Capitol Conversations: From Pasture to Policy Extremes Are Rarely Healthy—in Weather or Politics
Extremes seem to be something Nebraska’s weather and politics have in common lately. In both cases, the results are rarely positive.
Nebraska entered 2026 with much of the state receiving roughly half its normal moisture. Those dry conditions contributed to a devastating fire season that burned nearly one million acres. June brought welcome rain, but it came too late for much of the spring forage to recover. By July, record heat and persistent winds have quickly robbed that moisture back out of the soil and grasses.
It is a cycle in which each extreme makes the next one worse: drought dries the soil, dry soil provides less evaporative cooling, afternoons grow hotter, moisture disappears faster, and the drought deepens.
Politics may not be a perfect comparison, but political extremes can create a similar cycle. Like drought contributes to raging fires, anger can produce more anger, and anger often results in clouded judgment and irrational decisions, especially those that disregard the lawful process. Distrust leads to greater distrust. One side stretches the rules to achieve its goals, and the other side responds by stretching them even further. And the drought deepens, eventually burning up everything in its path.
Our nation’s Founders understood this danger.
America was built on the revolutionary idea that government exists to protect the God-given rights of the people. Those rights do not come from elected officials, agencies, or temporary political majorities. They include freedom of speech, religious liberty, due process, property rights, and the freedom to work, build, save, and make decisions for our families. But rights cannot survive on good intentions alone. They depend on rules, procedures, and institutions that limit power and account for human flaws such as anger, jealousy and deception.
The rule of law means officials must follow established laws even when doing so is inconvenient. Citizens should know the rules, understand how decisions are made, and have a fair opportunity to be heard. That is especially important when government taxes property, regulates land, restricts liberty, or uses eminent domain. Due process allows citizens to question a valuation, challenge a regulation, present evidence, and appeal an unfair decision.
Rules also protect the minority from the majority, whether that be a political party or simply an issue or policy. “We the People” does not mean 51 percent have the power to take away the constitutional rights of any individual or elude the law. That would be a pure democracy, which the United States is not. We are a representative Republic.
Extremes on either side are dangerous. Too much government power threatens liberty and property. Too little respect for law, process and legitimate authority can lead to disorder, favoritism, and rule by whoever is strongest or loudest. Freedom requires balance: enough government to protect rights, enforce laws, and maintain order, but firm constitutional limits and processes to prevent abuse.
The Founders did not design a government dependent upon perfect leaders. In fact quite the opposite. They designed a government to protect the citizens from imperfect leaders, which is everyone. Only Jesus is perfect, and looking for perfection in anything else is the equivalent of worshiping a false God. Our founders created a government of divided power, constitutional limits, and established procedures to protect the individual. Rather than looking for perfection in our elected leaders (which is generally defined by our own opinions) we should be asking if they understand and respect the process, most importantly the Constitution. Are they just, fair and can they make decisions apart from anger?
While we cannot control the weather, we do continue to pray for God’s merciful rain. What we can control is our own actions, respect for the rule of law, and being an informed participant in our system of government entrusted to us. Our individual rights, endowed by our Creator, are the promise of the American government. The rule of law and proper process are what make that promise real.
As always, please feel free to contact my office if I can ever be of assistance. Hearing from the people of District 43 helps ensure your voice remains an important part of the legislative process.
*** 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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