March 15, 2010

Greetings from the Unicameral! Last week was a busy one for the Legislature, and with late nights scheduled to begin in the end of March, vigorous floor debate will be the norm for the rest of the session. One bill that was debated on the floor last week, and which received significant attention from area hunters and landowners, was Senator Scott Lautenbaugh’s LB 836. Designed to address the growing deer population in eastern Nebraska, the original bill as drafted would have radically changed the existing permit structure and seasons for deer hunting, and allowed the use of spotlights when hunting deer. The Natural Resources Committee, working closely with the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission to extend existing deer hunting seasons and use revenue from depredation season permits to address property damage caused by deer.

Another bill which generated significant discussion was LB 1014, a bill that would help increase teacher salaries in Nebraska by taking advantage of an impending “windfall” expected by the Board of Educational Land and Funds, which owns land throughout the state. Earlier this session, the Legislature passed LB 235, which authorized the Board of Educational Land & Funds to enter into lease agreements for wind or solar energy production on these “school lands”. Under the provisions of LB 1024, income as a result of any wind and solar leases would still be distributed to all school districts, but would be earmarked to allow school districts to provide performance-based pay for teachers in addition to the existing salary structure. Nebraska currently ranks 42nd in the nation in average salary for teachers, so any effort to increase teacher salaries will help keep our best teachers in the state. I was proud to sign on as a co-sponsor to LB 1014, and look forward to continuing debate on working to increase teacher pay in Nebraska.

As always, I would encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or simply have an opinion on legislation before the Unicameral. Feel free to call my office at (402) 471-2716, send me an e-mail at bgiese@leg.ne.gov, or stop by in person any time you’re in Lincoln.

Senator Bob Giese, District 17

March 8, 2010

Greetings from the Unicameral! With the last few committee hearings on bills completed, the Legislature transitioned to full-day debate last week. One bill that generated significant discussion both on the floor and in the media was LB 952, a bill introduced by Senator Tom White of Omaha to exempt certain sewer and gas infrastructure replacement projects from state and local sales taxes. While the bill was introduced in response to a federally mandated sewer separation project  in the Omaha metropolitan area, the exemption would also apply to a handful of sewer projects in Nebraska’s small and mid-sized communities. LB 952 was narrowly advanced on the floor last week, and Senator White has pledged to work between General File and Select File to find language that would help communities throughout the state address unfunded federal mandates and ensure that the bill is more than just a solution for Omaha’s sewer woes.

The Education Committee recently advanced LB 1071, the second of the committee’s two priority bills for the session. While the bill primarily makes a number of technical changes to education-related statutes, one the the changes made will assist Nebraska teachers looking to gain valuable knowledge and experience by furthering their own education. The Enhancing Excellence in Teaching Program, which was expanded by the Legislature last session, uses lottery dollars to provide tuition reimbursement fromt the program to seek a graduate degree in their teaching area, such as a math teacher seeking a Masters degree in mathematics. I support this common-sense change which will help keep the best teachers in our local school districts here in Nebraska.

As always, I would encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or simply have an opinion on legislation before the Unicameral. Feel free to call my office at (402) 471-2716, send me an e-mail at bgiese@leg.ne.gov, or stop by in person any time you’re in Lincoln.

Senator Bob Giese, District 17

March 1, 2010

Greetings from the Unicameral! Two of my bills have been passed by the Legislature and are awaiting the Governor’s signature. The first bill, LB 746, extends data collection provisions of Nebraska’s existing ban on racial profiling and would add four additional members to the Racial Profiling Advisory Committee of the Nebraska Crime Commission. As many Nebraska communities have learned through experience, bringing law enforcement and the affected communities is essential to finding broad-based solutions that can best address the difficult issues facing our state. These new members of the advisory committee, representing the affected communities, will work with state and local law enforcement agencies to implement policies which identify and eliminate any instances of racial profiling which may be occurring.

My second bill that was passed by the Legislature last week is LB 873, a “clean-up” measure designed to eliminate taxpayer confusion. Currently, owners of mobile homes, cabin trailers, manufactured homes and other types of property that are subject to personal property taxes receive a second notice that is not received by real property owners. LB 873 would eliminate the requirement that these additional notices are sent out, which will help save counties money as well as eliminate confusion for taxpayers who own both real and personal property. Both LB 746 and LB 873 were passed on unanimous votes, and I am hopeful that Governor Heineman will sign them both into law.

