By Robert Pore
robert.pore@theindependent.com

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Independent/Scott Kingsley Gregg Neuhaus publicly announces his candidacy to fill Sen. Ray Aguilar's seat in the Unicameral Tuesday evening at the Grand Generation Center. Independent/Scott Kingsley Legislative candidate Gregg Neuhaus speaks with Grand Generation Center Executive Director Lois Stienike following Neuhaus' public announcement Tuesday evening. Click Thumbnails to View

"I have a number of reasons why I want to serve in the Legislature, but I can condense that down to one word Natalie," Neuhaus said in announcing his candidacy Tuesday.

He said when his son and daughter-in-law decided to move back to Grand Island last year, he asked himself what kind of community this would be for his granddaughter to grow up in.

"The future of Grand Island concerns me," Neuhaus said. "What will Grand Island be for Natalie? What Grand Island will be 20 years from now depends upon what you and I do today in this election."

Neuhaus is a third-generation Grand Island resident. He is a practicing attorney and owner of Heartland Title Co. His wife, Leslie, also practices law in Grand Island.

Sen. Ray Aguilar currently represents Grand Island's District 35, but is unable to seek re-election due to term limits. Along with Neuhaus, Mike Gloor is also seeking the seat.

In regard to his granddaughter as the reason for his candidacy, Neuhaus said he doesn't agree with the old axiom, "Children are our future."

"They are not our future; we are their future," Neuhaus said.

And it's not just about his granddaughter, he said.

"What will Nebraska be for your grandchildren?" Neuhaus said.

His goal as state senator is to make Grand Island and Nebraska a "safe, secure and prosperous place," with "opportunities to succeed right here at home and a place our children and grandchildren can call home."

Neuhaus cited as his qualifications for running for the Legislature his nearly 30 years in the law profession in Nebraska.

"Grand Island needs someone who can hit the ground running the moment they get to Lincoln," he said. "We need someone who can stand up to Lincoln and Omaha on the tough issues and fight for the agenda of Central Nebraska. We need someone who understands the Legislature right now, knows the issues and can lead in Lincoln."

Neuhaus said Grand Island needs a person "who can represent all of Grand Island and not just the few and not just the special interests."

"These are serious times and this is a serious decision for the voters of Grand Island," he said. "This election is about the people of Grand Island, and we need to put the people of Grand Island first."

Neuhaus said the election isn't about who can raise the most money and spend the most money on advertising.

Saying he will abide by the state's spending limits during the campaign, Neuhaus said he is asking his opponent to follow the state's campaign spending limits, also.

"Instead of trying to see who can outspend each other, I think the people of Grand Island would be better served by a series of debates, and I stand ready to debate the issues in any form," he said.

Among those issues that Neuhaus is basing his campaign on, are:

A pro-life agenda.

Better control of state spending.

Having schools and community colleges emphasize more courses in vocational skills and technology to educate students in skills needed by employers in Nebraska.

Returning more control to local schools that are burdened with an increasing number of state and federal mandates.

Exempting Social Security income from state tax to keep seniors in Nebraska.

Providing tax relief to young families.

Funding major law enforcement initiatives that will help local communities get rid of drugs and gang activities.

Neuhaus also advocates a get-tough policy when it comes to illegal immigration.

"Our failure to address this issue sentences an entire race of people to poverty and subclass status," he said. "I want everyone coming to America to be an American, not an illegal hiding from the law and thinking of another foreign land as their home. I want everyone to have a chance at the American dream."

Neuhaus said Nebraska must make sure that everyone here is here legally.

To achieve that goal, Neuhaus is calling for an effective identification program.

"Don't let anyone tell you that we can't do it," he said. "If we can track a cow from birth to broth, we can figure out who is here illegally."

Neuhaus also supports denying all state benefits to those who are here in Nebraska illegally.

"The governor's proposed legislation was a start, but it wasn't tough enough and it didn't even get out of committee," he said. "And that is a perfect example of why Grand Island needs tough leadership in Lincoln."

And when those two pieces of the puzzle are in place in battling illegal immigration, he said, the state can then go after employers and "slum landlords" who profit from and harbor illegal aliens.

"They want to have an uneducated subclass on whom they can continue to prey," Neuhaus said. "We are paying for this so-called 'cheap labor,' which only benefits a few, with our values and the future of our children."

For more information about Neuhaus, visite his Web site at www.voteneuhaus.com.