Office of U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts

WASHINGTON, D.C.&nbsp;– U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) joined a bipartisan effort urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to modernize and improve the accuracy of its foreign land ownership disclosure process. In the letter, the senators note alleged inaccuracies in information publicly posted by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the problems that arise when this information is inaccurate.

“The current practice of manual data entry, including the re-typing of paper-filed reports into FSA systems, can lead to the publication of problematic and inaccurate information,”&nbsp;wrote the senators.&nbsp;“We’re told there have been instances where energy developers have been incorrectly identified as having ownership interests from sanctioned nations, when in reality the investment originates from U.S. allies. If true, such errors not only create confusion but also undermine the credibility of the data published by the FSA.”

In addition to Ricketts&nbsp;and Fischer,&nbsp;other signatories include Senators John Fetterman (D-PA),&nbsp;Joni Ernst (R-IA),&nbsp;Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), John Barrasso (R-WY), Mike Braun (R-IN), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

Read the full letter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024.08.12-Senate-Oversight-Letter-to-USDA-on-AFIDA-Reporting-Errors.pdf">here</a>.

Office of U.S. Senator Pete RickettsWASHINGTON, D.C.&nbsp;– U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) joined a bipartisan effort urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to modernize and improve the accuracy of its foreign land ownership disclosure process. In the letter, the senators note alleged inaccuracies in information publicly posted by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the problems that arise when this information is inaccurate.“The current practice of manual data entry, including the re-typing of paper-filed reports into FSA systems, can lead to the publication of problematic and inaccurate information,”&nbsp;wrote the senators.&nbsp;“We’re told there have been instances where energy developers have been incorrectly identified as having ownership interests from sanctioned nations, when in reality the investment originates from U.S. allies. If true, such errors not only create confusion but also undermine the credibility of the data published by the FSA.”In addition to Ricketts&nbsp;and Fischer,&nbsp;other signatories include Senators John Fetterman (D-PA),&nbsp;Joni Ernst (R-IA),&nbsp;Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), John Barrasso (R-WY), Mike Braun (R-IN), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).Read the full letter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024.08.12-Senate-Oversight-Letter-to-USDA-on-AFIDA-Reporting-Errors.pdf">here</a>.

Ricketts & Fischer Join Bipartisan Effort to Modernize Process for Disclosing Foreign-Owned Land

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/second-budget-bill-advances-after-another-filibuster/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — The Nebraska Legislature on Thursday advanced the second of two budget bills of the special session intended to offset the costs of a slimmed-down property tax relief plan.

But state senators spent most of the day getting there, venting about what they wish they had included in a property tax package and hunting for a last-minute path toward more substantive relief.

Essentially, senators seeking different options than provided by Speaker John Arch’s special session processes watched Wednesday’s failed filibuster of the first budget bill and said: “Samesies.”

The Appropriations Committee rewrote&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58118" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 3</a>&nbsp;to shift $22 million in fees and interest gathered by state agencies to the general fund to cover some costs of Legislative Bill 34, the property tax relief package championed by Gov. Jim Pillen and his allies.

The bill advanced in a 35-11 vote after eight hours of debate. LB 3 followed passage of LB 2 on Wednesday, which contained $117 million in spending cuts. Combined, the two would cover most of the $185 million cost of the new relief.

State Sen. Rob Clements, chair of the Appropriations Committee, said the state would use $46 million from its cash reserves to cover the rest, but LB 3 helps cover part of the cost.

Clements repeatedly defended the committee’s decision to sweep or use interest earned from state fees for license plates and other items produced by state prisoners.

He eventually acquiesced to an amendment from State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha that restored the $250,000. He did so saying conflict over that issue wasn’t worth losing the other $22 million-23 million in funds.

“We don’t need to move this money, because we have issues currently that need to be solved,” McKinney said.

Clements apologized “for the great turmoil this has caused” and said no one had raised issues about the corrections money during hearings the committee held on LB 3.

“That’s why we bring bills to the floor and debate them,” he said.

Clements thwarted a similar effort to restore $2 million being culled from Universal Service Fund dollars, parts of which are used to improve rural broadband and cell phone service.

“We have come up with funding that will help the property tax bill be funded but not hurt any individual agency that has a cash fund,” Clements said.

For the second straight day, State Sens. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln and Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha argued there was no need to find funding for property tax relief during a special session.

But members of the Appropriations Committee, including State Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard, pushed back against efforts to filibuster the cuts, saying that appropriators took their work seriously.

Much of the debate,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/08/15/term-limited-nebraska-lawmakers-mount-what-could-be-last-push-for-more-property-tax-relief/">as the Examiner reported earlier Thursday</a>, was hijacked by efforts to push for more property tax relief than provided by Legislative Bill 34, as advanced this week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723819194005.jpeg" alt="State Sens. Justin Wayne of Omaha, speaking, with State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood. Aug. 14, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sens. Justin Wayne of Omaha, speaking, with State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood. Aug. 14, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Aaron Sanderford<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/second-budget-bill-advances-after-another-filibuster/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — The Nebraska Legislature on Thursday advanced the second of two budget bills of the special session intended to offset the costs of a slimmed-down property tax relief plan.But state senators spent most of the day getting there, venting about what they wish they had included in a property tax package and hunting for a last-minute path toward more substantive relief.Essentially, senators seeking different options than provided by Speaker John Arch’s special session processes watched Wednesday’s failed filibuster of the first budget bill and said: “Samesies.”The Appropriations Committee rewrote&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58118" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 3</a>&nbsp;to shift $22 million in fees and interest gathered by state agencies to the general fund to cover some costs of Legislative Bill 34, the property tax relief package championed by Gov. Jim Pillen and his allies.The bill advanced in a 35-11 vote after eight hours of debate. LB 3 followed passage of LB 2 on Wednesday, which contained $117 million in spending cuts. Combined, the two would cover most of the $185 million cost of the new relief.State Sen. Rob Clements, chair of the Appropriations Committee, said the state would use $46 million from its cash reserves to cover the rest, but LB 3 helps cover part of the cost.Clements repeatedly defended the committee’s decision to sweep or use interest earned from state fees for license plates and other items produced by state prisoners.He eventually acquiesced to an amendment from State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha that restored the $250,000. He did so saying conflict over that issue wasn’t worth losing the other $22 million-23 million in funds.“We don’t need to move this money, because we have issues currently that need to be solved,” McKinney said.Clements apologized “for the great turmoil this has caused” and said no one had raised issues about the corrections money during hearings the committee held on LB 3.“That’s why we bring bills to the floor and debate them,” he said.Clements thwarted a similar effort to restore $2 million being culled from Universal Service Fund dollars, parts of which are used to improve rural broadband and cell phone service.“We have come up with funding that will help the property tax bill be funded but not hurt any individual agency that has a cash fund,” Clements said.For the second straight day, State Sens. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln and Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha argued there was no need to find funding for property tax relief during a special session.But members of the Appropriations Committee, including State Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard, pushed back against efforts to filibuster the cuts, saying that appropriators took their work seriously.Much of the debate,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/08/15/term-limited-nebraska-lawmakers-mount-what-could-be-last-push-for-more-property-tax-relief/">as the Examiner reported earlier Thursday</a>, was hijacked by efforts to push for more property tax relief than provided by Legislative Bill 34, as advanced this week.

Second budget bill advances after another filibuster 

WASHINGTON —On Monday night, a rare public conversation between former President Donald Trump and X owner Elon Musk spanned more than two hours and was overwhelmingly friendly and reached a billion combined views, according to Musk.

On Thursday, the Kamala Harris campaign decided to release a video conversation with her running mate Tim Walz.

The Vice President and Minnesota governor talk taco recipes, hot peppers, their childhoods, careers, and the rights and freedoms they want to protect.&nbsp;

WASHINGTON —On Monday night, a rare public conversation between former President Donald Trump and X owner Elon Musk spanned more than two hours and was overwhelmingly friendly and reached a billion combined views, according to Musk.On Thursday, the Kamala Harris campaign decided to release a video conversation with her running mate Tim Walz.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WkwZ_A49hb8?si=Temq-pRH4tZ_Ysrw&amp;start=1" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The Vice President and Minnesota governor talk taco recipes, hot peppers, their childhoods, careers, and the rights and freedoms they want to protect.&nbsp;

🎥Harris, running mate Walz release a conversation

LOUDON COUNTY, Virginia —Law enforcement have identified a suspect and a warrant has been issued for the burglary at Trump Campaign Headquarters, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.

&nbsp;Deputies also secured a warrant for the arrest of Toby Shane Kessler, 39, on the charge of Burglary; Entering dwelling house, etc., with intent to commit larceny, assault and battery or other felony) in connection with the break in at the local office of Trump for President 2024 campaign in Ashburn, VA, Sunday.

 The office, in the 20000 block of Ashbrook Place, is being leased by the Trump campaign and also serves as the headquarters of the Virginia 10th District Republican Committee.

Just after 9p.m. Sunday, the sheriff's office was contacted about the burglary and deputies responded. Investigators have video surveillance of the suspect. He is a white adult male, wearing dark clothing, a dark cap, and a backpack when he entered the location.

“It is rare to have the office of any political campaign or party broken into,” said Sheriff Mike Chapman. “We are determined to identify the suspect, investigate why it happened, and determine what may have been taken as well as what may have been left behind.”

