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UNICAMERAL UPDATE News published daily at Update.Legislature.ne.gov Vol. 43, Issue 14 / Aug. 3 - 6, 2020 Proposal to ensure Last-minute tax package workplace protections advances after cloture vote considered he Business and Labor Com- mittee held a public hearing T Aug. 6 on a proposal that would implement certain protections for meat processing employees during the coronavirus pandemic. LB667, as intro- duced by Omaha Sen. Tony Vargas, would provide grant funding for youth workforce development train- ing. Sen. Tony Vargas Vargas introduced an amendment that would remove those provisions and instead require meatpacking plant employers to maintain six feet of space Speaker Jim Scheer and Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, key members of a group that brokered a compromise on the proposal, confer during floor debate. around and between each worker through a combination of increasing awmakers gave first-round ap- Scheer supported the proposal, physical space between workstations, proval Aug. 5 to a bill combin- calling it “an opportunity to move this slowing production speeds, staggering ing several major tax proposals. state forward for all of our citizens.” L shifts and breaks and adjusting shift size. As introduced By making Nebraska more inviting Vargas said the proposal is neces- by Norfolk Sen. to businesses, he said, LB1107 would sary to address the mistreatment of Jim Scheer, LB1107 create new jobs and increase the state’s meatpacking workers, the failure of would make a tech- population, reducing taxes on home- employers to implement health and nical change to owners, farmers and businesses. safety measures and the perception state law related to “I don’t necessarily love incen- throughout the state that the corona- the assessment of tives—no one does,” Scheer said. “But virus is not a serious threat. real property. Sen. Jim Scheer we’re naive to think that we don’t have “This is not the first action that A Revenue Committee amend- to have anything in order to attract meatpacking workers, their families ment, adopted 44-2, would replace new business.” and advocates have taken to address the bill with numerous provisions, in- these issues,” he said. “I know they’ve cluding a proposal to create a new tax Nebraska Property Tax Incentive communicated with the governor and credit based on the amount of prop- Act with employers about these concerns erty taxes paid to a taxpayer’s school and issues, but their concerns and district, establish a new business tax The previous committee proposal, cries for help have gone unacknowl- incentive program and commit funds contained in an amendment to edged and unaddressed.” to a potential project at the University Scheer’s LB1106, would have reduced of Nebraska Medical Center. (continued page 3) (continued page 2) INSIDE: Hemp program updated • FAFSA completion requirement advanced August 3 - 6, 2020 Proposal to ensure workplace protections considered (continued from front page) Under the proposal, employers for someone who has tested positive. unannounced workplace inspections would be required to provide all work- Gabriela Pedroza, a former meat- of meatpacking facilities. ers with face masks and shields, free packing worker, spoke in support Nebraska Farmers Union President of charge, replaced daily or as needed. of the amendment. The protections John Hansen supported the provi- Workers would have the ability to would show workers that the state sion, saying that healthy meatpacking frequently sanitize their hands and hears and understands their concerns, workers are essential to a successful receive gloves, also free of charge, she said, and is doing what it can to agricultural industry. upon request. keep them safe. “[Coronavirus] created enough The amendment would require “It is no secret that a lot of people sickness and shutdowns in the meat- regular cleaning and disinfection of all have gotten sick and one too many, packing industry that we were contem- frequently touched surfaces and instal- unfortunately, have passed away,” Pe- plating the logistics of euthanizing, lation of ventilation systems that would droza said. “They’re essential workers destroying and burying millions of ensure unidirectional air flow, ventila- but most importantly every human animals,” he said. “It behooves our tion with outdoor air and filtration. in [a meatpacking plant] is essential state for both economic and moral Each individual would be screened to their families and communities.” reasons to find a way to do this ad- for coronavirus upon entering a facil- Also speaking in support of the ditional inspection.” ity and be informed of their results. amendment was Eric Reeder, presi- The amendment also would re- A worker who believes they may have dent of the United Food and Com- quire meatpacking plants to track been exposed could immediately leave mercial Workers Union Local 293. the daily total number of positive test the facility to receive a COVID-19 test The proposal alone will not solve the results and COVID-related deaths, on paid work time. problem of meat processing working disaggregated by race and ethnicity. If an employee tests positive, the conditions, he