Neighbors,

Now that the Legislature has adjourned for 2010, I would like to share with you what I have been working on over the past five months.

Since I came to the Legislature, I have been focused on passing laws that strengthen South Omaha and Bellevue by creating good-paying jobs, protecting neighborhoods, and making government do more with less.

Here are just a few laws I helped pass:

*LB 935: Passing a Balanced Budget with NO Tax Increases
As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I spend everyday influencing state government to be more accountable and transparent with your tax dollars. After negotiating a balanced budget that protected affordable housing funds for South Omaha, I fought to include a provision in the state budget that requires state agencies to submit a government efficiency plan that identifies ways for government to do more with less.

*LB 1081 and LB 918: Creating Good-Paying Jobs for Working Families
Like last year, job creation was my priority for this legislative session, which is why I made LB 1081, the Teleworker Job Creation Act, my priority bill.  This law will utilize existing job training funds to help train and employ over 1,000 workers in South Omaha, Bellevue and across the state with teleworker jobs they can do from their own home. As the chief co-sponsor of LB 918, I helped pass this new law that will provide incentives to bring new data centers like Google and Yahoo! to Nebraska and create good-paying technology jobs in our community.

*LB 961 and LB 1020: Expanding Job Training and Fighting Against Tax Increases
With more workers losing their jobs, I have advocated for flexible job training programs that move people into high-skilled jobs.  As a co-sponser of LB 961, I helped make our existing job training cash fund more flexible for South Omaha, Bellevue, and other key areas of our state that have experienced significant job losses. This year, I also worked with a coalition of labor unions and businesses to pass LB 1020, a law that provides job training for Nebraskans who collect unemployment, and accepts $43.6 million in federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help reduce the need to raise unemployment insurance taxes.

*LB 563: Holding Dishonest Employers Accountable
As one of the chief co-sponsors of this legislation, I stand firm on fining businesses who abuse independent contractors, hire illegal immigrants, and avoid paying taxes through dishonest practices. LB 563 helps ensure that businesses in the construction and delivery services industry hire employees through a transparent, legal process, and stops businesses from cheating taxpayers by not paying taxes on their employees.

*LB 978 and LB 997: Making Energy Efficiency a Priority
Energy efficiency saves money and protects the health of our communities, which is why I introduced LB 978 and LB 997.  With the passage of LB 977, the State of Nebraska will now purchase energy efficient appliances when it makes financial sense.  Making energy efficiency a priority in Omaha and Bellevue is also now easier with the passage of LB 997, a law I wrote that requires Nebraska’s cities and counties to include energy efficiency and usage in their comprehensive plans.

*LB 1048: Creating Green Jobs by Exporting Wind Energy
Nebraska ranks third nationally for wind energy potential, and with this wind comes the opportunity for thousands of new, green jobs.  This is why I strongly support LB 1048, a law that encourages and allows businesses to develop, own, and operate facilities that export wind energy from Nebraska to other states.  The potential for multi-million dollar investments in wind farms creates an opportunity for South Omaha and Bellevue to benefit from the creation of new manufacturing and construction businesses.

While I focused my efforts this year on creating jobs and making government do more with less, there is still much work to do in the next two years.  The State of Nebraska faces a $660 million deficit beginning in January 2011, which means my work on the Appropriations Committee will only get more challenging.

Beyond looking at ways to make your government more accountable and transparent over the next six months, I will be also working on a few of the following issues:

Sewer Separation Financing and Taxes
The City of Omaha’s $2 billion sewer separation project will undoubtedly cost Omaha and Bellevue taxpayers thousands of dollars in increased fees and taxes.  But as I’ve stated numerous times, nobody should be paying more taxes than they need to.  So over the interim I will be examining and researching options to remove the “double tax” on the City of Omaha’s sewer separtation project that is neither fair nor equitable.

Energy Efficiency and Home Improvement Financing

Homeowners and business owners need affordable choices for making energy efficiency improvements to their property.  Paying for improvements over time on your property tax bill or utility bill are among the many options I have researched, and during the interim I will work to find a reasonable solution that allows property owners to make upgrades and save money on their utility bills.

Interim studies are one method the Legislature uses to study certain issues more in-depth.  I have requested the following studies be considered for examination during the interim:

Economic Development and Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship and economic development are vital to Omaha and Bellevue successfully weathering this recession.  I will explore new opportunities and growing job sectors like green jobs and technology careers, and how to bring those industries to Nebraska.

Electronics Recycling
Waste from electronics recycling contaminates our landfills and can affect our drinking water.  Other states offer free electronics recycling or work with manufacturers to create less harmful products.  It is important to explore our options and more responsible ways to conduct business.

Offering Incentives to Film, Television, Commercial, Music, Web-based Content Producers
To remain competitive, many states have examined the adoption of incentives for films, television shows, commercials, music, web-based content, or Internet-delivered content.  I will continue to research the impact of offering incentives for these types of projects produced in Nebraska.

Updating our Energy Code
The State of Nebraska currently abides by the 2003 International Energy Conservation Code.  I will study the potential impact of adopting the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code.

Government Accountability
StateStat is a management accountability process used for executive agencies in the State of Maryland.  This program encourages government efficiency in the delivery of services.  I will explore the impact of adopting this program in Nebraska.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in the Nebraska Legislature.  I would like to invite you to visit my website, www.heathmello.com, to stay informed with up-to-date information. As always, please feel free to contact me with your concerns at hmello@leg.ne.gov or (402) 471-2710.

Working for you,
Sen. Heath Mello

Neighbors,

Over the last two weeks, a number of important legislative bills have been passed by your Nebraska Legislature. I would like to give you a quick update on a few:

• LB 16 — I co-sponsored Senator Tom White’s Taxpayer Transparency Act, which requires the state to develop a website that provides data on the state budget, public contracts, and tax incentives. This will allow Nebraskans to easily see how their tax dollars are spent and will encourage transparency and efficiency in our state government.

• LB 63 — This wide-sweeping crime bill modernizes penalties on those who have committed certain criminal activities, including gang and graffiti-related crimes. A co-sponsor of this important legislation, I worked with Senator Ashford to find seed funding for the Office of Violence Prevention, which will provide community funding for anti-violence and crime prevention programs.

• LB 555 — My priority bill this year, LB 555, increases the research tax credit provided by the Nebraska Advantage Research and Development Act. In order to qualify for the credit, the research must be performed at a college or university-owned facility in Nebraska. This “Innovation Economy” bill provides an opportunity to create high-wage, high-skilled jobs right here in Omaha and Bellevue.

• LB 603 — I was pleased to work with a small group of Senators to develop a compromise on the issues brought to light by the Safe Haven situation last year. LB 603 provides additional funding for children’s mental health services and increases the access for health insurance for Nebraska’s most vulnerable children. While LB 603 offers more services to those families battling the behavioral health bureaucracy in our state, I firmly believe this is only a first step in helping families who are placed in these difficult situations. I will continue to work with my colleagues and community members to find solutions to the problems brought to light last year.

While this has been a difficult session due to the unique budget circumstances, I believe these key pieces of legislation are just a few of the new laws that will help make South Omaha and Bellevue safer and stronger. I appreciate hearing from you; please feel free to contact me with your thoughts on these or any of the issues facing our state.

Working for you,

Senator Heath Mello