This week, we kicked off a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of the American Legion, which was chartered by Congress in 1919. Leaders from the American Legion joined me at a ceremony at the State Capitol to kick off the “Year of the American Legion” with an official State of Nebraska proclamation. The organization, which boasts more than 2.1 million members nationwide today, is one of our country’s preeminent veterans and community service organizations.
Weekly Columns
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Celebrating 100 Years of the American Legion
September 18, 2018 -
Strengthening the Nebraska-Japan Relationship
September 10, 2018For several decades now, Japan has been a key partner in helping the United States achieve our strategic goals in the areas of trade and national security in the Asia-Pacific region. As a part of building the relationship between America and Japan, we have established a number of associations to help strengthen ties between the countries. This week, Nebraska has the honor of hosting the 50th annual conference of the Midwest-U.S. Japan Association (MWJA). We are an association... read more
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Connecting Nebraskans to Great Job Opportunities
September 04, 2018Nebraska is the best place in the world because of our people. Our people are hard-working, loyal, and family-oriented, and are constantly striving to make Nebraska the best place in the world to live, work, and raise a family. Our work ethic is reflected in national rankings: Nebraska has one of the highest labor force participation rates. Since 2014, our state has ranked third best out of all states for wage growth. And we consistently have tens of thousands of job openings in any... read more
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Growing Trade with Mexico and Vietnam
August 28, 2018Trade missions are one of the top ways we can grow Nebraska. With 95 percent of the world’s population living beyond our borders, there are billions of potential customers around the world. When it comes to trade, Nebraska’s ag products are some of our top exports. Every year, we export about $2 billion worth of soybean products, $1.2 billion of beef, and almost $1.2 billion of corn. To build international markets for our quality products, the Director of the Department of Agriculture... read more
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Biofuels Grow Nebraska
August 21, 2018In our ag economy, biofuels are playing an increasingly important role in growing more opportunity for the next generation of farm families. With economic uncertainty and low commodity prices, ethanol not only helps build reliable demand for our corn, but it also helps our country achieve greater energy independence. Nebraska now has the capacity to produce over 2.5 billion gallons of ethanol. The ethanol industry directly employs over 1,300 Nebraskans and indirectly supports many more... read more
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Fair Season in Nebraska
August 14, 2018Summer means it is fair season in Nebraska. From county fairs to the state fair, Nebraskans come together to celebrate Nebraska agriculture and the best our communities have to offer. Agricultural fairs have been a part of our state’s heritage since before our founding in 1867, and 151 years later they continue to help the next generation stay connected to and learn about our state’s number one industry.
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International Trade Grows Nebraska
August 07, 2018Trade has been a great way to grow Nebraska for many years. With over 95 percent of the world’s population living outside the United States, we have billions of potential customers for the food we grow and the things we make here in Nebraska. Over the past few years, I have led international trade missions to Japan twice, China twice, the European Union, and Canada. International trade representatives from state agencies have led additional missions in recent years including visits to... read more
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Honoring Korean War Veterans
July 31, 2018This past week was significant for Korean War veterans across the country. On July 27th, the nation observed the 65th anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement. On this anniversary, President Donald J. Trump announced that North Korea has returned 55 cases with remains of American military killed in the war. The cases have been flown to South Korea and then they will be transported to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency laboratory in Hawaii for... read more
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Growing Trade with Japan
July 24, 2018International trade, direct investment, and partnerships are key to growing Nebraska. From providing markets for our quality ag commodities to creating jobs in communities across our state, international partnerships are building great opportunities every day. Over the years, Japan has become a key trading partner for Nebraska. Japan is our largest direct international investor and one of our largest export markets. To build on these successes, I have led two trade missions to Japan... read more
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The Thin Blue Line Protecting Nebraska
July 17, 2018The summer travel season is a busy time of the year for the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP), our state’s premiere law enforcement agency. Nationally,... read more
