Nebraska state senator looks ahead to 2009

It’s only been a few days since the 2008 legislative session came to end, but state Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk is already looking ahead to 2009. At a Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce meeting last Friday, the speaker of the Nebraska Legislature identified three primary goals he will be working on next year — the nursing college division proposed for Norfolk, road funding and recruiting more jobs to Nebraska.

State senators took some important steps this session in regard to highway funding — a 1 cent increase in the state gas tax and agreeing to use $15 million in state cash reserves in order to make use of about $75 million in federal highway earmarks.

But much more work needs to be done, Flood said. Flood said he looks forward to sitting down with Gov. Dave Heineman to, hopefully, plan a course of action for the future.