Speak Up With Bud Synhorst

The evolution of the news cycle has evolved so much in recent years. The way we consume news and gather information has changed so drastically from the days of the newspaper delivered to your door, watching the nightly news, and listening to the local radio stations for news and other local items. Today, we carrry a supercomputer in our pockets and have news and information at our fingertips 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. John Gage, executive editor of the Plains Sentinel talks about the evolution of their platform and some of the local stories they have been working on recently since their launch.

From "you have cancer" to "you're cancer free" is a long journey. October 13, 2025 my doctor called and informed me the biopsy showed I had cancer. On April 10, 2026, my oncologist told us we're in active surveillance because there is no longer evidence of cancer in my body. What a journey and roller coaster. Today's episode, my wife and I sit down and talk about the journey of cancer from both perspectives and talk through what it was like.

The Legislature finishes up for the session! How was the session...interesting, intriguing, and a little bit hard to read. Mark Vail and I will dig into some of the happenings of the session. You will also get a bit of unfiltered Bud talking about a Lincoln senator who opposed an education bill, which made sense—all that and more in the legislative wrap-up discussion.

The Brand Committee has been a hot topic in the Nebraska Legislature the past few years. During the 2026 Legislative Session it became a very contentious issue. State Senator Barry DeKay stopped in to discuss the Brand Committee, the evolution of the bill currently pending in the Legislature and what it means for feedlots and cow calf producers.

What is going on in the Nebraska Legislature! There are 9 days left on the 109th Legislature, Second Session. The budget needs to be addressed, there’s an interesting bill on the horizon about the brand committee and more. Mark Vail and I sit down to discuss the final days of the Nebraska Legislature.

Nebraska Lt. Governor Joe Kelly has many duties to fulfill. This episode dives into the duties of the Lt. Governor in Nebraska. One of his many duties includes serving as the presiding over the Nebraska Legislature, which can be interesting to say the least. Lt. Governor Kelly shares some insights on how he "manages" being the presiding officer over the Nebraska Unicameral. With a limited number of days left this session, plus several term limited senators at the end of the session, the last few weeks of the session should be interesting.

Charlie Colon is the owner/operator for Chick-Fil-A at Southpointe Pavilions in Lincoln. Our conversation today focuses on Charlie's journey from Lincoln Northeast High School to Chick-Fil-A owner/operator. He shares some of the "secret sauce" for Chick-Fil-A and leadership. Check out this great conversation with Charlie. You will enjoy his commitment to people and especially the community of Lincoln.

Elizabeth Tegtmeier explains the purpose and function of the Nebraska State Board of Education. She talks about some of the issues being addressed during the past three years. They have provided innovative ways to address the teacher shortage, invested in literacy projects around the state. Elizabeth gives a good perspective on the way she votes and her focus on helping kids learn the basic skills of reading, math, and writing. An intriguing conversation about education and what is happening in Nebraska.

From testing to diagnosis to more testing to treatment to recovery. What happens after treatment is completed? There is a sense of relief to get through the treatment after weeks of daily treatment. Then what happens after completing treatment? It has been about 8 weeks since completing treatment, and the recovery process has been very up and down. Check out the latest update on where I stand in the recovery process, 8 weeks after treatment.

The Nebraska Legislature is approaching "halftime" of the 60 day session. Mark Vail from KLIN News joins the podcast this week and we discuss the legislative session so far in 2026. Plenty of intrigue in the session, starting with an immediate discussion to expel a member of the Legislature, a resolution to file articles of impeachment on a University of Nebraska Regent, and a recent reprimand of a member of the Legislature. All within less than 30 days. We're just at the "two minute" warning. Senators will be naming their personal priority bills soon. The budget will be coming before the legislature in early March. That said, there's not a whole lot of time left in the session for 2026. Tune in to hear our discussion.

