New senator brings experience to the Legislature
Andrew La Grone is a first-year senator but he’s not new to the Capitol or issues of public policy.
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Senator features
Public service is a way of life for Gragert
When most people think of retirement, they might envision leisurely games of golf, time with family or days spent on a warm beach. Sen Tim. Gragert, on the other hand, decided to spend his retirement in the George Norris Legislative Chamber.
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Legislature gains a radical pragmatist in Hunt
By the time Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt wrote the business plan for Hello Holiday—a boutique that supports the work of local designers, artists and activists—she already had founded or co-founded a bridal accessory business, a shared co-working space and a nonprofit with the goal of reducing harassment at Omaha nightclubs and bars.
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New senator is ready for work
Sen. Ben Hansen doesn’t like to sit still.
The new senator from Blair owns two chiropractic clinics, an equipment rental business and a company that turns reclaimed wood into furniture.
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Cavanaugh continues family legacy of public service
Somewhere in Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh’s home sits a neglected trunk. It was handed down by her mother and is filled with the relics of a previous life of “free time”—before having children and before deciding to run for the Nebraska Legislature.
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Murman’s dream of holding office deferred but not forgotten
Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil does not often watch the late evening news. But he was watching one night in mid-February 2018 when it was reported that his predecessor in the District 38 seat had announced that he would not seek reelection.
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Lathrop returns to legislative service
While the other members of the 2019 freshman class of state senators were learning the basics at new member orientation, Omaha Sen. Steve Lathrop was becoming reacquainted with the building where he spent eight years serving the people of District 12.
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Dorn brings a listening ear to the Legislature
When Adams Sen. Myron Dorn was sworn into office Jan. 9, he represented one of four generations of his family gathered in the legislative chamber that morning.
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New senator is always learning
There are moments when Sen. Wendy DeBoer catches herself mid-sentence. She’s earned four advanced degrees, and is pursuing a fifth, and knows she can give more details in response to a question than the asker might have expected.
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Brandt brings rural issues to the Capitol
Sen. Tom Brandt never envisioned being a politician. The fourth-generation farmer from Plymouth was content working his 1,100 acres, but the misconceptions that some Nebraskans had about rural life bothered him.
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Slama trades law school for lawmaking
Peru Sen. Julie Slama should probably be in class right now. While most new state senators are learning to balance their public service with work responsibilities, Slama is figuring out how to serve the constituents of District 1 and finish her spring semester legal writing course.
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Arch sees Legislature as platform for doing good
In November, Sen. John Arch of La Vista stepped down as director of the Boys Town National Research Hospital in Omaha after 25 years there.
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Moser strikes the right note at the Capitol
Sometimes it can get a little loud at Sen. Mike Moser’s place of business, but that’s part of the deal. Moser, the former mayor of Columbus, has owned Columbus Music Company with his wife, Jan, for the past 42 years. The store has around 150 guitars in stock, and plenty of amps to go with them.
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Thibodeau does her homework on new job
Not long after Omaha Sen. Theresa Thibodeau was appointed to the Nebraska Legislature last fall, Thibodeau’s daughter Eleanor, a fourth grader studying Nebraska history and government, asked her for help with a question on a homework assignment: What are the duties of a state senator?
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Farmer returns to Lincoln for lawmaking
For a farm kid from Albion, even the promise of a lucrative law career could not deter Sen. Tom Briese from a life working the land.
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