News Updates

An Omaha lawmaker is taking an alternative route to provide Nebraskans property tax relief by seeking to decrease the state’s prison population and offer second chances.

City and business leaders in Nebraska say their most powerful tool to spur economic development could be in jeopardy, depending on the property tax relief plan state officials settle on in the special legislative session.

Sen. Linehan says funding for “the ‘needs’ side, though it might need some adjustments, is better than saying, ‘we’ll figure it out later.’”

John Cederberg, CPA of Lincoln presented testimony in regard to the language in Sections 52 and 53 of LB 1. Cederberg submitted a detailed 11-page letter to the Revenue Committee asking the committee to remove the language in LB 1 that would terminate the provision for Nebraska resident shareholders of S corporations, and Nebraska resident members of LLCs, which have active business operations in multiple states to include in their individual Nebraska taxable income only their proportionate share of the S corporation’s or LLC’s Nebraska source taxable income.

Dozens of statewide business, municipal and county leaders lined up Tuesday to testify against Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s core property tax proposal. For more than 10 hours, the Legislature’s Revenue Committee listened to varying perspectives about Legislative Bill 1, which Pillen says would reduce the average Nebraskan’s property tax bill by up to 50%. State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, the committee chair, introduced the bill on Pillen’s behalf and presided over the committee hearing.

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln filed a campaign finance complaint against Gov. Jim Pillen on Tuesday, claiming that the first-term governor has misused taxpayer funds to promote his political campaign and his plans to reduce property taxes and slash state spending.

In the midst of numerous proposals facing the Legislature to offer relief to property owners, a measure aimed at carving out help for a different demographic, renters, garnered backing Monday from a dozen supporters. Two of them testified during a public hearing before the Revenue Committee, and 10 others submitted written comments. No one spoke in opposition, but three issued objections in writing.

As introduced, Gov. Jim Pillen’s core property tax relief proposal could fall short by $139 million in annual estimated revenue needed.

Three legislative bills introduced Monday would extend significant property tax relief to Nebraska homeowners based on how long they have owned a home in the state. Legislative Bill 75, from State Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha, would exempt qualified Nebraska homeowners from paying any property taxes after 40 years of ownership in the state.

Some lawmakers sent a warning to Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Friday by voting to send the core of his property tax relief proposal to a more unfavorable committee than anticipated.

An alternative tax relief measure to be considered by state lawmakers would exempt from property taxes the first $100,000 of a Nebraskan’s home value.

Spurred by legitimate discontent over rising property tax burdens, Gov. Jim Pillen (R) is searching for bold solutions. But the plan, which reportedly involves a two-tiered sales tax and the state’s assumption of most school funding responsibility, would have profound implications that even those most convinced of the urgency of property tax relief may find unworkable and unpalatable.

Whatever ability Gov. Jim Pillen has — or lacks — to persuade state senators on property taxes, he’s at least clarifying the choices Nebraskans face. This is an interesting editorial published in The North Platte Telegraph.

Eleven lawmakers will host two listening sessions on property taxes in the state’s two most populous cities after Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen opted out of doing so. Pillen, in his quest to reform property taxes, crisscrossed the state, visiting 26 cities in May and June for town halls to pitch his evolving reform plans. He asked Nebraskans to offer feedback and to pressure state senators to support his ideas, although senators later said they received little feedback.

Governor says the state needs immediate action for ‘a crisis that has been accelerating at warp speed’; opponent says a ‘third grader’ could see working Nebraskans will pay more.

Governor's plan is light on specifics.

In every state, revenue from property taxes is one of the biggest sources of K-12 school funding. But that could change soon as efforts ramp up in a handful of states to abandon property taxes altogether, or at least as a funding source for schools.

Some Nebraska lawmakers working with Gov. Jim Pillen on property tax reforms this summer said Monday if lawmakers do move to take over most K-12 school funding, it would be a multiyear process.

The Court held that the APA requires courts to exercise their independent judgment in deciding whether an agency has acted within its statutory authority and not to defer to an agency’s interpretation of the law simply because a statute is ambiguous.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen is facing pushback for some of his property tax reform ideas from some of his closest agricultural allies in the Legislature. He may need their support to pass reforms during a special session expected this month.