Former Kearney City Council member, Mayor, and now State Senator, Stan Clouse is featured this week. He brings a unique perspective to the Legislature after serving in local government. Senator Clouse shares his perspective on issues in the Legislature and some lessons learned in the process in his first two years in the Nebraska Legislature. He brings a refreshing view to the Legislature and you will enjoy hearing his perspective.

Nebraska State Senator Jana Hughes has a bill, LB 1038, to address how public schools are funded in Nebraska. For several years, property taxes have been a discussion in the Nebraska Legislature and a majority of property taxes paid across the state. Senator Hughes has been a member of the Education Committee and is bringing forward a bill to address how to fund public schools in Nebraska. It is a unique idea worth a conversation. Check out her idea how to fix our school funding formula in Nebraska.

Nebraska State Senator Ben Hansen discusses the inner workings of the Executive Board of the Legislature. He is completing his final session as a State Senator. We talk about the lessons learned and how he sees things going during his last session. We also discuss some bills related to taxes and how he plans to address taxes during the 2026 session.

Nebraska State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg was appointed by Governor Pillen on November 3, 2025 to fill the vacancy for State Treasurer. Since assuming this role, Spellerberg has been learning about the duties of the State Treasurer and setting forth his vision for the office and serving Nebraskans. Just a few topics we discuss include paying the state's bills, unclaimed property, NEST saving plans for kids, and child support. Finally Treasurer Speallerberg gives insight on his advocacy for a first time home buyer saving account to help Nebraskans buy their first home.

CANCER SUCKS!!! This episode I give an update on my cancer treatment and how the treatment journey worked. Along with some special shout outs to my family and the radiation team at NHO! Check this episode out and hear the treatment journey. Thanks to all my friends and family who have been reaching out and supporting me through this journey. Especially the two people who had to deal with me the most during this time - my wife, Nikki and daughter Chloe.

Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, John Arch, joins the podcast to discuss the upcoming 2026 session of the Legislature. Speaker Arch talks about developing the agenda, working with his colleagues to work through all of the bills introduced, assigning bills to the various committees, and Speaker Arch shares some reflection on his time in the Legislature as he enters his last session before being term limited.

A look back at the highlights of our first 27 episodes. This time Bud becomes the guest to reflect back on the conversations in 2025. A great time to reflect on 2025 and prepare to move forward in 2026.

Ritch Cassidy as been a lover of country music for years. He pursued his passion for country music working in country music radio for years. After experiencing the ups and downs of the radio business and corporate radio, he pursued a path more independent and has created a following on social media. You would also say he was being a social media influencer before it was cool. Hear stories from the fun side of country music, the artists he's met, and how he has built his own path in a difficult industry.

Award Winning Wall Street Journal writer and political news editor, Gerald F. Seib who spent 40+ years with The Journal covering politics, world events, and has interviewed every U.S. President from Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump. In 1987, he was arrested in Iran while working covering the Middle East. He has hosted presidential debates and covered every major political event for the past 40+ years. This episode we will talk about how he went from growing up in Hays, Kansas to covering the White House.

Nebraska State Senator Kathleen Kauth – Senator Kauth was appointed to the Legislature in 2022 after the death of Rich Pahls and was elected to the Legislature in 2022 and reelected in 2024. Senator Kauth represents District 31 in the Omaha/Millard area and serves on the Agriculture Committee, Business and Labor Committee, and Revenue Committee. As a State Senator, Kathleen Kauth is not afraid to address the big issues. She talks about keeping males out of female sports and restrooms. She will also talk about her plans to address a recent arrest of a University of Nebraska Regent for Driving Under the Influence of alcohol.

CANCER SUCKS!! This episode takes a bit of a turn from the normal format of interviews and is strictly sharing the beginning of my journey with cancer. Dealing with cancer, talking about cancer and the journey. Updates will follow in upcoming episodes and will not be the only thing we discuss on the podcast. My purpose for this podcast is to talk about cancer – something this is traditionally one of those taboo topics.

