UNICAMERAL UPDATE Stories published daily at Update.Legislature.ne.gov Vol. 38, Issue 18 / May 4 - 7, 2015 Budget package clears Senators allow second round of debate introduction of wastewater bill enators voted to suspend the Legislature’s rules May 7 to Spermit the introduction of a new bill. Traditionally, new bills may be introduced only during the first 10 days of the legislative session. Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers moved to sus- pend the rules to introduce a new bill that would address the oil and gas industry’s disposal of wastewater in Nebraska. Chambers said he wanted to ac- knowledge the outrage and anxiety From left: Sens. Jim Scheer, Heath Mello, Kate Sullivan and Kate Bolz discuss education fund- created by a recent Nebraska Oil ing priorities in the state’s budget package. and Gas Conservation Commission decision to allow the disposal of awmakers amended and ad- The $12 million in additional wastewater from oil production into vanced several bills comprising revenue projected for the current fis- underground wells. the state’s $8.6 billion budget cal year is directed to the cash reserve L “The commission has shown a package May 6. The state budget is fund by law, he said, leaving approxi- blatant and contemptuous disregard structured on a two-year basis, with mately $9.7 million in additional pro- to the Legislature in general and the budget enacted during legislative jected revenue for the next fiscal year. our colleagues who have tried to ap- sessions held in odd-numbered years. Mello said the committee believed proach them about this,” he said. “I Among the amendments consid- that amount should be directed to want some official action taken by the ered on select file were adjustments property tax relief. Legislature to serve as notice to the offered by the Appropriations Com- “The Appropriations Committee commission and the people who have mittee. felt this was a responsible and sustain- shown concern about this matter that Chairperson Sen. Heath Mello able increase,” he said, adding that it the Legislature is not ignoring them of Omaha offered an amendment to would bring the property tax fund to- or the issue.” LB657, the mainline budget bill, to tal to $408 million for the biennium. The language proposed under the increase the property tax credit by $4 The amendment was adopted 34-0. new bill, LB664, would require any million each year of the biennium. Cedar Rapids Sen. Kate Sullivan company that applies to dispose of Mello said the state Economic offered an amendment that would wastewater in the state to provide a Forecasting Advisory Board met while have eliminated $500,000 per year in list of all chemicals present in the the budget package was being debated general funds for the Master Teacher wastewater. If approved, the company on general file and revised revenue Program Act and increase aid for spe- then would be required to provide projections upward over the next two cial education by the same amount. years. (continued page 2) (continued page 3) INSIDE: Meet Sen. Hansen • Livestock development grants advanced • Fuel tax increase vetoed May 4 - 7, 2015 Budget package clears second round (continued from front page) Sullivan said that while national certification for teach- more students. ers is valuable, special education funding should be a Lincoln Sen. Kate Bolz, who originally proposed the higher priority use of state funds. Special education needs master teacher funding in her LB185, opposed the amend- continue to grow, she said, while federal funding shrinks. ment. Funding the program would benefit all students “[Special education] is one of the priorities that every through improved teacher effectiveness, she said, adding single school district in this state has to deal with,” Sullivan that the budget also contains an increase in special educa- said. “For what- tion funding. ever reason, there “I stand against are more and more this amendment children being because I don’t identified for spe- think it’s an ei- cial education.” ther/or conversa- Norfolk Sen. tion,” Bolz said. “I Jim Scheer sup- think it’s a both/ ported the amend- and conversa- ment, saying the tion.” master teacher The Sullivan program is not amendment failed “scalable.” He on a 20-16 vote said the program and LB657 ad- has been available vanced to final since 2000 and reading by voice Sen. Kate Sullivan stressed the importance only 113 teachers vote. Sen. Kate Bolz urged senators to retain mas- of special education funding. have completed it. ter teacher funding. The proposed appropriation would fund 100 additional Additional amendments teachers each year, he said, resulting in approximately 1,000 of the state’s 30,000 teachers being nationally certified by A Mello amendment to LB661 also sparked debate. the next decade. Among other provisions, the amendment would change cri- “What we’re talking about is a very small group of teach- teria relating to the Oral Health Training and Services Fund. ers,” Scheer said, adding that a direct increase in funding The budget appropriates $8 million to the Coordinat- for special education would make a positive impact on ing Commission for Postsecondary Education to develop, (continued next page) 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 and follow us on Twitter.com/UnicamUpdate. Clerk of the Legislature: Patrick J. O’Donnell Editor: Heidi Uhing; Writers: Kate Heltzel, Ami Johnson, Jon Taylor; 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 • 104TH LEGISLATURE May 4 - 7, 2015 award and administer a contract with “I am opposed to any money going Mello also offered an amendment a dental college to provide discounted to a private institution, and especially to LB656 to appropriate $385,000 to oral health services and oral health one that is sectarian,” he said. “There the Nebraska Educational Telecom- workforce development. should be a sharp line of demarca- munication Commission. The funds The amendment would require a tion—in fact a wall—between church would be used to replace a television minimum 10-year contract for provi- and state.” antenna that fell from a tower in April, sion of discounted oral health services. The amendment was adopted 30-2 he said, restoring over-the-air televi- In addition, dental students receiving and LB661 advanced by voice vote. sion service to the panhandle region education subsidies under the con- Also adopted was an amendment of the state. tract would be required to practice in offered by Mello to LB662, which Following adoption of the amend- a dental health profession shortage would transfer $7 million from the ment 34-0, the bill advanced by voice area for at least five years. cash reserve to the Nebraska Capital vote. Omaha Sen. Beau McCoy sup- Construction Fund. The funds would ported the amendment, saying it be directed toward the ongoing update Other provisions would ensure that the contract is open of the heating, ventilation and air- to both of the state’s dental colleges. conditioning (HVAC) system in the Also advanced to final reading by “I think that’s an appropriate use Capitol Building. voice vote were: of taxpayer dollars,” he said. Mello said the state has the oppor- • LB658, which would fund the Omaha Sen. Tanya Cook opposed tunity to invest in a geothermal plant $12,000 annual salaries of Ne- the amendment, saying it failed to to provide more efficient, independent braska’s 49 state senators; address significant concerns regarding and reliable energy to the Capitol. • LB659, which would fund Creighton University that were raised Window restoration and moving and salaries and benefits for consti- during general file debate. A well- rental costs to temporarily relocate tutional officers; funded private, ecumenical institution offices during the HVAC project also • LB660, which would appropri- should not be eligible to receive state will be necessary, he said. ate funds for capital construc- funds, she said. “The returns on this investment tion and property acquisition; “That point is not reflected in this will result in energy cost savings over and amendment,” Cook said. the next 20 years,” he said. • LB663, which would increase Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha The amendment was adopted 30-1 Nebraska Supreme Court judg- agreed. and LB662 advanced by voice vote. es’ salaries. g Senators allow introduction of wastewater bill (continued from front page) semiannual updates to the Legislature. Chambers said the exact language of the bill was likely to change dramatically, but that it would have a public hear- ing before the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee during the interim to allow public input. Gering Sen. John Stinner, who introduced LB572, also relating to wastewater disposal, supported the motion. He said that proprietary issues aside, it is reasonable for companies to disclose the chemical makeup of wastewater.