During the interim, the Education Committee studied issues related to early childhood education and kindergarten eligibility as part of it’s work on LR 116. The result of that interim study was LB 1006, a bill introduced by Senator Greg Adams of York, Education Committee Chair. Under the bill, the kindergarten entrance age would be moved from the current date of October 15th to July 31st, beginning with the 2010-2013 school year. The bill helps address the growing age gap amongst students entering kindergarten, and would also move back the eligibility date for publicly funded preschool programs offered in many Nebraska communities. LB 1006 has been named one of the Education Committee’s priority bills for the session, and was advanced to Select File last week.

As always, I would encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or simply have an opinion on legislation before the Unicameral. Feel free to call my office at (402) 471-2716, send an e-mail at bgiese@leg.ne.gov, or stop my in person any time you’re in Lincoln.

Senator Bob Giese, District 17

February 22, 2010

Greetings from the Unicameral! While the majority of senators typically designate one of their own bills as their priority in each legislative session, it is not uncommon for a senator to select a bill introduced by another senator as their priority bill. For the 2010 legislative session, I have chosen to designate LB 709, a bill introduced by Senator Tom White of Omaha, as my priority bill. LB 709 would adopt the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Act, and is designed to drastically reduce the “red tape” that Nebraska’s small businesses face from government regulation. Under the bill, state agencies would be required to consider the economic impact on small businesses before passing regulations and consider less burdensome alternatives. In addition, LB 709 would set up judicial review of agency compliance with rule making procedures, and requires state agencies to periodically review existing regulations to ensure they are not excessive. Forty-four states have already implemented some form of regulatory flexibility, either by legislative action or executive order.

One of the bills that I introduced earlier this session will also be part of priority bill debate, as LB 1102 was recently prioritized by Senator Scott Lautenbaugh of Omaha. Over the past few decades, the long standing Nebraska horseracing industry has been in decline, reaching the point where in the next few years, smaller racetracks like Atokad Park in South SIoux City will be forved to close their doors. In order to prevent the significant loss of agriculture-related jobs that would come with further decline of the horseracing industry, I introduced LB 1102, which would permit the State Racing Commission to authorize and regulate wagering on “historic horseracing”. Also known as “Instant Racing”, wagering on historic horseracing is an enhanced form of the simulcast racing already available at Atokad Park and the four other racetracks in Nebraska. Under the bill, Instant Racing terminals would only be permitted in licensed forward to working with  Senator Lautenbaugh to help save jobs in the South Sioux City area as well as other communities where the horseracing industry has been a long-standing participant.

As always, I would encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or simply have an opinion on legislation before the Unicameral. Feel free to call my office at (402) 471-2716, send me an e-mail at bgiese@leg.ne.gov, or stop by in person any time you’re in Lincoln.

Senator Bob Giese, District 17

Greetings from the Unicameral! Debate on priority bills has begun in the Legislature, despite the fact that only a few senators have selected their priority for the session. The first priority bill to be debated last week was LB 200, introduced by Senator Charlie Janssen of Fremont, which would repeal Nebraska’s motorcycle helmet law. I was one of several co-sponsors to the bill, and supported repeal of the helmet law because of the potential benefits to our local economies. On an annual basis, hundreds of thousands of motorcycle riders traveling to rallies in Sturgis, South Dakota and elsewhere in the United States avoid traveling through Nebraska in part because of its helmet law.

In addition to being the first priority bill debated in 2010, last week LB 200 also became the first bill to fall victim to a filibuster this year. While the Legislature can pass a bill with as few as 25 votes, a minority of senators can prevent bills from receiving an up-or-down vote and extend debate indefinitely by offering numerous amendments and motions dealing with the underlying bill. In the event of a filibuster, the senator who introduced the bill can invoke what is known as cloture, which forces an end to debate and immediate votes on the bill and any amendments or motions that are still pending. Senator Janssen did invoke cloture, but failed to obtain the 2/3rds majority vote required to end debate. As a result, LB 200 has essentially been killed for the remainder of the session.

While individuals senators are limited to just one priority bill per session, each of the Legislature’s standing committees may designate two bills each session as committee priority bills. One of the Government, Military & Veterans Affairs Committee’s priority bills this session is LB 951, which would bring Nebraska in compliance with a new federal law designed to eliminate obstacles to voting for military personnel and overseas citizens. Under the federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act, states are required to provide for the electronic transmission of voter registration forms, absentee ballot requests, and ballots to voters who are overseas. LB 951 would make the necessary changes to Nebraska’s election laws to implement the MOVE Act, and helps to ensure that our men and women serving overseas receive their ballots on time and have their votes counted on Election Day.

