Broken Bow Roundtable On Trade Energy

By Scout Nelson

Nebraska’s federal delegation has been spending the August recess sharing details of the “Big Beautiful Bill” with residents across the state. Continuing this effort, Sen. Pete Ricketts hosted a roundtable discussion in Broken Bow this week.

The closed-door meeting brought together local officials and community members to address issues affecting Nebraska’s economy and energy sector. Ricketts explained afterward that the discussion touched on a variety of topics, including biofuel expansion, firefighting coordination, and mental health services.

While no one directly raised the issue of tariffs, Ricketts emphasized the importance of agricultural trade and highlighted prior efforts by the Trump administration to build stronger international partnerships. “The Trump administration’s commitment to finding new trading partners, including the United Kingdom and India, continues to be important,” he said.

The senator also noted that he heard from public power officials about the need for legislative support. “Nebraska is unique in that we’re almost 100% public power, and so we want to make sure that we’re getting the same benefits that other power companies are getting for making these investments in building out power capacity,” Ricketts stated.

Another key point addressed during the meeting was the conversion of the McCook Work Ethic Camp into a federal immigration detainment facility. Ricketts expressed his approval, saying, “I think this is a pretty good deal for Nebraska. It’s going to mean continued investment in Nebraska, continued jobs, and I think it’s a facility that will suit well for the job that we have to do to address all the people who came to our country illegally.”

Ricketts has been travelling across Nebraska, holding similar events in North Platte and Columbus. These meetings form part of his broader effort to stay connected with communities, address local concerns, and highlight federal initiatives aimed at supporting Nebraska’s agricultural and energy sectors.

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