“Short Session”

The Legislature convened Wednesday for their 60-day “short” session. Barriers-O-Plexiglass are gone, and senators actually take meetings in their offices. But for visitor restrictions in the legislative chamber, all’s right in our world.

Short sessions fly by. With billions in play, and 527 (my guess) new bills, the mid-April adjournment will be here tomorrow.

2022 is an election year, and public statements from those running for office may not correlate with their actual recorded votes. So beware the sucking sounds of vote-seekers. Term limits prevent Governor Ricketts from running for reelection. Twenty-four of the 49 seats in the body are up for election, and eleven of those senators cannot seek reelection due to term limits. Also, one senator chose to leave after one term, and Speaker Hilgers decided to run for Nebraska Attorney General.

The success of this and every legislative session is measured by “Who Scored the Money.” The 2022 Legislature will be all that and more, as $3 billion in excess state tax revenues and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds are on the table.

Governor Ricketts and the Legislature’s Revenue Committee will continue to pursue property and income tax cuts. They intend to reduce the top corporate income tax rate from 7.25% to 6.84%, the same as the maximum personal income tax rate. In addition, eliminating the tax on Social Security income could shorten the current ten-year plan.

STARWARS is a not-so-original acronym for a once-in-a-lifetime economic/recreation mega project that purportedly includes a lake between Omaha and Lincoln, amenities for Lake McConaughy, and Lewis & Clark State Recreation Area. This week, look for an announcement as Obi-Wan/ Ben Kenobi rolls in his grave.

Bill Tracker

2022 Introduced Bills

LB688 (Blood) Adopt the Property Tax Reduction Act and eliminate credits under the Nebraska Property Tax Incentive Act.
LB694 (Blood) Provide a statute of limitations for exposure to certain chemicals, prescription drugs, or medical devices
LB699 (Kolterman) Appropriate federal funds to NDEE for grants to improve technology infrastructure
LB723 (Briese) Change provisions relating to the calculation of tax credits under the Nebraska Property Tax Incentive Act
LB730 (Lindstrom) Adopt the Growing the Workforce Investment Now Act and provide tax credits.
LB751 (Arch) Change a funding limitation for the Economic Opportunity Program.
LB761 (Dorn) Adopt the Precision Agriculture Infrastructure grant Act and state intent regarding appropriation of federal funds.
LB805 (Hughes) Change provisions relating to prioritization for applications and intent to appropriate under the Noxious Weed Control Act.
LB805 (Hughes) Change provisions under the Noxious Weed Control Act.
LB806 (Bostelman) Provisions relating to land drainage by the landowner.
LB873 (Friesen) Change provisions relating to the levy authority for community college areas.
LB889 (Halloran) Change provisions of the Nebraska Hemp Farming Act.
LB891 (Lindstrom) Change the distribution of sales tax revenue, school levy limitations, and other tax and school provisions.
LB914 (Bostelman) Require the Public Service Commission to create and maintain a broadband map and data repository.
LB925 (Gragert) Resilient Soils and Water Quality Act and state intent regarding appropriations.
LB938 (Linehan) Change corporate income tax rates.
LB939 (Linehan) Change individual income tax rates.
LB941 (Slama) Sales and use tax exemption for net wrap.
LB986 (Briese) The School District Property Tax Limitation Act.
LB987 (Briese) Prohibits school districts from raising property taxes beyond 3% growth.
LB1013 (Hilgers) Change provisions relating to the Cash Reserve Fund. $175 million to Nebraska Capitol Construction Fund, $400 million to Perkins County Canal Project Fund, and $5 million to United States Space Command Headquarters Assistance Fund.
LB1015 (Hilgers) Adopt the Perkins County Canal Project Act.
LB1023 (Hilgers) 3,600 surface acre lake east of the Platte River.
LB1030 (Friesen) Exempt all tangible personal property from property tax.
LR264CA (Erdman) Constitutional amendment prohibits the imposition of taxes other than retail consumption taxes and excise taxes.
LR268CA (Briese) Constitutional amendment to provide for recall of the Governor or a member of the Legislature.

2021 Bills On 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.

2021 Bills 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.
LB329 (Wayne) MONITOR – The minimum average wholesale gasoline price would be $2.44.
AM411 The amendment provides employers with tax incentives for hiring felons, including those on parole or probation.
LB422 (Briese) MONITOR – Reduce state sales tax from 5.5 cents to 5 cents and eliminate some sales tax exemptions.
LB483 (J Cavanaugh) MONITOR – Creates a $250,000 climate change study and plan.
LB543 (Brandt) SUPPORT – Agricultural Equipment Right-To-Repair-Act.
AM284 – Comprehensive rewrite, including definitions of documentation, fair and reasonable terms, software, etc.