107TH LEGISLATURE, 1ST SESSION – DAY 66

RODEO WEEK

On Monday, Governor Pete Ricketts proclaimed Rodeo Week in Nebraska while on horseback in front of the Governor’s Residence in Lincoln. This week, the University of Nebraska Rodeo Association is hosting the 2021 Nebraska Cornhusker College Rodeo on Friday and Saturday (April 23-24) at the Lancaster Event Center.  The Governor encouraged Nebraskans to attend.  He also highlighted other notable rodeos scheduled to take place this summer in Nebraska.  They include:

•       The Nebraska High School Finals Rodeo, June 17-19 in Hastings.
•       The 2021 National High School Finals Rodeo, July 18-24 in Lincoln.
•       Nebraska’s Big Rodeo, July 28-31 in Burwell.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Nebraska’s Big Rodeo, which Nebraska Tourism honored as the state’s “Outstanding In-Person Event” of 2020.

LEGISLATURE APPROVES 2021 BUDGET

The Legislature gave final approval to the state’s $9.7 billion biennium budget package. The package includes a number of appropriations and transfers. The governor has until Monday, to sign, veto or line-item veto appropriations within the budget bills.

BILLS THAT IMPACT LANDOWNERS 

LB2 works toward addressing the tax burden inequity on agricultural landowners for taxes used to service school bond debt. LB2 encourages accountability at the voting booth by more closely linking voters’ decisions with their responsibilities for school bond taxes. Agricultural and horticultural land is valued at 75 percent of its actual value for purposes of property taxation under current law. Under LB2 it would be valued at 50 percent of its actual value for purposes of school district taxes levied to pay the principal and interest on bonds issued on or after Jan. 1, 2022. 

REVENUE BILLS EARLY NEXT WEEK

My bill, LB595 will be the lead Revenue Committee Priority Bill. It will come up early next week. The purpose of LB595 is to provide a sales and use tax exemption for certain products used in the process of manufacturing ethanol, to harmonize provisions with other states and industries. As it is, ethanol producers are paying a tax that is not consistent with other industries and state regulations for inputs.

Ethanol production is vital to our agricultural economy as the 25 plants throughout the State of Nebraska process nearly 500 million bushels of corn every year. Let me put this in perspective for you: 500 million bushels is the equivalent of one out of every four rows of corn grown in every cornfield in Nebraska. Combined, these plants produce more than 2.2 billion gallons of Ethanol every year, the second most per state in the country, behind Iowa. This bill simply exempts sales taxes on inputs used in the production or “manufacturing” of Ethanol.

The other bills being carried under LB595 include:

LB182- would clarify the tax treatment of tower leases for purposes of providing internet

access to make clear such leases are exempt from sales and use tax. 

LB672- creates a new definition for agricultural machinery and equipment to clarify the sales tax exemption on such equipment.

LB502- allows taxpayers with existing agreements, or who have filed applications under the Nebraska Advantage Act prior to the sunset of the Act, the same sales and use tax exemptions that are now provided to taxpayers under the ImagiNE Act.

LB350- would extend the sunset date from October 1, 2022, to October 1, 2027, for the distribution of sales and use tax to the Game and Parks Commission Capital Maintenance Fund from the state of motor boats, personal watercraft, all-terrain vehicles and utility-type vehicles.

NEBRASKA  DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HEALTH STANDARDS

Recently the Nebraska Department of Education released a draft of the Nebraska Health Education Standards. I strongly encourage you to read the standards and inform yourself about new content that is being considered. 

Take some time to review the entire document for yourself and let the State Department of Education know what you think. 

A draft Health Education Standards are available for review at:

https://www.education.ne.gov/healthed/health-education-standards-development/

You can contribute your feedback at:

https://nde.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8dI1y2pRSfXlG8R

Or members of the public can submit a formal comment by emailing nde.standardsinput@nebraska.gov. 

DISTRICT 17 COVID-19 

The number of positive tests reported for the periods April 15, 2021 to April 23, 2021 in District 17 are as follow: 

Dakota County +22 (4072)

Thurston County: +3 (1161)

Wayne County: +20 (1140)

As always, it is of great importance that I hear from my constituents to effectively do my job as your voice in the Legislature. I encourage you to contact me and I look forward to hearing from you. You can reach me at 402-471-2716 or jalbrecht@leg.ne.gov.