As always, I would encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or simply have an opinion on legislation before the Unicameral. Feel free to call my office at (402) 471-2716, send me an e-mail at bgiese@leg.ne.gov, or stop by in person any time you’re in Lincoln.

Senator Bob Giese, District 17

February 8, 2010

Greetings from the Unicameral! The Education Committee has a full plate this session, with work on major topics like the kindergarten entrance age and the community college funding formula awaiting the committee in the coming weeks. While these major policy debates will likely take up a significant amount of the committee’s time this year, sometimes the smaller changes to state law have the greatest impact on our local communities. LB 711, introduced by Senator Cap Dierks and advanced on a unanimous vote by the Education Committee, is one of those small changes that will help local school districts in Northeast Nebraska.

In 1998, the Legislature created a process called school unification, allowing smaller school districts to share resources without going through the consolidation process. Unified school districts are essentially treated as a single school district, but each district is allowed to retain their own identity and sports teams. Unfortunately, the original unification law made the process of “un-unifying” difficult, by forcing districts to either unify or consolidate with another district. Under LB 711, school districts that seek to unify would be able to use interlocal agreements to terminate the unification. While there are only three unified school districts in existence at the current time, the bill opens up the possibility of unification for school districts facing an increasing shortage of resources.

Two bills that I introduced this session have passed the first round of debate. The first bill, LB 746, would extend and enhance the provisions of Nebraska’s existing ban on racial profiling. As many Nebraska communities have learned through experience, bringing law enforcement and the affected communities together is essential to finding broad-based solutions that can best address the difficult issues facing our state. LB 746 will likely be debated on Select File in the coming weeks. My other bill awaiting second-round debate on Select File is LB 873, a “clean-up” measure designed to eliminate taxpayer confusion by repealing an additional notice that is currently sent to owners of mobile homes, cabin trailers, manufactured homes and other types of property that are subject to personal property taxes.

As always, I would encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or simply have an opinion on legislation before the Unicameral. Feel free to call my office at (402) 471-2716, send me an e-mail at bgiese@leg.ne.gov, or stop by in person any time you’re in Lincoln.

Senator Bob Giese, District 17

February 1, 2010

Greetings from the Unicameral! The first few weeks of the Legislature’s “short session” are typically spent dealing with bills that were introduced during the prior “long session” byt were not acted upon. Historically, these carryover bills have taken up the majority of floor decate time until senators designate new priority bills for the session. This yea, due to fiscal constraints facing the state and the reduced number of controversial carryover bills, the Legislature has already advanced most carryover legislation and has begun debating bills that were introduced at the beginning of the current session.

Among the recently intriduced bills that are likely to be debated in the coming weeks are two of my bills which were recently advanced to the floor. LB 746, which was advanced by a unanimous vote of the Judiciary Committee, would extend and enhance the provisions of Nebraska’s existing ban on racial profiling. As many Nebraska communities have learned through experience, bringing law enforcement and the affected communities together is essential to finding broad-based solutions that can best address the difficult issues facing our state. By adding additional members to the existing Racial Profiling Advisory Committee and extending the reporting requirements in the current ban until 2014, LB 746 seeks to continue the search for a common solution to what can be a sensitive issue.

My other bill currently awaiting floor debate is LB 873, a “clean-up” measure designed to eliminate taypayer confusion. Currently owners of mobile homes, cabin trailers, manufactured homes and other types of property that are subject to personal property taxes receive a second notice that is not received by real property owners. LB 873 would eliminate the requirement that these additional notices are sent out, which will help save counties money as well as eliminate confusion for taxpayers who own both real and personal property.

As always, I would encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or simply have an opinion on legislation before the Unicameral. Feel free to call my office at (402) 471-2716, send me an e-mail at bgiese@leg.ne.gov, or stop by in person any time you’re in Lincoln.

Senator Bob Giese, District 17

January 25, 2010

Greetings from the Unicameral! In their “State of the State” and “State of the Judiciary” speeches this year, Governor Dave Heinieman and Chief Justice Mike Heavican both emphasized the potential cost-savings offered by continuing the trend of offering government services online. From paying your taxes to filing a lawsuit, the ability to use the Internet hels avoid excessive paperwork and has the potential to save taxpayers money.

