There are several ways to contact my office.

They are:  By phone at (402) 471-2627

By mail at
Senator Scott Price
District 3 State Capitol,
PO Box 94604
Lincoln, NE  68509-4604

Or by email at sprice@leg.ne.gov.

If you wish to receive this newsletter in the future via email, please email me at the address above to be added to the list.  Again, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.  It is an honor to serve you in our Nebraska Legislature.

The 2012 Legislature adjourned Sine Die on April 18th.  The 60th day of the session was spent primarily debating and voting on veto overrides, and bidding farewell to nine term limited senators. With regards to legislation this year I designated LB 1080 as my senator priority bill, which was introduced by Senator Abbie Cornett, and will bring 20-30 jobs to Sarpy County.  LB 1080 was approved by the legislature on a 42-2 vote and signed by Governor Heineman.  I also introduced four pieces of legislation, three of which received the approval of the Governor.  The bills passed this session were:  LB 719, which changed and eliminated provisions of the Records Management Board;  LB 766, which allows for timely, professional and coordinated hazardous material response; and LB 819, which deals with the treatment of military medals as unclaimed property.  The fourth bill I introduced allowed for the display of an honor and remember flag.  While this bill did not reach the Governor’s desk this session, I will work on the bill over the interim in hopes for re-introduction next session.

While debate was contentious on a few bills this year, overall the legislature was able to come together and pass meaningful legislation, including a tax cut, and a responsible and balanced budget.  Overall, the Legislature sent 245 bills to the Governor’s desk, which is less than the 272 the legislature took final action on last year.  I also co-signed 9 pieces of legislation this year that were ultimately approved by the Governor.  One of those bills was LB 750, which was introduced by Senator Cornet dealt with concerns which were raised during an interim hearing last fall regarding land valuation practices in Sarpy county. LB 750 adds a new guideline for consideration to determine the actual value of an individual property, and was passed by the Legislature on a 48-0 vote.

This session was a busy one with the office receiving over 4,300 contacts from Nebraskans who either called, sent a letter or email, or dropped by the office while visiting the State Capitol.  These contacts and visits ranged from opinions on pending legislation, navigating constituents to the correct state agency for assistance, and groups of students touring our beautiful State Capitol Building.   While the legislative session may be over, my office is open over the interim, and I would encourage you to contact my office should you need assistance or if you have an idea for legislation for the next legislative session scheduled to convene in January 2013.

There are several ways to contact my office.  They are:  By phone at (402) 471-2627;  By mail at Senator Scott Price, District 3 State Capitol, PO Box 94604, Lincoln, NE  68509-4604; or by email at sprice@leg.ne.gov.  If you wish to receive this newsletter in the future via email, please email me at the address above to be added to the list.  Again, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.  It is an honor to serve you in our Nebraska Legislature.

Thank you and looking forward to talking to you soon!

State Senator Scott Price

District 3 

More on LB1080 can be found on the legislature web site:
 http://www.nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=16001

Thank you Senator Abbie Cornett for introducing the bill. You can read more about this important bill on the legislature web site. http://www.leg.ne.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=16001

Thanks,
Senator Price

LB766 – Authorize the Adjutant General to make certain emergency expenditures

LB719 – Change and eliminate provisions of the Records Management Act, transmission of reports, and certain surcharge and convenience fees

LB999 – Authorize the display of an honor and remember flag at public buildings

LB819 – Provide for the treatment of military medals as unclaimed property

All four bills were referred from the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. You can learn more about these bills, and other bills on the Nebraska Legislature web site http://www.leg.ne.gov/bills/intro.php

Update: This morning LB766 and LB719 advanced.

Update: LB999 and LB819 also advanced.

Be sure to check back on the District 3 web site for updates on pending legislation. You may also call or email the office to check on the status of these bills, or on any other legislation including those sponsored by other senators. My email address is sprice@leg.ne.gov and the office number is 402-471-2627

Thanks!
Scott Price
Senator, District 3

This is a press release from Governor Heineman’s office detailing a grant awarded to Sarpy County to aid Sergeant’s Pet Care Products, Inc.

http://www.governor.nebraska.gov/news/2012/03/19_sarpy_co.html

Gov. Heineman Awards $505,000 in CDBG Funds For Sarpy County Expansion

(Lincoln, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman today awarded $505,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to Sarpy County to aid Sergeant’s Pet Care Products, Inc. The project will result in 58 new full-time positions.

