Amendments Filed

A bill dealing with liquor issues would also contain provisions about cemeteries if the General Affairs committee amendment to LB863 is adopted. The cemetery provisions were originally introduced as LB855 and would allow counties to transfer abandoned and neglected pioneer cemeteries to cemetery associations. The original sections of LB863 would address city and village votes for sales of liquor by the drink. In addition to the cemetery language, other bills included in the committee amendment would prohibit the sale of nicotine vapor products to minors (LB861), define hard cider (LB899), allow hard liquor tasting cards (LB1052),and allow certain craft breweries bottling endorsements (LB914). A final bill in the committee amendment, LB888, would allow local governing bodies to permit expanded on- and off-sale of liquor until 2 a.m. on a two-thirds vote. The bill was advanced to General File and is a General Affairs priority bill. It appeared on Friday's agenda but was not taken up before adjournment.

Two amendments to LB464 have been offered to revise a juvenile justice bill adopted last year (LB561) and clarify truancy issues. Senator Bob Krist introduced AM2163 to provide an additional $5 million to the Community-based Juvenile Services Aid program. The amendment would also clarify the cost obligations of counties, Probation, and the Office of Juvenile Services. Senator Brad Ashford offered AM2164 on truancy issues. LB464 is Senator Ashford's priority bill.

Bills Advanced by Committees

Appropriations Committee

The Appropriations Committee released its three-bill budget package on Friday. The package updates the two-year budget adopted last year. Among other provisions, it includes an additional $25 million for property tax credits. Senator Galen Hadley has offered an amendment to increase that amount to $45 million. To assist with overcrowding within state correctional facilities, the budget package provides for a one-time appropriation to pay counties willing to house state inmates in county jails. The committee's recommendations are available here. The jail language appears on page 27. Debate on the budget package will begin at 1:30 on Monday.

Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee

The Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee advanced LB737 which revises qualifications for county veterans service officers. Existing law requires five years' bona fide residency for five continuous years before assuming the position. As introduced, the bill would have removed the durational residency requirement. A committee amendment would change the residency requirement to one year. If there is no applicant in the county who has been a Nebraska resident for at least a year, the requirement could be waived. The amendment also sets a one-year residency requirement for members of the county veterans service committee and personnel in the office. The bill did not receive a priority designation.

Revenue Committee

The Revenue Committee advanced LB1043 that would grant an exemption from documentary stamp taxes for deeds transferring property to 501c3 corporations without consideration. Such corporations could not be private foundations.

Judiciary Committee

Mobile homes would be considered abandoned vehicles if left on private property for more than 30 days after a local government sent a letter to each of the last registered owners under LB1044. A Judiciary Committee amendment would require posting notice on the mobile home. It would clarify that the bill would not apply to mobile or manufactured homed for which an affidavit of fixture has been recorded.

LB784 would revise language disqualifying persons with criminal offenses from serving on juries. The bill would instead disqualify only those persons who have been convicted of a felony offense.

Bills Advanced from General File

On Tuesday, senators advanced LB814, which would earmark existing taxes collected on the sale of motorboats and personal watercraft for deferred maintenance of Game and Parks facilities. LB841 was amended into the bill. It would transfer sales taxes collected on all-terrain and utility-type vehicles to the Game and Parks fund.  

Bills Debated on Select File

Senators advanced several measures from the second round of debate on Wednesday, including LB144, which allows certain candidates who lost in the primary due to a tiebreaker to write-in on the general election ballot. An amendment adopted on Select File would expand this process to 39 elected offices. As advanced from the first round of debate, the bill applied only to county, city, village, and school district elections.

LB661 would require the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Department of Motor Vehicles, to develop and implement an electronic voter registration process by July 1, 2015. Applicants with a valid Nebraska driver's license or state ID could use the process to register to vote or update their voter registration record. The Secretary of State would obtain an electronic copy of the applicant's signature from Department of Motor Vehicles for purposes of the voter registration. The Department would develop a process to electronically transmit voter registration information to county clerks and election commissioners. Upon receipt of the application for registration, the election commissioner or county clerk would send an acknowledgment of registration to the applicant indicating whether the application is proper or not. The bill also contains language to limit the release of digital signatures to law enforcement agencies or for electronic voter registration purposes.