The final maps have been approved for Unicameral districts in Nebraska. My state senator Steve Erdman has an op-ed in every Panhandle paper arguing that Omaha shouldn’t get another senator at the expense of the Panhandle just because Omaha’s population grew and ours shrank. His claim is rural areas aren’t being represented properly.

Legislative district 47, which is the district that I represent, has now changed. Banner County and Kimball County have been moved into district 48, while Grant County and all of Box Butte County, including the City of Alliance have now been added into district 47. While this was not my choice, I look forward to meeting all those who have been moved into district 47.

My vote against the legislative district map should in no way be misconstrued as a vote against Grant County, Box Butte County or the City of Alliance. Instead, I voted against the legislative district map because it took a seat away from rural Nebraska and added one to Sarpy County, giving more representation to the greater Omaha metropolitan area and worsening the rural vs. urban divide which already exists in our state.

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October 1 Straight Talk from Steve, goes to the Nebraska Legislature Website.

I’m still waiting for the Secretary of State to open filing for office …