Bills on property tax relief, prison overcrowding, and elections make up some of the 430 bills and three constitutional amendments that have been introduced during the first eight days of the 2015 legislative session. Bill introductions will continue on January 20 and 21. 

 

Public hearings on bills will begin on January 20. A schedule of selected hearings of interest to counties is provided below and the entire hearing schedule can be found on the Legislature's website.  

 

Next week's schedule includes Governor Pete Ricketts' State of the State Address on January 22 at 10:00. General file debate of legislation will begin on the morning of January 23. Full days of debate will begin after public hearings on bills conclude in late March.  

 

Senators spent most of Thursday debating possible changes to the Legislature's rules to eliminate secret ballots used to elect committee chairs. Ultimately, no changes were adopted.   

 

 

 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 9:30 a.m. at the NACO office at 1335 H Street in Lincoln. Please note the change in the starting time to 9:30.   

 

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

 

The cost for a marriage license in Nebraska would increase from $15 to $50 under LB88, a bill introduced by Senator Kathy Campbell. The fee was last increased in 1995. Nebraska's fee is currently one of the lowest in the nation. Fees in surrounding states range from $30 to $85.50.  

 

In addition, the cost of a certified copy of a marriage license provided by a county would increase to match the state rate under LB88.Last year, the state's charge increased to $16 but comparable changes weren't made to the $5 county rate. LB88 would increase the amount charged by counties to $16.  

 

NACO supports the bill.    

 

The Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on LB88 on January 21 at 1:30 p.m. in Room 1113 of the State Capitol.

 

At the same hearing, the committee will take testimony on LB22, which would exempt engineers and architects from liability for services provided during and immediately after an emergency, and LB66, which would require disclosure of the actual value of real property in the political subdivision on the front page of the prospectus when bonds are issued by counties, cities, and schools.

 

On January 22, the committee will hear a series of bills related to firearms and concealed weapons (LB60, LB137, LB190, and LB184).

 

On January 23, the committee will hear LB188, which defines an innocent third party when an injury occurs as part of a vehicular pursuit by law enforcement, and LB209, which would require mandatory mediation in disputes between two or more political subdivisions.  

 

Return to top

 

Two bills to give county boards more authority over terminated townships will be heard by the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee on January 21. LB65, introduced by Senator Paul Schumacher, would allow county boards to levy a tax for construction and maintenance of roads in a terminated township. LB135 would shorten the time frame and provide details for the termination process. Last year NACO supported a similar bill introduced by Senator Jerry Johnson. 

 

The committee will also hear a bill, LB84, to allow video and telephone conferences for county board meetings in counties under 3,000. Only one member of the board could use this process at any given meeting.

 

On January 22, the committee will take testimony on a bill, LB55, that would allow the Adjutant General to make expenditures of up to $25,000 in response to a disaster or emergency without a disaster declaration by the governor. Currently expenditures can only be made for aerial fire suppression or a hazardous materials emergency. The hearing will also address LB163, which would create a voluntary registry in an emergency management database that could be accessed by 911 and certain law enforcement in case of an emergency. 

 

Voter identification will take center stage on January 23 when two bills to require voters to show ID will be before the committee. LB111 would provide a state identification card to voters who can't afford it. Voters not presenting an ID could vote on a provisional ballot. An amendment may be offered that would allow pollworkers to vouch for the identity of voters. Under LB121, persons without an ID could sign a statement verifying their identity and allow themselves to be photographed or receive written verification of identification from a pollworker. The bill would also require a secret-ballot envelope intended to provide privacy for early voting.

 

All hearings will be held at 1:30 p.m. in Room 1507 of the State Capitol.

 

 

Return to top

 

Adjusting agland valuations, increasing the Property Tax Credit, and adding a circuit breaker with income tax credits are just some of the concepts that have been introduced thus far to give property tax relief to Nebraska taxpayers.In addition, Governor Pete Ricketts plans to offer a property tax relief proposal during his State of the State address on January 22.