The grant will provide $500,000 to help purchase machinery and equipment to be used in the manufacture of pet products, including flea and tick treatments, pet shampoos and pet toothpaste. The remaining $5,000 will be available for administrative costs. The over $7 million project also includes an investment of company funds and bank financing.

The company has manufactured pet products since 1868 and is a full-service national producer of pet products. It established national brand recognition in 1930, offering a variety of product lines. Its manufacturing presence is concentrated in the Midwest.

The Nebraska Department of Economic Development administers the state’s CDBG program. Federal funds are made available to Nebraska from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s CDBG program, which assists with the development of businesses and communities throughout the state.

All day debate on bills has begun with the end of bill hearings by legislative committees. Since the 2012 Legislative Session is a short session consisting of sixty days, the body only has time to consider bills either on Consent Calendar or bills with a priority designation. Designations are made by individual senators, committees and the Speaker. I prioritized LB 1080 which relates to data centers. This bill provides stability for companies that want to expand or locate in Nebraska. It would create jobs with good salaries, leading to growth in our communities and in our tax base. LB 1080 advanced from the Revenue Committee and awaits debate on General File.

I have introduced four pieces of legislation this session. All four bills were heard by the Government, Military and Veterans Committee, and were submitted to the Consent Calendar. To be eligible for Consent Calendar, the bill must advance from committee with no dissenting votes, and after 15 minutes of debate, a vote is taken on the motion to advance the bill. LB 766 allows the Adjutant General to rapidly respond to a hazardous material emergency without the need for a state of emergency proclamation issued by the Governor. LB 819 provides for the treatment of military medals as unclaimed property. It includes procedures for the State Treasurer on how medals should be handled so they are not destroyed or sold to the highest bidder. LB 999 would authorize the display of an honor and remember flag at public buildings. An honor and remember flag is a tribute to those who lost their life in the line of duty. The process for displaying such a flag would be similar to the process of displaying a POW/MIA flag. LB 719 is a bill I introduced on behalf of the Nebraska Secretary of State to update the Records Management Act.

As we continue to work through the month of March, debate on budget bills and the Governor’s tax relief package will take place. I have received numerous inquires about the tax relief package, and I support the Governor in his effort to bring tax relief to the hard working, middle class citizens of this state. I would encourage you to contact my office and share your thoughts and opinions on this matter, or any other function of state government that you wish to address. There are several ways to contact my office. Phone: 402-471-2627; Mail: Senator Price, District 3, State Capitol, PO Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509; or Email: sprice@leg.ne.gov. If you wish to receive this newsletter by email, please email me at the address above to be added to the list. It is an honor to serve you in our Nebraska Legislature.

Thank you and looking forward to talking to you soon!

Senator Price

I wanted to give you an update on what’s happening in your state legislature.

LB819 & LB999 – Two of my bills are being heard in the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee today. LB819 provides treatment of military medals as unclaimed property. LB999 authorizes the display of an honor and remember flag at public buildings.

Priority Bill LB1080 – LB1080 is my priority bill for 2012. This bill provides a property tax exemption, and a sales and use tax exemption relating to data centers. This legislation would attract high tech businesses to the area. One example is Yahoo! who is considering a relocation of a facility from Portland, Oregon to Papillion. Companies like Yahoo! are seeking a business climate attractive to young people that includes a strong sense of community. LB1080 would strengthen that climate for the metro area.

Unicameral Resources – The state has a good web site to follow everything taking place in the Unicameral at http://www.leg.ne.gov/. This valuable resource allows citizens to look up bill information, committee hearing schedules, and contact information for all senators. You can also access NET’s streaming of the legislature from the web site.

Contact Information- You should always feel welcome to contact me – email, phone, email newsletter, and the district web site are ways to say informed and communicate with me.

If you would like to receive the newsletter electronically, please notify me at sprice@leg.ne.gov. Your e-mail address will never be shared or distributed and only used to receive legislative updates from myself regarding the third district and the Nebraska Unicameral. http://news.legislature.ne.gov/dist03/
Thank you and looking forward to talking to you soon!

Scott Price
State Senator, District 3