In keeping with this trend, I am looking forward to introducing on of my bills, LB 875, before the Government, Military & Veterans Affairs Committee this week. Under the bill, the Secretary of State’s Office would be required to develop a system to allow eligible voters to register to vote online. Already in use in several states, including neighboring Kansas, online voter registration has the potential to create significant savings for both state and county governments. The hearing for LB 875 is scheduled for Wednesday, January 27th, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the committee to examine the possibilities that online voter registration might offer.

Another one of my bills which is scheduled for a hearing this week is LB 958, which would provide an income tax exemption for retirement income. The overwhelming majority of states, including Iowa and South Dakota, offer some type of exemption for either Social Security income or pension income. LB 958 would gradually phase in an exemption for retirement income, which is defined to include Social Security income, government pension income, military retirement income, and other qualified retirement income. While our current economic climate makes changing Nebraska tax policy increasingly difficult, I look forward to continuing the discussion on this important issue for Nebraska’s retirees.

As always, I would encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or simply have an opinon on legislation before the Unicameral. Feel free to call my office at (402) 471-2716, send me an e-mail at bgiese@leg.ne.gov, or sotp by in person any time you’re in Lincoln.

Senator Bob Giese, District 17

January 18th, 2010

Greetings from the Unicameral! With floor debate immediately underway to start the session, on of the main topics has been the lack of money for virtually any new programs. For every bill that is introduced in the Unicameral, legislative staff determine the financial impact the bill would have on state agencies and political subdivisions. A printed summary of those potential costs, called a Fiscal Note, is submitted for every bill. Bills that would cost money to implement or would reduce state revenue have for the most party been unsuccessful on the floor early this session.

Among the bills to die a Fiscal Note-related death so far was LB 544, a bill I sponsored last session to require the Secretary of State’s office to publish a uniform elections guide for election workers at the precinct level. This bill would have provided county clerks and election commissioners with a valuable tool for training poll workers, but unfortunately the Secretary of State’s office would have required a one-time expenditure of $9,500 to compile, print and distribute the guides. The mere presence of the Fiscal Note, despite the low cost and the fact that the funds to pay for the guides would have come from filing fees paid by candidates for elected office, was enough to prevent LB 544 from advancing to Select File.

The lone bill with a Fiscal Note to advance on the floor last week was LB 297, a bill that would provide linked deposit loans to assist beginning farmers and small businesses with the costs of starting a new business. While the revenue picture facing out state government will likely make it difficult to create any new programs, any program that could potentially stimulate the economy merits consideration by the Legislature.

As always, I would encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or simply have an opinion on legislation before the Unicameral. Feel free to call my office at (402) 471-2716, send me an e-mail at bgiese@leg.ne.gov, or stop by in person any time you’re in Lincoln.

Senator Bob Giese, District 17

January 11, 2010

Greetings from the Unicameral! Bill introducti0on began last week, and I am proud to announce three new bills that I proposed on the first day of the 2010 “short session”:

- LB 746, which would extend the state’s ban on racial profiling by law enforcement officials. Nebraska, which banned racial profiling in 2001, is one of 25 states to have such a policy. One aspect of the current ban requires state and local law enforcement agencies to report statistics on traffic stops and allegations of racial profiling to the Nebraska Crime Commission, and this requirement would be required through 2012 under LB 746.

- LB 754, which would adopt the Blind Persons Literacy Rights and Education Act. In recent years, many blind or partially blind students in other states have graduated from public school districts without having first been taught how to read and write in Braille. Later in life, when their vision deteriorates further, these well educated students become essentially illiterate. LB 754 would give parents of visually impaired students the opportunity to ensure that their children are being instructed in Braille.

- LB 744, which would allow the State Electrical Board to adopt the latest version of the National Electrical Code through rules and regulations. Currently, the State Electrical Board is required to introduce a new bill in the Legislature updating references to the National Electrical Code in state law every three years (including LB 411, which I introduced last session). LB 744 would save time by not requiring legislaiton to change these references, allowing the Legislature to focus on more pressing issues.

In addition to the introduction of new bills, floor debate will begin anew this week. Among the first bills to be debated will be LB 544, a bill I sponsored last session to require the Secretary of State’s office to publish a uniform elections guide for election workers at the precinct level. This bill would provide county clerks and election commissioners with a valuable tool for training poll workers, and I look forward to advocating on its behalf before the full Legislature.

As always, I would encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or simply have an opinion on legislation before the Unicameral. Fee free to call my office at (402) 471-2716, send me an e-mail at bgiese@leg.ne.gov, or stop by in person any time you’re in Lincoln.

Senator Bob Giese, District 17