Tony Vargas has devoted his career to public service and advocacy. Elected to the Nebraska Legislature in 2016, Vargas has spent the last three years successfully fighting for economic justice and opportunity, including equity in education, technology and innovation, juvenile justice and corrections, college affordability, and healthcare access. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, he has led efforts to prioritize state funding to support the most vulnerable in our communities, especially children and families from low-income backgrounds. He proudly serves as the Vice Chair of the Executive Board and Chair of the Legislative Planning Committee. Previous to his election to the Legislature, Vargas was a school board member of the Omaha Public Schools Board of Education, serving more than 52,000 students and 86 schools across Omaha. Tony began his career as a public school teacher. In 2018, he was named a Presidential Leadership Scholar by the Presidential Libraries of President George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. Earlier this year, Tony and his partner, Lauren, became parents and welcomed their daughter, Ava Kaye, into the world.
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"My father has always been a source of quiet strength for our family. He has always been a fighter and, for the last month, fought for his life, to overcome this disease. Words cannot describe what this loss means for me, my mother and brothers, and all of our family and friends here in the U.S. and in Peru," said Vargas.
I wanted to take a moment to provide you with some updates this week about COVID-19 and the upcoming election.
In an effort to protect Nebraska workers who labor shoulder-to-shoulder on meatpacking production lines from the coronavirus, Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha has reached out to his colleagues in the Legislature to engage their support.
Sixteen Douglas County officials, including Senator Tony Vargas, on Friday submitted a letter to Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, and Douglas County Health Director Dr. Adi Pour urging them to issue "stay-at-home" orders through the end of April. "The current orders to self-quarantine, if possible, and practice of social distancing are not sufficient," the letter states.
State Sen. Tony Vargas, who represents downtown and parts of South Omaha, explained what the Legislature was doing to provide support to Nebraskans during the pandemic. Everyone should take the contagious coronavirus seriously.
I wanted to make sure that you're hearing from me about what the Legislature is doing to respond to this pandemic and that you have the resources that you need, right at your fingertips, to make it through this difficult and chaotic time.