said, but it would move The data would be transmitted to employer must identify and notify in things in the right direction. the state Department of Health and writing all workers who worked in the “What you have in front of you is Human Services and Department of same area and on the same shift of their a first step in helping the [workers],” Labor, as well as the Business and La- possible exposure, while maintaining Reeder said. “The employers, as long bor and Health and Human Services the infected person’s confidentiality. as they’re not mandated to do some- committees of the Legislature. The amendment also would ensure thing, they’re not going to do it.” No one spoke in opposition to the paid quarantine time for a worker The amendment would allow the amendment and the committee took awaiting test results and paid sick leave state Department of Labor to conduct no immediate action. n UNICAMERAL UPDATE The Unicameral Update is a free, weekly newsletter published during the legislative session. It is produced by the Clerk of the Legislature’s Office through the Unicameral Information Office. For print subscriptions, call 402-471-2788 or email [email protected]. Visit us online at Update.Legislature.ne.gov, twitter.com/UnicamUpdate and facebook.com/UnicameralUpdate. Clerk of the Legislature: Patrick J. O’Donnell Editor: Kate Heltzel; Writers: Kyle Harpster, Ami Johnson, Mike Malloy; Photographer: Bess Ghormley Printed copies of bills, resolutions and the Legislative Journal are available at the State Capitol room 1104, or by calling 402-471-2709 or 800-742-7456. Status of bills and resolutions can be requested at that number or can be found on NebraskaLegislature.gov. Live video of hearings and floor debate can be viewed on NET2 and at NetNebraska.org/capitol. Senators may be contacted by mail at this address: Senator Name, District #, State Capitol, P.O. Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509-4604 Assistance provided by the Clerk of the Legislature’s Office, the Legislative Technology Center, committee clerks, legal counsels, journal clerks, pages, transcribers, mail room and bill room staff and the State Print Shop. THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE’S OFFICIAL NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1977 PAGE 2 • UNICAMERAL UPDATE • 106TH LEGISLATURE August 3 - 6, 2020 Last-minute tax package advances after cloture vote (continued from front page) property valuations for school tax or more. Sena- purposes over three years—thereby tors voted 42-0 reducing the amount of property taxes to adopt the they collect—while simultaneously amendment. increasing state aid to schools. Linehan The new proposal would create a said Sen. John refundable income tax credit based on Stinner of Ger- the amount an eligible taxpayer paid in ing, chairper- property taxes to their school district son of the Ap- during the previous year, not includ- propriations ing those amounts levied for bonded Committee, indebtedness or a levy override. insisted on the The credit, which would be allowed amendment to each individual, business or other to ensure that entity that pays school district taxes, the proposal would be equal to a percentage set would not di- by the state Department of Revenue rect any money Sen. Tom Briese said the package is a compromise that will move the multiplied by the amount of school in the state’s state forward. district taxes paid by the taxpayer dur- “rainy day ing the taxable year. fund” to meet the new property tax Under those provisions, the state For calendar year 2020, the depart- credit program’s obligations before would grant $275 ment would set the percentage so that the cash balance reaches the required million in credits the total amount of credits is $125 threshold. each year under million. Stinner supported the proposal. He the Property Tax Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, the com- said Linehan’s amendment would set Credit Relief Act, mittee’s chairperson, said that for fiscal “guardrails” to ensure that the which uses state the following three years the amount proposed property tax relief is funded sales and income of credits would increase based on through growth in state tax receipts, tax revenue to pro- Sen. Tom Briese growth in the state’s net tax receipts not by making “major league” cuts to vide Nebraskans with credits meant to and the level of its cash reserve. government programs. offset part of what they pay in local For 2024, the credit cap would be Lincoln Sen. Kate Bolz said she property taxes. $375 million. For each year after that, would vote to advance the bill from Any amount transferred or credited the department would set the percent- general file provided those guardrails to the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund age so that the total amount of credits were included, but she cautioned pursuant to any other state law would would be $375 million plus an amount lawmakers about the proposal’s effect be added to the minimum amount equal to the growth in total assessed on the budget in future years as the when determining the total amount value for all real property from the global economy recovers from the of relief granted under the act.