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Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Even in drought, Nebraska water flows downhill (05/15/13)
Water and other stuff flows downhill in Nebraska, especially when the Legislature is in session. During the same week that the state Department of Natural Resources started releasing water from the Harlan County Reservoir to the Republican River in Kansas to avoid penalties, state lawmakers gave first-round approval to a measure that would compensate Nebraska farmers for the loss of water...
Wind energy tax incentive bill advances (05/08/13)
Nebraskans are keenly aware of a term called "wind chill" or the wind chill factor. It is the perceived decrease in air temperature felt by the body on exposed skin due to the flow of cold air. Said temperatures are always lower than the air temperature where the formula is valid. That would be just about everywhere. Likewise, the "heat index" is used to describe an apparent temperature higher than the air temperature...
Budget debate looms in Legislature (05/01/13)
As the clock ticks on the 103rd Legislature-First Session, lawmakers face a deadline for dealing with the Biennial Budget. Statute says that the nine-member Appropriations Committee has to have the document ready for consideration by the full Legislature no later than the 70th day of the 90-day session (May 1) and it has to be passed by lawmakers by the 80th day...
School finance heads to full debate (04/24/13)
When it comes to choosing sides on taxation and spending issues in Nebraska, it all boils down to whose ox is getting gored. School finance is one of those issues that has historically -- the current formula is 23 years old (even though it gets tweaked every couple years) and school financing agreements were being made before Nebraska was even a state back in 1867 -- been a battle between large and small, the perceived "haves" and the "have nots."...
Nebraska's dubious achievement award: The filibuster (04/17/13)
Sixty percent of the allotted time for the legislative session has elapsed and lawmakers are talking about talking too much. Veteran lawmaker Ernie Chambers has launched three filibusters (talking an issue to death) and promised others. Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh of Omaha recently burned 45 minutes of time explaining to his colleagues why they need to get the lead out -- and then apologized for taking that much time. ...
Towns could opt for sales tax plan to entice new residents (04/10/13)
In 1991 lawmakers approved the Local Option Municipal Economic Development Act (LB840) to allow municipalities to vote and approve additional sales tax to be used for local projects under guidelines approved by the state. Twenty-two years later, 60 Nebraska communities are using local option taxes to fund various economic development projects...
Wildlife proposal costly, but worth it (04/03/13)
Like many of his Sandhills neighbors, freshman State Senator Al Davis of Hyannis watched last summer as wildfires consumed acres of some of Nebraska's most scenic countryside, areas of rugged forested land which are home to once secluded cabins. Likewise, similar fires consumed hundreds of thousands of acres from the Panhandle to Northeast Nebraska and a lot of places in between. ...
Halfway through, it's about taxes or the lack thereof (03/27/13)
J.L. Schmidt Statehouse Correspondent The Nebraska Press Association The first session of Nebraska's 103rd Legislature is half over. Forty-five days in and the talk has centered on taxes, or the lack thereof. Lame Duck Governor Dave Heineman's plans to end the personal and/or corporate income tax in Nebraska have been left in the dust. Concern over ending millions in sales tax exemptions was enough to cause second thoughts...
Will tax on soft drinks help curb obesity? (03/20/13)
In a state where farmers feed corn to cattle to fatten them for market, a senator wants to tax drinks -- many of which feature corn syrup sweetener -- as a way to curb obesity. State Sen. Bill Avery of Lincoln says his bill (LB447) being heard by the Revenue Committee is aimed at soft drinks, which have no nutritional value. ...
Ernie's back, and so is the death penalty (03/06/13)
The return of Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers from his four-year term-limit-driven exile has also meant a return of discussions about the death penalty. A couple of Chambers' bills deal with the way Nebraska courts decide whether to execute someone (LB542) as well as an outright repeal of the death penalty (LB543) and replacement with mandatory life in prison without parole...
Heineman tax plan gets mixed reviews (02/20/13)
LINCOLN, Nebraska -- In its simplest form, Governor Dave Heineman has proposed two bills to eliminate state income taxes and make up the lost revenue by eliminating $2.4 billion in sales tax exemptions. Proponents told the Legislature's Revenue Committee that such a bold move would result in job growth. Opponents say there is no evidence, not even anecdotal evidence, that such a move results in job growth...
