Every Nebraskan knows how quickly our weather changes, and I am grateful for recent days of sunshine and warmer temperatures. The Legislature is also moving quickly, with over one third of the session completed and public hearings on all 684 bills wrapping up in the next two weeks. 

In Appropriations, we have concluded hearing all our bills and reports from state agencies. Now the detailed work begins for our committee as we hammer out the state budget. The goal is to have that ready to present to the full legislative body by mid to late March. 

The Nebraska Economic Forecast Advisory Board met on Friday and raised the revenue forecast by $204 million for the current fiscal year FY2020-21, $165 million for fiscal year FY2021-22, and $93 million for FY2022-23.  We will proceed with as much confidence in the numbers as we can, remembering full well what happened in 2019 and in 2020. The best predictions cannot always account for floods or pandemics.

That said, given this latest report, the state revenue picture continues to be better than one might expect. While individuals, families and businesses have most definitely had their struggles in the past couple of years, the overall economy of Nebraska has been consistently strong. This could allow for some new projects and some enhancement of existing programs, a welcome change to looking for places to cut the budget.

I had three bills heard in committee this week. LB102 provides a local option for consolidation of duties when a vacancy occurs in the Office of an elected Clerk of the District Court or when an incumbent Clerk of the District Court does not seek re-election. The bill gives local control to the county board and permits it to make the decision to either keep or eliminate the office of the elected Clerk of the District Court.

I introduced this bill because it makes sense to me to put the oversight for courts under the judicial branch. It would make services more efficient and it would save counties money, which would help with property tax relief.

LB 462 would provide a 3% rate increase for behavioral health providers for the next two fiscal years in Department of Health and Human Services programs. The Appropriations Committee heard this bill on Thursday. We had support from the Nebraska Association of Behavioral Health Organizations and several members spoke about the increased demand for their services due to the pandemic. Mental health continues to be an issue across so many segments of our community, and is having a negative effect on our correctional system. I hope we can enhance and support this vital form of assistance. 

My final bill was also heard by the Appropriations Committee. LB 42 appropriates $10,000 from the General Fund to the Hall of Fame Trust Fund each year to help pay for statues and pedestals that are allowed and are on display in the Capital. Induction to the Hall is quite an honor, but it can also be quite the economic burden to the descendants of the honoree. I encourage you to come to the Capitol and see the tributes to those who have contributed so much to the history and growth of our state. Find more information at https://history.nebraska.gov/nebraska-hall-fame.

Senators receive regular reports from the Nebraska Department of Labor about unemployment, claims and CARES Act funds coming into the state. In the past 10 months, between regular unemployment insurance, pandemic unemployment assistance, federal pandemic unemployment, pandemic emergency compensation, and the lost wages assistance program, $1,269,548,180 has been paid out in Nebraska. This becomes part of the revenue stream for our state. While we would have had more in actual wages without the pandemic and the funds do not make up for all losses, at least we have not lost all these dollars. That is an obvious benefit to both individuals and the state as a whole.

In addition, the Governor recently announced another $200M in program dollars for rental assistance, which will be coordinated by the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA) . The funds are targeted towards landlords and renters, and represent another source of aid coming to Nebraska. Find the guidelines for the rental assistance program and more information at https://coronavirus.nebraska.gov .

If you have any questions or concerns, I welcome your emails and calls. Contact me at mdorn@leg.ne.gov or call my office at 402-471-2620. Stay safe!