Senator Tom Brewer
43rd District
12-20-2019

The Nebraska Constitution only requires the Legislature to do two things: It must meet on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January, and every two years it has to pass a balanced budget. The next legislative session is almost upon us.

In even numbered years, the session is “short” with 60 legislative days. We will pick up where we left off last session with a number of bills that are ready to be debated on the floor. Three of my bills from last session will be up early in the session. LB 153 is a bill to un-tax a portion of a person’s military retired pay, like all the states around Nebraska already do. I want to attract retiring military personnel to settle in Nebraska after they leave the service. LB 582 is a bill to make it a crime to possess a gun a person knows is probably stolen. This will help the police gang units in Nebraska’s bigger cities take stolen guns off the street and out of the hands of criminals who have no right to possess them in the first place. LB 157 is a bill we’ve been working on for three years. It helps protect Nebraska beekeepers.

Since it is a short session, I’ll be introducing a small number of bills. I want a bill to end the practice of taxing Social Security as income. Nebraska is one of only a handful of states that do this. I think this is wrong for a number of reasons. The money has already been subjected to income tax when it was paid into Social Security in the first place. Social Security is the only source of income for over two-thirds of people drawing it. I think the people of Nebraska would be way better off if the $120 million in income tax revenue the state collects was left in the hands of our seniors on a fixed income.

I’m also looking at a proposed constitutional amendment to do away with the income tax in Nebraska. Nine States do not have an income tax, including two of Nebraska’s neighbors. There is a way to run our state on just sales taxes that is both fair to low-income people, and good for business. I think Nebraska’s economy would take off like a rocket if we didn’t have an income tax. Instead of people and businesses leaving or never coming to Nebraska, we could reverse that trend. No State in history has ever taxed and spent its way to prosperity for its citizens. We have tried being a “high tax state” for decades now. I think the results of that failed experiment are clear to see. We need to at least start the discussion about changing this.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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.