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Dist. 40 Report
Last week, Senators gave first-round approval to LB525, a bill introduced by Senator Jacobson to protect the data collected by farmers’ equipment.
This measure would create a firstof- its-kind ag data privacy protection for agricultural producers on subjects like soil conditions, weather, and crop yields.
This ag data has completely changed the landscape of agriculture thanks to the growing use of precision technologies in agricultural equipment.
Senators also advanced LB1165 to the next stage of debate. This measure would amend several of Nebraska’s business tax incentives programs meant to attract and retain major employers.
To qualify for the incentives in LB1165, a company with at least 3,000 workers would have to retain 90 percent of its employees and offer competitive benefits, including child care.
Companies would also have to hire at least 500 new employees who are paid at least $100,000 annually and keep those jobs for a decade.
Credits are withheld until 2031, meaning incentives would not be paid until a company has been established and paying Nebraska employees for several years.
The budget again dominated conversations last week.
The one principal issue that stood in the way of passing the budget was a proposed $3.65 million appropriation for K-12 private school scholarships. Proponents of this program argue that this funding would fill the gap between now and when the federal tax credits take effect. Opponents argued the appropriation goes against the will of the people, which rejected a similar program at the ballot in 2024.
This latest time spent debating the budget focused on an amendment that included both the Appropriations Committee’s recommendations and the $3.65 million appropriation for K-12 private school scholarships. This amendment spurred lengthy debate, resulting in a cloture vote on LB1071 which failed 27 to 15.
The following day, a new compromise amendment to remove the scholarship program from the budget was adopted, and LB1071 was then advanced to Final Reading.
In each round of debate, I voted in favor of the budget. While the budget contains items I disagree with, the Legislature constitutionally has one responsibility, that being to meet and pass a balanced budget.
Sometimes compromise is necessary for the greater good.
As of this writing, Friday, March 27, the Legislature has nine legislative days left. This schedule leaves little time to debate all the remaining priority bills, especially those being considered for the first time.
As a result, Speaker Arch has scheduled “consent calendar” bills and “speaker priority” bills that generally have strong support and garner little debate.
Several bills that advanced in this manner include LB753 which provides recognition and enforcement of military protective orders under Nebraska law, LB784 which restructures existing rural county sheriff residency requirements and the continuing education requirements for law enforcement officers, and LB977 which codifies safety procedures for drivers when encountering farmers and ranchers who are leading, herding, or crossing livestock on a roadway.
I invite you to let me know your thoughts or concerns. My Capitol office telephone number is (402) 471-2801 while my email is [email protected]. My mailing address is: Senator Barry DeKay, District #40, P.O. Box 94604, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509.
