Amendment would support welding program

LB 510 creates the Nebraska Crime Victim Fund which would be supported by a $1 surcharge on defendant fines or other penalties for state or local criminal and traffic offenses. An amendment requested by Sen. Mark Christensen would allocate about 25 percent of the fund to the welding program.

The rest of the funds would be distributed to crime victim assistance programs.

Advancement of the bill looks promising and it will more than likely end up on the full floor, Christensen said this morning at the McCook Area chamber of Commerce Legislative conference call.

Only one senator in the Judiciary Committee voted against the amendment, he said, with the rest in favor of it.

"I'm excited about it," Christensen said, commending the committee and Sen Ashford in particular for the progress of the bill. "Now we can keep training people to better themselves and have a better chance of making it."

The nine-week welding class allows eligible inmates /offenders at the WEC to earn a certification of completion. LB 510 is the priority bill of Sen. Pete Pirsch.

Another bill getting traction is LB 1057, which would create an advisory committee to look at issues affecting the Republican River Basin.

The bill has advanced out of committee but no date yet has been selected for full debate on the floor.

A priority bill of Sen, Tom Carlson, it would create the Republican River Basin Water Sustainability Task Force, with members appointed by the governor. The purpose of the task force would be to ensure sustainable water use within the basin. "We need diverse ideas and thoughts" pertaining to the basin and compliance with the Republican River Compact, he said.

Other legislative action Christensen discussed this morning included:

* LB 862, that will change the provisions on occupation taxes in the water bill LB 701. The bill will change the language concerning occupation taxes on irrigated acres, to allow natural resources districts in areas that are designated as fully or over appropriated, to assess the tax. LB 862, introduced by Sen. Christensen is still in committee and is the priority bill of the Natural Resources Committee.

* the Appropriation Committee will be coming out with the preliminary budget in about two weeks, he said. Then it will come down to senators either accepting the budget as is or amending it.

* the hottest debate going on so far is one on a bill that would create sales tax exemptions for charges associated with water, natural gas and sewer improvements. Omaha is looking at federally-mandated improvements to its sewer system that will cost millions of dollars and will use a portion of sales tax on utility bills to pay for it. This bill would prohibit the sales tax charge. The City of Omaha has come out against this bill, alleging that without using the sales tax, property taxes would have to be increased.

Discussion generated by this bill has been intense, Christensen reported, with a number of senators speaking on it.

One of the senators cited that other cities and communities are facing or have faced unfunded federal mandates concerning water or sewer and are paying for it on their own, Christensen said.

Lawmakers will take up the bill again today.