Senator Tom Brewer
43rd District
03-13-2020

Every session, the Nebraska Legislature has budget business to attend to. In the odd-numbered years, the Legislature has a longer session and has to build a two-year budget for state government operations in Nebraska. Inevitably, in the shorter sessions during even-numbered years, we have to go back and make any necessary “mid-biennium” adjustments. Some of these may be necessary because revenue forecasts turned out to be inaccurate. Other adjustments are due to new legislation that has changed funding requirements.

I consider property tax relief to be my number one job as the District 43 senator. Unfortunately, the momentum for property tax relief has seemingly stalled. Most urban senators have dug in their heels. The big school districts are energetically fighting the bill viewed as the best vehicle for property tax relief, Senator Linehan’s LB 974.

To Senator Linehan’s credit, she has been a bulldog on this issue. During debate on the budget adjustment bills, she filed an amendment to set-aside money for property tax relief. Although that particular attempt was unsuccessful, I think that it served a very important purpose. It turned the conversation back to discussion of the property tax crisis and what we are going to do to solve it.

We are hearing a lot about the coronavirus pandemic. Schools are talking about shutting down classes, from kindergarten to college-level. The University of Nebraska has already announced a move to all-remote instruction for the rest of the spring semester. The Speaker of the Legislature announced that he is working with others to plan for modified operations if it becomes necessary to close the Capitol. We can get some legislative business done outside of the building, but every vote to move bills through the three stages of floor debate has to occur in the legislative chamber.

Right now there have been no community-acquired cases diagnosed near Lincoln. If that changes, the Legislature could adjourn until the pandemic runs its course. We are allowed sixty legislative days this year by the Nebraska Constitution. Now that we are down to the last third of the session, it is possible that much of the remaining session could take place later in the year if necessary. I am hopeful that we can stay the course and keep working on the things that voters sent us here to do.

For other governmental bodies, I am pleased to say that a bill I introduced last year makes it easier to conduct official business remotely. That bill, LB 212, should help a number of public bodies to conduct public business meetings even during a quarantine period. I really introduced the bill thinking of the challenges posed by Nebraska winter weather for folks who might have to drive four or five hours to attend a meeting. But that alternate remote meeting procedure should come in handy while we are dealing with the threat of this infectious disease.

There is a lot of economic uncertainty because of this pandemic. Financial markets are volatile. Crude oil is lower than any time in recent memory. People are cancelling work and vacation travel. There is panic-buying of some household goods. And for property tax payers, this is a new crisis piled on top of an old crisis. I am hopeful that my colleagues will recognize the urgency of relieving the property tax burden. Now is the time to act.

Please contact my office with any comments, questions, or concerns. Email me at tbrewer@leg.ne.gov, mail a letter to Sen. Tom Brewer, Room #1101, P.O. Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509, or call us at (402) 471-2628.