Bernie Fehringer

My name is Bernard “Bernie” Fehringer. I’m 65 years old. I live and farm south of Sidney in Cheyenne County.

I choose to live in Western Nebraska because of the quality of life possible here. I felt that way 33 years ago when I loaded up a U Haul truck, put my wife and two kids ages 3 and 6 in the cab and headed back home to farm. I still feel that way today. I’m still farming, still have the same wife, still work and socialize with our children and am still accumulating grandchildren. We have two now and the number will double in July.

Leadership Experience With Large Boards and Groups

My public service began with the Rural Electric Program:

• Wheat Belt Public Power District for the past 27 years
• Wheat Belt’s Tri-State Director for nearly 20 years
• Trapper Mining Director for 12 years – coal supplier to Tri-State
• Federated Rural Electric Insurance – Kansas City, KS – Director for the past 5 years representing NE, CO, KS & WY.

It is going to take a strong voice in Lincoln to protect what has become known as “outstate” interests from being overwhelmed by the voting power of Lincoln and Omaha. You will need someone who has experience in consensus building and meaningful compromise; skills I have learned during my service on large boards. The Tri-State board is 44 persons which is nearly as large as the Nebraska Unicameral.

Legislative Experience

Gained by serving you in the Rural Electric Program

• Nebraska Rural Electric Assn. Legislative Committee – 8 years
• Chairman of the Committee – 4 years

The advocacy skills I acquired through this experience will be helpful when I become an advocate for the citizens of the 47th District.

Promote Job Growth

In the 47th District, we raise some of the best meat, grain and kids in the world and we export all three.

• I will work to promote job growth
• I will introduce changes to tax incentives to help small businesses

Most of the tax incentive laws in Nebraska are directed toward starting or enlarging bigger businesses. This District (and Nebraska) needs additional incentives to encourage small business start ups. If elected, I will work to lower the limits for business incentives – several base hits gets you a score just like a home run and more people get to share in the American dream.

I plan to emphasize jobs that provide value-added processing to the products from this District and thereby create jobs so our kids do not have to go elsewhere to live.

Experience With Our Water Issues

Part of our good life is founded upon our agricultural base which developed because of our having a plentiful water supply. Conserving our water resources for our and our childrens’ future was the reason I actively sought being elected to the South Platte Natural Resources District’s Working Group for its Integrated Management Plan.

• South Platte NRD Integrated Management Plan Group - Member-at-Large for 4 years
• Water Transfer Subcommittee

Those with whom I worked in this group will tell you that I was a strong advocate for a balance between the competing municipal and agricultural issues. I was a member of the Water Transfer subcommittee which worked to provide the cities with water for growth while treating the agricultural community fairly.

• Platte River Over-Appropriated Basin Working Group

This Group is charged with coordinating recovery efforts along the North and South Platte River from the Wyoming and Colorado state lines to the Kearney area. We have spent the last three years working toward a basin-wide solution to the water shortage affecting Western Nebraska.

I will provide a strong voice for allowing these plans time to work. Should changes be needed, my experience gained these past four years working with these issues will allow me to protect your interests against calls for water from the people who forget that “outstate” is really “instate”.

Control Spending and Reduce Taxes

Everyone agrees, especially compared to neighboring states, taxes in Nebraska are too high. I will work hard to see that spending is controlled, and where possible, reduced or eliminated, without harming essential services such as education, roads, and safety. Our high taxes make it hard to entice businesses to locate in Nebraska. Reducing them, and in particular, off-setting property taxes is essential to growing the 47th District.

Remember to vote on May 13th and elect Bernie Fehringer for the 47th District.

Thank you.