Anyone who believes they know the suspect, witnessed the burglary, or has any other information is asked to contact Detective Franks at 571-918-1869.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723644144685.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOUDON COUNTY, Virginia —Law enforcement have identified a suspect and a warrant has been issued for the burglary at Trump Campaign Headquarters, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723718627492.png" alt="Kessler-photo Loudon Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Kessler-photo Loudon Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Deputies also secured a warrant for the arrest of Toby Shane Kessler, 39, on the charge of Burglary; Entering dwelling house, etc., with intent to commit larceny, assault and battery or other felony) in connection with the break in at the local office of Trump for President 2024 campaign in Ashburn, VA, Sunday. The office, in the 20000 block of Ashbrook Place, is being leased by the Trump campaign and also serves as the headquarters of the Virginia 10th District Republican Committee.Just after 9p.m. Sunday, the sheriff's office was contacted about the burglary and deputies responded. Investigators have video surveillance of the suspect. He is a white adult male, wearing dark clothing, a dark cap, and a backpack when he entered the location.“It is rare to have the office of any political campaign or party broken into,” said Sheriff Mike Chapman. “We are determined to identify the suspect, investigate why it happened, and determine what may have been taken as well as what may have been left behind.”Anyone who believes they know the suspect, witnessed the burglary, or has any other information is asked to contact Detective Franks at 571-918-1869.&nbsp;------

Sheriff IDs suspect in burglary at Trump campaign office 

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/08/14/nebraska-legislature-sidesteps-filibuster-on-cuts-to-hhs-legislative-council/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A day after state lawmakers pared down Gov. Jim Pillen’s latest property tax relief proposal, a small group of senators tried to punish him for stepping into budget discussions.

State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha and State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln hammered a special session budget bill for including more than $28 million in Pillen-suggested cuts to various state agencies and the Legislature. The overall bill trims about $117 million.

Several other senators joined them in stalling Legislative Bill 2 over the course of the day, trying to restore $25 million to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and $3.5 million to the Legislative Council.

Conrad argued that the Legislature should protect its authority to set spending rates in a stable, predictable budgeting process that takes place during the regular legislative session and not let the administration dictate adjustments midstream.

Cavanaugh and others said lawmakers should not approve budget cuts to such a major state agency when HHS leaders and the governor wouldn’t explain what the cuts would affect.&nbsp;

“My issue is not the cuts themselves,” Cavanaugh said. “I just want to know what they are. It’s the process that this was not transparent and it was not done with our own … processes.”

State Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln said she needed to know more about the cuts to be able to make mid-year adjustments. She backed a failed effort by State Sen. George Dungan to amend LB 2 by restoring the HHS funding.

Many in the Legislature’s conservative majority became perturbed on the second straight long day of debate and swatted down two amendments that would have restored some of the funds to ease passage.

State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood defended the willingness of the Appropriations Committee he chairs to work with Pillen’s budget officials and agencies to cut unspent funds and fees.

“We reviewed 22 state agencies with millions of dollars in unspent funds,” Clements said. “The key was not taking away 100 percent of the unused dollars of each agency.”&nbsp;

During the meandering debate, lawmakers on the left and right complained about wanting to do more about high property taxes than simply pulling forward income tax credits for property taxes paid and capping local spending.

That was the measure senators passed Tuesday as Legislative Bill 34. Originally a bill offered by north-central Nebraska State Sen. Tom Brewer, the bill that was replaced by the Revenue Committee’s fallback position.

The Revenue Committee chairwoman, State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha, said she and others who support LB 2 and its companion funding bill, LB 3, to help fund LB 34 wouldn’t budge.

“I’ll stay here as long as it takes,” Linehan said.&nbsp;

State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha and State Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard said they were willing to stay and talk and do more during the special session –&nbsp;which will hit its 13th day on Thursday — if lawmakers were willing to have serious discussions about resolving the property tax situation.

Erdman said he keeps trying to suggest potential structural property tax relief, pointing to his EPIC Option Consumption Tax proposal as something lawmakers could have considered.

“What we’ve done this special session will be a decrease in your increase,” Erdman said. “That’s exactly what this bill will do and what this special session will accomplish.”&nbsp;

Wayne suggested lawmakers consider Legislative Resolution 2CA, a constitutional amendment proposed by State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth that would give senators more flexibility in handling valuations of owner-occupied residential properties.

LR 2CA would let lawmakers value residential properties differently depending on whether they were owner-occupied. The measure would have to be considered by voters at the ballot box. Wayne said if voters approved it, lawmakers could tax those residential properties at a lower percentage, like agricultural land.

Brandt said he modeled his proposed amendment off how Nebraska values ag land at 75% of market value. He said having the flexibility to do that for residential properties would help.

”What this says is somebody who owns the property has the opportunity to be treated differently by the Legislature,” Brandt said.

Wayne and Linehan called out colleagues who filibustered broader efforts to reform property taxes but then voted for what remained. Wayne said lawmakers were “settling” and doing “the bare minimum.”

“Senator Erdman is right,” Wayne said. “The solution is you’ve got to change everything. We’ve got time and opportunity right now to fix it.”

Committee cut less than governor proposed

Erdman, who often calls for the vote to end filibusters he disagrees with, said he disagreed with senators on Wednesday who were simply trying to take “a pound of flesh.”

He said the Appropriations Committee took its work seriously and proposed cutting unspent funds from agencies. He said the committee worked to ensure the plan would not take money that might be needed.

The committee bill proposed cutting less than the governor and his staffers and agency directors recommended, Clements said. He said they did so “to keep from cutting agencies too close to the bone.”&nbsp;

Christy Armendariz of Omaha defended the committee’s process. The committee member said lawmakers needed to take emotion out of their arguments and look at the numbers.

“I think it’s fair for a new governor to come in and say this is the way we will budget moving forward,” Armendariz said.

State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha, who sits on the Appropriations Committee, said that he did not believe the HHS cuts were transparent and that lawmakers needed more specifics about what was being cut than just being told HHS found “efficiencies.”

Conrad called the suggested cuts “truly unnecessary and primarily performative.” Both she and Cavanaugh criticized the value of the consultant Pillen hired to help find trims, called Epiphany.

“There’s absolutely no reason to move forward with the measures in LB 2 or 3,” Conrad said, arguing that the Legislature should consider them during the regular 2025 session.&nbsp;

Speaker John Arch tried multiple times to move debate along, urging calm during the dog days of a special session some lawmakers resented because of when it was called and why.

“We have been following a process,” he said. “At the conclusion of that … the body can decide to stay in session and consider other bills.”

Once it became clear that LB 2 would have enough votes for passage, Cavanaugh criticized colleagues for not thinking for themselves.

