Senator Pays A Visit To Hometown Paper

Sidney Sun Telegraph | By Klark Byrd on October 15th, 2009

Since being appointed to the Nebraska legislature by Gov. Dave Heineman in 2006, District 29 Sen. Tony Fulton has successfully sought re-election to his seat, worked on the appropriations committee to carefully monitor state spending and now is seeking election as state treasurer in 2010.

Fulton stopped in Sidney briefly on Thursday on his way to a campaign event in Scottsbluff.

“I think that Shane Osborn has done a wonderful job as treasurer,” Fulton told The Sidney Sun-Telegraph. “If you had asked me three months ago who I would support for the position, I would have said Osborn.”

But that was before Osborn announced that he would not be seeking re-election. Fulton said he recognized the opportunity that was presented by the open seat election, and launched his bid to succeed Osborn.

“I’m on the appropriations committee and I have a lot of knowledge of the state’s budget,” Fulton said. “I want to take this knowledge and insight, and put it to use for Nebraskans.”

The state treasurer is responsible for the receipting and disbursing of all state funds, which includes accurately recording the transactions and informing the legislature through a yearly report on the state’s financial picture.

Fulton said that if he’s elected to fill the seat, he’ll continue to help set budgets and add a layer of transparency to the state government for the Nebraska people.

Fulton, an Auburn native, is a mechanical engineer who graduated from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He owns a small business in Lincoln called Guardian Angels Homecare that provides in-home care for elderly patients in their homes. He employes 90 people in Lancaster County.

Fulton, and his wife Judy, have six children. The most recent addition is three weeks old, Fulton said.

Fulton was appointed to his legislative seat in 2006 to finish the term of former Sen. Mike Foley. In his first year as a legislator, he said the biggest tax relief in Nebraska history was issued. He also helped push through a pro-life law that required doctors to show a woman considering adoption an ultrasound.

Fulton said his priority bill in the last legislative session was a bill to allow concealed weapons to be carried.

His interest in politics began after he graduated from college and noticed that his pay wasn’t what he brought home because of taxes. Fulton said he began to pay more attention to the world around him and ultimately decided to enter politics so that he could take action for what he believed was the right thing to do.

Fulton said that throughout his campaign, he’ll come back to visit Sidney and speak with residents about his bid for the election. The state treasurer’s term is four years.