Halfway into session, bills making progress in Unicameral
Today marks Day 46 of the 90-day long first session of the 107th Nebraska Legislature. As the Legislature embarks upon the second half of the session, I thought I’d highlight where things stand for bills that impact the economic opportunities and freedoms the Platte Institute strives to promote.
You may recall in a March 9 blog post that the Platte Institute officially weighed in on a total of 93 of the 684 pieces of legislation introduced in 2021. 104 bills have since received either a senator, committee, or speaker priority designation. Of these bills, the Platte Institute supported 16 priority bills (and 2 additional bills amended into one of those bills), opposed 1 priority bill, and we came in neutral on 4 priority bills.
Of the 93 pieces of legislation we are following, 22 have advanced to General File, 12 are on Select File, and 3 have been signed into law.
As the 107th Legislature convened, our team at the Platte Institute looked forward to the permanent rollback of regulations that had temporarily been lifted through Executive Order during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bills to expand the ability to hold virtual public meetings during emergencies, to allow cocktails to-go, and to expand access to telehealth have all been prioritized, seen initial rounds of floor debate and advanced to Select File.
When it comes to modernizing and updating Nebraska’s tax policy, we are beginning to see movement. Two bills to reduce the burden of Nebraska’s inheritance tax, LB310 and LB377, have advanced out of committee. LB408, a bill to limit a political subdivision’s property tax request for any year to 3% unless otherwise approved by voters, has not only advanced out of committee, but has been prioritized.
The burdens facing Nebraska interior designers, locksmiths, reflexologists, and voice stress analyzers have motivated committee members to advance bills to reform regulations in their professions. Just this week, real property appraisers scored a victory as LB23 was signed into law.
In the coming weeks, the Legislature will be focusing on debating priority bills as well as the budget. As bills of interest progress through the legislative process, we will keep you updated. In the meantime, please visit our Take Action page to communicate your thoughts to policymakers.