The cloture vote was 34-10. The bill advanced to the second round of voting 33-11.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723751746316.jpeg" alt=" State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, right, talks with Speaker John Arch of La Vista. July 26, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, right, talks with Speaker John Arch of La Vista. July 26, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Aaron Sanderford<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/08/14/nebraska-legislature-sidesteps-filibuster-on-cuts-to-hhs-legislative-council/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A day after state lawmakers pared down Gov. Jim Pillen’s latest property tax relief proposal, a small group of senators tried to punish him for stepping into budget discussions.State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha and State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln hammered a special session budget bill for including more than $28 million in Pillen-suggested cuts to various state agencies and the Legislature. The overall bill trims about $117 million.Several other senators joined them in stalling Legislative Bill 2 over the course of the day, trying to restore $25 million to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and $3.5 million to the Legislative Council.<h2>Protecting legislative autonomy</h2>Conrad argued that the Legislature should protect its authority to set spending rates in a stable, predictable budgeting process that takes place during the regular legislative session and not let the administration dictate adjustments midstream.Cavanaugh and others said lawmakers should not approve budget cuts to such a major state agency when HHS leaders and the governor wouldn’t explain what the cuts would affect.&nbsp;“My issue is not the cuts themselves,” Cavanaugh said. “I just want to know what they are. It’s the process that this was not transparent and it was not done with our own … processes.”State Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln said she needed to know more about the cuts to be able to make mid-year adjustments. She backed a failed effort by State Sen. George Dungan to amend LB 2 by restoring the HHS funding.<h2>Filibuster fatigue</h2>Many in the Legislature’s conservative majority became perturbed on the second straight long day of debate and swatted down two amendments that would have restored some of the funds to ease passage.State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood defended the willingness of the Appropriations Committee he chairs to work with Pillen’s budget officials and agencies to cut unspent funds and fees.“We reviewed 22 state agencies with millions of dollars in unspent funds,” Clements said. “The key was not taking away 100 percent of the unused dollars of each agency.”&nbsp;During the meandering debate, lawmakers on the left and right complained about wanting to do more about high property taxes than simply pulling forward income tax credits for property taxes paid and capping local spending.That was the measure senators passed Tuesday as Legislative Bill 34. Originally a bill offered by north-central Nebraska State Sen. Tom Brewer, the bill that was replaced by the Revenue Committee’s fallback position.The Revenue Committee chairwoman, State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha, said she and others who support LB 2 and its companion funding bill, LB 3, to help fund LB 34 wouldn’t budge.“I’ll stay here as long as it takes,” Linehan said.&nbsp;<h2>Wanting more from relief package</h2>State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha and State Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard said they were willing to stay and talk and do more during the special session –&nbsp;which will hit its 13th day on Thursday — if lawmakers were willing to have serious discussions about resolving the property tax situation.Erdman said he keeps trying to suggest potential structural property tax relief, pointing to his EPIC Option Consumption Tax proposal as something lawmakers could have considered.“What we’ve done this special session will be a decrease in your increase,” Erdman said. “That’s exactly what this bill will do and what this special session will accomplish.”&nbsp;Wayne suggested lawmakers consider Legislative Resolution 2CA, a constitutional amendment proposed by State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth that would give senators more flexibility in handling valuations of owner-occupied residential properties.LR 2CA would let lawmakers value residential properties differently depending on whether they were owner-occupied. The measure would have to be considered by voters at the ballot box. Wayne said if voters approved it, lawmakers could tax those residential properties at a lower percentage, like agricultural land.Brandt said he modeled his proposed amendment off how Nebraska values ag land at 75% of market value. He said having the flexibility to do that for residential properties would help.”What this says is somebody who owns the property has the opportunity to be treated differently by the Legislature,” Brandt said.Wayne and Linehan called out colleagues who filibustered broader efforts to reform property taxes but then voted for what remained. Wayne said lawmakers were “settling” and doing “the bare minimum.”“Senator Erdman is right,” Wayne said. “The solution is you’ve got to change everything. We’ve got time and opportunity right now to fix it.”<h2>Committee cut less than governor proposed</h2>Erdman, who often calls for the vote to end filibusters he disagrees with, said he disagreed with senators on Wednesday who were simply trying to take “a pound of flesh.”He said the Appropriations Committee took its work seriously and proposed cutting unspent funds from agencies. He said the committee worked to ensure the plan would not take money that might be needed.The committee bill proposed cutting less than the governor and his staffers and agency directors recommended, Clements said. He said they did so “to keep from cutting agencies too close to the bone.”&nbsp;Christy Armendariz of Omaha defended the committee’s process. The committee member said lawmakers needed to take emotion out of their arguments and look at the numbers.“I think it’s fair for a new governor to come in and say this is the way we will budget moving forward,” Armendariz said.<h2>Senators wanted more info</h2>State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha, who sits on the Appropriations Committee, said that he did not believe the HHS cuts were transparent and that lawmakers needed more specifics about what was being cut than just being told HHS found “efficiencies.”Conrad called the suggested cuts “truly unnecessary and primarily performative.” Both she and Cavanaugh criticized the value of the consultant Pillen hired to help find trims, called Epiphany.“There’s absolutely no reason to move forward with the measures in LB 2 or 3,” Conrad said, arguing that the Legislature should consider them during the regular 2025 session.&nbsp;<h2>Bill moving forward</h2>Speaker John Arch tried multiple times to move debate along, urging calm during the dog days of a special session some lawmakers resented because of when it was called and why.“We have been following a process,” he said. “At the conclusion of that … the body can decide to stay in session and consider other bills.”Once it became clear that LB 2 would have enough votes for passage, Cavanaugh criticized colleagues for not thinking for themselves.The cloture vote was 34-10. The bill advanced to the second round of voting 33-11.

Nebraska Legislature sidesteps filibuster on cuts to HHS, Legislative Council 

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/committee-advances-proposal-to-value-ne-owner-occupied-housing-differently-similar-to-ag-land/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;A legislative committee advanced a proposal Thursday that would let voters determine whether owner-occupied housing should be valued at a different market value, similar to agricultural land.

The Revenue Committee voted unanimously Thursday to advance&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58068" target="_blank">Legislative Resolution 2CA</a>, a constitutional amendment that would let the Legislature use a different process to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/08/05/property-valuations-freeze-could-be-backup-plan-during-nebraskas-tax-focused-special-session/">assess the value</a>&nbsp;of owner-occupied housing than it uses for other residential property. If the measure is successfully added to the November ballot and is approved by voters, lawmakers could define “owner-occupied housing” next year and determine that valuation rate.

In 1984, voters approved&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/88/PDF/Slip/LR7_S1.pdf" target="_blank">carving out the way agricultural land</a>&nbsp;is valued. It is currently valued at 75% of actual market value. Most other property is valued at 100%, in line with the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/articles.php?article=VIII-1" target="_blank">Nebraska Constitution</a>.

“All this does is unlock that, if the people approve it,” State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, who introduced LR 2CA, told reporters after the committee vote. “… This is written simply to give the Legislature another tool.”

Various states value owner-occupied housing differently from other property, including Minnesota, which has numerous rates for different types of property.

Brandt acknowledged that Revenue Committee members expressed some concerns that if LR 2CA became law, it might not help renters. He said that it will take a while to create a different formula to help renters but that LR 2CA would create more parity with ag land.

State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, who has advocated for LR 2CA, said it could be one of the most impactful steps lawmakers could take for future lawmakers to provide more tax relief. He said Wednesday during floor debate it could also let lawmakers go out into their communities and talk about property taxes ahead of the 2024 election.

Speaker John Arch of La Vista, who sets the Legislature’s daily schedule, has said he intends to prioritize bills from the Revenue and Appropriations Committee this special session.

Arch announced he would schedule LR 2CA for debate because State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, chair of the Revenue Committee, has indicated it is part of the committee’s package.

Two other constitutional amendments have made it to the floor from other committees but have not been scheduled for debate:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/CS/LR1CA_S1.pdf" target="_blank">LR 1CA</a>, from State Sen. Carol Blood, to prohibit future state-created mandates on local governments without funding; and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58077" target="_blank">LR 3CA</a>, from State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, which could legalize online sports betting.

State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha ran a vote count Thursday morning, which she said showed at least 22 lawmakers in full support of Brandt’s LR 2CA, six leaning in support, a handful undecided and about three against it. She said there were multiple senators she didn’t get to talk to.

At least 30 lawmakers would need to approve the constitutional amendment, instead of a simple majority.&nbsp;

If passed, LR 2CA would require companion legislation to appear on the November 2024 ballot. That’s because the current deadline for the Legislature to submit constitutional amendments is four months before the election.&nbsp;Six proposals were introduced that would shorten the window to 60 days.

The Legislature’s Executive Board voted Thursday to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/search_by_referred.php?Committee=21" target="_blank">indefinitely postpone five of those bills</a>. The sixth proposal,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58107" target="_blank">LB 13</a>&nbsp;from Bostar, remains in the General Affairs Committee but is unlikely to reach the floor.&nbsp;

State Sen. John Lowe of Kearney, vice chair of the Executive Board and chair of the General Affairs Committee, also already tried to defeat LB 13 and joined the effort against the other bills.

If LR 2CA passed without that change, it would go to voters in 2026.&nbsp;Brandt said he will reintroduce the measure in 2025 if it’s not approved this session.

“There’s no smoke and mirrors here,” Brandt said. “It simply is something the Legislature can do.”

Nebraska Examiner Political Reporter Aaron Sanderford contributed to this report.

Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/committee-advances-proposal-to-value-ne-owner-occupied-housing-differently-similar-to-ag-land/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;A legislative committee advanced a proposal Thursday that would let voters determine whether owner-occupied housing should be valued at a different market value, similar to agricultural land.The Revenue Committee voted unanimously Thursday to advance&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58068" target="_blank">Legislative Resolution 2CA</a>, a constitutional amendment that would let the Legislature use a different process to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/08/05/property-valuations-freeze-could-be-backup-plan-during-nebraskas-tax-focused-special-session/">assess the value</a>&nbsp;of owner-occupied housing than it uses for other residential property. If the measure is successfully added to the November ballot and is approved by voters, lawmakers could define “owner-occupied housing” next year and determine that valuation rate.In 1984, voters approved&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/88/PDF/Slip/LR7_S1.pdf" target="_blank">carving out the way agricultural land</a>&nbsp;is valued. It is currently valued at 75% of actual market value. Most other property is valued at 100%, in line with the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/articles.php?article=VIII-1" target="_blank">Nebraska Constitution</a>.“All this does is unlock that, if the people approve it,” State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, who introduced LR 2CA, told reporters after the committee vote. “… This is written simply to give the Legislature another tool.”Various states value owner-occupied housing differently from other property, including Minnesota, which has numerous rates for different types of property.Brandt acknowledged that Revenue Committee members expressed some concerns that if LR 2CA became law, it might not help renters. He said that it will take a while to create a different formula to help renters but that LR 2CA would create more parity with ag land.State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, who has advocated for LR 2CA, said it could be one of the most impactful steps lawmakers could take for future lawmakers to provide more tax relief. He said Wednesday during floor debate it could also let lawmakers go out into their communities and talk about property taxes ahead of the 2024 election.Speaker John Arch of La Vista, who sets the Legislature’s daily schedule, has said he intends to prioritize bills from the Revenue and Appropriations Committee this special session.Arch announced he would schedule LR 2CA for debate because State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, chair of the Revenue Committee, has indicated it is part of the committee’s package.Two other constitutional amendments have made it to the floor from other committees but have not been scheduled for debate:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/CS/LR1CA_S1.pdf" target="_blank">LR 1CA</a>, from State Sen. Carol Blood, to prohibit future state-created mandates on local governments without funding; and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58077" target="_blank">LR 3CA</a>, from State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, which could legalize online sports betting.State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha ran a vote count Thursday morning, which she said showed at least 22 lawmakers in full support of Brandt’s LR 2CA, six leaning in support, a handful undecided and about three against it. She said there were multiple senators she didn’t get to talk to.At least 30 lawmakers would need to approve the constitutional amendment, instead of a simple majority.&nbsp;If passed, LR 2CA would require companion legislation to appear on the November 2024 ballot. That’s because the current deadline for the Legislature to submit constitutional amendments is four months before the election.&nbsp;Six proposals were introduced that would shorten the window to 60 days.The Legislature’s Executive Board voted Thursday to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/search_by_referred.php?Committee=21" target="_blank">indefinitely postpone five of those bills</a>. The sixth proposal,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58107" target="_blank">LB 13</a>&nbsp;from Bostar, remains in the General Affairs Committee but is unlikely to reach the floor.&nbsp;State Sen. John Lowe of Kearney, vice chair of the Executive Board and chair of the General Affairs Committee, also already tried to defeat LB 13 and joined the effort against the other bills.If LR 2CA passed without that change, it would go to voters in 2026.&nbsp;Brandt said he will reintroduce the measure in 2025 if it’s not approved this session.“There’s no smoke and mirrors here,” Brandt said. “It simply is something the Legislature can do.”Nebraska Examiner Political Reporter Aaron Sanderford contributed to this report.

