TopNACO_Legislative_Report_Header
January 10, 2014                                                                              Legislative Report Archive
Capitol_Building

In This Issue

  
  

 

 

Find us on Facebook 

Find NACO

on Facebook

conveneLegislature Convened on January 8, 2014

The 103rd Legislature, Second Session convened on Wednesday for a "short" 60-day session. Senators began bill introductions immediately and will continue to introduce bills during the first ten days of the session. By the end of the third day, 164 new bills and one new constitutional amendment had been introduced.  Bills that were not advanced or killed in 2013 were carried over to the new session. Debate on carryover bills will begin on Jan. 13. Adjournment is tentatively scheduled for April 17.

 

A Iist of senators and their contact information is here

A complete list of committees is available here

 

Following a recess day in recognition of Martin Luther King,  Jr. Day, committee hearings are scheduled to begin on the afternoon of Jan. 21. All bills must have a public committee hearing. After hearings conclude on Feb. 28, the body will return to full days of debate. If a committee advances a bill to the full legislature, it is subject to three rounds of debate -- General File, Select File, and Final Reading -- before passage.  Bills that pass are sent to Governor Heineman for a signature or veto. 

 

The Legislature's website contains information pertinent to legislative activities: daily and session calendars, text of bills and amendments, daily agendas, hearing schedules, senator contact information, transcripts of debate, state laws, and more.  Live video streaming of floor debate and committee hearings is provided by Nebraska Educational Television (NET). It is also available as a live mobile app.

 

Other legislative information is available through the following sources:

  • Clerk of the Legislature - (402)471-2271
  • Legislative 24-Hour Request Line - individual copies of bills or Unicameral Update subscriptions - (402)471-2877
  • Hotline - answers to quesitons about the status of bills or other information - (402)471-2709; Outside Lincoln (800)742-7456 

 Return to top

 

mtgNACO Legislative Committee Meeting Set for January 31

NACO's Legislative Committee will meet on Jan. 31 to review and take positions on 2014 legislation. The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA) Building (605 S. 14th Street) in Lincoln. The NSEA Building is located directly north of the NACO office. After brief introductory remarks, affiliate groups will meet for discussion of bills pertinent to their membership. After the groups have met, the NACO Legislative Committee will reconvene as a whole to review and take positions on the entire list of bills. All county officials are encouraged to attend or discuss areas of concern with their NACO Board representative prior to the meeting.

 

Because lunch will be provided, please notify the NACO office at (402)434-5660 or leslie@nacone.org if you plan to attend. Because the Legislature is in session, parking around the Capitol may be limited. Public parking is not permitted behind the NSEA Building and parking behind the NACO office is not available. A parking garage is available at The Cornhusker, A Marriott Hotel at 12th and L Streets.

 

Return to top

 

snapshotsSnapshots of County Issues 

A number of the bills introduced this week have an impact on counties. Some of these include: 

 

Inheritance Taxes

  • LB812 (Hansen) - Terminate the inheritance tax

 

County Operations

  • LB673 (Chambers) - Repeal the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Management Act

  • LB734 (Schumacher) - Provide for deposit of public funds with credit unions

  

Property Tax/Valuation

  • LB669 (McCoy) - Transfer cash reserve funds to the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund
  • LB670 (McCoy) - Change property tax valuations of agricultural land and horticultural land

  • LB675 (Chambers) - Eliminate the property tax exemption for religious organizations

  • LB686 (Christensen) - Change a certification date relating to non-irrigated acres

  • LB721 (Janssen) - Change tax provisions

  • LB723 (Christensen) - Change property tax provisions relating to the valuation of irrigated cropland and comparable sales

  • LB733 (Schumacher) - Adopt the Mass Assessment Act for valuation of real property for ad valorem tax purposes

  • LB813 (Hansen) - Change valuation of agricultural land and horticultural land for property tax purposes

  

Elections

  • LB661 (Krist) - Provide for voter registration on the Secretary of State's website and use of Department of Motor Vehicle records

  • LB662 (Krist) - Provide and change requirements for voter identification

  • LB663 (Krist) - Change provisions for elections conducted by mail

  • LB742 (Murante) - Require instant run-off voting in primary elections

  • LB743 (Murante) - Provide definition of one-half of an elected term of office

  • LB746 (Avery) - Change election provisions to authorize provisional ballots and require identification for certain voters

  • LB773 (Davis) - Provide for partisan ballots for unaffiliated voters at primary elections

 

 

    

Return to top

Nebraska Association of County Officials
625 South 14th Street Suite 200 | Lincoln, NE 68508 | 402-434-5660
Join Our Mailing List