Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 62
After a three-month break, the Legislature convened Wednesday, Jan. 5, to begin the 107th legislative session, second session. Senators were called into special session in September to complete the redistricting process, based on new census data. Legislative District #40 no longer contains Boyd or Rock counties. Rock and Boyd counties are now part of Legislative District #43, represented by Sen. Tom Brewer. Legislative District #40 also lost the southern portion of Dixon County, which will be...
The Legislature successfully concluded the special session called to enact legislation pertaining to redistricting on Thursday, Sept. 30. Based on the 2020 census data, new boundary lines were drawn for Congress, the Legislature, the Supreme Court, the Public Service Commission, the State Board of Education and the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. After a contentious start, senators agreed to compromise on redistricting maps for Congress and the Legislature. All six bills were given...
The speaker of the Legislature has announced that senators will complete their work a few days early, adjourning sine die on May 27 rather than June 10. This is partially due to the many late nights that were worked in order to complete our business and knowing we will be meeting again in a couple months. Every 10 years, the Legislature must complete the redistricting process to reflect population changes after the U.S. Census is complete. Due to the pandemic, states didn’t get the census d...
Two major pieces of legislation that would have provided property tax relief were defeated this past week. Generally, I am supportive of proposals that attempt to lower property taxes. LR 11, introduced by Bayard Senator Steve Erdman, is a constitutional amendment proposing to replace all taxation with a consumption tax on the purchase of services and new goods. Nebraska residents would no longer pay property taxes, income taxes, sales and use taxes, inheritance taxes, or estate taxes. LR 11...
Governor Ricketts signed the budget bills this past week with no line-item vetoes. He praised the Legislature for passing a budget that limited spending growth and placed an emphasis on increased funding for property tax relief measures. The Legislature gave first-round approval to LB 64, which addresses the taxation of social security benefits. LB 64 was introduced by Omaha Senator Brett Lindstrom and prioritized by Seward Senator Mark Kolterman. Only 13 states tax social security benefits....
The Legislature passed the budget bills this past week. Governor Ricketts has five days (not counting Sunday) to decide whether to sign the legislation. The governor has the authority to line-item veto specific items on budget bills, without vetoing the entire bill. Once the budget bills have been passed, other legislation that appropriates General Funds or results in the reduction of revenue to the General Fund, and all other tax expenditure bills, can be read on final reading. LB 2,...
SEN. TIM GRAGERT The Legislature gave the budget bills second-round approval this past week, making only minor adjustments. After the budget is passed, the speaker plans to schedule taxation and spending measures. The session is more than two-thirds complete, but we still have many significant issues to discuss. As introduced, LB 406 focused on flood-control infrastructure projects along the lower Platte River. Senator Mike McDonnell, the primary sponsor of LB 406, has offered an amendment to...
The Appropriations Committee advanced their finalized recommendations for the Fiscal Year 2021-22 and 2022-23 biennial budget to the full Legislature. First-round debate took place this past week and all bills were advanced unanimously except LB383, dealing with capital construction. Under the $9.7 billion biennial budget proposal, the two-year average estimated revenue growth is 3.0%, whereas the two-year average growth in spending is just 1.6%. The committee was able to control the growth of spending due to a higher federal match for...
The question of whether Nebraska should legalize medical marijuana will be debated by the Legislature this year. LB 474, the Medicinal Cannabis Act, was advanced this past week from the Judiciary Committee on a 5-2-1 vote. It has been prioritized by Senator Anna Wishart, the primary sponsor of LB 474. The bill, 62 pages in length, provides the regulatory framework to establish access to cannabis for medical purposes. It limits the allowable amount of cannabis, requires a patient to have a bona...
The Legislature has completed Day 50 of this 90-day legislative session and is in the middle of debate on bills that have been designated as a priority by senators, committees and the speaker. As a general rule, only bills that have been designated as a priority are placed on the agenda at this point in the session. There is an exception to this rule for a procedure called consent calendar. This process allows non-controversial, non-prioritized bills to be considered in an efficient manner....
The Legislature gave first-round approval to a bill that attempts to make it easier for the consumer to purchase individual packages of meat directly from the producer or processor. LB 324 authorizes herd-share agreements with a producer prior to slaughter, thereby giving the consumer an ownership interest in the animal. The farmer and consumer will develop a bill of sale that decides where the animal will be processed, which cuts of meat will be available and at what price. Then the farmer...
BROOKE WRAGE, CELENA SHEPHERD and MADELEINE GRANT Nebraska News Service The first week of floor debates kicked off the second week in March. Senators debated and advanced a handful of bills in the Nebraska Legislature. A recap of the week. LB255: Provide compensation to families of deceased first responders Sen. Matt Hansen, of Lincoln, introduced LB255, which would establish the In the Line of Duty Compensation Act to provide a one-time death benefit for a family member of a first responder who dies while on the line of duty. “I believe it i...
The Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board met last week and revised the current forecast upwards. The board projected an increase of $204 million for fiscal year 2020-21, $165 million for fiscal year 2021-22 and $93 million for fiscal year 2022-23, for a total increase of $462 million. The three-year average growth rate increased from 2.9% to 3.4%. Under LB 1107, the property tax relief bill passed last year, property taxpayers are eligible for a refundable income tax credit based on the...
The extreme cold spell that Nebraska and other states experienced during the middle of February increased energy needs across the region, resulting in unprecedented short-term rolling blackouts. Public power districts were directed by the Southwest Power Pool to shed electricity usage immediately in order to prevent longer, more widespread power outages. The urgency of the situation, in which power demand exceeded generated power and minimum reserves were exhausted, prevented advance notice to...
The Legislature passed the one-third mark this week in the 90-day legislative session. The Appropriations Committee also presented its preliminary recommendations for the biennial budget. This provides a starting point for discussion of the various budget actions suggested so far. After the Appropriations Committee finishes its committee work, it will develop formal recommendations to be presented to the Legislature by mid to late March, at which time floor debate will take place. Although we...
Governor Ricketts testified before the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee this past week, expressing his support for LB 388, the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Act. The purpose of the program is to facilitate and fund the development of broadband networks in unserved and underserved areas. LB 388 contains intent language to appropriate $20 million annually to the Public Service Commission to be distributed as grants. Providers, cooperatives or political subdivisions could apply for the...
In early December, the former chair of the executive board, along with chairs of standing committees, sent an email to senators suggesting they limit the number of bills introduced. This would assist with safety measures being developed for senators and the public, in preparation for the legislative session during a pandemic. However, 684 bills were still introduced during 10 days of bill introduction. Although this number was less than the 739 bills in 2019, it was more than the 667 bills...
Governor Pete Ricketts delivered his State of the State address to the Legislature this past week. He highlighted 2021-23 state budget recommendations for senators. This will be his last biennial budget proposal, as his eight years in office will be completed at the end of next year. Ricketts recounted the devastating flood in 2019 and coronavirus pandemic that followed in 2020. He commended Nebraskans for responding in the Nebraska Way - by working together to overcome challenges. The...
The 107th Legislature, first session, began Wednesday, Jan.6 under different circumstances from other years. Due to the pandemic, families of the newly-elected and re-elected senators were not allowed to sit on the floor but had to be seated in the balcony. The chief justice of the Supreme Court administered the oath to the newly-elected and re-elected senators, who remained at their seats instead of gathering up front for the swearing-in ceremony. Eight new senators took their oath, of which, t...
Emotions ran high again this week, as legislators tried to complete their priorities during the last few days of this legislative session. As I had hoped, the Revenue Committee advanced a package that joined property tax relief, business tax incentives and a major project at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. This proposal was contained in a compromise amendment to LB 1107, a placeholder bill introduced by the Speaker of the Legislature, Sen. Jim Scheer of Norfolk. The current Property T...
The Legislature passed the budget bills this past week, containing their recommendations for adjustments to the biennial budget that was passed last year. Now it will be up to the governor whether he signs the legislation or uses his line-item veto authority. Earlier in the week, senators gave second-round approval to the budget bills after a lengthy debate. An amendment to LB 1008 was offered by Omaha Senator Machaela Cavanaugh to direct how the remaining funding from the federal Coronavirus...
State senators resumed the legislative session July 20, after breaking for almost four months due to coronavirus. We are set to complete this 60-day session Aug. 13. During this first week back, we immediately began debating the major issues left pending. Senators voted 30-8 to pull LB 814 from the Judiciary Committee and place it on General File so it can be debated. LB 814 would prohibit live dismemberment abortion and provide for criminal penalties for physicians who perform such abortions....
The Legislature was called back into session March 23 to pass emergency funding relating to the spread of coronavirus. An amendment was added to LB 1198, a bill that originally sought to appropriate funding for the restoration of doors to the legislative chamber. LB 1198 had already received first-round approval. An amendment offered by the chair of the Appropriations Committee, Sen. John Stinner, struck the original content of the bill and replaced it with an appropriation of $83.6 million from...
Many unprecedented events have taken place over this past week. In my March 13 newsletter, I wrote about the Legislature giving first-round approval to the budget bills. Since then, COVID-19 has completely overshadowed everything else. Terms such as community spread and social distancing have become part of our daily language. The Legislature postponed its session, beginning March 17, until it is safe and necessary to call members back into session. However, the speaker may call us back in soon...
The Appropriations Committee presented its recommendations for the budget to the Legislature this past week. Budget bills were also given first-round approval from the Legislature. Over the interim, the financial status of the current biennium has improved significantly. The variance from the minimum General Fund reserve was estimated at only $0.2 million when we adjourned last year, but has since grown to $133.8 million. Furthermore, the rainy day fund increased from $322.4 million to $731...
