Little Time – Plenty Money

The obligatory public hearings for every bill introduced this session are finis! There are now 21 legislative days before the kids go home for the year. Speaker (and candidate for Attorney General) Mike Hilgers announced his intention to get after it with extended hours of floor debate beginning Tuesday.

With a nod to Nebraska’s absolute “plethora o’ cash” in the bank, Speaker Hilgers (candidate for Attorney General) believes the budget fistfights debate will consume eight days. But sarcastically, that should be plenty of time to parse out between $500 million and one billion dollars in the State’s Cash Reserve Fund and yet another $1.04 billion in ARPA funds.

If indeed the spending spree lasts eight days,13 days will remain to dispense with dozens of bills currently in some stage or another, and 64 Priority Bills waiting in the wing yet to receive consideration. The “time hogs” below could consume eight hours on General File – apiece.

LR264CA – Constitutional Amendment prohibits taxes other than retail consumption taxes and excise taxes.
LB773 – Carrying a concealed handgun without a permit.
LB876 – Changes to the Racetrack Gaming Act regarding casino gaming.
LB1073 – Creates the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
LB1015 – $500 million for the Perkings County Canal to ensure water rights from Colorado.
LB1023 – STARWARS new 3,600-acre lake in Sarpy County.

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Select File

LB805 (Hughes) (Agriculture Committee Priority) Changes provisions relating to the Noxious Weed Control Act and management of black-tailed prairie dogs.
LB925 (Gragert Priority) Resilient Soils and Water Quality Act to accelerate the use of best management practices for healthy soil. Appropriates $250,000 per year for five years.
LB939 (Linehan) (Revenue Committee Priority) – Income tax cuts:
Corporate income tax: 5.58% under $100,000. Above $100,000: 7.5% in 2022, 7.0% in 2023, 6.5% in 2024, 6.14% in 2025, 5.84% in 2026.
Personal income tax: Above the top rate of $58,000 (married filing jointly): 6.84% in 2022, 6.34 in 2023, 6.14 in 2024, and 5.84% in 2025.

General File

LB91 (Brandt) Monitor – Expands the date after germination or viability testing that native flower and grass seeds may continue to be sold or offered for sale without retesting and allowing seed viability testing instead of germination rate testing for certain seeds.
AM96 Defines native and nonnative plant species, seed germination, storage, testing, viability, and sales.
LB290 (M. Cavanaugh) Oppose – Adopts the Paid Family & Medical Leave Insurance Act.
LB543 (Brandt Priority) Support – Agricultural Equipment Right-To-Repair-Act.
AM1800 Becomes the bill.
LB730 (Lindstrom) Revenue Committee Priority An employer who employs a qualified apprentice or trainee for at least seven months of a taxable year is allowed a $1,000 nonrefundable credit against the income tax paid.
LB806 (Bostelman) Provisions relating to land drainage by a landowner.
AM1979 becomes the bill.” landowner shall not drain such landowner’s land using any pump or powered system if such drainage system would cause injury or harm to any other person.”
LB986 (Briese Priority) Failed to Advance Limits the property tax request for a school district by its property tax request authority. The limit does not apply to the tax request required to retire bonded indebtedness.
LR264CA (Erdman Priority) Constitutional amendment prohibits the imposition of taxes other than retail consumption taxes and excise taxes.

Held In Committee

LB52 (Lathrop) Monitor – Immunity for injury or death from COVID-19 exposure.
LB79 (Briese) Monitor – Changes the minimum amount of relief provided in the Property Tax Credit Act.
LB133 (Erdman) Monitor – Adopts a consumption tax and eliminates other taxes.
LB329 (Wayne) Monitor – The minimum average wholesale gasoline price would be $2.44.
AM411 Employer tax incentives for hiring felons, including those on parole or probation.
LB422 (Briese) Monitor – Reduces state sales tax from 5.5 cents to 5 cents and eliminates several sales tax exemptions.
LB483 (J Cavanaugh) Monitor – Creates a $250,000 climate change study and plan.
LB622 (Friesen) Monitor – Limits growth in property valuations and provides adjustments to assessed values.
LB694 (Blood) Provides a statute of limitations for exposure to hazardous or toxic chemicals, prescription drugs, or medical devices.
LB761 (Dorn) The Precision Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Act provides $10 million for agricultural producers to lead the nation in precision ag connectivity, sustainability, traceability, and autonomy. In addition, to provide high-speed internet service to high-cost and remote areas.
LB941 (Slama) Sales and use tax exemption for net wrap.
LB987 (Briese) Prohibits school districts from raising property taxes beyond 3% growth.
LB1023 (Hilgers) McDonnell Priority STARWARS Lower Platte River Lake Development: construction of a combined reservoir within the floodplain that will create a 4,000-acre lake to provide new development, recreation, flood control, and water quality. Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area: marina projects to expand water access and recreational opportunities. Lake McConaughy: marina projects to expand water access and recreation. Niobrara State Park: A new event center and lodge.
LB1030 (Friesen) Exempts all tangible personal property from property tax.