With five legislative days remaining, senators worked later into the evening this week. Several controversial bills were debated on General File and more debate is scheduled for Monday on bills to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation (LB485) and changing assault provisions (LB752). Debate is also expected to be lengthy on Select File bills dealing with highway construction bonds (LB1092) and water issues (LB1098). An amendment has been offered to LB1098 that would incorporate language from LB723 outlining the factors a county assessor must consider in the valuation of irrigated acres.

Because the debate will focus on a limited number of bills, no regular legislative newsletter will be published next week. The Legislature will be in recess from April 11 to 16. The next newsletter will be an end-of-session summary published after the session adjourns on April 17.

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On Tuesday senators restored $61 million of the $65 million vetoed by Governor Heineman from this year's budget revisions. The overridden vetoes include funding for replacement of the motor vehicle titling and registration system, Game and Parks Commission deferred maintenance of state parks, heating and air conditioning repairs for the State Capitol and courtyard fountains, staff within the State Auditor's office, and other revisions. Many of the new expenditures are for one-time expenses and do not represent ongoing new commitments.

As enacted, LB905 adds $25 million for property tax relief through the Property Tax Credit. It provides a $7.4 million appropriation in contingency funds to cover possible shortfalls in probation funding due to juvenile justice reforms enacted last year in LB561. It appropriates funds to contract with counties to house prison inmates on a temporary basis and states the intent to investigate whether leasing a former Lancaster County jail facility could be part of the plan to address prison overcrowding. LB999, a measure to examine the possibility of using part of the former Hastings Regional Center for a correctional behavioral health treatment center, is pending on Final Reading.

Overridden language in LB906 reinstated $1.1 million to the Water Sustainability Cash Fund.

Several amendments were offered to sustain the vetoes but none were adopted.

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Governor Heineman signed numerous bills this week and vetoed others as discussed above. The following bills will affect counties:

• LB1087 expands the homestead exemption program to exempt the taxable value of homesteads owned by veterans who have a one hundred percent service-connected disability and are not eligible for a total exemption under other provisions applicable to disabled veterans. Unremarried widows and widowers of such veterans would also be eligible for the exemption. The bill will take effect on January 1, 2015.

• LB986 adjusts the tiers for other homestead exemptions to reflect inflationary factors and adds an exemption for persons with developmental disabilities.

• LB987 adjusts individual income tax rates for inflation and provides an income tax exemption for military retirement.

• LB946 revises numerous election provisions, including clarifying the election process for county surveyors. It designates the salary on November 30 of the year preceding the election as the basis for determining the candidate filing fee for the upcoming term. It takes effect on January 1, 2015.

• LB661 requires the Secretary of State and Department of Motor Vehicles to develop an electronic voter registration system. Upon receipt of an application for registration, a county clerk or election commissioner must send an acknowledgment of registration to indicate whether the application is proper or not.

• LB251 increases the fees charged by car rental companies to help cover the costs of motor vehicle taxes and fees paid in Nebraska. Under existing law, such fees collected in excess of motor vehicle taxes and fees are distributed to counties, cities, and schools under the regular motor vehicle distribution formula.

• LB814 revises definitions and registration procedures related to all-terrain and utility-type vehicles. County treasurers will collect the sales and use taxes at the time of application for the certificate of title for such vehicles. For five years, sales and use taxes collected for these vehicles and personal watercraft will be used by the Game and Parks Commission for repairs at state parks. The bill becomes operative on October 1, 2014.

• LB560 requires all employers to provide employees with an itemized statement listing their wages, deductions, and hours worked, if appropriate, on each payday. The statement would be delivered or made available to each employee by mail or electronically or provided at the employee's normal place of employment during employment hours.

• LB901 creates the Nebraska Mental Health First Aid Training Act to help the public identify and understand the signs of mental illness or substance abuse. The training would be provided through the behavioral health regions. The regions will work with agencies and organizations including law enforcement agencies and local health departments to develop a program that offers grants to implement the Act in ways that are representative and inclusive of the economic and cultural diversity of the state.

• LB983 brings Nebraska into compliance with new federal requirements for commercial motor vehicle drivers' licenses.

• LB740 allows veterans who are registered to vote and demonstrate objective evidence of intent to be a Nebraska resident to be considered a resident student for purposes of enrollment in a public college or university.

• LB867 revises distributions made under the Sports Arena Facility Financing Assistance Act. The bill includes language from LB1043 to eliminate documentary stamp taxes on transfers to 501c3 corporations that are not private foundations. In addition, purchases by historic automobile museums and sales of currency or bullion are exempted from sales tax.

• LB132 requires parental consent for indoor tanning by persons under age 16.

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