Speak Up With Bud Synhorst

The evolution of the news cycle has evolved so much in recent years. The way we consume news and gather information has changed so drastically from the days of the newspaper delivered to your door, watching the nightly news, and listening to the local radio stations for news and other local items. Today, we carrry a supercomputer in our pockets and have news and information at our fingertips 24 ho...

From "you have cancer" to "you're cancer free" is a long journey. October 13, 2025 my doctor called and informed me the biopsy showed I had cancer. On April 10, 2026, my oncologist told us we're in active surveillance because there is no longer evidence of cancer in my body. What a journey and roller coaster. Today's episode, my wife and I sit down and talk about the journey of cancer from both pe...

The Legislature finishes up for the session! How was the session...interesting, intriguing, and a little bit hard to read. Mark Vail and I will dig into some of the happenings of the session. You will also get a bit of unfiltered Bud talking about a Lincoln senator who opposed an education bill, which made sense—all that and more in the legislative wrap-up discussion.

The Brand Committee has been a hot topic in the Nebraska Legislature the past few years. During the 2026 Legislative Session it became a very contentious issue. State Senator Barry DeKay stopped in to discuss the Brand Committee, the evolution of the bill currently pending in the Legislature and what it means for feedlots and cow calf producers.

What is going on in the Nebraska Legislature! There are 9 days left on the 109th Legislature, Second Session. The budget needs to be addressed, there’s an interesting bill on the horizon about the brand committee and more. Mark Vail and I sit down to discuss the final days of the Nebraska Legislature.

Nebraska Lt. Governor Joe Kelly has many duties to fulfill. This episode dives into the duties of the Lt. Governor in Nebraska. One of his many duties includes serving as the presiding over the Nebraska Legislature, which can be interesting to say the least. Lt. Governor Kelly shares some insights on how he "manages" being the presiding officer over the Nebraska Unicameral. With a limited number o...

Charlie Colon is the owner/operator for Chick-Fil-A at Southpointe Pavilions in Lincoln. Our conversation today focuses on Charlie's journey from Lincoln Northeast High School to Chick-Fil-A owner/operator. He shares some of the "secret sauce" for Chick-Fil-A and leadership. Check out this great conversation with Charlie. You will enjoy his commitment to people and especially the community of Linc...

Elizabeth Tegtmeier explains the purpose and function of the Nebraska State Board of Education. She talks about some of the issues being addressed during the past three years. They have provided innovative ways to address the teacher shortage, invested in literacy projects around the state. Elizabeth gives a good perspective on the way she votes and her focus on helping kids learn the basic skills...

From testing to diagnosis to more testing to treatment to recovery. What happens after treatment is completed? There is a sense of relief to get through the treatment after weeks of daily treatment. Then what happens after completing treatment? It has been about 8 weeks since completing treatment, and the recovery process has been very up and down. Check out the latest update on where I stand in t...

The Nebraska Legislature is approaching "halftime" of the 60 day session. Mark Vail from KLIN News joins the podcast this week and we discuss the legislative session so far in 2026. Plenty of intrigue in the session, starting with an immediate discussion to expel a member of the Legislature, a resolution to file articles of impeachment on a University of Nebraska Regent, and a recent reprimand of...

Former Kearney City Council member, Mayor, and now State Senator, Stan Clouse is featured this week. He brings a unique perspective to the Legislature after serving in local government. Senator Clouse shares his perspective on issues in the Legislature and some lessons learned in the process in his first two years in the Nebraska Legislature. He brings a refreshing view to the Legislature and you...

Nebraska State Senator Jana Hughes has a bill, LB 1038, to address how public schools are funded in Nebraska. For several years, property taxes have been a discussion in the Nebraska Legislature and a majority of property taxes paid across the state. Senator Hughes has been a member of the Education Committee and is bringing forward a bill to address how to fund public schools in Nebraska. It is a...

