I spent the better part of last week in Lincoln attending various meetings, including the annual Platte Institute’s Legislative Summit. Speaker John Arch delivered the opening address. Speaker Arch faced a huge challenge in the 2023 session. When the session began, we had a new Governor, a new Clerk, a new Speaker, and 15 freshman Senators, 7 out of the 15 committee chairs were new, and there was a huge turnover in legislative staff, including 8 new committee counsels.

In the end, the most obvious challenge was the new and inventive uses of the legislative rules of procedures to block debate rather than promote real debate. It is a testament to Speaker Arch’s leadership that we were able to accomplish anything at all. I look forward to working with the Speaker and others to review some of our rules and procedures in 2024 to help ensure that we have an open debate on all bills and make the 2024 session a very productive session.

Speaker Arch did a great job of recapping the Legislature’s accomplishments in 2023 during his address. We passed a Voter ID bill, as directed by the voters. We passed legislation enabling the adoption of the Certified Community Behavioral Health model, changing the way we deliver behavioral health in the state. We made strides in criminal justice reform, focusing on helping inmates to successfully transition when their time served is complete. We committed funding for the Perkins County Canal project, established the Broadband Office, and extended grant applications under the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Act. We ended the practice of home equity theft and paved the way for bond financing of state highway projects.

On the education front, we dramatically increased funding for special education and created foundation aid to support our rural public schools that do to currently receive TEEOSA funding. The Legislature also made great strides in adopting policies to increase school security, recruit and retain teachers by removing testing and certification barriers, and, for the first time, give families true school choice.

Perhaps the most notable action taken by the Legislature this year was the passage of major tax reform packages. These reforms include fully eliminating the State taxation of Social Security while also phasing in the reduction of both individual and corporate income taxes down to 3.99% by 2027.

The income tax is not the only tax that is a burden on Nebraskans. High property taxes are pushing seniors out of their homes that they have worked hard to own, and our farmers and ranchers continue to pay property taxes that are clearly out of line. To help solve this problem, LB243 transfers funding for our Community Colleges to the State, rather than keeping their operating budgets on the property tax rolls. We also provided $309 million in additional funding to public schools and established and funded a $1 billion “Future Education Fund” to ensure the State can fulfill its commitments to this additional funding level. It is also important to note that the Legislature once again added funding to the income tax rebate that will allow every property taxpayer to claim a tax credit equal to 30% of the property taxes paid toward your public school and community college property taxes. This rebate is available even if you do not owe any state income taxes.

Finally, we passed a budget that delivers on essential government services but also holds the spending growth to under 2% and maintains $ 830 million in our State’s rainy-day fund.

Regardless of how we got there, it was a very productive first session of the 108^th legislative session. I remain positive about what we can accomplish next year during the shorter 60-day legislative session.

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 District 42 and the State. You can reach me at mjacobson@leg.ne.gov or by calling my legislative office at 402-471-2729.