U.S. Senator Ricketts speaks at rally
U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts was in Broken Bow for a “Get Out the Vote” Rally Monday evening. Also speaking was Dist. 43 Legislative Candidate Tanya Storer.
“This is a very consequential election,” Ricketts said. “We need to make sure we’re getting conservative representation in offices that reflect the conservative values of Nebraska.”
“I am proud to have served Nebraska as governor and I am equally proud to continue to serve as senator,” he told the crowd of of approximately three dozen at the One Box Convention Center.
Of Storer, Ricketts said, “She has the experience and understands what it takes to represent Nebraska.” He added that she understands the importance of economic development and was key in leading the opposition to 30x30.
Ricketts listed his priorities in Washington, D.C., as 1) “Take Nebraska solutions to America,” 2) Fix broken government and 3) Keeping us safe.
Ricketts compared the budget process in Nebraska with the budget process in Washington, D.C., saying Nebraska passes a budget on time however, Washington does not. “Spending is out of control, he added. He also gave the example of using job coaches from the Nebraska Dept. of Labor to work with SNAP recipients, noting that it eliminated 60 percent of the need for SNAP. He has plans to offer a similar solution at the federal level. “I would like to offer it as part of the Farm Bill,” he said. “I’m optimistic.
The Senator stated there should be incentives for purchasing flex-fuel vehicles, just as there are for electric vehicles. “EVs (electric vehicles) don’t work so well in rural areas,” he stated. “What’s a trucker going to do on a 90 degree day with a truck full of cattle? Pull over for three hours to recharge?”
He challenged the current administration’s goal to have two-thirds of vehicles sold by 2032 to be electric. The minerals needed to build electric cars are obtained from China. “There is no backup plan,” Ricketts said. “Why make ourselves dependent on China?” He also expressed concern about soil compaction due to the weight of electric farm equipment and the cost of EVs.
“What do you do for low income families? The pathway out of poverty is a car.” The average cost of a car for low-income families, he said, is $12,000 while the average cost of an electric vehicle is $53,000. “Low income people will not be able to buy a vehicle.” He further challenged the goal saying “The president will have to explain why he doesn’t want low income people to have cars for rural American to get to work.”
Ricketts said the last time Washington, D.C., passed appropriation bills on time was 1997. Goals to fix broken government include reducing regulations, decreasing the time it takes to get permits and controlling spending. “We’ve got this experience in Nebraska,” he said
His third priority, safety, includes managing the southern border and relations with Russia and China. “Russia and China are our nuclear peers,” he said “We have to keep a strong military and get the Navy and our nuclear forces up to speed.” Ricketts also wants to reinstate many of the immigration regulations from the last administration including the resuming of building the wall on the southern border. He also stated support for putting sanctions against Iran back in place.
Storer spoke of her eight years as a Cherry County Commissioner, saying during that time, the tax ask was reduced by 17 percent. “We did it with a responsibility to the tax payer, finding efficiency and managing the budget,” she said.
She wants to take common sense to Lincoln and “be a gate keeper for bad legislation,” adding that stopping bad legislation is as important, if not more important, that passing good legislation.
“I’m a fiscal conservative who wants to keep government in their lane,” Storer said. “Stopping the growth of government, that’s a realistic goal.”
Storer said she is often asked to describe the 43rd District and she uses the word “agriculture” to encompass the district. She also emphasized the importance of small business.
“We have no Starbucks, no Menards, no Hobby Lobby. What we do have is privately-owned, family-ran coffee shops and lumber yards and I will continue to champion that,” Storer said.
Both Ricketts and Storer encouraged people to sign a petition supporting Nebraska’s current abortion laws and spoke against a pro-abortion initiative that is also circulating petitions to place abortion as a right in the Nebraska Constitution.
Asked how he manages the Washington environment, Ricketts said he and other freshman Senators, both Republican and Democrats, are talking about building a coalition to better direct Senate leadership after current Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell steps down in November. “If we can build a coalition that is big enough, we can hold (leaders and committee chairs) accountable.”
Asked about the Farm Bill, Ricketts said, “I suspect it will be another year yet.” The current bill has been extended through Sept. 30.
Gov. Jim Pillen appointed Ricketts to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant when Ben Sasse resigned. He is running in a special election to continue filling that seat.
Storer is running for Nebraska’s Legislative Dist. 43 seat which encompasses Dawes, Sheridan, Cherry, Keya Paha, Boyd, Brown, Rock, Blaine, Loup Garfield and Custer Counties.
The primary election is May 14. Photo ID is required. Accepted ID include Nebraska drivers license, Nebraska state ID Nebraska college ID Nebraska political subdivision ID, hospital assisted-living or nursing home record, military ID, tribal ID or U.S. passport.