LINCOLN — It has been a whirlwind last couple of weeks in the Unicameral.
Lawmakers came in with a promise from Governor Jim Pillen to lower property taxes by 50%.
But by the time they reached the finish line Tuesday morning many lawmakers seemed to be running out of steam.
“I think we are tired, we are crabby. Some of us are sick. We are working nights and weekends, this is crazy. This is crazy, this is not the process to change our states tax system,” said Senator Mike Mosier.
The body started with LB1, the Governor’s grand plan that traded raising the sales tax burden by targeting exemptions.
Then it moved onto LB9 and its focus on lowering and capping school levies, that bill didn’t make it very far either.
But the plan that did make it through, LB34, did so with far less substantial changes than either previous bill.
Most of Lb34’s relief comes from front loading existing property tax credits previously passed in LB1107, meaning taxpayers won’t have to apply for these credits it will be automatically applied to the bill.
“That 1107 credit amounts to 23 to 33% of your property tax bill, for the Nebraskans who haven’t taken that that is significant,” said Senator Brad von Gillern.
The bill also includes $185 million in new funding towards the credit, or about 3% in new investments from the state.
It’s a far cry from Pillen’s promised 50% but the spending controls also found in the bill could help keep homeowners from seeing their valuations rise as drastically.
The bill caps levies at 0% or the percentage of inflation. That can be overridden with a vote of the people but supporters believe it will be help the sticker shock that property owners are getting from their bills year after year year.
“Reduce tax taking, reduce spending and the lids apply to local taxing authorities and will reduce tax taking. That is significant, we are not doing nothing here today if we advance 34,” said Senator Brad von Gillern.