Committee advances proposal to value NE owner-occupied housing differently, similar to ag land

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/08/15/ne-advocates-for-the-homeless-special-needs-groups-launch-effort-to-build-10000-dwellings/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — From North Platte to Omaha, advocates representing towns across Nebraska converged in the Capital City this week to launch the Herculean task of building thousands of new residential units for the state’s hardest-to-house populations.

Teams from 10 nonprofits were selected by state officials largely for their expertise in serving the chronically homeless, including those who are mentally ill, have been formerly incarcerated or have struggled with domestic violence.

Over the next several months, the group will gather to hear about funding sources and best practices nationally for developing permanent housing for those populations in need of supportive services.

In the end, each participating community is to have developed their own detailed housing proposal that offers tenants access to support such as counselors, a food pantry and rent assistance — components seen as key to keeping people off the streets and away from a lifestyle that in the long run can be more costly to the public.

The workshops, to continue into next year, are perhaps the most visible effort so far to grow out of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nifa.org/housing-framework?utm_campaign=NE%20Strategic%20Housing%20Framework&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--FYSgxyyG0uw1e5d1ZhEA0PWei8pGz0bzj5ukUlWhadbkvpzS71vresdqyl8lfDelHDtS-qw91F1-zj3npIkCD1Q75_A&amp;_hsmi=316488670&amp;utm_content=316488670&amp;utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Nebraska Strategic Housing Council</a>, which was formed in early 2023 to, in part, produce 35,000 new and affordable housing units by the end of 2028. That goal was outlined in an<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/06/nebraska-housing-council-launches-with-plan-for-35000-new-affordable-dwellings/">&nbsp;unprecedented housing study</a>&nbsp;and report compiled by various state voices and spearheaded by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nifa.org/about" target="_blank">Nebraska Investment Finance Authority.&nbsp;</a>

The NIFA-led coalition remarked then that Nebraska’s economic future hinges on solving its “housing crisis.” Another overarching goal was to cut the state’s share of low- to- moderate-income households paying more than 30% of their earnings for rent from about 44% to 33%.

Of the 35,000 affordable units to be added, about 10,000 are to target households earning less than $22,000. That subset includes elderly residents and others on limited incomes, as well as the chronically homeless population that otherwise likely would be sleeping in cars, under bridges and in tent camps while bouncing between temporary homeless shelters.

The difficulty of creating the right formula and financial package to reach such special populations is what brought the group of about 60 people to the kickoff, two-day workshop sessions led by a NIFA-funded contractor,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.beauxsimone.com/" target="_blank">BeauxSimone Consulting.</a>&nbsp;

The consultant, which was awarded a $100,000 contract to provide two years of technical assistance, has crafted a “toolkit” that is the basis for the workshops and that has led to successful supportive housing projects elsewhere in the country.

“This is a huge inflection point — the identification of multiple groups, in multiple geographic areas across the state, stepping up to take concrete action,” said NIFA executive director Shannon Harner.&nbsp;

She said the seminars will not be a “one and done.”

The expectation is that the group will pilot the toolkit practices in Nebraska and pass lessons on to other communities that can multiply the number of dwellings across the state.

Participating nonprofits will have access to technical assistance beyond the workshops, said John Turner of NIFA. They’ll learn more about and have opportunities to apply for the NIFA-administered low-income housing tax credit program and other funding sources.

“We recognized that if we were going to accomplish such a heavy lift … we needed a more intensive strategic approach,” he said.

Some participants in the workshops are ahead of the pack in planning housing developments. At the end of the workshop series, each is to present a comprehensive plan to peers and possible funding sources.

Turner said that for several participants, momentum began with the announcement a couple of years ago that federal American Rescue Plan Act funding would be available for projects focused on the chronically homeless. Lincoln recently announced an award. Yet to come, Turner said, are awards for Omaha and rural communities.

In North Platte, for example, leaders of The Connection homeless shelter already have a blueprint for a $13.7 million, 40-unit rental complex they hope to finance largely with NIFA low-income housing tax credits.

Judy Pederson, a Connection board member who was at this week’s workshop, said the proposed&nbsp; complex marks the first permanent supportive housing project in the city.

She and colleagues wanted to participate in the pilot program to learn more about successful practices.

“To make sure we do it right,” she said.

Currently referred to as Connection Apartments, the proposal comes as North Platte officials have been preoccupied with providing workforce housing to support a multimillion-dollar processing plant, Sustainable Beef, projected to open next year and employ 875 workers.

Meanwhile, Pederson said, many lament the lack of rental housing aimed at people whose needs don’t fit a traditional shelter but still require a level of extra onsite support.

“So we’re building our own,” she said.

While the project’s proposed duplexes and multi-level apartments will be separate and apart from the organization’s homeless shelter, residents would have access to similar support services aimed at boosting them into independence.&nbsp;

The proposed housing project is to feature a garden, a playground and proximity to a hospital and the local Walmart’s retail jobs.

In Grand Island, leaders of the Hope Harbor shelter already have acquired land for their proposed affordable housing project.

Liz Mayfield, executive director, said the corner of the city block occupied by the homeless shelter became available, and Hope Harbor bought it.

The organization envisions a three-story apartment building that would offer some market-rate apartments as well as subsidized housing for residents in need of supportive services.

“This is new for us,” Mayfield said, adding that the nonprofit to date has only operated the homeless shelter.

The number of units, she said, will depend on the financing the group can assemble.

From the workshops, Mayfield expects her team to gain unique technical assistance and insight from like-minded organizations from across the state.

“The hope is that we all get really good at what we do and share with others,” said Mayfield.

BeauxSimone’s Katie Symons led the workshops, which Tuesday and Wednesday were held at a conference center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center on Children, Families and the Law. The sessions included visits from officials of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Nebraska Homeless Assistance Program and the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

Local real estate developers also spoke to the group about supportive housing projects, as did experts that have carried out such projects.

Linda Twomey, executive director of the Siena Francis House, and developers from Arch Icon, for example, spoke about&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/08/omaha-tiny-house-village-aims-to-be-final-step-out-of-homelessness/">the Cottages,</a>&nbsp;a tiny-house village project built in the north downtown area of Omaha.

The 50 stand-alone homes, each about 250 square feet and equipped with a kitchen, bedroom-living area and covered porch, are one example of a permanent supportive housing project.

Financing came primarily from the federal low-income housing tax credit program administered by NIFA. The tiny houses were designated for formerly homeless people who have thrived in other shelter programs and were ready to take the next step toward independence.

The $8.2 million project is only a half-block from the Siena Francis House campus, and therefore close to transportation, counseling and other shelter services. An onsite case manager is available to help connect residents to community or support services, including job and rental assistance.&nbsp;

Residents are responsible for rent and likely qualify for government subsidies or vouchers where they pay 30% of their income for rent.

Next up for the pilot group is another two-day session in September that focuses on various funding streams available for low- to moderate-income rental projects.

“It gets more and more fine-tuned until, at the end, each team has a really clean ask and fully realized housing plan,” said Turner. “It’ll be nice to watch it all come together.”

No tally yet on new units, but housing council makes strides, NIFA director says

A coalition of Nebraska government and community organizations began meeting in early 2023 to address housing challenges they said threatened the state’s economic future and competitiveness.

Armed with a housing assessment, the so-called Nebraska Strategic Housing Council, led by the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority,&nbsp;<a href="https://www-nifa-org-files.s3.amazonaws.com/358e-89879967-NE2022StrategicHousingFramework-ExecutiveSummary.pdf?pfvId=19ubyi.lsf4kjy3" target="_blank">identified priorities</a>&nbsp;to tackle by the end of 2028.

“If we don’t ensure enough affordable and attainable housing, Nebraska will not only lose out on billions of dollars economically, it will also lose the people that call it home,” said the council.

Among key problems noted by the council: 44% of Nebraska households who earn $75,000 a year or less are housing-cost burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their gross income on housing, reducing funds for necessities and contributing to the economy.

Two top priorities it identified: reduce the 44% of housing cost-burdened households to 33% or less; and produce 35,000 housing units affordable to low- to middle-income tenants.

Committees were named to work on four pillars, or areas of concentration. Those focus areas: expanding financial support and incentives for housing; education and policy; expanding workforce housing; and developing 10,000 affordable dwellings for those earning $22,000 or less, with special concern for elderly, disabled, chronically homeless and other populations with special needs.

