Dear Fellow Nebraskan;

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