This was supposed to be a session of hope for those wanting property tax relief.  Instead, we got delays, fighting, and a last minute “grand” compromise that does not do nearly enough for property taxpayers, especially farmers.

I really thought we had a chance at substantial property tax relief.  Senator Linehan’s LB 974 and LB 1106 were both bills that would have done at least a serviceable job at providing relief.  Both of those bills were held up by the major school districts in Omaha and Lincoln and the senators that represent those districts.

Senator Linehan repeatedly brought stakeholders to the table, trying to determine the best way to achieve property tax relief while addressing some the concerns of the schools.  Everyone knew that the other two major issues in the compromise, business incentives and the NExT project, would not be passed without property tax relief.

In the middle of negotiations, COVID-19 hit.  This presented a major problem for getting everyone together to negotiate.

Finally, we were brought back for 13 days of session, and we only had around ten of those to get a deal done that would give the Legislature enough time to pass the bill through all three rounds of voting.  LB 1107 is what ended up as the result.

I am not happy with the very limited relief our property taxpayers are receiving in LB 1107.  The bill will actually only provide a decrease to the increase in property taxes over time.  I did vote for the bill because it is at least a step in the right direction to provide some nominal relief.

Property tax relief will be a continuing struggle and ultimately Nebraska needs a complete restructuring of its tax system to achieve equity and fairness.  That will most likely never come through the Legislature and may take a vote of the people.

The fight for property tax relief is not over, we will work over the interim and start again next session.  It remains to be seen how receptive the rest of the Legislature will be.  We will have to wait until after the November elections to see if the makeup of the Legislature will be inclined to spend less.  That is the only way to truly cut taxes.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact my office at 402-471-2732, by email at dmurman@leg.ne.gov, or my Facebook page.