Nebraska lawmakers recently adjourned their 60-day session, but Republican Gov. Jim Pillen announced that they will be called back for a summer session to address the issue of soaring property taxes. A sales tax expansion proposal supported by Pillen failed to gain enough support on the last day of the session, leading to the decision for a special session. The Legislature began the session in a more collegial manner compared to the previous year, which was marked by contentious debates over issues such as gender-affirming care for transgender minors and abortion bans. However, there were still instances of controversy, including a lawmaker being reprimanded for reading a graphic account of rape on the floor.
One of the key pieces of legislation that did not pass was a bill introduced by Sen. Lou Ann Linehan to shift the state’s property tax burden to sales and other taxes. The bill proposed raising the sales tax by 1 cent and creating new taxes on items like candy, tobacco, CBD products, and digital advertising. Despite efforts to strip the sales tax increase from the bill, it still did not have enough support to pass, prompting Linehan to withdraw it. Gov. Pillen was unable to find a lawmaker willing to sponsor a bill that would have reduced property taxes by 40% while instituting the highest sales tax in the nation at 7.5%.
Another significant development was the passage of a new law that eliminates a two-year waiting period for regaining voting rights for individuals who have served their sentences for felonies. This waiting period had been in place since 2005, and before that, individuals convicted of felonies lost their right to vote indefinitely. Additionally, late in the session, there was acrimony surrounding a bill aimed at restricting transgender students in bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports. Despite efforts to resurrect the bill, it failed to garner enough support to end a filibuster by a narrow margin.
In the realm of education, lawmakers passed a bill on the session’s last day to repeal and replace legislation from 2023 that diverted income tax receipts to fund private school scholarships. This bill marked the first time lawmakers have passed legislation that would prevent voters from deciding on a ballot measure initiated by constituents. Another bill that failed would have held librarians and teachers criminally responsible for providing “obscene material” to students in grades K-12. Critics of the bill viewed it as a potential avenue for a vocal minority to censor books they disagree with from school and public library shelves.
In a move to honor civil rights icon Malcolm X, a bill was passed to recognize his birthday on May 19. While the legislation did not declare the day a state holiday, it established Malcolm X Day to allow Nebraska schools to conduct exercises in his honor. Additionally, lawmakers passed a bill aimed at easing child care workers’ access to child care subsidies, inspired by successful legislation in Kentucky. The bill was stripped of its $10 million funding due to budget constraints, but it still aims to address the shortage of child care workers in the state. Despite a mix of both successful and failed legislation during the session, the decision for a summer session indicates a continued focus on addressing issues like property taxes and voting rights in Nebraska.
