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In This Issue
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Bill Introductions Conclude
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 Bill Introductions Conclude
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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 Marriott Hotel at 12th and L Streets.
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Mass Assessment Credential Discussed by Revenue Committee
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County assessors, their employees, and persons who contract with counties to perform mass assessment for ad valorem purposes could obtain a credential reflecting their expertise under the proposed Mass Assessment Act, LB733. The bill was introduced by Sen. Paul Schumacher on behalf of county assessors as a means of recognizing the mass assessment expertise of persons who might not hold an appraiser's license. Because the credential would apply only to mass assessment for ad valorem purposes, it would be exempt from the Nebraska Real Property Appraiser Act. The bill proposes three levels of certification based upon hours of education and mass assessment experience. The Nebraska Real Property Appraisal Board testified in opposition to the bill.
Three bills dealing with the Real Property Appraiser Act will be heard by the Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee on Monday, January 27. You can watch the hearings on LB717, LB684, and LB685 by logging on to the Legislature's website and clicking on the NET link, then select the Banking Committee.
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New Bill Introductions
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A number of the bills introduced this week have an impact on counties. Some of these include:
Property Tax Relief
- LB986 (Revenue Committee) Change homestead exemption income limitations
- LB 995 (Hadley) Provide an income tax credit for state and local taxes paid
- LB1038 (Dubas) Provide an income tax credit for certain property taxes paid on agricultural land and horticultural land
- LB1053 (Karpisek) Provide state aid to municipalities, counties, and natural resources districts
- LB1057 (Davis) Change the distribution of sales and use tax revenue and provide duties for the Department of Revenue
- LB1086 (Pirsch) Transfer cash reserve funds tot he Property Tax Credit Cash Fund
- LB1087 (Pirsch) Create a homestead exemption for disabled veterans,widows, and widowers
- LB1094 (Davis) Change a fund transfer to the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund
County Operations
- LB990 (Nordquist) Add a penalty and change a record requirement for 911 service suppliers
- LB994 (Health and Human Services Committee) Changes fees as prescribed for vital statistics
- LB1013 (Murante) Permit counties to regulate peddlers, hawkers, and solicitors by ordinance
- LB1044 (Schilz) Provide procedures for abandoned mobile homes
- LB1065 (Lautenbaugh) Eliminate secret ballot provisions under the Open Meetings Act
- LB1066 (Lautenbaugh) Require a recorded roll call vote by certain county boards
- LB1075 (Harr) Prohibit employment of certain persons leaving public positions
- LB1079 (Davis) Authorize grants to certain county agricultural societies under the Civic and Community Center Financing Act
- LB1084 (Garrett) Change provisions governing the filling of certain vacancies
- LB1092 (Dubas) Authorize the issuance of highway construction bonds
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Snapshots of County Issues
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Introductions
In addition to the introduction of new bills, an amendment (AM1674) was filed to LB 464. The purpose of the amendment is to address various juvenile justice issues, including costs to counties and the Community-based Aid to Juvenile Justice Program. LB 464 is currently on Select File. It is NACO's understanding that the Judiciary Committee will have a hearing on the provisions within the amendment. The hearing is anticipated to be held in early February.
Committee Hearings Held This Week
Transportation and Telecommunications Committee Hearings
LB757 would repeal an obsolete requirement for the Board of Road Classifications and Standards to adopt regulations related to a county road numbering system. The regulations were never enacted and E-911 road numbering was subsequently adopted. The bill would also update statutes to allow mailboxes to be placed inside the highway shoulder line at locations where the surfaced shoulder is wide enough for a vehicle to be off the highway when delivering or collecting mail. Randy Peters, the Director of the Department of Roads, offered testimony on the bill.
Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee Hearings
LB668 was introduced on behalf of the New Car Dealers Association to allow artisan liens to be extinguished upon sale of the repaired product. This mirrors current practice.
Judiciary Committee
LB780 would eliminate the filing of a Form 521 - Real Estate Transfer Statement with certain joint tenancy and life estate filings. The filing requirement was added during legislation enacting transfer on death deed provisions and would continue for those transactions. The bill would make similar changes to a cover sheet filed with death certificates.
General File Debate
Senators spent much of this week debating LB403, which would ban novelty cigarette lighters. On Thursday, they advanced several bills including LB597, which would clarify how county agricultural societies can sell property and use the proceeds. They also advanced LB215, a bill to define how the County Visitor Improvement Fund can be used.
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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.
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. LB855 would allow counties maintaining abandoned or pioneer cemeteries to transfer management of the cemetery to a cemetery association.
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
Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee
Room 1507, 1:30 p.m.
- LB717 (Gloor) Change provisions relating to the Real Property Appraiser Act and professional qualifications
- LB684 (Christensen) Change provisions relating to the Nebraska Appraisal Management Company Registration Act
- LB685 (Christensen) Change and eliminate provisions relating to the Real Property Appraiser Act
Tuesday, January 28
Transportation and Telecommunications Committee
Room 1113, 1:30 p.m.
- LB807 (Harms)Change provisions relating to provisional operator's permits, interactive wireless communication devices, and occupant protection systems and update references to certain federal provisions
- LB786 (Crawford) Adopt the Emergency Contact Registry Act and provide powers and duties for the Department of Motor Vehicles
Wednesday, January 29
Health and Human Services Committee
Room 1510, 1:30 p.m.
- LB887 (Campbell) Adopt the Wellness in Nebraska Act
Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee
Room 1507, 1:30 p.m.
- LB792 (Sullivan) Eliminate a report requirement by the county treasurers to the State Treasurer. This semiannual report shows money collected and distributed on behalf of school districts. Many treasurers stopped sending this report in the 1990's at the request of the State Treasurer.
- LB804 (Avery) Change and eliminate procedures for filling vacancies and removal of certain gubernatorial appointees
- LB833 (Dubas) Change selection provisions for county surveyors.LB833 would require all counties under 150,000 to place the issue of continued election of county surveyors on the ballot in 2020. If voters chose to eliminate the elected office, the position would become an appointed one.
- LB745 (Avery) Change various provisions relating to administrative governmental functions
Judiciary Committee
Room 1113, 1:30 p.m.
- LB722 (Kolowski) Adopt the Recognition and Enforcement of Tribal Court Civil Judgments Act
Friday, January 31
Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee
Room 1507, 1:30 p.m.
- LB742 (Murante) Require instant run-off voting in primary elections
- LB743 (Murante) Provide definition of one-half of an elected term of office
Revenue Committee
Room 1524,1:30 p.m.
- LB894 (Harr) Change provisions relating to applying for property tax exemptions
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