Senator Tom Brewer
43rd District
11-08-2019

We have had a real busy interim this summer and fall. We’re putting the finishing touches on a few bills I will introduce on the first day. As always, my constituents gave me several great ideas for bills. The coming session starts January 8th. The constitution says the legislature will convene on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January. This session will be a short one – 60 legislative days. Right now, the end of the session is scheduled for the 23rd of April.

This session is going to be very interesting and definitely worth watching. It is Sen. Ernie Chambers’ last session after which he will reach his term limit (for a second time). He is one of the most prolific orators in the body, and I am certain he will have plenty to say this time.

LB 720 is a bill called the Nebraska Imagine Act which will provide “business incentives.” There will be a lot of debate on this measure. It replaces the Nebraska Advantage Act, which sunsets this year. I have serious concerns about this bill. It does not deliver anything for rural Nebraska. It provides incentive money for wind energy companies. Estimates show roughly $120,000 in tax incentives will be spent to create just one $40,000 a year job. The claim is that Nebraska needs bills like these to incentivize businesses to come to our high tax state. Our high income and property taxes scare away a lot of people and businesses. I am not confident that the government picking winners and losers in our state economy will bring jobs or economic development into our state.

LB 289 is a bill to lower property taxes. I hope this will be one of the first bills discussed. Much has changed about this bill since last session. I believe we will all get to see what’s in the new bill before Thanksgiving. I would imagine it is not as ambitious as it once was. Some oppose doing away with certain sales tax exemptions to fund it. Some oppose re-purposing the Property Tax Credit Relief Fund to fund it. Some interest groups will strongly oppose any limits placed on a school’s ability to collect and spend property taxes. These circumstances make it really hard to pass a bill that delivers substantial and permanent property tax relief. I suspect the solution to this problem will ultimately lie with the people.

In a couple weeks we will move our office for the fourth time in three years to room 1101 as the Capitol remodeling and HVAC project continues. Please bear with us during this transition.

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 #1423, P.O. Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509, or call us at (402) 471-2628.