Heineman tax plan: Legacy or folly? (01/30/13)
Given the propensity of politicians and pundits to refer to the Syracuse Tax Study of 1987, it is obvious that Nebraska's tax policy needs to be revamped ... or at least revisited. Plans announced by lame duck Governor Dave Heineman -- who wants to eliminate the state income tax -- could easily begin the discussion. ...
Lawmakers tackle biennial budget task (01/16/13)
There's a lot on the table as the 103rd Nebraska Legislature -- First Session -- begins with 11 new senators and 38 "seasoned" veterans (some of them with two years' experience and a large number of lame ducks in their last two years) on board. On top of everything else, it's a budget year and the lame duck governor is expected to wield a heavy hammer to make sure that his legacy as a thrifty guy is emblazoned in stone at the end of the session...
Nebraska's future; Forged or forced? (01/09/13)
Nebraska is one of those mostly square states out west that most people couldn't find on an unmarked map ... and we like it that way. I've said that before to colleagues from the densely populated and pseudo sophisticated East and from the "we're the only ones here" South. I am Nebraska- born and reared and have spent my entire life in the state, save for a 7-year stint in Illinois. I love this place, but I am also realistic about Nebraska's future...
Chambers back in the house (01/02/13)
As Ernie Chambers would tell us, the next Legislature (convening Jan. 9, 2013) will have 30 Repellicans, 17 Demagogues and 2 independents (he's one of them). The state's longest-serving senator, returning after a term-limited four years, refers to his party-banner-toting colleagues in the officially non-partisan body in such terms. Always has. And his fellow lawmakers have always taken it with the good-natured degree with which it is intended...
Fascination with Lincoln continues (12/26/12)
A current popular movie and a recent election have folks talking about their fascination with America's 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. In Nebraska, the state's capital city bears his name. A statue on the west steps of the State Capitol seems to beckon Nebraskans from the west to visit their seat of government. Likewise, a statue on the east steps of Lincoln's City Hall beckons the majority of the city's population who live east of that building...
Russell Means: Accusations, allegations and acquittal (12/05/12)
EDITOR'S NOTE: Native American activist Russell Means died Oct. 22 at his home near Porcupine, South Dakota. The 72-year-old was no stranger to Nebraskans and once said he thought it would be safer to be a dog in a Nebraska community that bordered the Indian reservation than to be a Native American. ...
They work hard for the money (10/31/12)
The major obstacle to Nebraska lawmakers receiving a larger salary is a basic misunderstanding of just how hard they work for the $12,000 that has been the going rate since 1988. There's a misperception that state senators only work 90 days one year and 60 days the next year of the two-year legislative session. ...
Turnback tax in the news again (10/24/12)
J. L. Schmidt Statehouse Correspondent The Nebraska Press Association City fathers in Lincoln hope to use some state sales tax proceeds to help pay off the Pinnacle Bank Arena that is being built in the historic Haymarket area downtown. Under provisions of the Nebraska Convention Center Facility Financing Assistance Act, a state panel will be asked to allow the city to use 70 percent of the state sales tax from the arena and surrounding hotels for up to 25 years. ...
Damned if they do, damned if they don't (06/06/12)
LINCOLN -- If it ain't one thing ... U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson decided to retire in the face of what would have been the toughest and undoubtedly the ugliest campaign of his political career. The two-term Democrat was already the subject of vilification for his votes on revising federal healthcare policy, and anything else he'd ever done that was even vaguely in line with the Obama administration...
The opening non-round for Kerrey and Fisher (05/30/12)
LINCOLN, Nebraska -- It was just a tad surprising when Republican Deb Fischer turned down the chance to debate Democratic rival Bob Kerrey at the Cornhusker Boys and Girls State gathering in Lincoln. Getting on stage with Kerrey this early in their race for the U.S. Senate would have given Fischer a chance to size up her far more experienced rival. And even if the outcome hadn't been particularly good for her ... so what? It's a long way from June to November...
