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

Return to top

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.  

Return to top