I want to open my article this week to acknowledge how proud I am of the Husker women's volleyball team and their incredible season. Although they fell just short of advancing to the NCAA Championship game, they did an outstanding job representing the University of Nebraska Lincoln and the entire state.

Their character, teamwork, and athleticism have inspired a loyal fanbase, and - together - we are part of the new era for women's sports. It's amazing to see!

With the 109th Legislative Session scheduled to begin on Wednesday, Jan. 8, I am working on finalizing the bills I intend to introduce. I appreciate all the input many of you have provided to me and will try to deliver on your expectations.

We will be welcoming 17 newly elected senators on day 1. It will be a very busy day, beginning with the swearing-in of all the newly elected senators and the election of leadership, including committee chairs. Once the committee chairs are elected, there is a massive reshuffling of offices as committee chairs move from their existing offices to the committee chair offices.

These offices are larger to accommodate the additional staff that support the committee's work. At that point, all open offices are available for other senators to move into, based on years of seniority. Once you secure an office, you can retain that office for the remainder of your time in the Legislature, unless you become a committee chair.

In addition to the standing committees, the body will also elect a chair of the Committee on Committees. This committee consists of the chair and four members from each of the three caucuses. This committee assigns all other members of the Legislature to their committee assignments, such that they will serve on enough committees to have an assignment every day. The Appropriations Committee is the only one to meet every day, so most members will be assigned to at least two committees. We have a few one-day committees that meet on Monday or Tuesday, a few two-day committees that meet Monday and Tuesday, and several three-day committees that meet Wednesday-Friday.

Unless introduced at the request of the governor, senators and committees must introduce bills during the first 10 days of the session. The earlier you begin, the more likely you are to have something back from bill drafters that you can introduce in time. I have several bills that I intend to introduce and will share them with you next week.

Senators will face another new bill introduction hurdle this year as well. The rules were changed last year to limit each senator to 20 bills per legislative session. We have had senators introduce as many as 60 plus bills in the past. Senators with a lot of ideas will need to either prioritize or shop bills around to other senators. In my mind 20 bills is plenty and will ensure senators don't miss too many of their committees' hearings introducing bills elsewhere.

I do plan to serve on the Committee on Committees and the Executive Board (which also serves as the bill referencing committee) as I have in the past. I am slated to chair the Banking, Commerce and Insurance committee as my two-day committee and hopefully move to the Revenue Committee as my three-day committee. Even with limits on bills introduced, it will be a very busy session.

In closing, Julie and I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a safe holiday season. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. As a kid, my parents did not have much money, but they always made certain that we attended church every Sunday and that we knew the true meaning of Christmas.

Somehow, they also found a way to have gifts under the tree. It was clear that they loved each of us and were willing to make personal sacrifices to see to it that our Christmas was special. Despite the hardships, some of my fondest memories were around Christmas.

Remember the reason for the season.

I look forward to continuing to hear from you about issues that are important to you. It is a privilege to serve as your state senator, and I will continue to give my full effort to make a positive difference for the district and the state. You can reach me at [email protected] or 402-471-2729.