Hello neighbor,

Welcome back as we start the second session of the 106th Legislature. This is a short, 60 day session, wrapping up around the end of April. With bill introduction having just ended, I will give you a brief summary of the six bills I have introduced.

1. LB 950 would change eligibility requirements for the Access College Early Scholarship Program. The objective of the ACE program is to encourage well-prepared high school students from low-income families to enroll in college courses for dual-credit. To receive the ACE Scholarship, the student or student’s family must qualify for free or reduced lunch, Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or the Special Supplemental Assistance Program (WIC).
2. LB 978 would provide for a reimbursement to county, city, and village jails for any costs incurred in holding an incarcerated individual from a Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center. The increased cost put on the cities and counties end up in higher property taxes for our landowners.
3. LB 994 is a bill to adopt the Libby’s Law: The Fair Access to Organ Transplantation Act. This bill would prohibit discrimination against a disabled patient who is in need of an organ transplant.
4. LB 998 aims to ensure that every student in Nebraska has a safe school environment because every employee at their school will have basic training in behavioral awareness. This is a comprehensive bill that addresses training for behavioral awareness and intervention. This bill has been worked on by multiple groups, including administrators, teachers, school boards, and senators. Most schools already do some level of training in this area but this bill will help strengthen and solidify five different steps of de-escalation before physical intervention only if reasonable and necessary.
5. LB 1070 would exempt combine head trailers from sales tax. Farm machinery is exempt from sales tax but this is one that is still being taxed. This is important equipment to our state’s number one industry, and we need to make sure it’s more affordable to the farmers who need it.
6. LB 1094 would change the tax lien law when it comes to child support. Right now, a noncustodial parent has a lien put on their property in a divorce, even up to 10 years after the child turns nineteen. This bill would eliminate the lien once the child turns nineteen if all payments were up to date. If child support is still owed when the child turns nineteen, the lien stays in effect until the support is paid or 10 years have passed, whichever comes first.

My main issues in the legislature will of course be property tax relief and Christian family values. I will do everything I can to fight for our property owners, whether they own farmland or a home in the city. Our state needs property tax relief and as legislators we have to work together to achieve that. There are a number of proposals being talked about, and I am waiting to see what the final version will be that comes to the floor. As always, you can sign the property tax initiative petition that would give you a refund of 35% of any property tax you pay.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at dmurman@leg.ne.gov, 402-471-2732, or on my Facebook page.