Andy Pollock

• 2023. Andy, Sarah Meier and Brent Smoyer teamed up to draft and advocate for the successful passage of two important pieces of broadband legislation during the 2023 Session of the Nebraska Legislature. The first established the specific duties of Governor Pillen’s new Broadband Office, which will soon oversee the administration of more than $400 million in federal funds for infrastructure construction.
• 2023. The same team also drafted Sen. Bostelman’s Rural Communications Sustainability Act and facilitated negotiations with lawyers across the country representing national cable and telecommunications carriers. The month-long negotiation resulted in consensus legislation that was passed without an opposition vote. The purpose of the Rural Communications Sustainability Act is to ensure that all Nebraskans have access to affordable and reliable broadband services, especially those in rural areas where a business case cannot be made for providing services.  
• 2022. Despite strong resistance from several special interests and legislative leaders, Andy and Brent Smoyer successfully pushed legislation to make sure that broadband providers receiving taxpayer subsidies to build infrastructure have long-term commitments to serve customers.
• 2021. Through collaboration with diverse stakeholders, Andy led successful efforts to pass legislation that (i) increases accountability over government funds used for broadband deployment and (ii) is designed to improve competition in rural areas that lack adequate broadband services.
• 2020. Andy and Nick Paden led the successful defense against legislation pushed by an out-of-state think-tank to completely deregulate Nebraska’s passenger transportation industry, which would have jeopardized public safety, as well as critical services for the elderly and impoverished.
• 2019. On behalf of the state travel industry, Andy and Nick Paden successfully lobbied for legislation to ensure fairness in application of lodging taxes.
• 2018. Andy spearheaded efforts of rural telecommunications companies to support legislation that would accelerate broadband infrastructure construction by opening rural areas to competition.
• 2017. In the wake of a scathing audit of the Nebraska Tourism Commission, Andy worked with Sen. John Stinner to craft legislation to restructure the Commission. The legislation passed 48-0 and will ensure more diversity in the Commission and better oversight of its work and finances.
• 2016. Andy successfully directed efforts to kill legislation that would have allowed cities to take over control of local libraries, threatening privacy protections, and First Amendment rights.
• 2015. On behalf of hte travel and tourism industry, Andy orchestrated efforts to secure the passage of the Nebraska Agritourism Promotion Act, which limits liability for farmers and ranchers to encourage them to open up their private land for agritourists. Andy led negotiations with the Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys to forge compromise legislation. An Omaha World-Herald editorial touted the negotiations as “a useful example of how patient, collaborative lawmaking can overcome complications and tackle a difficult issue.” The legislation passed on a vote of 46-0.‍
• 2015. On behalf of local cab companies, Andy played an integral part in drafting and negotiating legislation that established a regulatory playing field for transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft. ‍
• 2014. Andy negotiated a compromise that allowed for passage of a bill that will provide for treatment of children with autism.‍
• 2013. Tackling another natural gas pipeline issue, Andy was the primary lobbyist who drafted and advocated for LB589, a bill that allows natural gas utilities to take immediate action to repair leaking pipelines that present a critical risk to public safety.
• 2012. Andy took a lead role in drafting and advocating for LB1115, a bill introduced by Speaker Mike Flood of Norfolk. As amended, the bill created opportunities for natural gas pipeline development projects in rural areas through collaborative efforts by natural gas utilities, cities, and area businesses.
• 2011. Andy worked to amend LB360, which as initially drafted would have undone many of the beneficial changes made to Nebraska’s tax structure in LB1048 (2010). As amended, LB360 made favorable improvements to the taxes that apply to wind energy development in Nebraska.‍
• 2010. Representing the Nebraska Energy Export Association, Andy played a key role in passing LB1048, which opened Nebraska’s markets to wind energy development. Andy, together with other lawyers in the firm, drafted the entirety of provisions that restructured the system for taxing wind energy production.
• 2009. Facing potential crisis, a number of livestock producers retained Andy’s services to draft legislation to remove the threat of large-scale business closure due to unduly burdensome and over-reaching livestock waste laws. Andy worked with the Nebraska Cattlemen, as well as entities such as the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and the Sierra Club, to craft legislation that eliminated the threat to the livestock industry while maintaining sensible environmental protections.  
• 2008. In his first year of private lobbying, Andy coordinated an effort to repeal a law that prohibited competition in the supply of natural gas to Nebraska communities. The law was a large obstacle to industrial growth and economic development. Andy led negotiations amongst various utilities with divergent interests to craft legislation that now allows competitive supply.

• Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry
• Member (2007-present)
• Public Affairs Council (2007-present)
• Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, Member (2007-present)
• Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, Board Member (2016-present)
• Nebraska Federation of Business Associations, Member (2012-present)
• Nebraska Telecommunications Association
• Legislative Committee (2012-present)
• Regulatory Committee (2012-present)
• Nebraska State Bar Association
• Member (1992-present)
• Government Practice Section, former President
• Young Lawyers Section, former Vice Chair
• Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra, President (2010-2012)
• Sandhills Marathon, Founder & Race-Director (2007-present)

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• The Architectural Works Copyright Protection Act: Analysis of Probable Ramifications and Arising Issues, 70 Neb. L. Rev. 873 (1991)
• The Snowbound Anthology, a collection of fiction, essays, and poetry about Nebraska (Goose Creek Press, 2019)
• The BeadWORK Bulletin, periodical on local, state and national broadband news, (BeadWORK Collaborative, September 2023 – present)
• Numerous professional articles and presentations, as well as essays and poetry