Sen. Slama urgent over foreign ownership of Nebraska ag land

LINCOLN - In her latest legislative column, State Sen. Julie Slama said it is urgent to protect Nebraska’s agricultural land from foreign ownership.

Sen. Slama said foreign-owned land in Nebraska now exceeds 791,000 acres, but she is more concerned about the intention of foreign governments rather than total acres. She said some of the acres are land leased for wind energy by companies with some foreign ownership, but there is concern that other land is being bought by adversarial countries like China, Iran or Russia.

She expects bills, such as LB 1120, to arise this session regarding foreign ownership of Nebraska land.

Here is the senator’s column:

 

Securing Nebraska’s Lands from Foreign Adversaries
This legislative session is in full swing, and we are nearly through the bill introduction period!
This week, I would like to address a critical issue that touches the heart of our state’s security
and prosperity - the land ownership by foreign adversaries and future initiatives to address this
concern.

The surge in foreign-owned land in Nebraska, now exceeding 791,000 acres, is important and
cannot be ignored. This figure represents a large portion of our state’s farm and ranch property,
but also raises concerns about the use and control of our agricultural lands, thereby threatening
food security. While part of this increase can be partly attributed to land leased for wind energy
by companies with some foreign ownership, the underlying concern still remains - the influence
of foreign entities, especially those from adversarial nations like China, Iran, and Russia, on our
treasured agricultural land and resources.

The growing concern about the foreign land ownership is not merely about the amount of land,
but more so about the identities and intentions of the owners. In response, watch out for new bills
this session (such as Senator Hardin’s LB 1120) targeted at preserving Nebraska’s agricultural
land for potential threats, particularly from entities of nations that may not share our democratic
principles, or respect our sovereignty.

I am dedicated to safeguarding the integrity of our agricultural lands in a manner consistent with
the welfare of Nebraska and the United States. It is of utmost urgency that we fortify our
defenses against foreign influence, preserve the sanctity of our agricultural strength, and
maintain the security of Nebraska and the entire nation. With this said, I will be sure to keep you
informed on upcoming hot-button issues and the bills impacting Nebraskans.
As always, I welcome your input on issues important to you.

Follow along on my Facebook and
Twitter pages, both entitled “Senator Julie Slama” for more updates, or contact me directly at
Senator Julie Slama, District 1 State Capitol, PO Box 94604, Lincoln NE 68509-4604;
telephone: 402-471-2733; email: [email protected]