Bruning's death grip on sodium thiopental (05/16/12)
LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Perhaps murderer Michael Ryan feels blessed. Attorney General Jon Bruning might feel jinxed. At the least, he's very upset and, as is his custom, he has given voice to his discontent. Ryan, 63, has been on death row since 1985. The story of how the one-time leader of a religious, anti-government cult, came to be convicted of two shockingly brutal torture/murders made national news...
Hoping the screen door - well, you know (04/25/12)
Ed Howard Statehouse Correspondent The Nebraska Press Association LINCOLN -- Gov. Dave Heineman chose not to say goodbye to the 2012 Legislature in person or via official message. In foregoing the usual gubernatorial bye-bye he nonetheless said something to the legislative majority. Heineman obviously wished the proverbial door would hit them in their collective backsides as they took their leave...
'Twittergate' may be only the beginning (04/11/12)
Ed Howard Statehouse Correspondent The Nebraska Press Association LINCOLN -- It is too much, but the sadder thought is that more and worse could be ahead. Virtually anything might be alleged these days, regardless of how ridiculous or disgusting, in a political campaign...
It was like a scene from the Godfather (04/04/12)
LINCOLN, Nebraska -- It was remindful of the scene from The Godfather where Marlon Brando, as Don Corleone, addresses a meeting of top mob bosses who have gathered to settle a deadly business dispute. "How did things ever get so far?" he asks, in the wake of murderous savagery, and on the verge of all-out war...
Legislature working quietly, but still at work (03/30/12)
LINCOLN -- This year's legislative session has been so quiet that if it weren't for the little bit of racket over tens of millions of wasted child welfare dollars, and how to stem the flow, you'd hardly know the gang of 49 had been around. But they have been working their will -- moreover, the will of others -- in ways big and small...
He must be a guy who lives for a challenge (03/14/12)
LINCOLN -- Tom Pristow has to know his new command is the social services equivalent of taking charge of Pearl Harbor on December 8. Pristow also must be a guy who lives for a challenge. He is going to work for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services...
Solving a problem that doesn't exist (02/29/12)
LINCOLN -- Voting is at least as important a function in our society as driving a car. Most people know voting is a constitutional right. Some people think driving a car is a constitutional right--one of a legion of sad commentaries on our misunderstanding and ignorance of how government works...
Making breakfast a real 'happy meal' (02/22/12)
LINCOLN, Nebraska -- State agricultural groups and the governor have demonstrated their willingness to shower the Humane Society of the United States with hellfire and brimstone if the well-funded animal welfare organization even looks like it's about to propose statutory or regulatory changes relating to the treatment of farm animals in the state...
GOP providing entertainment, for now (02/15/12)
LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Retiring U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson spoke up when former Democratic lawmaker Bob Kerrey said he would stay out of the 2012 Senate race. Not to worry, Nelson said, the Ds have viable potential candidates. He was making it up. For Nebraska Democrats, the bright side will be in the short term--watching Don Stenberg and Jon Bruning savage each other...
A universal headline (02/08/12)
LINCOLN -- It is what you might call a universal headline. At some point, you can find it in pretty much any newspaper in America and most of the world. "Flood aid procedures frustrate ..." read a Nebraska newspaper this week. Change "flood" to whatever's appropriate. School aid. Fire aid. State aid. Food...
Everybody loves a tax cut (01/25/12)
LINCOLN -- It's too soon to guesstimate whether the initiative will be economically feasible, but Gov. Dave Heineman has proposed measures that would reduce your state income tax burden. In his State of the State address, Heineman offered lawmakers, and the citizenry, observations that would have been welcomed by taxpayers 100 years ago and every year since:...
Profits delayed, not eliminated for TransCanada (10/26/11)
It looks evident that TransCanada will get its preferred route for the Keystone XL project, despite all threats to take their ball and go home. But any such threat from TransCanada or their proponents is an empty one. It's doubtful that TransCanada will leave--by their own estimation--somewhere on the order of $4 billion in annual profits to rot on the drawing board. Essentially, that $7 billion project will pay for itself about three years after it goes on line...
Bruning, Stenberg and the tea parties (10/05/11)
LINCOLN, Nebraska -- The competition for Republican nomination to the U.S. Senate is a little more interesting these days, thanks to the tea party. A couple of tea parties, actually. State Treasurer Don Stenberg, a GOP warhorse of more than 30 years standing, has been endorsed by FreedomWorks PAC, known as "a deep-pocketed Tea Party group that has promised to get involved in Republican primaries."...