Shannon Harner, executive director of NIFA, said the council did not yet have an accurate account of how many of the 35,000 affordable units have been produced.

She said the committee was reviewing various data sources and had yet to settle on a single “source of truth.”&nbsp;

However, the council has developed the first phase of a public&nbsp;<a href="https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiZmY1NTU4ZDktYWMyMS00YjBhLWJhNTUtYjQ5YzViZWU2ZjdhIiwidCI6IjVhNWI5ZTYxLTIwYjItNDU3OC04ZjM3LTI0Njg4MWZhMGQ2MSIsImMiOjN9" target="_blank">“dashboard”</a>&nbsp;intended to show the growth of housing units overall in cities and counties in the state. She said the council plans to build upon that as a way to track progress.

“Lots of work has been done on the ground,” Harner said.

For example, the first of four two-day sessions were held this week to help nonprofits develop rental housing for populations with special needs. That is part of the pillar aiming to develop 10,000 units for households with incomes under $22,000.

In addition, she said, the policy committee has pushed for legislation tweaks that expand and make better use of state funds for rural and workforce housing.

A “toolkit,” or guide, has been created by yet another pillar of the council to help communities increase housing supply.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723745910655.jpeg" alt=" Seven of the structures in the Omaha tiny house village for former homeless people were built by budding construction workers at Metropolitan Community College. The Cottages project, managed and owned by the Siena Francis House, was among projects showcased during a two-day workshop for groups that aim to build affordable housing dwellings for populations with special needs across the state. (Courtesy of Arch Icon Development)" />
 <figcaption> Seven of the structures in the Omaha tiny house village for former homeless people were built by budding construction workers at Metropolitan Community College. The Cottages project, managed and owned by the Siena Francis House, was among projects showcased during a two-day workshop for groups that aim to build affordable housing dwellings for populations with special needs across the state. (Courtesy of Arch Icon Development)</figcaption>
 </figure>Cindy Gonzalez<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/08/15/ne-advocates-for-the-homeless-special-needs-groups-launch-effort-to-build-10000-dwellings/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — From North Platte to Omaha, advocates representing towns across Nebraska converged in the Capital City this week to launch the Herculean task of building thousands of new residential units for the state’s hardest-to-house populations.Teams from 10 nonprofits were selected by state officials largely for their expertise in serving the chronically homeless, including those who are mentally ill, have been formerly incarcerated or have struggled with domestic violence.Over the next several months, the group will gather to hear about funding sources and best practices nationally for developing permanent housing for those populations in need of supportive services.In the end, each participating community is to have developed their own detailed housing proposal that offers tenants access to support such as counselors, a food pantry and rent assistance — components seen as key to keeping people off the streets and away from a lifestyle that in the long run can be more costly to the public.The workshops, to continue into next year, are perhaps the most visible effort so far to grow out of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nifa.org/housing-framework?utm_campaign=NE%20Strategic%20Housing%20Framework&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--FYSgxyyG0uw1e5d1ZhEA0PWei8pGz0bzj5ukUlWhadbkvpzS71vresdqyl8lfDelHDtS-qw91F1-zj3npIkCD1Q75_A&amp;_hsmi=316488670&amp;utm_content=316488670&amp;utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Nebraska Strategic Housing Council</a>, which was formed in early 2023 to, in part, produce 35,000 new and affordable housing units by the end of 2028. That goal was outlined in an<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/06/nebraska-housing-council-launches-with-plan-for-35000-new-affordable-dwellings/">&nbsp;unprecedented housing study</a>&nbsp;and report compiled by various state voices and spearheaded by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nifa.org/about" target="_blank">Nebraska Investment Finance Authority.&nbsp;</a><h2>NE’s economic future depends on it</h2>The NIFA-led coalition remarked then that Nebraska’s economic future hinges on solving its “housing crisis.” Another overarching goal was to cut the state’s share of low- to- moderate-income households paying more than 30% of their earnings for rent from about 44% to 33%.Of the 35,000 affordable units to be added, about 10,000 are to target households earning less than $22,000. That subset includes elderly residents and others on limited incomes, as well as the chronically homeless population that otherwise likely would be sleeping in cars, under bridges and in tent camps while bouncing between temporary homeless shelters.The difficulty of creating the right formula and financial package to reach such special populations is what brought the group of about 60 people to the kickoff, two-day workshop sessions led by a NIFA-funded contractor,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.beauxsimone.com/" target="_blank">BeauxSimone Consulting.</a>&nbsp;The consultant, which was awarded a $100,000 contract to provide two years of technical assistance, has crafted a “toolkit” that is the basis for the workshops and that has led to successful supportive housing projects elsewhere in the country.“This is a huge inflection point — the identification of multiple groups, in multiple geographic areas across the state, stepping up to take concrete action,” said NIFA executive director Shannon Harner.&nbsp;She said the seminars will not be a “one and done.”The expectation is that the group will pilot the toolkit practices in Nebraska and pass lessons on to other communities that can multiply the number of dwellings across the state.Participating nonprofits will have access to technical assistance beyond the workshops, said John Turner of NIFA. They’ll learn more about and have opportunities to apply for the NIFA-administered low-income housing tax credit program and other funding sources.“We recognized that if we were going to accomplish such a heavy lift … we needed a more intensive strategic approach,” he said.<h2>Some cities have started plans</h2>Some participants in the workshops are ahead of the pack in planning housing developments. At the end of the workshop series, each is to present a comprehensive plan to peers and possible funding sources.Turner said that for several participants, momentum began with the announcement a couple of years ago that federal American Rescue Plan Act funding would be available for projects focused on the chronically homeless. Lincoln recently announced an award. Yet to come, Turner said, are awards for Omaha and rural communities.In North Platte, for example, leaders of The Connection homeless shelter already have a blueprint for a $13.7 million, 40-unit rental complex they hope to finance largely with NIFA low-income housing tax credits.Judy Pederson, a Connection board member who was at this week’s workshop, said the proposed&nbsp; complex marks the first permanent supportive housing project in the city.She and colleagues wanted to participate in the pilot program to learn more about successful practices.“To make sure we do it right,” she said.Currently referred to as Connection Apartments, the proposal comes as North Platte officials have been preoccupied with providing workforce housing to support a multimillion-dollar processing plant, Sustainable Beef, projected to open next year and employ 875 workers.Meanwhile, Pederson said, many lament the lack of rental housing aimed at people whose needs don’t fit a traditional shelter but still require a level of extra onsite support.“So we’re building our own,” she said.While the project’s proposed duplexes and multi-level apartments will be separate and apart from the organization’s homeless shelter, residents would have access to similar support services aimed at boosting them into independence.&nbsp;The proposed housing project is to feature a garden, a playground and proximity to a hospital and the local Walmart’s retail jobs.<h2>Unique technical assistance</h2>In Grand Island, leaders of the Hope Harbor shelter already have acquired land for their proposed affordable housing project.Liz Mayfield, executive director, said the corner of the city block occupied by the homeless shelter became available, and Hope Harbor bought it.The organization envisions a three-story apartment building that would offer some market-rate apartments as well as subsidized housing for residents in need of supportive services.“This is new for us,” Mayfield said, adding that the nonprofit to date has only operated the homeless shelter.The number of units, she said, will depend on the financing the group can assemble.From the workshops, Mayfield expects her team to gain unique technical assistance and insight from like-minded organizations from across the state.“The hope is that we all get really good at what we do and share with others,” said Mayfield.BeauxSimone’s Katie Symons led the workshops, which Tuesday and Wednesday were held at a conference center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center on Children, Families and the Law. The sessions included visits from officials of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Nebraska Homeless Assistance Program and the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.Local real estate developers also spoke to the group about supportive housing projects, as did experts that have carried out such projects.<h2>Tiny house village</h2>Linda Twomey, executive director of the Siena Francis House, and developers from Arch Icon, for example, spoke about&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/08/omaha-tiny-house-village-aims-to-be-final-step-out-of-homelessness/">the Cottages,</a>&nbsp;a tiny-house village project built in the north downtown area of Omaha.The 50 stand-alone homes, each about 250 square feet and equipped with a kitchen, bedroom-living area and covered porch, are one example of a permanent supportive housing project.Financing came primarily from the federal low-income housing tax credit program administered by NIFA. The tiny houses were designated for formerly homeless people who have thrived in other shelter programs and were ready to take the next step toward independence.The $8.2 million project is only a half-block from the Siena Francis House campus, and therefore close to transportation, counseling and other shelter services. An onsite case manager is available to help connect residents to community or support services, including job and rental assistance.&nbsp;Residents are responsible for rent and likely qualify for government subsidies or vouchers where they pay 30% of their income for rent.Next up for the pilot group is another two-day session in September that focuses on various funding streams available for low- to moderate-income rental projects.“It gets more and more fine-tuned until, at the end, each team has a really clean ask and fully realized housing plan,” said Turner. “It’ll be nice to watch it all come together.”<h2>No tally yet on new units, but housing council makes strides, NIFA director says</h2>A coalition of Nebraska government and community organizations began meeting in early 2023 to address housing challenges they said threatened the state’s economic future and competitiveness.Armed with a housing assessment, the so-called Nebraska Strategic Housing Council, led by the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority,&nbsp;<a href="https://www-nifa-org-files.s3.amazonaws.com/358e-89879967-NE2022StrategicHousingFramework-ExecutiveSummary.pdf?pfvId=19ubyi.lsf4kjy3" target="_blank">identified priorities</a>&nbsp;to tackle by the end of 2028.“If we don’t ensure enough affordable and attainable housing, Nebraska will not only lose out on billions of dollars economically, it will also lose the people that call it home,” said the council.Among key problems noted by the council: 44% of Nebraska households who earn $75,000 a year or less are housing-cost burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their gross income on housing, reducing funds for necessities and contributing to the economy.Two top priorities it identified: reduce the 44% of housing cost-burdened households to 33% or less; and produce 35,000 housing units affordable to low- to middle-income tenants.Committees were named to work on four pillars, or areas of concentration. Those focus areas: expanding financial support and incentives for housing; education and policy; expanding workforce housing; and developing 10,000 affordable dwellings for those earning $22,000 or less, with special concern for elderly, disabled, chronically homeless and other populations with special needs.Shannon Harner, executive director of NIFA, said the council did not yet have an accurate account of how many of the 35,000 affordable units have been produced.She said the committee was reviewing various data sources and had yet to settle on a single “source of truth.”&nbsp;However, the council has developed the first phase of a public&nbsp;<a href="https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiZmY1NTU4ZDktYWMyMS00YjBhLWJhNTUtYjQ5YzViZWU2ZjdhIiwidCI6IjVhNWI5ZTYxLTIwYjItNDU3OC04ZjM3LTI0Njg4MWZhMGQ2MSIsImMiOjN9" target="_blank">“dashboard”</a>&nbsp;intended to show the growth of housing units overall in cities and counties in the state. She said the council plans to build upon that as a way to track progress.“Lots of work has been done on the ground,” Harner said.For example, the first of four two-day sessions were held this week to help nonprofits develop rental housing for populations with special needs. That is part of the pillar aiming to develop 10,000 units for households with incomes under $22,000.In addition, she said, the policy committee has pushed for legislation tweaks that expand and make better use of state funds for rural and workforce housing.A “toolkit,” or guide, has been created by yet another pillar of the council to help communities increase housing supply.

