Nebraska Legislature has moment of silence for Elwood fire chief
LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) - The state Legislature took a moment during its session on Friday to remember the Elwood fire chief who was killed in a head-on crash while responding to a fire in central Nebraska.
State Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha informed the Unicameral of the death of Darren Krull, chief of the Elwood Volunteer Fire Department, who is also the nephew of State Sen. Tom Briese of Albion. Krull died in a head-on crash on Highway 283 on Thursday.
“I’d like you to keep Sen. Briese, his nephew, and their family in your thoughts and prayers,” he said before yielding the rest of his time to State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln.
Pansing Brooks noted that LB-717, introduced by State Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln and coming up on final read Tuesday, pays compensation to families of those killed in the line of duty.
“When we had the previous discussion, people were saying, ‘Oh, it’s political. Oh, they’re doing this because it’s so political.’ It’s not political. It’s about a man’s life that he gave for his community. And fortunately for Sen. Briese’s family, the bill says that any deaths occurring in 2022 will get $250,000 rather than the $50,000. ... So I just want people to realize when you talk about things and disparage efforts that some of us make on behalf of people and say it’s political — it’s not political. It’s about people. It’s not about party; it’s about lives.”
Pansing Brooks then called for a moment of silence on the Unicameral floor.
