Property tax measure amended, advanced to final round <\/p>\n
A scaled-down property tax reduction measure that would limit annual increases in local governments\u2019 property tax asking advanced to final reading Aug. 16 after lawmakers amended it to modify the cap. <\/p>\n
As amended on general file, LB34, introduced by Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, would create a program to \u201cfrontload\u201d state funding currently allocated to a refundable income tax credit against school district property taxes paid.<\/p>\n
The bill would allow city, county and village property tax request authority to increase by the product of two factors:
\n\u2022\tthe amount of property taxes levied in the prior year increased by a growth percentage reflecting total property valuation increases due to new construction, improvements and certain other changes, minus any exceptions used; and
\n\u2022\tthe greater of zero or the annual percentage change in a price index that tracks state and local government expenditures.<\/p>\n
One of several exceptions to the proposed limit would allow a political subdivision to increase its property tax request authority by an amount approved by a majority of voters at the next regularly scheduled election. <\/p>\n
On select file, Elkhorn Sen. Lou Ann Linehan introduced an amendment that, among other technical changes, also would allow the issue to go before voters at a special election called for that purpose in odd-numbered years. <\/p>\n
Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward supported the amendment, saying the majority of Nebraska counties currently hold elections only in even-numbered years. <\/p>\n
The amendment was adopted on a vote of 37-11. <\/p>\n
Linehan introduced another amendment that she said would allow LR2CA, a proposed constitutional amendment sponsored by Plymouth Sen. Tom Brandt, to be placed on the November 2024 ballot if approved by the Legislature during the special session. <\/p>\n
Under Brandt\u2019s proposal, voters could amend the state constitution to allow the Legislature to provide that owner-occupied housing constitutes a separate and distinct class of property for purposes of taxation and provide for a different method of taxing it than other types of property. <\/p>\n
The presiding officer ruled that Linehan\u2019s amendment was not germane to the underlying bill. She challenged the ruling, but her motion to overrule the chair was defeated on a 15-30 vote. <\/p>\n
Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha also offered an amendment under which the second factor in the property tax request authority calculation would be the greater of 2.5% \u2014 rather than zero \u2014 or the percentage change in the index, a change he said would give local governments greater flexibility. <\/p>\n
The amendment failed on a vote of 18-27. <\/p>\n
After four hours of select file debate, Brewer offered a motion to invoke cloture, which ends debate and forces a vote on the bill and any underlying motions and amendments. The motion succeeded on a vote of 41-7. Thirty-three votes were needed.<\/p>\n
Lawmakers then voted 39-8 to advance LB34 to final reading.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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