NE advocates for the homeless, special needs groups launch effort to build 10,000 dwellings

For far too long, Americans have paid more for their prescription drugs than any developed nation. Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is delivering on its promise to lower out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors and save money for Americans.

That’s because Medicare has the power to negotiate prescription drug prices for the first time in history thanks&nbsp;to the Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law by President Biden with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. Because Medicare is now able to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for seniors and people with disabilities, American taxpayers are expected to save $6 billion on prescription drug costs, and people enrolled in Medicare are expected to save $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs in 2026 alone.

 President Biden took on Big Pharma and won, and now millions of seniors and others on Medicare will soon see their drug costs go down on some of the most common and expensive prescription drugs that treat heart disease, cancer, diabetes, blood clots, and more. 

HHS Announces Negotiated Prices for Medicare Drugs HHS has reached agreements with all participating manufacturers on new negotiated, lower drug prices for the first 10 drugs selected for the Medicare drug price negotiation program. After manufacturers have&nbsp;<a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/medicare-drug-price-negotiation-program-comparing-drug-price">steadily increased the list prices</a>&nbsp;of all 10 of these drugs since they went on the market, these new prices will cut the list price of these drugs between 38 and 79 percent. The new prices will go into effect for people with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage in 2026.

WHITE HOUSEFor far too long, Americans have paid more for their prescription drugs than any developed nation. Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is delivering on its promise to lower out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors and save money for Americans.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Right now, Americans pay two to three times more for prescription drugs than they would anywhere else. But the Biden-Harris Administration beat Big Pharma. And after months of negotiations, Medicare has reached agreements to lower the price for 10 of the highest-cost drugs. <a href="https://t.co/eGVtAtJsVO">pic.twitter.com/eGVtAtJsVO</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1824057502389968965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>That’s because Medicare has the power to negotiate prescription drug prices for the first time in history thanks&nbsp;to the Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law by President Biden with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. Because Medicare is now able to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for seniors and people with disabilities, American taxpayers are expected to save $6 billion on prescription drug costs, and people enrolled in Medicare are expected to save $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs in 2026 alone. President Biden took on Big Pharma and won, and now millions of seniors and others on Medicare will soon see their drug costs go down on some of the most common and expensive prescription drugs that treat heart disease, cancer, diabetes, blood clots, and more. HHS Announces Negotiated Prices for Medicare Drugs HHS has reached agreements with all participating manufacturers on new negotiated, lower drug prices for the first 10 drugs selected for the Medicare drug price negotiation program. After manufacturers have&nbsp;<a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/medicare-drug-price-negotiation-program-comparing-drug-price">steadily increased the list prices</a>&nbsp;of all 10 of these drugs since they went on the market, these new prices will cut the list price of these drugs between 38 and 79 percent. The new prices will go into effect for people with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage in 2026.

Billions saved: See what popular Medicare drugs will drop in price after Biden deal

<a>(Lincoln, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>—&nbsp; The Nebraska State Patrol launched an enforcement campaign to close-out the summer travel season.&nbsp;The campaign will run from August 14 through September 2.

“In the coming weeks, events like the State Fair, Husker Football, and Labor Day Weekend will have many traveling across the state,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “We want Nebraska to close out the summer safely.”

Troopers, deputies, and officers from agencies across the state are partnering for the&nbsp;Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over&nbsp;effort. Troopers will be performing high-visibility patrols across the state, monitoring for impaired driving.

So far in 2024, troopers have made 821 arrests for driving under the influence – a 23 percent increase from this time last year. Additionally, traffic fatalities have increased by 26 percent over last year.

“Every traffic fatality is a tragedy, and we know many of them could be prevented if everyone drives sober,” said Colonel John Bolduc. “We encourage you to do your part in keeping everyone on the road safe by making the choice to drive sober.”

The campaign is made possible thanks in part to a grant for $36,720 from the Nebraska Department of Transportation – Highway Safety Office.&nbsp;Any motorist who observes a dangerous driver can report it to the NSP Highway Helpline by calling *55 to reach an NSP dispatcher.

Mikayla HallNebraska State Patrol<a>(Lincoln, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>—&nbsp; The Nebraska State Patrol launched an enforcement campaign to close-out the summer travel season.&nbsp;The campaign will run from August 14 through September 2.“In the coming weeks, events like the State Fair, Husker Football, and Labor Day Weekend will have many traveling across the state,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “We want Nebraska to close out the summer safely.”Troopers, deputies, and officers from agencies across the state are partnering for the&nbsp;Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over&nbsp;effort. Troopers will be performing high-visibility patrols across the state, monitoring for impaired driving.So far in 2024, troopers have made 821 arrests for driving under the influence – a 23 percent increase from this time last year. Additionally, traffic fatalities have increased by 26 percent over last year.“Every traffic fatality is a tragedy, and we know many of them could be prevented if everyone drives sober,” said Colonel John Bolduc. “We encourage you to do your part in keeping everyone on the road safe by making the choice to drive sober.”The campaign is made possible thanks in part to a grant for $36,720 from the Nebraska Department of Transportation – Highway Safety Office.&nbsp;Any motorist who observes a dangerous driver can report it to the NSP Highway Helpline by calling *55 to reach an NSP dispatcher.

NSP Launches Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign

Senator JD Vance and&nbsp; Gov. Tim Walz are considering whether or not to meet and debate on Oct. 1, according to CBS News.&nbsp; Walz issued a firm commitment on his social media account. Vance is expected to commit if CBS met a few demands.&nbsp;&nbsp;On social media Thursday morning Vance wrote,   "Not only do I accept the CBS debate on October 1st, I accept the CNN debate on September 18th as well."

Senator JD Vance and&nbsp; Gov. Tim Walz are considering whether or not to meet and debate on Oct. 1, according to CBS News.&nbsp; Walz issued a firm commitment on his social media account. Vance is expected to commit if CBS met a few demands.&nbsp;&nbsp;On social media Thursday morning Vance wrote, "Not only do I accept the CBS debate on October 1st, I accept the CNN debate on September 18th as well."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">See you on October 1, JD. <a href="https://t.co/ssi0FdseN9">https://t.co/ssi0FdseN9</a>&mdash; Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz/status/1823824781873176770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The American people deserve as many debates as possible, which is why President Trump has challenged Kamala to three of them already. Not only do I accept the CBS debate on October 1st, I accept the CNN debate on September 18th as well. I look forward to seeing you at both! <a href="https://t.co/63FyI99dKU">https://t.co/63FyI99dKU</a>&mdash; JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1824075920216310262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Candidates make commitment to vice-presidential debate

Office of Nebraska State Treasurer Tom Briese

(Lincoln) Today Treasurer Tom Briese announced the launch of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.givetoenable.com/" target="_blank">www.Givetoenable.com</a>, a new, free-to-use crowdfunding website designed to help Enable Savings Plan owners achieve a better life experience.

Nebraska’s Enable Savings Plan was specifically designed to encourage persons with a disability to save for future qualified disability expenses. The Enable Savings Plan assists individuals who have a disability by providing sound investment choices for saving for the future.

Givetoenable.com will allow participants to raise needed funds through donations from family, friends, and others, similar to sites such as GoFundMe or Kickstarter. Funds donated through Givetoenable.com will go directly into the individual account owner’s Enable account and will not impact their benefits unlike a traditional crowdfunding webpage.

“Enable account owners are already at an economic disadvantage, and dealing with unexpected financial burdens hits the members of the disabled community hardest. Givetoenable.com is available for all Enable account owners and will allow them to raise additional funds to help cover their disability related expenses,” Briese said.

