Recapping the LB 958 hearing; LB 959 hearing set for Tuesday
The Revenue Committee on Thursday heard more than six hours of testimony on LB 958 – the vast majority of which was in opposition to the bill.
LB 958 would place a cap on the assessed value of agricultural land and tighten restrictions on levy limits and local government spending.
The measure would create shortfalls for schools and other local governments, cause tax shifts and treat taxpayers differently based on where they live, OpenSky Executive Director Renee Fry told the committee while opposing the bill.
Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler opposed the bill and said state and local taxes are not out of control, noting that they have stayed steady as a share of personal income since the 1960s.
“It upsets me to hear … local political subdivisions are causing taxes to be out of control,” Beutler said. “Local political subdivisions are really working hard and have their act together.”
Citing findings from the 1987 Syracuse Study and the 2013 Tax Modernization Committee Study, Lynn Rex of the League of Municipalities opposed LB 958 and said the best way to address property taxes in Nebraska is to increase state support to local governments.
An Education Committee hearing on LB 958’s companion bill, LB 959, will be held Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in the State Capitol, Room 1525.