letter so I can do a quick scan if need be then read more thoroughly later.

Early in your letter, include the bill number and whether you are opposed or in favor of it then tell me why. This is what happens on my end of the communication line.

What happens on your end entails your picking up the phone or a pen or going to the computer. Thank you for your participation!