Pub. 8 2013-2014 Issue 6

March | April 2014 29 Extraordinary Service for Extraordinary Members. smile and a Cajun accent, was "loan'un people money!" Of course, my follow- up question was "how'd that work out for ya?" His grin was replaced by a serious look and a proud response. "We made good on every loan, with one exception, and even that man comes to the bank every month and pays what he can." You help your Unicameral and Nebraskans by keeping up the flow of liquidity/cash necessary to fuel a vibrant economy but do so wisely.  A: Certainly tax reform tops the list. I trust the Revenue Committee, which has studied the issue aggressively, will bring forward amodest proposal. Major reform will take longer. That's under- standable. Cutting taxes is not unlike a surgical procedure; it can't be undone. The other issue is the expansion of Medicaid. I was an opponent of last year's bill. It was naive and too sim- plistic. Access to insurance (Medicaid) is not the same as access to health care. The introducers, to their credit, went back to the drawing board and have tried to rectify that in this new bill. It merits consideration and debate. Q: As chairman of the Banking, Commerce, and Insurance Com- mittee, what will be your focus for the 2014 session? A: This is a short session with nu- merous high profile issues and carry- over bills. The agenda is cramped, and I believe even bills with priority status may not get considered. My goal is to have bills that the Banking and Insur- ance Departments want as priorities, for the sustainability and stability of their respective industries, become law. Q: What do you see as the big- gest challenge facing Nebraska during the next 10 years? A: An aging population and one that continues to migrate to the more heavily populated and urban areas of Nebraska are our biggest challenges. This trend will continue to affect health care, education, commerce, taxation, and, of course, banking. Q: How can bankers be helpful to you and other members of the Unicameral? A: The answer to this question requires me to relate a story from a visit I made last fall to friends who live near Lafayette, La. My friend's father was asked to head up a small local bank as a second career. He'd recently retired but I was curious about his experience and I asked him what he enjoyed the most. His quick answer, delivered with a big The EFT You can TRUST NetWorks is the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) service provider that Nebraskans have used and learned to trust like family for over 30 years. Our highly experienced staff is extremely knowledgeable and resourceful when it comes to assisting your institution. Give us a call to learn more about our services, you’ll have the opportunity to talk to someone who truly cares about and understands your EFT service needs. www.netseft.com Toll Free 800-735-6833 Local 402-434-8202