It was another busy week in the Nebraska Legislature.

The Education Committee considered a few different education financing proposals. LB 475 would create a new education funding formula while LB 518 would direct additional state funding to school districts to help reduce the achievement gap and boost student learning.

Improving administrative efficiency and expanding access to services were topics of consideration in the Health and Human Services Committee, where OpenSky testified on LB 85, a proposal to reduce lapses in Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage by allowing use of SNAP eligibility to expedite verification, and on LB 88, a bill to extend SNAP benefits to people who have served time for felony drug convictions.

Nebraska’s unique use of the inheritance tax as a revenue stream for counties was considered by the Revenue Committee on Thursday. A proposed constitutional amendment, LR 23CA, would eliminate the inheritance tax that county governments rely on to provide funding for vital services, including keeping roads and communities safe and administering elections.

Also on Thursday the Revenue Committee put forward an income tax package that proposes to further cut the state’s top individual and corporate tax rates. Dr. Rebecca Firestone, executive director of OpenSky Policy Institute, responded in a statement to Nebraska’s media.

“The state’s budget surplus this year offers a major opportunity to make strategic investments in initiatives that could strengthen our workforce and our economy. Investments such as in affordable housing, quality child care, mental health care and accessible transportation. Accelerating last year’s record tax cuts with a new set of tax breaks for the wealthiest Nebraskans and out of state corporations does little to help working families and small businesses facing economic challenges.”

Firestone’s comments are included in coverage of LB 754 by the Omaha World-Herald and Nebraska Examiner.

Legislature enters final week of hearings

The Legislature will return from adjournment on Tuesday for its final week of committee hearings.

On Tuesday, the Education Committee will hear testimony on LB 177, a bill that would allow parents to direct state funds to private school education. Under the bill, the state would set up a fund covering 55% of the cost to educate all of Nebraska’s K-12 students. Parents would then apply for their child’s share of the fund, which could go toward either public or private schools.

Over the course of next week, the Revenue Committee will hold hearings on a number of bills related to property and income taxes, including LBs 239, 695, 369 and 387.

OpenSky welcomes new staff members

This week we are also excited to welcome two native Nebraskans to the OpenSky team.

Luke Sutton, OpenSky’s new development director, worked previously as corporate relations and events manager for the Omaha Children’s Museum, where he oversaw corporate fundraising as well as management of the museum’s fundraising events. A Fremont native, Luke earned degrees from Wayne State College and the University of Nebraska Omaha.

 

 

Todd Henrichs, our new communications director, has worked 38 years at newspapers across Nebraska, including the last 25 at the Lincoln Journal Star. Todd is a native of rural Gage County and attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.