LINCOLN – Greetings! We began debate on priority bills this week, and public hearings wrapped up this week in the afternoons. On February 27 we begin all day floor debate. To date there are 104 Priority bills, 94 bills on General File, 48 bills in Select File, 14 bills have been Indefinitely Postponed, and 42 bills are awaiting Final Reading.

The proposed constitutional amendment, LR 358CA was introduced by Senator Carlson of Holdrege, and he has designated it his priority bill. In 2000 Nebraskans voted to implement term limits for the Legislature, and this proposed amendment would change that decision. If passed by the Legislature, LR 358CA would give the citizens of Nebraska the opportunity to vote on this proposal in the November election. If approved by the voters, term limits of a state senator would expand from two four-year terms to three four-year terms. There was lengthy debate on the proposal, and several amendments were filed. But the amendments were either withdrawn or not approved, and the proposal was advanced to Enrollment and Review Initial.

Another proposed constitutional amendment LR 373CA, introduced by Senator Scott Lautenbaugh of Omaha, has received a committee priority. This proposed amendment would increase State Senators’ salaries from $12,000 per year to $22,500. The proposed amendment has not yet been debated by the full Legislature.

We’ve received a number of calls and emails concerning LB 933, sponsored by Senator Brad Ashford of Omaha. LB 933 would amend the law on excessive absenteeism to make the process less burdensome on families. When a child has missed more than 20 days of school in a year, the case would be reviewed by the school district and the county attorney to determine if any further action is necessary to address the child’s attendance. If the school district and the county attorney determine that further action is necessary to address the child’s attendance, then a meeting is called between the parents of the child, the school, and the county attorney at a location determined by the school.

Many constituents in the district feel that students are subjected to unnecessary truancy laws when the law does not apply to students who have long term health care issues. This is absentee issue rather than a truancy issue. While this bill has not yet been debated by the full legislature, I’m sure there will be much debate. This is more of a metropolitan issue than an issue in rural schools in Nebraska.

Your input is important so please feel free to contact me with your thoughts and opinions on the bills that are before the Legislature. Contact me by mail at District 49, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509-4604, my telephone in Lincoln is (402) 471-2725; e-mail llouden@leg.ne.gov; go to the web site at www.nebraskalegislature.gov, or stop by for a visit in Room 1016. Thank you for sharing in our legislative process.

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Senator LeRoy Louden
District 49

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LINCOLN – Greetings from the State Capitol. This the 29th day of session and we are nearly half way through this year’s session. Bills are quickly moving through Select File and the morning debates with 69 bills on General File; and 34 bills on Select File. Public hearings continue in the afternoons as Committees look to wrap up bill introductions by the end of next week. All day floor debate is tentatively scheduled to begin on February 27.

Two of my bills, LB 498, which would change water resources provisions relating to in situ uranium mining; and LB 800, which would change provisions relating to appraised value of school lands, were both advanced to Enrollment and Review for Engrossment. This is the Enrollment and Review process that a bill undergoes after it is advanced from Select File. During this stage, the bill is engrossed and reprinted for Final Reading.

This week is the last week that a senator may designate a priority bill. If the bill is advanced out of committee it is guaranteed debate time on the floor before the end of this session. On February 21, we will begin debate on priority bills. During a short, 60 day legislative session, it is important that legislation have priority in order to be debated and passed.

LB 686 that was introduced would allow embryo transfer in bovines. There was considerable debate on the necessity of this bill. LB 686 provides an exception from the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act. I offered an amendment to the bill that inserts language that an owner may perform this procedure on their own livestock. That amendment was adopted.

We are continuing to receive numerous calls and emails from all over the state opposing LB 970, introduced by Omaha Senator Abbie Cornett on behalf of the Governor. The bill reduces individual income tax rates, widens the tax brackets, reduces the top corporation income tax rate, and repeals the county inheritance tax. The proposed income tax changes are to go into effect for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and the change in the inheritance tax applies to estates on January 1, 2013. The bill eliminates the primary income tax rate (currently 3.70%) and the factors used to compute the tax rates and replaces them with a set of brackets and tax rates.

The inheritance tax, levied on estate recipients, is used by counties to build rainy day funds. Many county officials across the state are concerned about losing this inheritance revenue, as it helps fund public programs and services, and counties would have to raise property taxes if this bill were passed. The Revenue Committee, of which I’m Vice-Chairman, is holding the bill until the Economic Forecasting Board meets later this month.

As always, you may contact me by mail at District 49, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509-4604; Telephone (402) 471-2725; go to the web site at www.nebraskalegislature.gov, or e-mail llouden@leg.ne.gov. Please feel free to stop by my office on the first floor of the Capitol, in Room 1016.

