The Nebraska Legislature has adjourned for the year and has entered the interim period. During this time when the senators head back to their districts, attention is turned to interim studies, preparations for the next session, and following the implementation of bills passed in the last session. I would like share with you what studies I introduced and other studies I will be involved with, or that are important to the district.

I introduced five studies. Legislative Resolutions 174 through 177 relate to management of water in the state, and LR 178 deals with the relationship between state and local firearms laws and ordinances. In addition, the Judiciary Committee introduced LR219 to examine human cloning and stem cell research in response to a split committee on my bill LB700, the Human Cloning Prohibition Act.

The Natural Resources Committee decided to give priority to two of my four studies relating to water, LR174 and LR177, a hearing date is set for July 31 in North Platte. The study, LR 174, will examine coordination between natural resources districts, state agencies, and state and federal government with respect to surface water flows during times of great need or emergency. We hope to assess and get a better understanding of the administrative, legal, and physical barriers to diverting water to avoid and minimize unnecessary damage caused by flooding, ice jams, and drought. Nebraska needs to keep improving our capabilities to use our water prudently and constructively to solve and avoid water related problems within the state.

An important study, LR177, will look at the inputs and accounting in regards to the ground water model in the Final Settlement Stipulation of the Republican River Compact. This study will examine the accuracy of some of the inputs and accounting to the model.

The study, LR178, is a study pertaining to firearms regulations in Nebraska. Because of the inconsistent nature of local firearms regulations, I introduced LB695 last session in hopes of clarifying and creating more consistent firearms laws in Nebraska. The bill was hung up in the Judiciary Committee, so it was decided that a study examining the nature and consistency of local firearms regulation would be helpful. I have not heard from the committee as to what their plans will be for LR 178.

An interim hearing date for LR219, studying human cloning and stem cell research, has not been set. While I was disappointed in how the University of Nebraska, and in particular, the University of Nebraska Medical Center testified at the hearing for LB700, the Human Cloning Prohibition Act, I am optimistic that we will have a more productive forum concerning these issues over the interim. I am working with the Judiciary Committee to create a format that would allow a panel of experts from both sides to interact with one another in addition to their interaction with the committee members. I am hoping that this format will better lend itself to hammering out a set of terminology by which a productive discussion can take place.

A study that is important to District 44 is LR173. This study by the Appropriations Committee will examine the adequacy of funding for the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture at Curtis. This school has provided an important service to our area, equipping students with skills needed to succeed in our agriculturally based economy. We need to make sure we maintain adequate funding for this vital local resource.

Finally, another important study regarding the court rulings against I-300 in the Nebraska Constitution, will take place over the interim. A committee priority bill of the Agriculture Committee, LB516 directs the Attorney General to assist in evaluating the effects on Nebraska law. There will most likely be several phases to the study as they work through the fallout from the rulings. Any public hearings concerning this issue will most likely be some time this fall.

More information pertaining to interim studies can be found at http:// nebraskalegislature.gov/web/public/home. Or, if you have any questions or concerns about these interim studies or the status of others, please contact me.