It was an historic day in South Sioux City on July 3. I was honored to be a part of the program at the unveiling of the Nebraska Medal of Honor Highway sign, which represented the official and public renaming of U.S. Highway 20. The renaming is an appropriate honor for those who have given so much to fight for our country. It is an appropriate time for the ceremony as we celebrate the 244th birthday of our great nation. My thanks and the thanks of others go out to the many Veterans who worked so hard to bring this change and to make the day a reality.

On Saturday, I was delighted to take part in the Hoskins parade—the only official Fourth of July parade taking place in District 17. As do many of you, I love parade season. Thank you Hoskins for making this parade happen. I look forward to the many parades I expect to see next year. I believe planning has already begun!

Shortly after the Legislature reconvenes on July 20, the Forecasting Board will meet per the Speaker’s request. The Forecasting Board typically meets twice a year; using the first to develop a forecast of revenues for the year ahead, and the second that usually takes place in April, to adjust the forecast to reflect actual revenue receipts to that point. You may recall my Weekly Update including news of better than expected revenues the past couple of years. Generally speaking, the Forecasting Board develops its forecast using its best estimate. The 2020-2021 Forecast presented in April of this year estimated state revenue growth of 4.8% over last year’s revenues.

Last week, John Keuhn, former senator and current member of the Forecasting Board said that, despite the past couple of months of the pandemic, when compared to the certified forecast, Nebraska revenues so far are fairly on track, off only about 1/10th of 1% from the 2019 forecast. Mr. Keuhn attributed this to what he described as good, responsible, fiscal conservative leadership that “has put us in good position to weather the impact of COVID-19 to this point.” Though strong to this point, Mr. Kuehn believes we will see some lower revenues because of decreased purchasing and activity over the past few months, which he opines will likely cause a ripple effect in rural communities too. Nevertheless, we will recover as we always do, by working together. We are, after all, #NebraskaStrong.

Is it possible that there may be amendments related to what we’ve experienced with COVID-19 when we reconvene later this month? Possibly, but only to a limited extent. Remember, COVID-19 was not expected when Bills were introduced in January, and Nebraska law requires that every new Bill have a Committee Hearing before it can be debated on the floor. Consequently, any new “add on” provisions to legislation that may attempt to address issues related to the pandemic will would also need to receive a public hearing. There are most certainly concerns from businesses and organizations involved in reopening efforts that will need to be addressed but which likely need to take the form of future legislation. Because the earliest new Bills dealing with the COVID-19 issues could be seen is at the Legislature’s January 2021 Session, there is hope that the most pressing issues related to liability and such will be addressed at the federal level in the interim.

Meanwhile, property tax relief and recovery of the Nebraska economy remain at the forefront of our thoughts. There is a group of several senators continuing to work on a viable Bill to reduce property taxes, in conjunction with a Bill to replace the Advantage Act business incentive program due to sunset this year. The senators continue to collaborate in good faith and to keep the rest of us posted on status. Change is hard and, although we all recognize the need to address high property taxes and the inequality being felt by the rural community and its schools, people are resistant to change.

As the unrest across the nation has unfolded and continues, there is a sense that many living in more urban situated states are considering relocating. In that respect, Nebraska holds an attractive alternative. You and I and other Nebraska residents know why. Still, if our population is to grow and if we are to attract talented individuals, families, and businesses from other places, we need to have in place an environment that is inviting from an economic standpoint. Our balanced budget and strong fiscal structure may be attractive, but we also must be able to offer a more family and business friendly tax structure.

As I’ve said in many instances, property tax relief is a priority of mine and remains a priority of many of my colleagues. In addition to talk of the impact of COVID-19, look for lots of discussion surrounding bringing meaningful property tax relief to District 17 and to all of Nebraska.

As always, I invite you to let me know your thoughts, ideas, concerns, or suggestions by contacting me at jalbrecht@leg.ne.gov or by calling my office at 402.471.2716.