Legislative session comes to an end

The 108th legislature, First Session, has adjourned sine die. This past year, lawmakers passed some important bills and failed to agree on other critical issues. Excluding A bills, of the 820 bills and 274 resolutions introduced this year, only 33 bills and one resolution actually received a final vote. However, the bills passed included many expansive Christmas tree packages, meaning the legislature actually passed 291 bills in total, including A bills. This figure is comparable to the last two 90-day sessions. Despite the filibuster, I felt the legislature was still able to complete its business and pass many transformative bills.

A balanced budget was passed, limiting spending growth to 2%, and includes funding for the education future fund, Perkins County Canal and a new prison. Substantial room was left over to implement tax cuts to reduce the burden on Nebraskans. LB 243 will raise the minimum amount of relief granted under the Property Tax Credit Act from $360 million in tax year 2023 to $475 million in tax year 2028 and take community colleges off the property tax rolls. LB 754 will cut the current top-tier individual income tax rate of 6.64% down to 3.99% by 2027. The bill eventually reduces both the current corporate income tax rate of 5.84% and current second top-tier individual income tax bracket rate of 5.01% down to 3.99% by 2027.

LB 754 will also fully phase out taxation on social security benefits and amounts received as annuities under the Federal Employees Retirement System or the Civil Service Retirement System in 2024. I voted in support of these measures.

The governor line-item vetoed two bills amounting to more than $190 million, the mainline budget bill, LB 814, and the fund transfer bill, LB 818. Of the 10 motions filed to override, only the one appropriating an additional $850,000 to the state auditor’s office for additional staffing was successful. I voted in support of this motion since the money for additional staffing will both ensure the state auditor can process every audit request – thereby enhancing oversight of government spending and, ultimately, pay for itself through the reduction of government waste. I chose to sustain the remaining vetoes since I hold a cautious view that the current economic forecast for the state will hold true over the next two years and I want an additional financial cushion in the event there is a revenue shortfall in the next few years.

Additionally, my priority bill, LB 768, was line-item vetoed by the governor. I was able to get $7 million in funds listed in the mainline budget bill LB 814 for the Cedar-Knox Rural Water Project. I believe this project is worthy of investment as it provides drinking water for the communities of Crofton, Fordyce, Obert and St. Helena. However, the governor felt this project had already seen significant investment from the state, which included the $7 million former Senator Gragert secured in ARPA money last year. Although I am disappointed this money will not be coming to northeast Nebraska, I did not pursue a motion to overturn the veto.

This year, I successfully passed two bills and one resolution. LB 453, which was included in the Transportation Committee package, will better integrate the Division of Aeronautics into the Department of Transportation and reduce the match counties need to provide to be eligible for state-aid bridge funds. LB 765, which was included in the Health and Human Services Committee package, will replace the regional trauma advisory boards with regional committees and update provisions in the Statewide Trauma System Act, resulting in a cost savings of $16,000 annually to the Department of Health and Human Services. LR 13 reaffirms the Legislature’s support that the names of the Sage brothers and the other 71 sailors of the USS Frank E. Evans, killed on June 3, 1969, be placed on the Vietnam War Memorial Wall in Washington D.C.

I have had countless constituents contact me and my office on legislation including LB 77 (permitless carry), LB 574 (Let Them Grow Act), LB 575 (Sports and Spaces Act), LB 626 (Nebraska Heartbeat Act), LB 753 (Opportunity Scholarships Act) and the various voter ID proposals. LB 77 and LB 753 passed largely unamended. LB 574 passed with an amendment that restricts transgender surgeries on minors, allows the chief medical officer to create new rules and regulations on transgender care for minors and prohibits abortions after 12 weeks with exceptions. LB 514 served as this year’s vehicle to adopt a framework for voter ID and passed on a 38-1 vote. Next year, I anticipate several of the issues these bills covered will be topics of further debate and consideration.

I want to thank everyone who contacted my office thus far. With the completion of the legislative session, I will be spending more time back in Niobrara. During the interim, I will try to get around the district as much as possible. I will still travel to Lincoln periodically for meetings and office work. If I am not in Lincoln, my staff will be able to assist you. Feel free to call my office anytime at 402-471-2801 or email me at [email protected]. My mailing address is: Senator Barry DeKay, District #40, P.O. Box 94604, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509.