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Great news! If you are interested in the possiblity of moving the State Fair to Grand Island, you may wish to watch the Agriculture committee hearing on State Fair issues on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 starting at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be aired on NET2 and by webcast. Fonner Park, the Lancaster Events Center in east Lincoln, and State Fair Park have emerged as viable locations. Each location candidate is expected to make a presentation during the hearing. I've seen the work that has gone into the presentation for Grand Island and I am very impressed. I want to thank everyone from Grand Island working on that project. It's an amazing opportunity for central Nebraska.
The webcast can be accessed on at www.nebraskalegislature.gov and click on Unicam live or on www.netNebraska.org, choosing the television tab, news link to the Unicam live link.
Since the Agriculture Committee hearing is on NET2, I feel I need to address what is happening with NET2 in Grand Island. Charter Communications has made the decision to move NET2 to the digital tier, channel 391, where some customers are now unable to view it. I and other senators have received numerous complaints and engaged Charter Communications in a discussion.. We have encouraged Charter to make coverage of the Unicameral proceedings once again available to all cable customers. For now, they are working on a collaboration with the City of Grand Island to use their public access channel for coverage of the Unicameral. If have a digital converter or digital receiver you will be able to access the local NET2 channel without a subscription to the digital tier. If you do not subscribe to the digital tier, do not have a digital converter or receiver or a new television with such a devise, at this point you cannot get NET2's coverage of the Unicameral in Grand Island. I am not happy this decision but they are within their contract to do so. If you are concerned about this change in their service you should let the City of Grand Island know of your conern as well as contact my office.
LB 395, the statewide smoking ban, was passed with 34 senators voting in favor. Now it goes to the Governor. He could sign it into law. He could let it become law without his signature or he could veto it. Although I don't expect him to veto LB395, I encourage supporters of the bill to communicate that support to the Governor and ask him to sign the bill. LB 395 passed with no op-out provisions so after June 1, 2009, all workplaces in Nebraska will be smoke free. I truly believe that this one bill will do more than any other bill we've considered this year to reduce tobacco related illness and therefore health care costs for all Nebraskans and for our state Medicaid program.
Monday, February 25 is day number 30 of this year's Legislative session - the half way point. Hearings are close to finished and we'll soon be in full day debate. Bills with a priority designation by a senator, the speaker or a committee will be scheduled for debate. Any bill still in Committee or without a priority designation most likely will not make it onto the schedule for debate this year and will die at the end of session on April 17.
As always, please contact me with your support, opposition or questions on any legislative bill or issue. Thank you for allowing me the privilege to represent you in the Unicameral.
Senator Ray Aguilar
District 35, P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
402-471-2617
raguilar@leg.ne.gov
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