Nebraska State Senator Ben Hansen discusses the inner workings of the Executive Board of the Legislature. He is completing his final session as a State Senator. We talk about the lessons learned and how he sees things going during his last session. We also discuss some bills related to taxes and how he plans to address taxes during the 2026 session.

Nebraska State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg was appointed by Governor Pillen on November 3, 2025 to fill the vacancy for State Treasurer. Since assuming this role, Spellerberg has been learning about the duties of the State Treasurer and setting forth his vision for the office and serving Nebraskans. Just a few topics we discuss include paying the state's bills, unclaimed property, NEST saving plans...

CANCER SUCKS!!! This episode I give an update on my cancer treatment and how the treatment journey worked. Along with some special shout outs to my family and the radiation team at NHO! Check this episode out and hear the treatment journey. Thanks to all my friends and family who have been reaching out and supporting me through this journey. Especially the two people who had to deal with me the mo...

Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, John Arch, joins the podcast to discuss the upcoming 2026 session of the Legislature. Speaker Arch talks about developing the agenda, working with his colleagues to work through all of the bills introduced, assigning bills to the various committees, and Speaker Arch shares some reflection on his time in the Legislature as he enters his last session before being...

A look back at the highlights of our first 27 episodes. This time Bud becomes the guest to reflect back on the conversations in 2025. A great time to reflect on 2025 and prepare to move forward in 2026.

Ritch Cassidy as been a lover of country music for years. He pursued his passion for country music working in country music radio for years. After experiencing the ups and downs of the radio business and corporate radio, he pursued a path more independent and has created a following on social media. You would also say he was being a social media influencer before it was cool. Hear stories from the...

Award Winning Wall Street Journal writer and political news editor, Gerald F. Seib who spent 40+ years with The Journal covering politics, world events, and has interviewed every U.S. President from Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump. In 1987, he was arrested in Iran while working covering the Middle East. He has hosted presidential debates and covered every major political event for the past 40+ years...

Nebraska State Senator Kathleen Kauth – Senator Kauth was appointed to the Legislature in 2022 after the death of Rich Pahls and was elected to the Legislature in 2022 and reelected in 2024. Senator Kauth represents District 31 in the Omaha/Millard area and serves on the Agriculture Committee, Business and Labor Committee, and Revenue Committee. As a State Senator, Kathleen Kauth is not afraid to...

CANCER SUCKS!! This episode takes a bit of a turn from the normal format of interviews and is strictly sharing the beginning of my journey with cancer. Dealing with cancer, talking about cancer and the journey. Updates will follow in upcoming episodes and will not be the only thing we discuss on the podcast. My purpose for this podcast is to talk about cancer – something this is traditionally one...

John Waters is a native of the Omaha area, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, and a veteran of the United States Marien Corps. John served our country for seven years. After returning to civilian life, John went to the University of Iowa to get his law degree. John worked in the first Trump Administration as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C. Reacclim...

Nebraska State Senator, Brad Von Gillern began serving District 4 of the Legislature in 2023. Since being elected to the Legislature, Senator Von Gillern has focused a great deal of time understanding and trying to find ways to change the tax structure in Nebraska. Leading up to the 2026 Session, Senator Von Gillern offers his thoughts on tax reform, how we address property taxes, and he shares hi...

Bo Jones, co-owner of Tru-Built Construction was looking for ways to recruit more employees, especially young people to the construction industry. He had an idea - create a platform for business and industry to interact with students and prospective employers to make connections. Over several months of thought and idea, Bo came up with the concept for CareerPathway.com. Now this platform has over...

Michael Helman is a 2015 graduate of Lincoln Pius X High School. After his career at Pius, Helman went to Hutchinson Community College where he was the 2017 National Junior College Player of the Year. He then went on to play two seasons at Texas A&M before being drafted by the Minnesota Twins, and currently is on the Texas Rangers roster. Helman discusses his baseball career and the ups and downs...