In addition, anyone who donates on the Givetoenable.com platform and files a Nebraska state income tax return will be able to take advantage of up to a $10,000 Nebraska income tax deduction ($5000 for married taxpayers filing separately). Contributions made to an Enable account from the website will count towards the annual $18,000 contribution limit.

In recognition of the launch of Givetoenable.com and the many advantages of qualified Nebraskans opening and contributing to an Enable Savings Plan, Governor Jim Pillen has also declared August as “Able to Save Month.”

For more information about the Enable Savings Plan visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.enablesavings.com/" target="_blank">https://www.enablesavings.com/</a>.

Office of Nebraska State Treasurer Tom Briese(Lincoln) Today Treasurer Tom Briese announced the launch of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.givetoenable.com/" target="_blank">www.Givetoenable.com</a>, a new, free-to-use crowdfunding website designed to help Enable Savings Plan owners achieve a better life experience.Nebraska’s Enable Savings Plan was specifically designed to encourage persons with a disability to save for future qualified disability expenses. The Enable Savings Plan assists individuals who have a disability by providing sound investment choices for saving for the future.Givetoenable.com will allow participants to raise needed funds through donations from family, friends, and others, similar to sites such as GoFundMe or Kickstarter. Funds donated through Givetoenable.com will go directly into the individual account owner’s Enable account and will not impact their benefits unlike a traditional crowdfunding webpage.“Enable account owners are already at an economic disadvantage, and dealing with unexpected financial burdens hits the members of the disabled community hardest. Givetoenable.com is available for all Enable account owners and will allow them to raise additional funds to help cover their disability related expenses,” Briese said.In addition, anyone who donates on the Givetoenable.com platform and files a Nebraska state income tax return will be able to take advantage of up to a $10,000 Nebraska income tax deduction ($5000 for married taxpayers filing separately). Contributions made to an Enable account from the website will count towards the annual $18,000 contribution limit.In recognition of the launch of Givetoenable.com and the many advantages of qualified Nebraskans opening and contributing to an Enable Savings Plan, Governor Jim Pillen has also declared August as “Able to Save Month.”A copy of the proclamation is attached.For more information about the Enable Savings Plan visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.enablesavings.com/" target="_blank">https://www.enablesavings.com/</a>.

Briese Announces GivetoEnable.com Crowdfunding Initiative

As the Nebraska State Fair kicks-off, many Nebraskans are planning family trips to visit the fair, but they&nbsp; may be unsure about bringing a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Today, there are almost 36,000&nbsp; Nebraskans living with Alzheimer’s disease, and large crowds, unfamiliar places and hot weather can be&nbsp; particularly stressful and overwhelming for them, especially in the mid to later stages.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Alzheimer’s Association encourages families to consider the information and tips below before&nbsp; planning a visit to the Nebraska State Fair with their loved one living with dementia:&nbsp;

● Crowds can cause agitation. Generally, it’s best to avoid busy, unfamiliar places because they&nbsp; can be confusing and cause disorientation. If you think your loved one could still handle being in a&nbsp; crowded place well, be sure to assess their response to new places and people beforehand,&nbsp; consider the best time of day to go as most people with Alzheimer's function better during certain&nbsp; times, and don’t leave them alone during your trip.&nbsp;

● Wandering is a concern. Alzheimer’s disease causes people to lose their ability to recognize&nbsp; familiar places and faces. It’s common for a person living with dementia to wander or become lost&nbsp; or confused about their location, and it can happen at any stage of the disease.&nbsp;

● Plan ahead. If your loved one does come with you to the Nebraska State Fair, preparation is key.&nbsp; Talk to the person about travel plans in advance, but not too far ahead if traveling makes them&nbsp; feel anxious. Don’t plan to stay for too long or do too many activities, and plan rest periods. If they&nbsp; do well in the morning, plan a visit early when it is more likely to be less crowded. Be prepared to&nbsp; cut your visit short if necessary. Also, bring or request a wheelchair or walker to make mobility&nbsp; easier on the person with dementia.&nbsp;

● Bring important items. Bringing a few extra important items along can help make a visit to the&nbsp; fair much more comfortable and successful for caregivers and people living with dementia. A few&nbsp; suggestions of items to bring are an emergency contact list, a fully charged phone for the person&nbsp; living with dementia or making a life alert button in case they get lost and a change of clothes in&nbsp; case they get too hot or have an accident.&nbsp;

● Check the weather. Extreme heat can often be more agitating and overwhelming to someone&nbsp; living with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Check the weather leading up to and the day of your trip, and&nbsp; if it looks like it will be hot, especially if there is a heat advisory, it’s best to postpone your visit or&nbsp; leave your loved one at home. If it is hot during your visit, be sure to bring extra water, take&nbsp; breaks in air-conditioned spaces and check-in with your loved one to make sure they aren’t&nbsp; getting overheated.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Alzheimer's Association is here to help families take measures to prepare for and cope with activities &nbsp;like traveling, eating out and visiting new places with their loved one living with Alzheimer’s or dementia.&nbsp; For more information, visit alz.org or call the 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Register for your local Walk to End Alzheimer’s today! Upcoming Walk to End Alzheimer’s events in&nbsp; Nebraska: Grand Island (September 8), Kearney (September 21), Norfolk (September 22), Hastings&nbsp; (September 27), Lincoln (October 6), Omaha (October 13).&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jenna HynekAs the Nebraska State Fair kicks-off, many Nebraskans are planning family trips to visit the fair, but they&nbsp; may be unsure about bringing a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Today, there are almost 36,000&nbsp; Nebraskans living with Alzheimer’s disease, and large crowds, unfamiliar places and hot weather can be&nbsp; particularly stressful and overwhelming for them, especially in the mid to later stages.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Alzheimer’s Association encourages families to consider the information and tips below before&nbsp; planning a visit to the Nebraska State Fair with their loved one living with dementia:&nbsp;● Crowds can cause agitation. Generally, it’s best to avoid busy, unfamiliar places because they&nbsp; can be confusing and cause disorientation. If you think your loved one could still handle being in a&nbsp; crowded place well, be sure to assess their response to new places and people beforehand,&nbsp; consider the best time of day to go as most people with Alzheimer's function better during certain&nbsp; times, and don’t leave them alone during your trip.&nbsp;● Wandering is a concern. Alzheimer’s disease causes people to lose their ability to recognize&nbsp; familiar places and faces. It’s common for a person living with dementia to wander or become lost&nbsp; or confused about their location, and it can happen at any stage of the disease.&nbsp;● Plan ahead. If your loved one does come with you to the Nebraska State Fair, preparation is key.&nbsp; Talk to the person about travel plans in advance, but not too far ahead if traveling makes them&nbsp; feel anxious. Don’t plan to stay for too long or do too many activities, and plan rest periods. If they&nbsp; do well in the morning, plan a visit early when it is more likely to be less crowded. Be prepared to&nbsp; cut your visit short if necessary. Also, bring or request a wheelchair or walker to make mobility&nbsp; easier on the person with dementia.&nbsp;● Bring important items. Bringing a few extra important items along can help make a visit to the&nbsp; fair much more comfortable and successful for caregivers and people living with dementia. A few&nbsp; suggestions of items to bring are an emergency contact list, a fully charged phone for the person&nbsp; living with dementia or making a life alert button in case they get lost and a change of clothes in&nbsp; case they get too hot or have an accident.&nbsp;● Check the weather. Extreme heat can often be more agitating and overwhelming to someone&nbsp; living with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Check the weather leading up to and the day of your trip, and&nbsp; if it looks like it will be hot, especially if there is a heat advisory, it’s best to postpone your visit or&nbsp; leave your loved one at home. If it is hot during your visit, be sure to bring extra water, take&nbsp; breaks in air-conditioned spaces and check-in with your loved one to make sure they aren’t&nbsp; getting overheated.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Alzheimer's Association is here to help families take measures to prepare for and cope with activities &nbsp;like traveling, eating out and visiting new places with their loved one living with Alzheimer’s or dementia.&nbsp; For more information, visit alz.org or call the 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.&nbsp;&nbsp;Register for your local Walk to End Alzheimer’s today! Upcoming Walk to End Alzheimer’s events in&nbsp; Nebraska: Grand Island (September 8), Kearney (September 21), Norfolk (September 22), Hastings&nbsp; (September 27), Lincoln (October 6), Omaha (October 13).&nbsp;&nbsp;

Planning a Trip to the Nebraska State Fair with a Loved One with Alzheimer’s? Here’s What You  Need to Know! 

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/08/14/nebraska-lawmakers-advance-absolute-minimum-property-tax-package-after-months-of-buildup/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;Months of buildup for a new property tax relief-driven package was heavily narrowed in the Nebraska Legislature on Tuesday before being advanced with the “absolute minimum” provisions.

Lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_votes.php?KeyID=11227" target="_blank">voted 34-11</a>&nbsp;to end debate on&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58075" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 34</a>, accepting a “very skinnied-down,” “simple” version. Over the course of 24 hours, lawmakers pivoted through various tax packages before landing at a “consensus” that contained&nbsp; just three components.&nbsp;

That was a striking contrast from plans Gov. Jim Pillen, the Revenue Committee and others championed this summer. That included the results of a statewide tour that Pillen led to 26 communities, along with organizing a “<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/07/09/k-12-funding-shift-from-property-taxes-would-be-multiyear-effort-nebraska-lawmakers-say/">task force</a>” of select lawmakers.

