My shop, Five Nine, finally got a sign. To me that means we’re finally a real store.
We’re celebrating this Saturday from 3-9pm at 6105 Maple St, and also hosting a pop-up with some of my favorite local makers and designers:
Mauve Moon Florals - everlasting floral arrangements made with dried and preserved flowers
Violet Design Studio - handmade and bold acrylic jewelry
Pacific Dreamz - handmade jewelry…she made some of my favorite pieces I own
Poppy in the Prairie - handmade tapestries and weavings
Pot Dot Shoppe - handpainted pots and ceramics
Peeq - eco-friendly skincare and cleansers
Baked by Sweet Melissa - baking queen who specializes in macarons but dabbles in a little bit of everything
Wild Roam Club - organic, vegan, + palm oil free soaps
Call it a Galentine’s Day party. I ordered a ton of sparkling grapefruit and prosecco, we’ll have macarons and other local treats, and you can stop by for some great deals and see all the hard work Ash and I have put into this new local shop. I truly and fully love it.
Speaking of what I truly and fully love, the Legislature is back in session. We are beginning our 60-day session with nearly 700 bills introduced and the added task of allocating over 1 billion in federal funding. This is our chance to make generational investments with the American Rescue Plan Act funding by prioritizing affordable housing, racial and gender equity, education, infrastructure, economic justice, and environmental protections. Will we actually do that? I think we should keep our expectations low…
I introduced 14 bills this year on topics ranging from food assistance to foster youth to unemployment to local electrical codes. It’s important to me to introduce bills on potentially controversial progressive topics because each hearing creates a platform for Nebraskans to get their experiences and ideas on the record. Even if bills don’t advance, it is meaningful to show lawmakers that they do have constituents who envision a state with more inclusive and future-facing policies. Unfortunately, my energy feels very limited this session. I am low-energy. I’m super tired. And I am finding that this year the most important role I play in the Legislature is defense, not offense. Basically, I’m expending most of energy in floor fights.
A handful of my colleagues have continued their relentless attack on abortion rights by introducing bills to ban or restrict access to reproductive healthcare and comprehensive sex education. With the impending Supreme Court decision on Roe and a more conservative Legislature convening in 2023, this is perhaps the last year we can block a full ban in Nebraska. I am committed to doing everything I can to protect the rights of patients, families, doctors, and ensure that any policy we advance is motivated by evidence, research, and the well-being of everybody.
Cricket the Dog is often in my office.
My colleagues and I do not socialize a lot because of continued Covid anxiety, and I really miss it, because I don’t really see friends at home either. I’m in this Legislative bubble until we adjourn. Luckily we get tested every Thursday!
More to come. If you know someone who would like this in their inbox, forward it to them and tell your friends to subscribe. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter, too. If you have a question about navigating the system, getting a benefit, or are generally pissed at the government, contact my fed account at mhunt@leg.ne.gov. Help me pay my rent and validate the work that fulfills me by shopping at 5/9. Get vaccinated, mask up indoors for sure, and stay safe!
Meg