Hello friends,

This past week was the beginning of all day debate, and it has been productive for the state. Senator Linehan’s omnibus bill, LB754 has seen the largest share of attention because an omnibus bill is a combination of multiple bills put together. Luckily, my bill LB38 is a part of this omnibus bill. LB38 will provide a tax exemption for federal annuities for Nebraska’s federal retirees. Previously LB873 provided vital tax relief on Social Security, and this year’s LB641 (included in this package) will further expand Social Security Tax Relief. However the tax relief is not equitable for Federal retirees. The debate about the overall omnibus has been good for the body. Being wrapped up in culture war debates can be exhausting for all involved and I am happy to see things start to move forward.

Inflation Reduction Act

With today being the deadline for early applications for IRA funding, it was nice to see Governor Pillen and NDEE respond to my letter that requested they take advantage of the available funding! Since it’s the early stages of obtaining funding, there are going to be more opportunities. I will continue to push that we take advantage of all available funding. Our state desperately needs to improve energy efficiency within homes. Insulation of homes would see a net decrease in the cost and usage of heating and air conditioning. We also would see a significant increase in job opportunities if we were to request as much of the IRA funding as possible with 10,000 possible new and good paying jobs. I’ll be looking at the actions of NDEE with great interest moving forward and will continue to challenge them to apply for as much available funding as possible.

Upcoming Community Events

• Coffee With a Cop
• Spaghetti Feed
• Sarpy Easter Egg Hunts
• Unicameral Youth Legislature

All event flyers are posted below.

If you have any questions or concerns about legislation, please feel free to contact my office by calling 402-471-2627. You can also contact my staff directly:

Gabriel Hinrichs, Administrative Aide: ghinrichs@leg.ne.gov
Alex Maycher, Legislative Aide: amaycher@leg.ne.gov

Sincerely,

Senator Carol Blood, District 3

Nebraska Legislature