How latest school privatization proposal differs from LB 753
With voters set to weigh in during this November’s election on last year’s legislation providing state tax credits for donations to private school scholarships, the Nebraska Legislature is expected to debate another proposal to divert public funds to private schools. An amendment to LB 1402 (AM 3016), a bill likely to be debated on Tuesday, […]
KETV on April 7: ‘There’s been concerns’: Investigation reveals $400M+ in tax credits Nebraskans aren’t claiming
In Nebraska, a state of under two million people, there are a lot of things taxpayers can do with nearly half-a-billion dollars. To be exact, $421.5 million. That’s the number of unclaimed property tax credits since Tax Year 2020, when lawmakers approved a new system to give homeowners money back on what they pay in […]
OpenSkyLIGHTS: Focus on Nebraska fiscal policy (4/5/24)
17% From 2020 to 2022, the number of licensed child care facilities in Nebraska dropped by 17%, a decline that contributes to ongoing economic, educational and workforce challenges. The annual Kids Count in Nebraska report notes that 74% of Nebraska’s children under the age of 6 had all available parents in the workforce in […]
KRVN-AM on April 3: Neb. lawmakers advance property tax reduction bill despite concerns raised by policy groups & state chambers
Nebraska lawmakers on Tuesday advanced a bill aimed at tax changes in order to reduce property taxes. LB388 advanced on a vote of 28-12. The bill remains a work in progress which Elkhorn Sen. Lou Ann Linehan hopes to make changes to at the second stage of debate… Several lawmakers were surprised when Bayard Sen. […]
News Channel Nebraska on April 3: Pillen’s struggling tax plan ‘open to any ideas’
Gov. Jim Pillen’s plan for what he calls “historic” tax relief is struggling, at best. With time running out in Lincoln, lawmakers are scratching their heads looking for answers. Read more from News Channel Nebraska
KCSR-AM/KBPY-FM on April 3: OpenSky Statement on Proposed Tax Package
Below is a statement from OpenSky Policy Institute Executive Director Dr. Rebecca Firestone regarding LB 388, the tax shift that would reduce property tax revenues through a shift to sales taxes. “Last year, the Legislature made a choice to pass record income tax breaks for the wealthiest Nebraskans and out of state corporations, and now, when property […]
Nebraska Examiner on April 2: Pillen tax plan limps forward after sponsor agrees to remove sales tax increase
Gov. Jim Pillen’s property tax plan limped forward Tuesday after its chief sponsor agreed to strip out its most controversial component: a proposed 1-cent increase in state sales taxes. The bill advanced from first-round debate, 28-12, after lawmakers invoked cloture to shut off a filibuster. State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, the chief sponsor of the […]
KETV on April 2: Nebraska lawmakers advance major tax reform bill to next round of debate
After hours of debate, Nebraska lawmakers narrowly advanced a major tax reform bill to the next round of debate. LB 388 would raise the state’s sales tax by one percent and add sales tax to other items, including pop, candy, pet grooming, moving and dry cleaning. Read more from KETV
The Associated Press on April 2: Lawmakers in GOP-led Nebraska advance bill to raise sales tax
With no votes to spare, Nebraska lawmakers advanced a bill that would raise the state’s sales tax by 1 cent to 6.5% on every taxable dollar spent — which would make it among the highest in the country. The bill is key to Republican Gov. Jim Pillen’s plan to slash soaring property taxes, which reached a high […]
A tax shift, not a new investment in students
The package of bills designed to lower property taxes paid to fund local government services is a complicated equation, but what does it add up to for Nebraska’s students? The proposal included in amendments to LB 388 (AM 3203) and LB 1331 (AM 3264) would raise what the state generates through sales taxes and change […]
Omaha World-Herald on March 28: No vote yet on Gov. Jim Pillen’s plan to raise Nebraska sales tax, cut property tax
Nebraska lawmakers launched Wednesday into a long-awaited debate about Gov. Jim Pillen’s plan to cut property taxes by raising state sales taxes. But they adjourned for the day before reaching a vote on Legislative Bill 388, the tax-related portions of the plan. They are not expected to resume debate until next week, after State Sen. […]
How the tax package impacts Nebraskans
The proposal to lower property taxes paid to fund local government services will reduce property taxes paid by property owners, but it’s important to understand how the package that raises the state sales tax rate impacts all consumers and the effect of plans to “front load” the existing tax credit for taxes paid to public […]
