NeFU Board Supports “The Rural Partnership & Prosperity Act of 2023”

Lincoln, NE. At their January reorganization Board of Directors meeting, the Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU) Board endorsed Senators Deb Fischer and Bob Casey’s S. 3309 known as “The Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act of 2023.”

“NeFU thanks Senators Fischer and Casey for working across the aisle to bring this bipartisan commonsense legislation forward to help rural communities more fully utilize and maximize federal programs and grants designed to improve the quality of life for rural residents.  This Bill helps rural communities get the flexible additional staffing, and technical assistance they need to better navigate the complicated world of federal grants and programs. Farmers Union has long championed the need for and value of rural development programs to improve the quality of life for rural residents,” said NeFU President John Hansen. “S. 3309 helps rural communities use more of the often under used funding tools and programs that are already in the funding tool box. That is a good thing.”

“NeFU Vice President Vern Jantzen said, “Many rural communities struggle to address a wide range of issues including affordable child care, affordable housing, job training, water and sewer infrastructure, and medical care for people of all ages among other local needs. If there are federal grants and programs that rural communities can use to improve the life of their rural residents, we ought to aggressively use them. Additional funding helps our communities grow their capacity to repair and expand their infrastructure to build a better future.  In rural development like many things, we either grow and move forward, or we shrink and move backwards.”

In addition, the NeFU Board of Directors unanimously re-elected Vern Jantzen of Plymouth as NeFU Vice President and Graham Christensen of Omaha as NeFU Secretary.

In other action, the NeFU Board selected Lynn Belitz of Fullerton and Graham Christensen of Omaha as its two Delegates to the National Farmers Union’s 122nd Anniversary Convention to be held March 10-12 in Scottsdale, Arizona. At their recent State Convention, the delegates selected Keith Dittrich of Tilden, Andrew Tonnies of North Bend, and Don Schuller of Wymore to represent the membership. NeFU President John Hansen will also serve as a delegate.