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.
More About TonyState Senator Tony Vargas said the South Omaha community is facing a "devastating blow" with the test site at 50th and G shutting down.
In his opening statement at the hearing, Sen. Vargas called attention to how COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting minority populations, especially Latinos. Vargas, who is the only Latino serving in Nebraska’s unicameral legislature and represents a robust Latino community in his district in southeast Omaha, told his colleagues that Latinos account for just 10 percent of the state’s population but make up 60 percent of the total cases and nearly 25 percent of the 347 reported deaths.
Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha, whose father died in New York City after a long battle with the virus, said he will ask his colleagues to suspend the Legislature's rules, allow introduction of a bill at this late date and schedule a public hearing on the issue before they go home Aug. 13.
Vargas has consoled. He has received consolation. But he would rather help people avoid the sickness, death and grief that the pandemic has brought to so many families. Even though it hurts to revisit his own grief, he uses his family’s experience to persuade people to take the virus seriously and take precautionary measures.
