Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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We've all had our fill of political news. So I thought that this week, we'd delve into a topic that's equally as timely – pheasant hunting. I've spent a fair amount of time in pursuit of the ring-necked bird, and recently traveled to South Dakota – the self-proclaimed "Pheasant Capital of the World" – to try my luck with my trusty Vizsla, "Gunnar," and a couple of buddies. If you've ever traveled to our northern neighbor this time of year, you'll see dozens upon dozens of guys (and a few gals)...
Justin Harris could use the money. The McCook farmer and businessman is already behind on last year’s property taxes, and still owes $3,200 that’s growing with interest. And Harris is also missing out on a tax rebate thanks to a much-misunderstood change that Nebraska lawmakers made earlier this year. It’s costing him $1,300 – money he could have nabbed had he paid his property taxes by Dec. 31, 2023. “There was no chance for us to be able to take advantage of that discount because we're living paycheck to paycheck,” he said. The vast majori...
This past week, the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee held an interim hearing to discuss the status of highways and broadband in Nebraska. The Committee first heard from Director Vicki Kramer of the Nebraska Department of Transportation who testified that the impact of inflation is presenting challenges to fulfill future highway construction and maintenance projects. Nebraska’s current highway needs for the next 20 years currently sit at $16.9 billion, but when inflation is a...
Everyone has a "wish list" – things they'd like to get done, things they'd like to see happen, things they wish would come true. But the Nebraska Republican Party recently put together the mother of all wish lists. In a four-page document unveiled last month, the Nebraska GOP listed more than 70 policy changes they'd like to see at the state, local and national level. The long list of wishes include returning the state to a "winner-take-all" system of awarding its electoral votes for p...
A decision regarding a third parcel under consideration for annexation in Clearwater village limits was tabled, following a recommendation from the village's planning commission. During the Nov. 11 board of trustees meeting, landowners Dwaine and Deborah Trease said they opposed annexation of parcel 000660200, situated adjacent to a Trease-owned parcel housing Sunset Storage. "What's the purpose of any advantage of that little piece of ground to the city to have? There's no tax base to it. The...
Like a comet that swings by the earth every few years, there's been talk now and then about placing some huge development between Omaha and Lincoln along the Platte River. Between the state's two largest cities would be an ideal location for a new football stadium for the Cornhuskers, the reasoning goes. An airport there would attract more flights to and from our state. And wouldn't a huge lake look great along Interstate 80 in that spot? Back in the day, the idea was to dam up the Platte River...
Nebraska doesn't get many national headlines about politics, but a recent, last-minute push by major Republicans to get the state to ditch its unique system of awarding electoral votes for president did just that. Former President Donald Trump and leading GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham were among those applying the pressure recently to return to a "winner-take-all" system. Only Nebraska and Maine don't give all of its electoral votes to the statewide winner of the popular vote for president. Instead, N...
Hand counting of election ballots will not take place in Holt County anytime soon, despite a request from citizens made at the Sept. 16 supervisors' meeting in O'Neill. Grace Coleman of Atkinson presented petitions discouraging use of electronic tabulators and encouraging a return to hand counting of ballots at the precinct level. She said individuals from Holt, Boyd, Antelope, Cedar, Knox, Dixon and northern Pierce counties signed the petitions, which were circulated over the summer months....
PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF PAGE BOARD MEETING Sept. 16, 2024 The regular monthly meeting of the Village Board of Page was held Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, at the village office. Notice was published in the Summerland Advocate-Messenger on the 11th day of September, 2024, and was also posted at three public places within the Village of Page. This meeting was conducted in compliance with the Nebraska Open Meetings Act and the Open Meeting Laws are posted at the village office. Chair Linquist called the regular meeting of the board of trustees to order...
Back in the day, the Omaha World-Herald provided me with a company car and the instructions: "Drive across the state and find some stories." It was obviously a more formal command than that, something like, "If you like your job, you'll write something interesting." It was an incredible adventure in various vintages of Ford Taurus'. On the road, you realize that there are fascinating stories – sometimes tragic and sad, sometimes heart-warming and uplifting – in every corner of the state. You rec...
The Legislature concluded the special session that was called to relieve property taxes on Aug. 20. After a contentious start, senators agreed to compromise on legislation that will frontload the Nebraska Property Tax Incentive Act credits from LB1107 (2020) directly onto taxpayer’s property tax statements, trim and adjust the state budget by $185 million and tighten existing property tax levy caps for counties, cities and villages to the greater of inflation or 0%. Of the 81 bills and 24 r...
State lawmakers have long since finished their long, 17-day special session in Lincoln and headed back home. The summer session unfolded as a lot of people, including me, expected - a lot of ideas for reducing property taxes were discussed, but only a small, incremental change, one that will result in a 3% drop in property taxes for some taxpayers, was passed. As we've discussed before, reducing property taxes, while a noble and needed move, is a complicated task and requires an adept hike...
This week, the Legislature took up the issues of property taxes and adjustments to the state budget. Much of the focus remained on the package crafted by the Revenue Committee and attached to LB34 by Senator Brewer in place of LB1 and LB9. In a long day of constant changes, LB34 was originally intended to resemble LB1 and LB9. During debate, several concerns were raised, including counties and municipalities who opposed the proposed caps, schools that were hesitant that the Legislature could...
