And the Oscar goes to…
Happy Oscars week and happy return of the #NebDems News!
In celebration of the Oscars this week, I thought it would be fitting to celebrate some of the best achievements in politics across our great state.
First however, an introduction. My name is Jack Schiewe, your new author of the weekly blog posts. After the retirement of the wonderful Kevin O’Hanlon, this blog collected some dust until the NDP hired a new Communications Director. The talented Jose Flores Jr. is now serving as our Communications Director, and thankfully, has granted me, a 22 year old college kid, the leeway to write this blog!
And now… on with our all-important awards.
Drumroll please!
And the Oscar for Achievement in Costume Design goes to…
Senators Deb Fisher and Pete Ricketts!
Can we all take a moment to appreciate the commitment to costume design here? On a recent visit to the US-Mexico border, we see Senator Fisher donning what appears to be a mix between a fly fishing and boy scout outfit, as if she is going to hop into the Rio Grande and patrol the border herself. I wish Senator Fisher the best in getting her “Honorary Border Guard” scout patch!
Now– the real crowning achievement in costume design is the beautifully vintage cowboy outfit worn by everyone’s favorite Governor turned Senator, Pete Ricketts! The oversized cowboy hat is such a good piece on its own that it almost made me forget that the Senator built his wealth off his dad’s pocketbook, not through his hard work on the ranch!
It really is ironic that our Senators play dress up on the border for some political stunt while ignoring the needs of everyday Nebraskans. While we can all admire the costume design, our Senators need to spend their time working to provide financial relief to our communities.
While it is important to address the immigration crisis, claiming false platitudes and playing dress up fixes nothing. If our Senators are serious about addressing immigration, they need to roll up their sleeves and sit down with President Biden, Majority Leader Schumer, and their Democratic colleagues in order to make real change.
And for our next award, we will be presenting Best Female in a Lead Role
And the Oscar for Female in a Lead Role goes to…
Senator Machaela Cavanaugh!
As our state legislature has been assaulted with radical bills aimed at alienating our state’s LGBTQ+ youth, Senator Michaela Cavanugh has fought back with every tool in her toolbox.
In particular, LB574, the “Let them Grow Act”, aims to all but rid our state of transgender youth. Senator Cavanaugh recently gained national notoriety for her outrage against this bill, vowing to fight tooth and nail against this bill until her colleagues in the state legislature decide to stop trying to legislate hate.
Appearing on Rachel Maddow, Senator Cavanaugh questioned the motives of many Republicans in the state legislature, saying, “Is our job to legislate hate, or is our job to govern and work on tax cuts and work on the economy?”
It’s a simple question, really, yet nobody is willing to answer it. The fact of the matter is that the Republican party is more focused on winning made up culture wars and alienating our youth than providing relief to Nebraskans who are struggling.
Their priorities could not be more clear– culture wars are more important than kitchen table issues.
We thank Senator Cavanaugh for her unrelenting support for our state’s marginalized communities, and encourage all to support LGBTQ+ youth and other communities at risk by donating here.
If you are interested in using your voice for change, the Nebraska State Legislature allows for public testimony on all bills. You can see the schedule here in order to see what bills you may be interested in testifying on. There is an option for online testimony as well in order to make the process accessible to those who cannot make it to Lincoln.
Lincoln Voters– the deadlines to register to vote and vote by mail are coming up! Check out all the deadlines and our great lineup of candidates.
The Primary election is on April 4 and the General is on May 2!
All Democrats— We need all hands on deck to help us combat the Ricketts $$$ that is flooding the Lincoln elections. Can you commit to 2 hours of action?
You can do it from your house, we promise! Find all the actions to help elect Democrats.
Thank you all for attending our first annual NDP Oscars! It has been a joy being your host, and while my short time hosting these Oscars is up, I look forward to authoring this blog going forward.
Jack Schiewe,
Party Affairs Coordinator