 

Hearings will begin on property tax relief proposals on January 22 when LB71 will be heard by the Revenue Committee. LB71 would impose a 7 percent tax on the sales price of agland that exceeds the 1993 value of the property. Relief would be provided in the form of a property tax credit.

 

Return to top

 

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

 

County Operations

• LB175 (Schilz) Adopt the Livestock Growth Act and change provisions of the Nebraska Advantage Rural Development Act
• LB188 (Watermeier) Change provisions relating to innocent third parties injured during a vehicular pursuit
• LB197 (Scheer) Provide additional powers to certain sanitary and improvement districts
• LB209 (Hilkemann) Adopt the Political Subdivisions Mandatory Mediation Act
• LB241 (Stinner) Change provisions relating to conveyances of cemetery lots
• LB266 (Crawford) Change provisions relating to jurisdiction for municipalities to enforce ordinances
• LB288 (Ebke) Prohibit public employers from making certain deductions from wages
• LB295 (Scheer) Require municipalities to have county approval before enforcing ordinances in the extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction

Property Tax/Valuation

• LB162 (Schumacher) Change provisions relating to sales of real property for nonpayment of taxes
• LB178 (Watermeier) Change valuation of agricultural land and horticultural land
• LB186 (Bolz) Adopt the Property Tax Circuit Breaker Act
• LB259 (Gloor) Adopt the Personal Property Tax Relief Act
• LB277 (Harr) Change tax deed lien priority
• LB293 (Schnoor) Change valuation of agricultural land and horticultural land
• LB309 (Davis) Appropriate additional funds to the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund
• LB345 (Kolowski) Adopt the Property Tax Relief Act
• LB350 (Brasch) Change valuation of agricultural land and horticultural land
• LB356 (Harr) Change provisions relating to the assessment of certain rent-restricted housing projects
• LB361 (Harr) Clarify that certain assessments levied as prescribed are levied and collected as special assessments
• LB364 (Watermeier) Provide for transfers to the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund and appropriations

Elections

• LB202 (Davis) Provide for partisan ballots for unaffiliated voters at primary elections
• LB214 (Schumacher) Provide for electronic signatures on initiative and referendum petitions
• LB224 (Harr) Provide and change restrictions relating to electioneering
• LB273 (Sullivan) Authorize voters to decide partisan status of county offices
• LB308 (Kolowski) Provide for preregistration to vote
• LB319 (Smith) Change provisions relating to elections conducted by mail
• LB367 (Groene) Eliminate a restriction on paying petition circulators based on number of signatures
• LB368 (Groene) Prohibit certain activities interfering with petition circulators

   

Corrections/Law Enforcement/Courts

•  LB163 (Crawford) Create an emergency management registry allowing for public-provided data
• LB172 (Chambers)Eliminate certain mandatory minimum penalties
• LB173 (Chambers) Change habitual criminal provisions
• LB212 (Chambers) Prohibit use of restraints in juvenile courts as prescribed 
• LB229 (Watermeier) Appropriate funds to the Supreme Court for court appointed special advocate state aid
• LB237 (Coash) Appropriate funds for correctional facilities
• LB265 (Campbell) Change provisions relating to juveniles and child welfare
• LB341 (Howard) Provide requirements relating to health benefit plan coverage for insureds in jail custody
• LB347 (Krist) Expand the jurisdiction of the Inspector General to the juvenile justice system

   

Return to top

 

Every bill introduced by the Legislature is the subject of a public hearing. Following is a schedule of bills that are of interest to counties.Note that bills not appearing on this list may be heard during the same hearing.  A complete list of hearings is available on the Legislature's website.

 

Tuesday, January 20

Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee

Room 1524, 12:00 p.m.

• LB41 (Nordquist) Redefine county for county retirement plan purposes
• LB42 (Nordquist) Change the due date for certain retirement plan reporting
• LB126 (Nordquist) Change a combined contribution retirement benefit rate as prescribed

 

Transportation and Telecommunication Committee

Room 1113, 1:30 p.m.

