Covering Local Government: Lessons Learned from 30 Years at the Nebraska State Legislature

Thu, 14 May 2026 09:00:00 -0500

When I first arrived in Lincoln, Nebraska in the early 1990s, I thought I understood how local government worked. I was wrong. The Nebraska State Legislature—America’s only unicameral—or the Unicameral, as we call it, operates in ways that even veteran journalists find challenging. Over the past thirty years, I’ve covered countless sessions, committee hearings, and floor debates, and I’m still learning. Here’s what I’ve learned about covering local government and why it matters more than ever for communities like Lincoln and across the Cornhusker State.

My Journey from Texas to Nebraska

Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Two decades ago, I left the Texas Hill Country for Lincoln, Nebraska. People ask me why — especially now that they’ve seen my reporting on Nebraska’s water wars, TIF scandals, and state government. Here’s the story behind the move from Texas to Nebraska.

It was not a mid-career crisis or a romantic idea about the plains. It was a story assignment, and I have spent the twenty years since trying to explain to people that the decision made itself. My journey from Texas to Nebraska turned out to be the making of a career.

Nebraska on Matthew Bovee | Investigative Reporter

Covering Local Government: Lessons Learned from 30 Years at the Nebraska State Legislature

My Journey from Texas to Nebraska