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Senator LeRoy Louden

District 49

We have passed the one-third mark of this short, 60 day session. There are 70 bills on General File, 34 bills on Select File, and 9 bills passed by the Legislature. Committee hearings continue in the afternoon while we hold morning debate on hold-over bills and those being advanced from this year’s hearings. As the legislative session continues, bills are being heard, voted on in committee and advanced to the floor where votes are cast and decisions are made.

In addition to the time senators spend on the legislative floor and in committee hearings, our days are also filled with meetings which may include lunch or dinner with constituents who belong to many diverse advocacy groups. In the past two weeks, I’ve spent time with public power board members, Game & Parks Commission officials, educators, dentists, nurses, irrigation district board members, and Chamber of Commerce members.

One of my bills, LB 473 which would Adopt the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Management Act,
advanced to Enrollment and Review for Engrossment, which is a process a bill undergoes after it is advanced from Select File. During this stage, the bill is engrossed and reprinted for Final Reading. LB 473 would give counties the authority to control prairie dogs and imposes an affirmative duty upon certain landowners and managers to prevent uncontrolled spread of colonies of black-tailed prairie dogs. The bill further assigns duties and authorities upon county boards of counties where black-tailed prairie dogs that present a problem, to carry out a program of black-tailed prairie dog management modeled closely after the Noxious Weed Control Act.

Another one of my bills, LB 800, would change provisions relating to appraised value of school lands, was advanced to Select File to the second round of floor debate. The bill would provide that the appraised value used for purposes of sales of educational land at public auction would be the value determined by the Board of Educational Lands and Funds.

LB 928 that I introduced on behalf of the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, was advanced out of the Natural Resources Committee. LB 928 would authorize the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to provide permits for hunting mountain lions.

LB 790, sponsored by Senator Colby Coash of Lincoln, would transfer a county court judgeship from District 5 (Merrick, Platte, Colfax, Boone, Nance, Hamilton, Polk, York, Butler, Seward, and Saunders Counties) to District 3 (Lancaster County). After considerable debate by the full legislature, the bill was advanced to Enrollment and Review Initial, the process that a bill undergoes after it is advanced from General File. We were fortunate that no judgeships were moved in Districts 11 or 12 in the Panhandle.

Your input is important so please feel free to contact me with your thoughts and opinions on the bills that are before the Legislature. Contact me by mail at District 49, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509-4604, my telephone in Lincoln is (402) 471-2725; e-mail llouden@leg.ne.gov; go to the web site at www.nebraskalegislature.gov, or stop by for a visit in Room 1016. Thank you for sharing in our legislative process.

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Greetings from Lincoln! It’s the end of the 5th week of session and we’ve spent some long afternoons in committee hearings, which have no time limit.

Another one of my carryover bills, LB 498 removes in situ mining from certain regulations related to the withdrawal and transfer of water from underground aquifers such as the one used in the Crow Butte mine near Crawford. The reason for this bill is to recognize that existing regulations are not effective when dealing with in situ mining, in which the majority of water is continually re-injected back into the aquifer after being withdrawn. LB 498 passed to Select File to the second round of floor debate.

One of my bills LB 928, was heard in the Natural Resources Committee. I introduced LB 928 on behalf of the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission. It is their opinion that the mountain lion population could achieve a high enough level to warrant an official hunting season. Because mountain lions are a top predatory species, they have no natural predators other than disease and natural causes to control their populations. LB 928 would authorize the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to provide permits for hunting mountain lions.

We have received many inquiries about the number of mountain lions that currently reside in the state of Nebraska. The Game & Parks Commission performed a genetic survey in 2010 to assess the numbers of the resident population located in the Pine Ridge area. They identified approximately 20 resident animals in the three county area including Dawes, Sioux, and Sheridan counties. Game & Parks will be performing another genetic survey in May 2012. There will be no action on establishing a season until this survey has been performed and the results are analyzed.

Another bill of mine LB 1053, was heard in the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. LB 1053 would create the Nebraska Tourism Commission and transfer powers and duties from the Travel & Tourism Division of the Department of Economic Development (DED). The purpose of the commission would be to administer general promotional activity, solicitation, and operating programs to attract visitors to Nebraska and further the use of travel and tourism facilities in Nebraska. I introduced LB 1053 to grant the Travel & Tourism Division independence from the Department of Economic Development, where it currently resides, allowing them to work closer with the tourism industry and better serve their purpose of promoting Nebraska. Travel & Tourism plays an important role in Nebraska’s economy, and it deserves its own commission because it has a self-sustaining budget funded by the lodging tax.

As always you may contact me by mail at District 49, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509-4604, my telephone in Lincoln is (402) 471-2725; e-mail llouden@leg.ne.gov; go to the web site at www.nebraskalegislature.gov, or stop by for a visit in Room 1016.

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