• LB39 (Kolowski) Change provisions regarding passing bicycles and bicycle operating regulations
• LB95 (Smith) Provide for operation and regulation of electric-powered bicycles
• LB97 (Smith) Eliminate additional fees for Pearl Harbor and disabled veteran license plates

 

Wednesday, January 21

Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee

Room 1507, 1:30 p.m.

• LB84 (Davis) Permit a public body to use telephone conferencing or videoconferencing for public meetings
• LB65 (Schumacher) Change provisions relating to termination of township boards
• LB135 (Johnson) Change provisions relating to termination of township boards
• LB177 (Haar)Change provisions relating to boards of public power districts

 

Health and Human Services Committee

Room 1510, 1:30 p.m.

• LB27 (Krist) Create a reporting requirement under the Vital Statistics Act when parenting time is established or modified

 

Judiciary Committee

Room 1113, 1:30 p.m.

• LB88 (Campbell) Change fees relating to marriage licenses
• LB66 (Schumacher) Require political subdivisions to make disclosures regarding bonds and provide for liability
• LB72 (Schumacher) Change and provide provisions relating to trustees, liens for medicaid reimbursement, and inheritance tax petitions
• LB22 (Krist) Provide immunity from liability for engineers and architects for emergency services

Thursday, January 22
Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee
Room 1507, 1:30 p.m.

• LB16 (Krist) Adopt the Purchasing from Persons with Disabilities Act
• LB55 (Scheer) Provide authority to the Adjutant General to make expenditures for a disaster or emergency
• LB163 (Crawford) Create an emergency management registry allowing for public-provided data

 

Judiciary Committee

Room 1113, 1:30 p.m.

• LB60 (Kintner) Authorize possession of firearms as prescribed
• LB137 (Johnson) Change provisions relating to discharge of a firearm
• LB190 (Bloomfield) Change concealed handgun permit application provisions
• LB184 (Ebke) Change prohibited locations to carry a concealed handgun

 

Revenue Committee

Room 1524, 1:30 p.m.

• LB68 (Schumacher) Eliminate stepped-up basis of inherited real estate
• LB71 (Schumacher) Adopt the Agricultural Property Tax Credit Act

 

Friday, January 23

Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee

Room 1507, 1:30 p.m.

• LB111 (Larson)  Require identification to vote
• LB121 (Schumacher) Require voter identification and secret-ballot envelopes
• LB112 (Larson)   Adopt the Interstate Compact on the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote

 

Health and Human Services Committee

Room 1510, 1:30 p.m.

• LB23 (Krist) Change the Engineers and Architects Regulation Act

 

Judiciary Committee

Room 1113, 1:30 p.m.

• LB188 (Watermeier) Change provisions relating to innocent third parties injured during a vehicular pursuit
• LB209 (Hilkemann) Adopt the Political Subdivisions Mandatory Mediation Act

Revenue Committee

Room 1524, 1:30 p.m.

• LB260 (Gloor) Authorize the Property Tax Administrator to correct certain errors
• LB261 (Gloor) Change revenue and taxation provisions 
• LB70 (Schumacher) Authorize an occupation tax on certain mechanical amusement devices
• LB74 (Schumacher) Change sales and use tax collection fees
   

Monday, January 26

General Affairs Committee

Room 1015, 1:30 p.m.

• LB241 (Stinner) Change provisions relating to conveyances of cemetery lots

Wednesday, January 28

Health and Human Services Committee

Room 1510, 1:30 p.m.

• LB12 (Krist) Suspend medical assistance provided to persons who become inmates of public institutions

 

Thursday, January 29

Health and Human Services Committee

Room 1510, 1:30 p.m.

• LB146 (Crawford) Provide for disposition of unclaimed cremated remains in a veteran cemetery

    

 

Return to top