Nebraska lawmakers spent hours talking about property tax relief Wednesday night. Gov. Jim Pillen supports a proposed bill to tackle the issue, but it’s still unclear if senators will vote it through before the session ends.Most senators agree they want to see property tax relief. But how to pay for that relief is a different conversation.Previous coverage: Nebraska Gov. Pillen praises new property tax relief plan. See the story here.On the legislative floor Wednesday night, Elkhorn Sen. Lou Ann Linehan made the case for her solution to bring down Nebraska’s property taxes.”We’ve got to figure out something,” Linehan told her colleagues. “If we don’t do something, we’re going to have the similar kind of crisis that ag faced with property tax increases, you’re going to have in Lincoln and Omaha and across the state, North Platte…”Linehan’s proposed bill LB 388, increases the state tax from 5.5.-6.5%. It would also add sales tax to things like candy and soda. It also increases taxes on cigarettes and places a 100% tax on CBD and consumable hemp products. “The governor wants this, the legislature wants this and most importantly the people of the state of Nebraska have been asking for this for many, many years,” Sen. Tom Brandt said of District 32.LB 388 would allow adjustments if Nebraska hits certain revenue markers.”This is not a big deal. Let’s move it forward let’s pass this bill,” said Sen. Mike Jacobson of District 42.But some lawmakers say it is a big deal.”This LB 388 is a tax increase. I don’t care how you want to package it or spin it, it is a tax increase,” said Sen. Jane Raybould out of Lincoln’s District 28.For senators like George Dungan, also out of Lincoln, the sales tax increase is something they just can’t get behind.”We have to keep the everyday working Nebraskans, we have to keep in mind our lower-income residents, we have to keep in mind the people who bear a larger and disproportionate brunt of an increased sales tax,” said the District 26 senator.The different sides went back and forth for a discussion that went well into the night and will continue throughout the week.”We are sent here to do hard things and make hard decisions and today is one of those times,” Dungan said.Click here for the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7
Nebraska lawmakers spent hours talking about property tax relief Wednesday night. Governor Jim Pillen supports a proposed bill to tackle the issue, but it’s still unclear if senators will vote it through before the session ends.
Most senators agree, they want to see property tax relief. But how to pay for that relief is a different conversation.
Previous coverage: Nebraska Gov. Pillen praises new property tax relief plan. See the story here.
On the legislative floor Wednesday night, Elkhorn Sen. Lou Ann Linehan made the case for her solution to bring down Nebraska’s property taxes.
“We’ve got to figure out something,” Linehan told her colleagues. “If we don’t do something, we’re going to have the similar kind of crisis that ag faced with property tax increases, you’re going to have in Lincoln and Omaha and across the state, North Platte…”
Linehan’s proposed bill LB 388, increases the state tax from 5.5.-6.5%. It would also add sales tax to thigs like candy and soda. It also increases taxes on cigarettes and places a 100% tax on CBD and consumable hemp products.
“The governor wants this, the legislature wants this and most importantly the people of the state of Nebraska have been asking for this for many, many years,” District 32 Sen. Tom Brandt said.
LB 388 would allow adjustments if Nebraska hits certain revenue markers.
“This is not a big deal. Let’s move it forward let’s pass this bill,” said District 42 Sen. Mike Jacobson.
But some lawmakers say it is a big deal.
“This LB 388 is a tax increase. I don’t care how you want to package it or spin it, it is a tax increase,” said Sen. Jane Raybould out of Lincoln’s District 28.
For senators like George Dungan, also out of Lincoln, the sales tax increase is something they just can’t get behind.
“We have to keep the every day working Nebraskans, we have to keep in mind our lower income residents, we have to keep in mind the people who bear a larger and disproportionate brunt of an increased sales tax,” said the District 26 Senator.
The different sides went back and forth for a discussion that went well into the night and will continue throughout the week.
“We are sent here to do hard things and make hard decisions and today is one of those times,” Dungan said.