John Waters is a native of the Omaha area, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, and a veteran of the United States Marien Corps. John served our country for seven years. After returning to civilian life, John went to the University of Iowa to get his law degree. John worked in the first Trump Administration as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C. Reacclimating to civilian life can be difficult for our veterans and John wrote a book, “River City One,” to cope with getting back to civilian life. He currently works as an attorney in Omaha and writes for Real Clear Politics.

Nebraska State Senator, Brad Von Gillern began serving District 4 of the Legislature in 2023. Since being elected to the Legislature, Senator Von Gillern has focused a great deal of time understanding and trying to find ways to change the tax structure in Nebraska. Leading up to the 2026 Session, Senator Von Gillern offers his thoughts on tax reform, how we address property taxes, and he shares his take on the current petition initiatives being circulated.

Bo Jones, co-owner of Tru-Built Construction was looking for ways to recruit more employees, especially young people to the construction industry. He had an idea - create a platform for business and industry to interact with students and prospective employers to make connections. Over several months of thought and idea, Bo came up with the concept for CareerPathway.com. Now this platform has over 4,000 students regularly engaging with over 300 employers. Applications are being sent to companies for jobs, scholarships, internships, and more. Learn more about CareerPathways.com.

Michael Helman is a 2015 graduate of Lincoln Pius X High School. After his career at Pius, Helman went to Hutchinson Community College where he was the 2017 National Junior College Player of the Year. He then went on to play two seasons at Texas A&M before being drafted by the Minnesota Twins, and currently is on the Texas Rangers roster. Helman discusses his baseball career and the ups and downs of professional baseball.

Bruce Rasmussen is the retired Athletic Director of Creighton University Athletics. He started as the women's basketball coach in 1980 and became athletic director in 1994, serving as AD until 2021. During his tenure at Creighton, Bruce recruited and retained head coaches who were committed to Creighton and advancing their programs. Bruce's leadership and vision created excellent facilities for all sports at Creighton. Finally, Bruce helped lead Creighton's transition from the Missouri Valley to the Big East Conference.

Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen was elected in 2108 and reelected in 2022. As Secretary of State, Evnen oversees Nebraska elections, serves as Nebraska's Ambassador to the world, and is involved in registering businesses. All of these areas will be covered this week in our episode of Speak Up.

Nebraska State Senator Carolyn Bosn – chair of the Judiciary Committee. Senator Bosn discusses her background and the impact of being appointed following the resignation of Suzanne Geist. Senator Bosn explains the inner workings of the Judiciary Committee and how they are working on issues related to the justice system. Senator Bosn also brings perspective to the ICE detention facility in McCook and her experience and understanding of the current state of the Work Ethic Camp in McCook.

Sam Fischer is a retired political operative with decades of experience working in politics in Nebraska and around the country. Sam has been involved in races at all levels of politics. We talk some politics and podcasting with Sam, who has been doing his own podcast in retirement.

Sam Fischer is a retired political operative with decades of experience working in politics in Nebraska and around the country. Sam has been involved in races at all levels of politics. We talk some politics and podcasting with Sam, who has been doing his own podcast in retirement.

Nebraska First District Congressman Mike Flood – after serving 10 years in the Nebraska Legislature, Mike Flood was elected to Congress in June 2022, reelected in November 2022 and again in November 2024. Congressman Flood recently hosted the Flyover Fintec Conference in Lincoln and talked about the importance of the conference for Nebraska. He recently filed an ethics complaint against Representative Ilhan Omar and shares the background as to why this was done. We also discuss the Big Beautiful Bill affects Nebraskans, Congressman Flood’s role as chair of the Main Street Caucus.

Congressman Adrian Smith was elected in 2006 to serve the 3rd Congressional District of Nebraska. In this episode, we learn how the One Big Beautiful Bill is impacting Nebraskans and how it impacts rural communities. As Chair of the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, Congressman Smith discusses the latest in trade negotiations and the impact on Nebraska. McCook is going to have an ICE Detention facility, and we will get more into what this means for McCook and Nebraska.

