Lawmakers available for capital visits

Every year around this time I write about state legislative issues and how they may or may not impact our local businesses, based on guidance Aurora Development Corporation receives from the Nebraska Economic Developers Association (NEDA) and the Nebraska State Chamber.  
This year, my schedule has been no different, and I have spent a couple of days in Lincoln lately working on behalf of our local businesses. Last week I participated in two council meetings with the state chamber on the topics of agribusiness, environment and energy.  This week I met with NEDA to discuss economic development bills we support or oppose and then we headed to the capital to meet with senators. 
I correspond with Sen. Lippincott a fair amount, so I was able to text with him that morning to let him know that I would be stopping by the capital and we decided to meet in the rotunda because he was introducing a priority bill later that morning.  
For individuals who don’t connect with their senator as often, it is also possible to schedule a meeting by phone or email ahead of time through their office staff. The other way to speak with a senator while they are in session is to check in with one of the individuals wearing a red coat in the rotunda. You can fill out a white slip of paper indicating which senator you would like to speak with and what topic you want to discuss, and they will deliver it to the senator so they can come out to speak with you when they are free.
While I have made numerous trips to the capital to talk with senators over the years, I have never used this method for connecting with a senator, which is why I made the mistake of wearing a red coat myself to the capital. Since it was a busy morning for Sen. Lippincott, I waited in the rotunda around 30 minutes to speak with him.  Due to my clothing choices, I was handed a white slip of paper to pass along to a senator, while I was waiting. In the end it was a fellow NEDA member giving me a hard time for wearing a red coat.  So, learn from my mistakes and don’t wear a red coat to the capital.  
If you aren’t interested in navigating the endless hallways of our capital or the dynamics of the rotunda, you can also attend the Aurora townhall meeting with Sen. Lippincott, which will take place later this session. A meeting date will be announced soon.     
 KELSEY BERGEN serves as executive director of the Aurora Development Corporation. She can be reached at kelsey@growaurora.com