The 104th Legislature, First Session convened on Wednesday for a "long" 90-day session. Senators began bill introductions on the second day and will continue to introduce bills during the first ten days of the session. By the end of the third day, 156 bills and one constitutional amendment had been introduced.  Bills that were not passed or killed in 2014 did not carry over and bill numbers began again this year with LB1.    

 

Eighteen new senators joined the body and were assigned to committees. A Iist of senators and their contact information is here.  

 

Former Revenue Committee Chair Galen Hadley was elected Speaker.  

A complete list of committee chairs and members is available here. 

 

Following a recess day in recognition of Martin Luther King,  Jr. Day, committee hearings on all bills are scheduled to begin on the afternoon of Jan. 20.  After hearings conclude in late March, the body will begin full days of debate. If a committee advances a bill to the full legislature, it is subject to three rounds of debate -- General File, Select File, and Final Reading -- before passage.  Bills that pass will be sent to Governor Ricketts for a signature or veto. Adjournment is tentatively scheduled for June 5. 

 

The Legislature's website contains information pertinent to legislative activities: daily and session calendars, text of bills and amendments, daily agendas, hearing schedules, senator contact information, transcripts of debate, state laws, and more.  Live video streaming of floor debate and committee hearings is provided by Nebraska Educational Television (NET). It is also available as live mobile app.

 

 Return to top

 

NACO's Legislative Committee will meet on January 30 to review and take positions on 2015 legislation. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the NACO office at 1335 H Street in Lincoln.  

 

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.

 

Return to top

 

A number of the bills introduced this week have an impact on counties. Some of these include:

County Operations

• LB61 (Bolz) - Change funding for county offices relating to administration of public assistance programs
• LB65 (Schumacher) - Change provisions relating to termination of township boards
• LB74 (Schumacher) - Change sales and use tax collection fees
• LB84 (Davis) Permit a public body to use telephone conferencing or videoconferencing for public meetings
• LB88 (Campbell) - Change fees relating to marriage licenses
• LB106 (Watermeier) - Adopt the Livestock Operation Siting and Expansion Act and change powers of counties relating to zoning
• LB128 (Chambers) - Repeal the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Management Act
• LB135 (Johnson) - Change provisions relating to termination of township boards

Property Tax/Valuation

• LB71 (Schumacher) - Adopt the Agricultural Property Tax Credit Act
• LB73 ( Schumacher) - Adopt the Modern Tax Act
• LB139 (Johnson) - Change and eliminate provisions relating to the Real Property Appraiser Act

Elections

• LB111 (Larson) - Require identification to vote
• LB121 (Schumacher) - Require voter identification and secret-ballot envelopes
• LB140 (Davis) - Provide for primary elections for partisan county offices without party affiliation in counties with less than 10,000 population

Corrections/Law Enforcement

• LB12 (Krist) - Suspend medical assistance provided to persons who become inmates of public institutions
• LB13 (Krist) - Change Community-based Juvenile Services Aid Program provisions
• LB105 (Watermeier) - Change provisions relating to payment of fees and costs associated with deaths of incarcerated persons and grand juries
• LB113 (Larson) - Provide a co-payment for correctional inmates' health care services
• LB119 (Schumacher) - Change where certain sentences of imprisonment may be served

Courts

• LB15 (Krist) - Provide additional powers and duties for guardians ad litem
• LB27 (Krist) - Create a reporting requirement under the Vital Statistics Act when parenting time is established or modified

 

Return to top