In the end, state senators landed what could be the last train out of the special session:

“This is an absolute minimum that I feel that we should do,” State Sen. Brad von Gillern of Elkhorn, Revenue Committee vice chair, said during debate. “I mean, I am disappointed that this is all that we’re talking about doing.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723651318308.jpeg" alt=" State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, center, talks with State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature during debate on property taxes. To her left, State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, chair of the Appropriations Committee, watches on. Aug. 13, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, center, talks with State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature during debate on property taxes. To her left, State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, chair of the Appropriations Committee, watches on. Aug. 13, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/08/14/nebraska-lawmakers-advance-absolute-minimum-property-tax-package-after-months-of-buildup/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;Months of buildup for a new property tax relief-driven package was heavily narrowed in the Nebraska Legislature on Tuesday before being advanced with the “absolute minimum” provisions.Lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_votes.php?KeyID=11227" target="_blank">voted 34-11</a>&nbsp;to end debate on&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=58075" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 34</a>, accepting a “very skinnied-down,” “simple” version. Over the course of 24 hours, lawmakers pivoted through various tax packages before landing at a “consensus” that contained&nbsp; just three components.&nbsp;That was a striking contrast from plans Gov. Jim Pillen, the Revenue Committee and others championed this summer. That included the results of a statewide tour that Pillen led to 26 communities, along with organizing a “<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/07/09/k-12-funding-shift-from-property-taxes-would-be-multiyear-effort-nebraska-lawmakers-say/">task force</a>” of select lawmakers.In the end, state senators landed what could be the last train out of the special session:<ul>
 <li>“Front-loading” income tax credits for property taxes paid so they appear first on annual property tax statements. About 50% of such eligible credits were unclaimed.</li><li>Expanding school tax credits to a total of $750 million in the next fiscal year that would grow in future years.</li><li>Restricting annual increases in property tax-asking authority by municipal and county governments by the state and the local index of inflation, or 0% in times of deflation.&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=13-320" target="_blank">Public safety services</a>&nbsp;and the work of county attorneys and public defenders would be&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/08/05/pillen-pivots-from-his-own-property-tax-plan-to-embrace-emerging-legislative-plan/">exceptions</a>, as would voter approval and emergencies.</li>
 </ul>“This is an absolute minimum that I feel that we should do,” State Sen. Brad von Gillern of Elkhorn, Revenue Committee vice chair, said during debate. “I mean, I am disappointed that this is all that we’re talking about doing.”<h2>‘Incremental positive movement’</h2>State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, another Revenue Committee member, said it was a start while calling it “the absolute least we can do.”“It’s nowhere near what we really wanted, but incremental positive movement is still incremental positive movement,” Kauth said.The Revenue Committee voted 6-1 just one day prior to advance an expansive, 122-page package that sought to lower local property taxes by about 30%, based on rough estimates.&nbsp;That effort included the final three items, but also&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/08/12/revenue-committee-advances-ne-property-tax-relief-package-with-debate-to-start-tuesday/">more expansive credits</a>&nbsp;for K-12 school districts and the state’s 23 natural resources districts. Funding the model would have come through existing property tax relief programs as well as new or increased taxes on various&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/08/12/latest-ne-property-tax-plan-would-add-sales-tax-to-another-70-plus-goods-and-services/">goods, services and “sin” items</a>, such as candy, soft drinks, consumable hemp, tobacco and gambling.Instead, State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, the Revenue Committee chair, acknowledging that the legislation lacked enough support, pivoted about halfway through the eight-hour debate Tuesday to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/AM/AM84_S1.pdf" target="_blank">a new amendment</a>.“If somebody votes ‘no’ on this, they can’t possibly stand up on the floor again and say they care about property taxpayers,” she said. “This literally puts money in people’s hands.”Linehan and von Gillern, among others, said the change would help those who might not have an accountant to walk them through their tax filings and educate them about the program. Those already claiming the credit would have an easier process but smaller relief, Linehan said.<h2>‘I hope we can do more’</h2>State Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte said that those revisions were a “no-brainer” and that it didn’t get easier, simpler or more fundamental.“I’m truly flabbergasted that we’re debating whether we want to do the minimum,” Jacobson said. “I mean, it doesn’t get more minimal than this.”Those who opposed the plan included State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, who said out-of-state companies would benefit from the “front-loaded” property tax credits while residents of his district would be left out.&nbsp;Wayne criticized&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/JustinTWayne/status/1823322087248814527" target="_blank">progressives and conservatives alike</a>&nbsp;in the officially nonpartisan body for drawing lines in the sand and not working together. He said the “minimum” was bad policy.“I hope we can do more than just this, because this is the bare ‘minimum,’ Senator Jacobson, and the bare minimum isn’t good enough for my district,” Wayne said.<h2>Municipal, county tax asking caps</h2>Linehan described the caps on local governments as “very soft” because a majority of some county or municipal budgets are related to public safety, which wouldn’t be capped.However, that was the side of the narrowed bill that led to hesitation.State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln said the public safety carveout might help with hiring jail guards, for example, but would not address the “upstream issues” to prevent incarceration, such as homelessness, substance use disorders and mental health.“You can start to delineate certain exemptions of what you think is or is not public safety, but the reality is, if a political subdivision is financially unable to meet the needs of its citizens, it is failing the people that it’s there to represent,” he said.State Sen. Terrell McKinney of North Omaha said the category needed to include other support, such as school programs or community centers, to ensure “kids aren’t going into the streets.”State Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha said in his conversations with constituents and officials statewide, many people are unwilling to sacrifice or compromise infrastructure, including roads, bridges and quality of life services, such as parks and libraries.&nbsp;The City of Omaha was among the loudest opponents to the caps, as were multiple municipal leaders statewide.“I just don’t know that I’m comfortable kneecapping the possible economic development that’s going on in that city,” Fredrickson said of Omaha, “and I don’t know why anyone in the state would want to do that.”<h2>‘Our spending lid is killing us’</h2>Two Democratic lawmakers from Lincoln, State Sens. Eliot Bostar and Anna Wishart, supported the plan. They said it would be beneficial to their city, and to Lancaster County, because of existing budgetary restraints that Lincoln is up against but that would be removed.“Our spending lid is killing us,” Wishart said.Bostar said the city would benefit, “on net.”The League of Nebraska Municipalities and Nebraska Association of County Officials have remained adamantly against the proposed hard caps, which could freeze tax asking in times of deflation even as some costs or salaries must be paid for.Lynn Rex, executive director of the League, said the Legislature “basically disregarded” that cities and villages have obligations they must pay for. Jon Cannon, executive director of the county association, said the caps could make it “virtually impossible” for counties to maintain infrastructure, which law enforcement and the public rely upon.“All the other things that are part of the fabric of our communities, now they’re subject to a cap,” Cannon said after the vote.Cannon and Rex said taxpayers will see a decrease in quality of roads and bridges and fewer qualify of life services.&nbsp;Rex said she hopes lawmakers will consider bumping up the spending cap to 3% or inflation, as was negotiated between August 2023 and April 2024, when the previous tax package failed.<h2>Pillen plan ‘down in flames’</h2>In addition to Bostar and Wishart, three other lawmakers bucked the majority of ideological lines in either supporting or opposing the measure: Democratic State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha and Republican State Sens. Julie Slama of Dunbar and Merv Riepe of Ralston.Vargas said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/TonyVargas/status/1823525053394194565" target="_blank">tweet</a>&nbsp;that he was proud to vote for an additional $180 million in property tax relief without increasing sales taxes, which Slama also celebrated.But Slama saw it more as a “huge indictment of Pillen’s failed leadership to watch his plan go down in flames,” which she added he and his family stood to financially benefit from.“Big win for Nebraska taxpayers to have the largest tax increase in state history fail before the cloture vote,” Slama told the Nebraska Examiner.Slama and Democratic State Sen. Jen Day in Sarpy County opposed the motion to end debate but ultimately voted to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_votes.php?KeyID=11231" target="_blank">advance the bill</a>.Riepe, who joined members of the Revenue Committee and a handful of other senators in&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/07/09/k-12-funding-shift-from-property-taxes-would-be-multiyear-effort-nebraska-lawmakers-say/">negotiating a tax plan</a>&nbsp;this summer with Pillen, said it was hard enough to stay on top of the plan as it “changed almost by the hour.” He said it was more so for “citizens with skin in the game.”He said the bill was an example of “biting off more than one can chew” and that the measure needed more thought and study, even though he wanted property tax relief.“I’ve never lived by the theory of ‘jump and the net will appear,’ and I am afraid that that is where we’re at,” Riepe said. “I tell young people this all the time, it’s better to be single than to wish you were, and it’s better to have no legislation than to have bad legislation.”<h2>Budget debate begins Wednesday</h2>To fund the new plan, lawmakers will consider two bills advanced from the Appropriations Committee related to budget cuts, to the tune of about $139 million (LB 2), and increased fees (LB 3).&nbsp;If those measures advance as is from the committee, the state would be on the hook for about $46 million, according to State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, chair of the Appropriations Committee. He said that would need to come out of state reserves.That number could end up being higher, McKinney and Wishart previewed, as they and others are opposed to a broad, undisclosed $25 million administrative cut to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.Debate on those two measures will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday. LB 34 is expected to return for debate later this week.