As I write this week’s article, I must begin by expressing my sympathy to those who lost livestock and property in the rash of wildfires over the past week. We are reminded once again of how destructive fires can be and how quickly they can spread when conditions are right. I also want to thank all our first responders for all their sacrifices to be there for those who need them to respond when disaster strikes. Thank you!

Over the past few weeks, I have heard from many constituents regarding several bills of interest. I thought it might be good to get you updated on where a couple of those bills stand.

I want to begin with LB1247 introduced by Senator Ben Hansen. This bill would open access to the public for hunting on land owned by the Board of Educational Land and Funds (BELF). This bill would NOT require permission from the tenant to obtain “walk-in” access to these lands for hunting.

Although I appreciate hunters want access to more hunting acres, it is hard for me to see how the benefits could outweigh the negative impact on tenants of BELF land, particularly those in the Sandhills that have had the same operator for decades. Many acres with long-term tenants are not fenced, so it would be nearly impossible for hunters to know the boundaries. Additionally, livestock and hunters generally don’t mix well. Those currently with school leases also know that they own all the improvements on these lands such as stock wells, tanks, solar panels, etc. It would be very difficult ever to determine who may have damaged these items either intentionally or unintentionally. In the end, this bill if passed would create far more problems than it would solve.

The bill was heard before the Natural Resources Committee, which I serve on. After robust testimony and discussion, it became clear to the introducer that the bill was not yet ready for primetime. Senator Hansen understood that the committee had no interest in moving the bill out of committee this session, which would cause the bill to die at the end of the 60-day session. He does intend to bring a form of the bill back next session but is willing to consider the input he received from the hearing as he considers another alternative. It would be hard for me to support a bill that did not require prior written approval to hunt on these lands.

We are also debating LB1067 (Inheritance Tax) introduced by Senator Rob Clements. This bill would phase out the Nebraska Inheritance tax over the next five years. The original version of the bill would also have authorized the use of the County Visitors Promotion Fund and the County Visitors Improvement Fund to offset any revenue shortfalls.

Nebraska is one of the last states to still have an inheritance tax. The proceeds from this tax go to fund the counties where the beneficiaries reside to help the counties fund capital projects. In Lincoln County, for example, the inheritance tax collected over the past ten years has averaged approximately $1.3 million per year. If the tax were entirely eliminated, this would be a very large loss of revenue that could only be replaced by increasing property taxes. If I heard one thing from the voters two years ago, it was REDUCE MY PROPERTY TAXES. For that reason, I have committed to work with Senator Clements to pass this bill, but only if we can find a revenue replacement for most of the lost revenue and protect the County Visitor’s Funds. An amendment has already been added to the bill to protect the Visitor’s Funds, and now we are working on finding the revenue replacements. I expect debate to resume this week on this bill.

I look forward to continuing to hear from you regarding issues that are important to you. It is a privilege to serve as your State Senator, and I will continue to give my full effort to make a positive difference for the District and the State. You can reach me at mjacobson@leg.ne.gov or by calling my legislative office at 402-471-2729.