NRDs’ special three-cent levy defeated

Hughes' Views
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This week I would like to update you on the status of LB 98, AM2191—an amendment dealing with public power that I filed on LB822, and a meeting held in Cambridge regarding updates to the Resource Management Plan. 

LB 98 was debated last week but did not garner enough votes to invoke cloture, which means the bill is dead for this year.

The bill would have extended the authority for natural resources districts to use a special three-cent levy through  fiscal year 2025-2026. This levy is only available to NRDs that are designated fully or over-appropriated. 

The levy helps the NRDs meet their obligations under the state’s groundwater management laws by providing them with a tool to raise matching funds that are usually required for access to state funds.

The Natural Resources Committee held a public hearing on AM2191. This amendment that would allow public power in Nebraska to withhold competitive or proprietary information that would give an advantage to its business competitors. 

Media organizations feared the provision could adversely affect public record laws.

At the close of the hearing, I asked the public power and the media representatives to immediately come to my office. 

Once seated, I respectfully directed them to work out their differences, draft compromise language, and not leave my office until it was done.

I’m pleased to report that it worked. The language that the committee adopted is something that everyone is comfortable with. The full Legislature will debate the amendment in the near future.

Last week the Bureau of Reclamation held a meeting in Cambridge regarding the removal of trailers and cabins on Bureau projects. More than 250 people showed up. 

Too many people who invested in these cabins were not informed of the upcoming mandate that they would need to move their cabins by 2020.

One of the attendees addressed the issue as such:

“It is fairly common that our Federal government creates a mandate that over-reaches the boundaries of good governance. 

“They often times enact regulations that are neither practical nor beneficial for large portions of the population. When this happens, it should be the duty of every good citizen to stand in the way and halt this ill directed course. 

“There are no neutral positions in this—you either allow big government overreach through your inaction, or you do not.” 

Last week there was a grass fire on the northwest side of McCook that threatened parts of the city. The fire caused the elementary school to be evacuated and the students were relocated to the high school and YMCA. 

I would like to thank all of the firefighters, police, first responders, local farmers and volunteers for helping extinguish the fires and staying around to make sure there were no flare-ups. 

We are thankful for all of their hard work in making sure the fires did not affect more people and cause more damage. Nineteen different fire departments responded to the call for mutual aid. 

In addition, I would like to thank those who provided water and food for all the volunteers. The whole region answered the call to help the McCook community. That’s just how we do things in Nebraska.

I always enjoy hearing from the Nebraskans I represent. Please feel free to contact my office with any questions or concerns that you might have.

Read more about bills and other work of the Legislature at www.nebraskalegislature.gov. Click on the Live Video Streaming NET logo to watch sessions, hearings, and other Capitol events.

Tuesday teleconference

Hughes said focus shifts to budget debate this week. Gov. Ricketts wants 2 percent across-the-board cuts this year and four percent next year. 

The Appropriations Committee recommended 2 percent cuts this year and next to all state agencies with higher education taking a 1 percent haircut this year and 2 percent next year. 

The bill advanced out of committee on a 9-0 vote and will also take $100 million out of the state’s rainy day fund to balance the state budget. 

Whether Ricketts will sign the bill when passed remains to be seen. Hughes said Ricketts also has line item veto power if he doesn’t like parts of the bill. 

The bill also prohibits Federal Title X money to be provided to organizations that provide abortions or abortion counseling. Hughes said there will be a fight on the floor over this provision. 

He said there’s still been little movement on property tax relief, although a lot of work is going on behind the scenes.

He added he hasn’t seen anything that really helps agriculture to this point and time is growing short this session. 

The hammer on the Legislature is a referendum that could put a property tax relief measure on the General Election ballot. 

It would provide a tax refund for 50 percent of the property taxes paid for K-12 education. 

Hughes said he believes this measure will get enough signatures to get on the ballot. 

 

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