Creating Solutions Together

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, March 14, 2021

by | March 22, 2021 | Advocacy

Bills, Bills, Bills

Wednesday will mark the 45th legislative day of this COVID molested 90-day session. Public hearings for new legislation concluded Friday, and all-day floor debate begins tomorrow. Senator Priority Bills (1 each) and Committee Priority Bills (2 each) are available here. The Speaker will post his 25 priority bills Thursday on the same link.

There’s no shortage of work awaiting senators, as their bills are scattered throughout different stages of the process:

  • 11 passed Final Reading and await the Gov’s signature…or veto
  • 1 is anxiously poised on Final Reading
  • 10 somehow slipped from General File to Select File
  • 151 escaped from committees and wobble precariously on General File
  • 26 are between stages and under review by bill drafters – Enrollment & Review Engrossment
  • 11 are Indefinitely Postponed – a personal favorite
  • 489 remain in committees where most of them belong

Since Day 1, the storyline of this 107th Legislature, First Session, has been “Lions and Tigers and COVID, Oh My!” Speaker Hilgers has rightly arranged the schedule to dispatch with must-do processes, like public hearings, as soon as possible in the event of an outbreak. The budget is the only required duty of the Legislature, and we could see preliminary numbers yet this month. Have I mentioned that Nebraska is flush with cash?

Keeping retired military veterans in Nebraska has long been an economic goal. Last year, six states taxed ALL military retirement income. Yep, we were one of them until the Legislature cut that tax consequence by fifty percent. In this session, LB387 finishes the job and eliminates income taxes on all retiree military benefits. We will join 35 other states that value veterans and want to keep them as residents. The bill is on Select File.

Here’s a related thought for all you old, or soon to be old, coots. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia do not tax Social Security benefits. Nebraska is not one of them. Hmmm!! .

Bill Tracker

Final Reading

  • LB177 (Lindstrom) SUPPORT – Increases the time for the perfection of Fertilizer and Agricultural Chemical Liens, and increases the time for the perfection of Seed Lien or Electrical Power/Energy Liens from the current sixty (60) days to one hundred twenty (120) days after the last delivery of goods or services covered by these respective liens.

Select File

General File

  • LB84 (Bostelman) MONITOR – Changes provisions relating to tax incentive performance audits and redefines a term under the ImagiNE Nebraska Act
  • LB90 (Halloran) MONITOR – GENERAL FILE MONDAY! Amends the Nebraska Pesticide Act by reallocating the pesticide registration fee distribution. It further amends the Nebraska Commercial Fertilizer and Soil Conditioner Act by allowing the Director to adjust the inspection fee each July 1.
  • LB91 see AM96 (Brandt) MONITOR – GENERAL FILE MONDAY! 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.
  • LB507 see AM256 and AM323 (Bostelman) (Natural Resources Priority) MONITOR – The bill amends the Ethanol Development Act to prohibit the use of treated seed corn in the production of ethanol if the use of the treated seed corn generates a byproduct that is deemed unsafe for livestock consumption or for land application.

Held In Committee

    • LB52 (Lathrop) MONITOR – Immunity for injury or death resulting from COVID-19 exposure.
    • LB79 (Briese) MONITOR – Changes the minimum amount of relief provided under the Property Tax Credit Act.
    • LB133 (Erdman) MONITOR – Adopts a consumption tax and eliminates other taxes.
    • LB139 (Briese) (Slama Priority) MONITOR – Provides general safe harbor and premises liability protections on potential COVID-19 lawsuits.
    • LB239 (Hilkemann) INDEFINITELY POSTPONED – MONITOR – Restricts phone use while driving to hands-free only.
    • LB290 (M. Cavanaugh) OPPOSE – Adopts the Paid Family & Medical Leave Insurance Act.
    • LB329 (Wayne) MONITOR – The minimum average wholesale price of gasoline to be used to calculate the state gas tax shall be $2.44.
    • LB422 (Briese) MONITOR – Reduce state sales tax from 5.5 cents to 5 cents and eliminate some sales tax exemptions.
    • LB430 (Revenue) MONITOR – Property tax shell bill.
    • LB432 (Revenue Priority) MONITOR – Income tax shell bill.
    • LB433 (Revenue) MONITOR – Sales tax shell bill.
    • LB483 (J Cavanaugh) MONITOR – Creates a $250,000 climate change study and plan.
    • LB543 see AM284 (Brandt) MONITOR – Adopts the Agricultural Equipment Right-To-Repair Act, which would allow farmers to fix their own machinery.
    • LB622 (Friesen) MONITOR – Limits real property valuations’ growth and provides adjustments to assessed values.
    • LB625 (Vargas) MONITOR – Imposes a surtax on certain taxable income and uses the tax proceeds for early childhood education.
    • LB634 (J. Cavanaugh) OPPOSE – Provides a cause of action for unsafe disposal of treated seed.
    • LB644 (B. Hansen Priority) MONITOR – Property Tax Request Act to increase transparency for impacted political subdivisions to raise their property tax levies.
    • LB672 (Murman) SUPPORT – Changes the sales and use tax exemption on agricultural machinery and equipment.
    • LR5 (Graegert) MONITOR – Recommendations from the Healthy Soils Task Force delivered to the Legislature.

Links