Capitol Conversations: From Pasture to Policy Ensuring Distance Is No Barrier to Justice
Our constitutional freedoms depend on more than the laws we pass. They depend on the judicial system that applies those laws fairly, protects individual rights, and ensures every Nebraskan receives due process under the law. The Nebraska Supreme Court’s recent summer tour through north-central Nebraska provided an opportunity to recognize the people who keep justice accessible in our rural communities.
From August 10–12, Chief Justice Jeffrey Funke and members of the Supreme Court visited 16 county courthouses across north-central Nebraska. Four of those stops, Custer, Blaine, Loup, and Garfield Counties, are in District 43. The justices met with judges, court clerks, attorneys, county officials, court employees, and community leaders to learn more about the work being done in our local courthouses and the challenges of delivering justice across a large, sparsely populated region.
Nebraska’s Constitution divides state government into three separate branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The Legislature writes the laws, the executive branch administers them, and the judicial branch interprets and applies them. Each has a distinct responsibility, and this separation of powers helps prevent too much authority from becoming concentrated in one place. Our courts provide an essential safeguard by ensuring the government abides by the Constitution and every person receives the protections guaranteed under the law.
Access to justice can look very different in rural Nebraska than it does in Lincoln or Omaha. Judges often serve several counties, court employees carry multiple responsibilities, and residents can travel considerable distances to attend a hearing or meet with an attorney. According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates, Blaine County has approximately 458 residents, making it Nebraska’s third-least-populous county, while Loup County has approximately 570 residents, making it the fifth-least-populous. Together, the two counties have just over 1,000 people. Yet every resident possesses the same constitutional rights and deserves the same access to a fair and impartial court as those living in our largest counties.
Population and caseload must be considered when judicial resources are allocated, but those numbers do not tell the entire story. Geography, travel time, staffing, and the importance of maintaining meaningful local access must also remain part of the discussion. Whether someone is facing a criminal charge, family matter, property dispute, protection order, or the administration of an estate, access to the courts can directly affect that person’s family, property, freedom, and future.
The tour took place during Nebraska Trial Court Week, a time dedicated to recognizing the people who keep our trial courts operating each day. This year, that statewide recognition was brought directly to rural Nebraska. Rather than holding the annual ceremony at the State Capitol, the Judicial Branch gathered at the Custer County Judicial Center in Broken Bow, where Chief Justice Funke presented a proclamation honoring trial court employees, which Custer County Clerk of the District Court Amy Oxford and Clerk Magistrate Deb Hansen accepted on behalf of court staff throughout Nebraska. It was a fitting opportunity to recognize those who keep justice available in communities of every size.
Our courthouses are more than government buildings. They are places where rights are defended, disputes are resolved, laws are applied, and government is held accountable to the Constitution. I am grateful to everyone who works to ensure justice remains accessible to every Nebraskan, regardless of distance, and appreciate the Supreme Court Justices who took the time to visit the rural parts of this great state!
Staying connected with the people of District 43 is an important part of representing you. I value the conversations we have throughout the district and encourage you to continue sharing your questions, concerns, and ideas with me and my office. Your input helps shape my work on behalf of our communities in the Nebraska Legislature.
Please note that my email address has changed to tanya.storer@leg.ne.gov
Respectfully,
Senator Tanya Storer
Facebook: Tanya Storer for Legislature
📩 Email: tanya.storer@leg.ne.gov
📞 Phone: (402) 471-2628
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