Today is the 7th birthday of Kyle Michaelis' New Nebraska Network. For seven years, Michaelis has too often stood alone holding elected officials accountable and offering a better vision for Nebraska's future. For lack of competition as much as anything else, NNN has had the curious distinction of being Democratic Senator Ben Nelson's strongest online defender and most consistent progressive critic. That's what it has taken to continue moving Nebraska forward and to ensure a progressive voice could be heard where it's been needed the most.
But - after seven years - it's time for new challenges on wider terrain than blogging allows. That's why Kyle Michaelis is running for the Nebraska Legislature, seeking to represent the 27th Legislative District in the capitol city of Lincoln. The seat is currently held by a conservative incumbent who only won by 79 votes in 2008 by preying upon the values of progressive voters with promises he never intended to keep.
There's plenty of time before November to get into the specifics of this contest. For now, I'm just asking the DKos community to wish NNN a happy 7th birthday by helping to get a progressive candidate off the ground and contributing to the Michaelis for Legislature campaign!
These are the kinds of fights we need to win if progressives are serious at all about a "50 State Strategy" for our country. The 27th Legislative District was represented for twenty years by one of the most progressive leaders in the state - a former Chairwoman of the Nebraska Democratic Party who was term-limited in 2008. With your help to the Michaelis for Legislature campaign, this district and this state can have that sort of leadership once again.
For a clear understanding of who Kyle Michaelis is and what he's fighting for in this election, there's no better place to look than his Legislative Agenda For A New Nebaska that he began last year - long before even considering a run for office. This labor of love was born from the realization that being an online critic was no longer enough, not in a state where progressive leadership and vision has been lacking for so long. Take a look:
Prologue: "What Would A New Nebraska Look Like?"
Issue #1: Pay State Senators A Decent Salary
Issue #2: Restructure Income Tax To Help Middle Class Families
Issue #3: Ensure Elections About More Than Money (Campaign Finance Reform)
Issue #4: Restore Accountability In DHHS More Concerned With Politics Than People
Issue #5: End Discrimination Against Nebraska's LGBT Community
Issue #6: Make Public Power An Environmental Asset
Issue #7: Remove Politics From Redistricting
Issue #8: Create A Consumer-Focused Health Insurance Exchange
Issue #9: Redirect Property Tax Credit To Nebraska Homeowners
Issue #10: Elect County Offices On Nonpartisan Ballot
This obviously wasn't written as an agenda for an actual legislative campaign. Otherwise, asking voters for a payraise probably wouldn't have ranked quite so high on the list. But, this was Michaelis' good-faith attempt to put forward a positive vision for Nebraska with realistic goals for genuine progress.
There's nothing easy about any of these goals. They will face resistance from the most powerful and established political players in the state. But, each issue represents a genuine opportunity for progress with a glimpse into the larger priorities and principles that will guide Kyle Michaelis as the next state senator from Lincoln's 27th District.
On the New Nebraska Network's 7th birthday, I'm asking for your support of a local blogger and fellow progressive who's dedicated years of his life to our shared struggle in a state where that's never been easy. Some of you may not see the relevance of a race for a single seat in Nebraska's state legislature, but this is how true change begins.
A new Nebraska is within reach. Kyle Michaelis has stepped up to the plate and needs you to stand with him. Please contribute what you can to Michaelis For Legislature today!