Microenterprise Tax Credit bill advances in legislatu

The legislature continues to work through the stack of priority bills, sometimes working into the evening and adjourning between 8 and 10 p.m. Since my last column, we’ve debated a couple of bills related to property tax relief. The first, Senator Wayne’s LB 24, provides a sales tax exemption for municipal water bills. I had hoped that this would be packaged with my LB 2, which provides a reduction in agland valuations for school bonds approved after the effective date of the act. One would provide a measure of tax relief for ag producers in limited scenarios, and the other would provide a measure of tax relief for essentially all municipal water users. Each bill has advanced separately, and should pass final reading, providing a measure of tax relief for most Nebraskans.

We also debated Senator Friesen’s LB 454, which would provide most of our rural schools with additional state funding in the form of stabilization aid. It was opposed by many urban senators, who are skeptical of sending any dollars to rural schools. And some conservatives were in opposition because it failed to contain any taxing or spending restraints. I supported LB 454, but I also drafted an amendment to limit the tax askings of any school that would receive the stabilization aid, which we did not debate. LB 454 failed to advance.

I’ve had additional bills get debated on general file. The first, LB 366, will extend the Microenterprise Tax Credit until 2032, increases the lifetime maximum benefits under the act, and will expand access to the act. It advanced from general file on a 41-1 vote. It is an act that will help small businesses increase employment and investment in our rural communities, and help us to grow rural Nebraska.

My LB 531 is a bill to provide a tax credit for qualifying contributions to childcare and early childhood facilities. It's an important bill to facilitate and incentivize expansion of childcare facilities, which is critical in our efforts to attract residents to our rural communities. We advanced it from the Revenue Committee as a package with Senator Linehan’s LB 364, her opportunity scholarship bill. The package could not overcome a filibuster generally mounted by opponents of the opportunity scholarships, and failed to advance.

As always, I encourage you to contact my office with any comments or questions on legislation and issues facing Nebraskans. My office phone is 402-471-2631, and my email is [email protected].