NOXIOUS WEEDS MUST BE CONTROLLED You are required to control noxious weeds on your property. The noxious weeds are: Musk Thistle, Plumeless Thistle, Canada Thistle, Leafy Spurge, Knapweed (spotted and diffuse), Purple Loosestrife, Saltcedar, Phragmites, Knotweed (Japanese and Giant) and Sericea Lespedeza. Notice is hereby given this 21st day of August, 2024, pursuant to the Noxious Weed Control Act, section 2-955, subsection 1(a), to every person who owns or controls land in Antelope County, Nebraska, that noxious weeds being grown, or growing...
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen says he has no plans to call the Legislature back into special session this year to consider additional property tax relief after final passage Tuesday of a pared-down proposal. Rather than rush lawmakers back to Lincoln for more changes yet this year, as the governor discussed during bill negotiations, he said he would wait until the next regular session begins in January. He also repeated his stance that he does not expect to call a special session for shifting the...
As we all know, state legislators have been called back to Lincoln for a special session this summer to tackle the state's high property taxes. As has been written here before, good luck with that. It's easy to gripe about property taxes being too high; much more difficult to lower them without shifting the tax load onto someone else. But we need to talk about something that we also all gripe about – gasoline prices. I'm one of those guys who scans the countryside for the cheapest gas p...
This week, the Legislature concluded bill introduction and public hearings in this special session. Generally, in a special session, few bills are introduced and public hearings are finished in a couple of days. In this special session, a total of 81 bills and 24 constitutional amendments were introduced during three days of bill introduction, the most proposed during any special session since 1937. The large number of introduced proposals required six days of public hearings. Speaker Arch...
Summer is usually a relaxing time in Lincoln. College students have left, state lawmakers have gone home, the weather gets hot, the backyard tomatoes get ripe, and the biggest debate around town is whether this is the year the Huskers become relevant again in football. Optimism always abounds in the pre-season, before the first kickoff. But not sure the same optimism accompanies the special session Gov. Jim Pillen has convened to address the state's traditionally high property taxes. Every...
As introduced, Gov. Jim Pillen’s core property tax relief proposal could fall short by $139 million in annual estimated revenue needed. Pillen’s main proposal, introduced through Legislative Bill 1 in the special session, includes placing a sales tax on more than 100 currently tax-exempt goods and services. It would also raise seven “sin” taxes, on candy and soft drinks, vapes, cigarettes, keno gambling, spirits, consumable hemp and games of skill. In total, the new or increased taxes would raise an estimated $1.15 billion in the first full fis...
As expected, the governor called the Legislature into special session on Wednesday, July 24 to enact legislation relating to property tax relief and school funding. The Legislature convened on Thursday, July 25. Deviating from the preannounced schedule, Speaker Arch chose to not bring the Legislature back into session on Saturday to allow the Revisor of Statutes’ Office more time to prepare new drafts of bills and constitutional amendments. The governor’s package is composed of three bills: LB1...
The message from Clearwater residents is overwhelmingly clear: fix the streets. "We've been researching different options and trying to figure out a way to start improving the streets. When we went through the surveys done for the Downtown Revitalization project, and the housing grant two years ago, streets were the No. 1 concern of citizens of the community," said Clearwater Economic Development Director Lauren Sheridan. Navigating Clearwater's business corridor may get a whole lot smoother if...
As you may have read or heard, Governor Pillen announced his intention to call the Legislature back in special session relating to property taxes beginning July 25 until “unfinished business” is resolved. On the last day of session, the Legislature did not take a final vote on the session’s property tax package since that bill’s introducer did not believe they had the votes necessary to overcome a filibuster. Since the Legislature adjourned, senators, including myself, have spent countless hours...
By the time you read this, state senators are expected to be trudging back to Lincoln for a special session on property tax relief. The word "trudging" reflects the general distaste senators have for special sessions, which disrupts the lives of these part-time, underpaid ($12,000 a year plus all you can eat and drink) lawmakers. Generally, special sessions are called to address emergencies, such as a court ruling that renders laws or taxes untenable, or an economic downturn that requires...
Every candidate for governor always promises two things – to cut property taxes, and eliminate the “waste” in state spending. Both of those pledges are awfully easy to make -- and play well on a TV ad -- and much harder to achieve. Current Gov. Jim Pillen is finding that out this year with his property tax reduction ideas. But he’s adopted a different tactic in cutting the fat from state spending by hiring a high-priced consultant to suggest reductions. He enlisted Epiphany Associates, a Utah-ba... Full story
PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF PAGE, NEBRASKA The regular monthly meeting of the Village Board of Page was held Monday, July 8, 2024, at the village office. This meeting was conducted in compliance with the Nebraska Open Meetings Act and the Open Meeting Laws are posted at the village office. Chair Linquist called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. Trustees VanEvery, Tyrrell, Leichleiter and Campbell present. Also present: Bill Fox, Doug Cunningham, Heath Wilson and Cora Calkins. Absent: None. Motion by Tyrrell, second by Campbell: Approve minutes of...
