Nebraska legislature back in session after hiatus

Nebraska legislature back in session after hiatus

PANDEMIC, THENEBRASKA LEGISLATUREIS BACK.THEY HAVE A LOT OFWORK TO BE DONE INJUST A FEW WEEKS.REPORTER JON KIPPERTELLS US WHATSENATORS ARE LOOKINGTO PASS IN THEREMAINING DAYS"THE LEGISLATURERETURNS ON MONDAYAND HAVE JUST 16 DAYSTO GET A WHOLE LOTDONE.THAT INCLUDES PASSINGA BUDGET, DEBATING THEALWAYS TENOUSPROPERTY TAXLEGISLATION, AS WELL ASMANY OTHER STATESENATORS PRIORITYBILLS.AS THE SENATORS CAMEBACK TO THELEGISLATIVE CHAMBERSIN LINCOLN ON MONDAY,THEY NOTICED A FEWTHINGS, A BITDIFFERENT."JON LL OPEN"THEY SAY IT'S NEWNORMAL, I HOPE IT'S ATEMPORARY NEWNORMAL."BRIESEINSIDE THE CHAMBER,PLEXIGLASS WAS INFRONT OF EVERY STATESENATORS DESK.TEMPERATURES WERECHECKED BEFOREFLOOR ENTRY AND MANYSENATORS WEREWEARING MASKS.INCLUDING,CONSERVATIVE SENATORMIKE MOSER, WHO WASHOSPITALIZED WITHCOVID-19 BACK HOME INCOLUMBUS.HE WANTS TO SEEEVERYBODY WEARINGTHEM."IS IT A SACRIFICE?

ASMALL ONE, BUT IT MAYSAVE YOUR LIFE, AFAMILY MEMBER, ORYOUR FRIENDS."MIKE MOSER, STATESENATORON MONDAY THESENATORS LARGELYPUSHED THROUGHCONSENSUS, NON-CONTROVERSIALLEGISLATION...WHILESENATOR ERNIECHAMBERSCONSISTENTLY CHIDED AFELLOW SENATOR FORATTACKING HIM IN ACAMPAIGN AD.BUT THE TOUGH ISSUESARE SOON COMING.INCLUDING THE ALWAYSTENUOUS PROPERTY TAXDEBATE.DESPITE A LIKELYDECLINE IN STATEREVENUES, SENATORTOM BRIESE, FROMRURAL NORTHEASTNEBRASKA, STILL ISLOOKING TO LOWERPROPERTY TAXES."THE ONLY ALTERATIONTO THAT IS WE MAY HAVETO PHASE SOMETHING ININSTEAD OF PROVIDINGIMMEDIATE RELIEF."TOM BRIESETHE PROPERTY TAX BILLIS ALSO STILL TIED INWITH A BUSINESSINCENTIVE BILL, THAT IFTHE LEGISLATUREDOESNT PASS, WOULDMAKE NEBRASKA THEONLY STATE THATDOESN'T GIVE TAXBREAKS TO BUSINESSES."ONE DOES NOT GOWITHOUT THE OTHER."BRIESE"FRANKLY IM SICK ANDTIRED OF THE PARTISANSHENANAGINS OF, 'IFYOU DON'T VOTE FOROUR BILL, WE WON'TVOTE FOR YOUR BILL.WE NEED TO REMEMBERTHERE IS AN ECONOMICCRISIS IN NEBRASKA."CAROL BLOODTHAT'S SENATOR CAROLBLOOD OF BELLEVUE.SHE WANTS TO SEE THEBUSINESS INCENTIVEGET TO THE FINISH LINE.BUT THINKS THE REVIVEDPROPERTY TAX BILL,WHICH CHANGES HOWTHE STATE FUNDSEDUCATION.ENSURESSUSTAINABLE FUNDINGTO PUBLIC SCHOOLS INNEBRASKA."TO BE VERY FRANK, I'VENOT SEEN ANYTHINGSUSTAINABLE AND I'VESEEN VERY FEWCHANGES FROM WHATTHE ORIGINAL BILL HAD."BLOODINSTEAD, BLOOD WANTSTHE UNICAMERAL TO GETCREATIVE.HOPING TOPUT IN AMENDMENTS TOBILLS THAT WOULD HELPOUT THOSE IN NEBRASKAHIT HARD BY THEPANDEMIC."THEY WANT TO MAKESURE THAT WE DON'TVIEW THEM ASDISPOSABLE HUMANS,THAT WE VALUE THEIRLIVES LIKE WE VALUEEVERYBODY'S LIVES."BLOODIN LINCOLN JON KIPPER3NNTHE LEGISLATURE ISEXPECTED TO DEBATE ABAN ON ACONTROVERSIALABORTION PROCEDUREON TUESDAY.TOMORROW...WE WILL LEAR