Rick Allen Schweiger is a Grand Island native who took his voice to become the PA announcer for Nebraska Football games in Memorial Stadium, started announcing at Eagle Raceway outside of Lincoln which led to an opportunity to become the voice of the NASCAR Cup Series on NBC. This fall, Rick will be the PA announcer for the Carolina Panthers and be a play-by-play announcer for college football on The CW network.

Tom Jacobs, CEO/Executive Director for the College Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2026, the College Baseball Hall of Fame will open with exhibits in the Kansas City area (Overland Park, KS). Tom takes us through the process of how the College Baseball Hall of Fame will come to reality next year. Tom shares the background of what to expect from the Hall of Fame and all the Foundation is involved in regarding inductees and awards each year. This will be one college baseball fans will enjoy.

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers – elected Attorney General in 2022, Mike Hilgers serves as Nebraska’s 33rd Attorney General. Since being elected, AG Hilgers has focused to keep families safe, protect rights, ensure the integrity of our constitutional structure, to be a resource for law enforcement officials around the state, and protect our natural resources – including water rights. Today, AG Hilgers will talk about how he is working to protect Nebraskans.

Suiting up Varsity with Greg Mays has become a history of Nebraska high school sports. Greg has spent 35+ years as a teacher, coach, and mentor and has now committed his time to preserving the history of Nebraska high school sports. We learn more about his passion for sharing stories and history from across Nebraska and how he views some of the great high school athletes of all time in Nebrask

Nebraska Volleyball player Rebekah Allick has become a household name on the court in Nebraska. Since coming to Nebraska to play volleyball she has grown in her Catholic faith, which is a guiding principle for her in her everyday life. Over the past year, she has taken her faith and beliefs to stand up for issues important to women. She was instrumental in supporting Nebraska Initiative 434 protecting human life and has been a vocal supporter of LB 89 in Nebraska, protecting women’s sports from allowing male participation.

Only Citizens Vote with Jack Tomczak – In this episode we will talk about the growing number of states around the United States amending their constitutions to allow only citizens to vote in elections held in the state. To date, only about half of the states in the United States have made this amendment to their constitutions with more states considering putting this amendment on the ballot in 2026. During the episode, Jack will discuss cities around the country allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections.

Congressman Don Bacon - Earlier this year Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon announced he will not seek reelection in 2026, leaving one of the most “purple” districts in the United States open in 2026. After a lifetime of service to our country, nearly 30 years in the United States Air Force, followed by five-terms in the House of Representatives. Congressman Bacon discusses his time in the service, serving in Congress, how he focused on issues important to CD2, and what is next for the Bacon family.

The Final Season with Kent Stock – when school consolidation happens to a small school in Norway, Iowa, Kent Stock takes the head baseball coaching job of a team with 19 state championships and wins their 20th title in their final season. This conversation is about how the storybook season became a movie and has developed into a speaking career for Kent Stock, inspiring associations, companies, and others to consider, “how do you want to be remembered.”

Covo Intelligence – Covo Intelligence Founder and President Colby Vogt gives insight into a career of market research, consumer input and how it has shaped the way brands look at themselves and respond to market forces. Colby started his journey working for Gallup, proceeded to work for some of the top PR firms in the world, and started Covo intelligence to help brands understand what is happening in a fast paced world of constant information flow.

Disaster Response with Lori Bertman – This discussion covers how two people from different parts of the country became fast friends reacting to a disaster. Along with Lori Bertman, Bud discusses the flood of 2008 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and how working with resources from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and learning on the fly, the community worked to respond to a natural disaster. The conversation centers on reflecting on how to help others in a time of disaster.

Governor Jim Pillen – in this episode, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen discusses the 2025 session of the Nebraska Legislature. Governor Pillen gives his observations on tax policy in Nebraska and how he is preparing for the next session. He also provides the decision making process for alerting the Nebraska National Guard. He also shares stories of challenge coins for World War II veterans in Nebraska. Finally, we discuss Governor Pillen’s plans for the campaign trail.

Bud Synhorst Outlines The Goals and Objective of Speak UP