Mike Flood's entry into the 2020 legislative race in Norfolk's 19th District is good news.
Some guys — both men and women — are skilled legislators who can be strong when necessary, compromise when needed, deal and lead.
Tough and continuing challenges lie ahead: tax reform, school funding, prison reform, economic development, 2021 redistricting and more.
Including, I believe, a developing decision about affordability and access to public higher education in the state along with the quality of those institutions.
As an elected officeholder, you actually can accomplish important stuff in Nebraska's non-partisan, single-house, 49-member Legislature. And there are no political party or seniority hoops to jump through; you can do it right away.
That's where strong and effective leaders ought to be.
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Political history could repeat itself in Nebraska next year.
In 2008, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama won metropolitan Omaha's 2nd Congressional District and with that victory came one of Nebraska's five presidential electoral votes.
It was the first time Nebraska had cast an electoral vote for a Democratic presidential nominee since 1964 when President Lyndon Johnson won the state and pocketed all of its electoral votes.
But Nebraska now awards one of its five electoral votes to the winner in each of the state's three congressional districts while handing the other two votes to the statewide winner.
In 2016, this was the 2nd District presidential vote: Donald Trump, 48%; Hillary Clinton, 46%. Close.
Considering all that has happened since then along with figures from some recent polling, it looks like we've probably got a ballgame in 2020 with turnout in Douglas County the key ingredient.
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A quartet of Democrats have lined up as potential 2020 challengers to Republican Sen. Ben Sasse.
Daniel Wik of Norfolk, the party's 2016 congressional nominee in Rep. Jeff Fortenberry's 1st District, recently announced his candidacy with a statement promising "common sense solutions to immigration, health care, Social Security, veterans health care, taxes, abortion, farming, energy and marijuana."
Angie Philips of Omaha describes herself on Twitter as "working class, mother of three, community organizer and human rights advocate."
Chris Janicek of Omaha finished second in the 2018 primary election to Democratic Senate nominee Jane Raybould.
Larry Marvin of Fremont has entered every Senate race since 2008.
Best guess: the Democratic field is not yet complete.
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"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," Emma Lazarus famously wrote on the bronze plaque mounted at the Statue of Liberty.
And now Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, suggests it should read: "Give me your tired and your poor who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge."
But, of course, be sure to continue piling on new tax cuts and tax shelters for the wealthy while immigrants are hard at work in meatpacking plants, in agriculture, in restaurants and at construction sites in Nebraska.
Who are we now?
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Finishing up:
* Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha has been chosen as one of 48 state leaders from across the nation to participate in The Council of State Governments 2019 Henry Toll Fellowship, which has been described as "an intellectual boot camp" and the nation's premier leadership development program for state government officials.
* Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue might attract some interesting, and challenging, questions about U.S. trade policy and tariffs and their negative impact on Nebraska agriculture during his appearance at the State Fair in Grand Island this week. But that will depend, in part, on who is in the room.
* Gov. Pete Ricketts' mention of Sally Ganem, wife of former Gov. Dave Heineman, as a potential legislative candidate is the latest example of family ties in play in Nebraska politics. Ann Ashford, wife of former Rep. Brad Ashford, is a congressional candidate in Omaha. John Cavanaugh, brother of Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, is a candidate to join his sister in the Legislature.
* And now we have to be concerned about inverted yield curves? Sounds like a sophisticated traffic sign for a roundabout.
* OK, OK, I get it, but calling it The Ohio State University is still a bit much. So, of course, is the "We are Penn State" chant. I prefer the Stanford tree.
* The Yankees head to LA for a series with the Dodgers next weekend that could be, might be a World Series preview. And now here comes football, it's time to multi-task.