Every state has a motto (09/28/11)
LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Let's take it easy. Every state has a motto. Those mottos have been rewritten by various folks with something between humorous and jaundiced intent. Have a look at just some of them: Arizona: But it's a dry heat. Colorado: If you don't ski, don't bother...
If the shoe were on the other foot (09/21/11)
LINCOLN -- There is something of a story within a story when it comes to the story about the state doing a lousy job implementing change in the child welfare system. It was mentioned in passing when details of an audit of the Department of Health and Human Services were recently reported. The audit showed department ineptitude had cost the state millions and millions and millions of dollars...
Whatever it was, it wasn't 'reform' (09/14/11)
LINCOLN -- The recent fiasco resulting from Nebraska's attempt to partially privatize child welfare services is remindful of two things. The first is that anytime government hands off an important duty to the private sector, it should be as certain as possible that things are set up to make the transition work...
Governor's pipeline stance: What's that about? (09/07/11)
LINCOLN -- Gov. Dave Heineman decided to flat out oppose the route proposed for the TransCanada XL Pipeline. Some people wondered: "What's that about?" Others said: "It's about time!" Heineman said what other critics have said in arguing that TransCanada's preferred path for transporting tar sand oil across the porous Sandhills and the Ogallala Aquifer represented too great an environmental threat. ...
Heineman opposes pipeline route (09/07/11)
LINCOLN -- Gov. Dave Heineman decided to flat out oppose the route proposed for the TransCanada XL Pipeline. Some people wondered: "What's that about?" Others said: "It's about time!" Heineman said what other critics have said in arguing that TransCanada's preferred path for transporting tar sand oil across the porous Sandhills and the Ogallala Aquifer represented too great an environmental threat. ...
Senator keeps a low profile (08/31/11)
LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Opponents of U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson are making an issue of his keeping a comparatively low profile while Congress is taking a break. Translation: Republicans wish the Democratic lawmaker would make more public appearances, in hopes that he would face noticeably animated complaints from some among his constituency. They also hope that any unpleasantness would be the subject of headlines...
The First Amendment and Nebraska's campaign finance law (08/24/11)
LINCOLN -- The U.S. Supreme Court says that sometimes the candidate who has less money and qualifies for public campaign financing can be a threat to the First Amendment rights of the candidate who may have lots of money to spend. That decision by a 5-4 majority puts a portion of Nebraska's law for public financing in jeopardy, according to Attorney General Jon Bruning...
The price of capital city parking (08/17/11)
Ed Howard Statehouse Correspondent The Nebraska Press Association LINCOLN -- This falls under news you can use from the Capital city, most especially if you venture there for the Nebraska football experience. In the City of Lincoln you might or might not be able to find a ducat for a Saturday dustup at Memorial Stadium...
Slim chance of a special session (08/10/11)
LINCOLN -- In a move virtually certain to generate some headlines but very little action, State Sen. Ken Haar of Malcolm is urging that lawmakers call themselves into special session and adopt laws allowing them to decide the route of a proposed sand tar oil pipeline that would pass through the porous Sand Hills and over the Ogallala Aquifer...
Don't get too excited over House pipeline action (08/03/11)
LINCOLN -- Don't get excited about the House of Representatives approving legislation involving the Keystone XL oil pipeline that would pass through Nebraska, including portions of the Sand Hills and the Ogallala Aquifer. Sponsored by Republican Rep. Lee Terry of Omaha, it would require the U.S. State Department to make a decision by November on whether to issue a construction permit for the pipeline. The pipeline would move sand tar oil from Alberta, Canada to the Gulf Coast of Texas...
How the race is shaping up for the GOP (07/06/11)
LINCOLN -- Deb Fischer did it. The two-term lawmaker / rancher from Valentine joined the race for the Republican nomination to the U.S. Senate. Several Nebraska governors -- Jim Exon, Bob Kerrey, incumbents Ben Nelson and Mike Johanns -- have won Senate elections. State senators? Can't recall any...
J.L. Schmidt
Capitol View
Nebraska Press Association