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In This Issue
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Bill Introductions Continue
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 Bill Introductions Continue
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Bills on tax reform, Medicaid expansion, prison overcrowding, and water sustainability funding are some of the 330 bills and three constitutional amendments that have been introduced during the first eight days of the 2014 legislative session. Two bills would change inheritance taxes. LB812 would completely eliminate inheritance taxes and LB960 would reduce the tax rates for Class 2 and Class 3 beneficiaries.
Two days remain to introduce new bills. Public hearings on those bills will begin on January 21. A schedule of selected hearings of interest to counties is provided below and the entire hearing schedule can be found here on the Legislature's website.
First-round debate on bills carried over from the 2013 session began on Monday. Among other bills, senators voted to advance LB446, which would add flood-damaged vehicles to the types of vehicles subject to a salvage certificate of title, and LB128, which would create a criminal offense for intentionally and knowingly disarming a peace officer. A proposed constitutional amendment to replace substandard and blighted references with the terms rehabilitation and redevelopment for purposes of tax increment financing, LR29CA, also advanced. A bill to provide for automatic advancement of candidates at county board elections when the number of candidates does not exceed the number of available seats was advanced with an agreement to offer revisions before the next round of debate. Discussion on LB56 focused on the ability to write-in or petition on the ballot if automatic advancement is adopted.
On Wednesday, Governor Dave Heineman gave his State of the State Address. On Friday, Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Heavican delivered the State of the Judiciary Address.
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NACO Legislative Committee Meeting Set for January 31
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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.
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Snapshots of County Issues
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A number of the bills introduced this week have an impact on counties. Some of these include:
Inheritance Taxes
- LB960 (Carlson) Change inheritance tax rates
County Operations
- LB821 (Lautenbaugh) Provide a public benefits exemption for burial or cremation of an unclaimed body
- LB833 (Dubas) Change selection provisions for county surveyors
- LB855 (Wallman) Change provisions for formation and operation of cemetery associations
- LB870 (Bolz) Adopt the Public Debt Recovery Program Act
- LB881 (Watermeier) Change provisions relating to death, injury, or property damage to innocent third parties as a result of a police vehicular pursuit
- LB925 (Coash) Provide for transfer of motor vehicle registration duties to county treasurers
- LB937 (Karpisek) Change the quorum requirement for county boards
- LB946 (Murante) Change provisions relating to elections
- LB970 (Lautenbaugh) Provide that certain votes of public officials are public record
- LB980 (Johnson) Change provisions relating to termination of a township board
Property Tax/Valuation
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LB850 (Watermeier) Provide a homestead exemption for individuals with developmental disabilities
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LB885 (Harr) Require the use of the income approach to value certain real property for tax purposes
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LB894 (Harr) Change provisions relating to applying for property tax exemptions
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LB912 (Kolowski) Referral Adopt the Property Tax Relief Act
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LB913 (Kolowski) Referral Provide an income tax credit for property taxes paid
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LB979 (Harr) Change provisions relating to tax sales for delinquent property taxes
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| Selected Committee Hearing Schedule | |
All bills introduced by the Legislature are assigned to one of the Legislature's committees for a public hearing. Hearings, which are held each afternoon, will conclude on February 24.
Tuesday, January 21
Transportation and Telecommunications Committee
Room 1113, 1:30 p.m.
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LB757 (Smith) Create a mailbox location exception and repeal an obsolete road numbering system requirement
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LB758 (Smith) Change duties relating to registration certificates for trailers
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LB777 (Hadley) Change license renewal and issuance provisions under the Motor Vehicle Operator's License Act
Urban Affairs Committee
Room 1510, 1:30 p.m.
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LB679 (Mello) Change notice requirements relating to zoning, redevelopment projects, and neighborhood associations
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LB802 (Urban Affairs Committee) Eliminate provisions for adopting future amendments of certain standard codes
Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee
Room 1507, 1:30 p.m.
- LB668 (Hadley) Provide for extinguishment of a lien or security interest as prescribed
- LB788 (Schumacher) Provide for governmental unit bond priority and rename the Nebraska Governmental Unit Security Interest Act
Wednesday, January 22
Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee
Room 1507, 1:30 p.m.
Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee
Room 1525, 12:00 p.m.
Revenue Committee
Room 1524, 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, January 23
Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee
Room 1507, 1:30 p.m.
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LB661 (Krist) Provide for voter registration on the Secretary of State's website and use of Department of Motor Vehicle records
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LB662 (Krist) Provide and change requirements for voter identification
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LB663 (Krist) Change provisions for elections conducted by mail
Judiciary Committee
Room 1113, 1:30 p.m.
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LB707 (Conrad) Change provisions and procedures relating to sexual assault, stalking, domestic assault, and use of an electronic communication device and to create the offense of harassment
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LB706 (Harr) Change provisions relating to sexual assault, child abuse, sexually explicit conduct, and child pornography and to provide for forfeiture of property as prescribed
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LB822 (Lautenbaugh) Change provisions relating to sexual assault of a child in the second and third degree
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LB752 (Lathrop) Change certain assault provisions
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LB828 (Seiler) Authorize court acceptance of certain criminal waivers and pleas
Revenue Committee
Room 1524, 1:30 p.m.
- LB697 (Larson) Require publication of a statewide list of tax-delinquent properties
- LB733 (Schumacher) Adopt the Mass Assessment Act for valuation of real property for ad valorem tax purposes
Friday, January 24
Judiciary Committee
Room 1113, 1:30 p.m.
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LB780 (Wightman) Change provisions relating to transfer on death deeds
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LB693 (Seiler) Change succession of real property for small estates
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LB775 (Seiler) Provide for disclosure of a decedent's financial information as prescribed
Health and Human Services Committee
Room 1510, 1:30 p.m.
- LB665 (Krist) Change the Engineers and Architects Regulation Act
Natural Resources Committee
Room 1525, 1:30 p.m.
- LB844 (Schilz) Extend the termination date of the Nebraska Litter Reduction and Recycling Act
Monday, January 27
Business and Labor Committee
Room 2102, 1:30 p.m.
- LB932 (Avery) Restrict public employer requests for criminal history information from an applicant
General Affairs Committee
Room 1510, 1:30 p.m.
- LB855 (Wallman) Change provisions for formation and operation of cemetery associations
Transportation and Telecommunications Committee
Room 1113, 1:30 p.m.
- LB911 (Dubas) Adopt the Nebraska 911 Act and create the Next-Generation 911 Advisory Council
- LB736 (Dubas) Change the service of notice provision in the One-Call Notification System Act
Wednesday, January 29
Health and Human Services Committee
Room 1510, 1:30 p.m.
- LB887 (Campbell) Adopt the Wellness in Nebraska Act
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