UNICAMERAL UPDATE Stories published daily at Update.Legislature.ne.gov Vol. 38, #17 / Apr. 28-May 1, 2015 Senators advance state budget bills Sen. Heath Mello (center), chairperson of the Appropriations Committee, confers with committee vice chairperson Sen. Robert Hilkemann (right) and Michael Calvert, director of the Legislative Fiscal Office. awmakers gave first-round approval April 30 to the “No one got everything they wanted in this budget,” state’s $8.6 billion budget package. The state budget he said. “But overall, we funded what we had to fund. We Lis structured on a two-year basis, with the budget said no to some things that were tough to say no to; we enacted during legislative sessions held in odd-numbered put things off that we may very well fund in the future. I years. think, on balance, this is probably a good budget.” As introduced, the Appropriations Committee budget Sen. Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha agreed, calling the proposal would result in a financial status at the end of package a sustainable, responsible budget. He said the five fiscal year 2016-17 that is $48.9 million more than the 3 new members on the committee brought a willingness to percent minimum reserve. look at issues and agencies with a fresh perspective. Omaha Sen. Heath Mello, chairperson of the Appro- “The new members brought a lot of great questions priations Committee, said the budget package represents and a willingness to dig in,” he said. a 3.1 percent average growth rate in spending over the biennium. That level is the lowest in 30 years, he said, Mainline budget bill with the exception of 2003 and 2009, when the state was battling significant economic recessions. Introduced by Kearney Sen. Galen Hadley at the request Mello said the budget package would maintain a strong of the governor, LB657 is the mainline budget bill. An cash reserve while focusing on property tax relief, economic Appropriations Committee amendment, adopted 27-0, development, education and public/private partnerships. replaced the bill and contains recommendations for state “The decisions in this budget package recognize the operations and state aid. priorities of this Legislature,” he said. Among other provisions, the amendment includes the Papillion Sen. Bill Kintner spoke in support of the following general fund increases over the biennium: budget package, saying it represents a compromise among • $79.8 million for the Tax Equity and Educational individual committee members with very different per- Opportunities Support Act; spectives. • $75.9 million for the federal Medicaid match rate; (continued page 2) INSIDE: Meet Sen. Morfeld • State revenue projections raised • Lower wage advanced for young workers April 28 - May 1, 2015 Senators advance state budget bills (continued from front page) • $64.4 million for Medicaid havioral health staff. reimbursement rates; and Debate on the mainline budget • $53.8 million for a 3 percent bill centered on a proposal based on increase in funding to colleges LB584, originally introduced by Ogal- and universities. lala Sen. Ken Schilz, which attempts One of the largest increases is $20.3 to address a statewide shortage of oral million—an 11.2 percent increase—to health care providers. the state Department of Correctional The provisions would appropriate Services. The increase would cover $8 million to the Coordinating Com- inmate medical costs, including an mission for Postsecondary Education expensive new Hepatitis C treatment, to develop, award and administer a as well as additional security and be- contract to provide reduced-fee oral health services and oral health workforce development. Under provisions specified in LB661, also part of the budget Sen. Tanya Cook package, the commission could criteria established could be met only contract with an entity that by the Creighton University School meets certain criteria to provide of Dentistry. dental services in underserved “The state cannot make a direct areas. appropriation to a private entity,” he Among other restrictions, the said, “so this is making an end-run criteria specify a nonprofit entity around the [state] constitution.” that graduates at least 75 dental Sen. Tanya Cook of Omaha sup- students each year and is part- ported the amendment, saying Creigh- nered with at least five school ton—a Catholic university—accepts districts or federally-qualified extensive private donations and uses health centers. those funds to advocate for anti- Omaha Sen. Ernie Cham- government public policy. bers offered an amendment to “At the same time—with a straight Sen. Ernie Chambers strike the provision, saying the face—they are asking the taxpayers 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 April 28 - May 1, 2015 of Nebraska for a subsidy for expansion of their private, at the University of parochial campus,” Cook said. Nebraska. He said vot- Lincoln Sen. Kathy Campbell also expressed concerns, ers in his district are saying no Creighton students have utilized an existing interested in tax relief, state program designed to incentivize medical providers not funding public/ to practice in underserved and rural areas. private partnerships Using state funds to directly benefit Creighton could with the university. encourage other private institutions to approach the state “If [Yeutter] wants for additional scholarship assistance, she said. that to exist, he should “I am concerned about the precedent we’re setting for pay for it,” Groene other private schools in the state that may provide medical said. education in some form,” Campbell said. Heartwell Sen. John Schilz opposed the amendment, saying the goal of the Kuehn, who originally provisions was to increase Creighton University’s dental introduced the propos- class size by 30 students per year, which would benefit the al as LB496, opposed Sen. John Kuehn entire state. the amendment. “For three years when we talked about The state’s investment would be Medicaid expansion, I looked out there matched by private funds, he said, which to see what the situation was in my neigh- already have been raised. Funds would borhood, and everywhere I turned it was not be used for bricks and mortar, but to lack of access to health care,” Schilz said. expand research and increase Nebraska “I told myself … that whenever I got an exports, he said. opportunity that makes sense to bring “This is a priority of state govern- more health care to rural Nebraska, I’d ment and it is a priority of the state of pick it up and go with it.” Nebraska,” Kuehn said. Sen. Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha Following adoption of a technical also opposed the amendment, saying the amendment offered by Mello, LB657 state currently has several contracts with advanced to select file on a 26-0 vote. Creighton University to provide expertise on public policy issues, including cancer Fund transfers research. Chambers withdrew his amendment Sen. Jeremy Nordquist LB661 would create funds and make when senators agreed to offer a compro- certain fund transfers. An Appropria- mise amendment to tions Committee amendment, adopted 26-1, became the LB661, which would bill. open the contract pro- The amendment includes a $60 million per year in- cess up to both Creigh- crease to the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund. The transfer ton and the University would increase to $200 million the amount available for of Nebraska College property tax relief, Mello said. This would allow for a credit of Dentistry. equal to $93 per $100,000 of valuation—a $28 increase North Platte Sen. over the current level. Mike Groene offered The committee amendment also would transfer: and later withdrew • $11 million each year from the General Fund to the an amendment to Water Sustainability Fund; strike $2.5 million • $3.3 million each year from the General Fund to in matched funds the Water Resources Cash Fund; and for The Yeutter Insti- • $3 million each year from the Water Sustainability tute for International Fund to the Nebraska Resources Development Fund. Sen. Mike Groene Trade and Finance Mello offered an amendment, as a compromise regard- (continued next page) 104TH LEGISLATURE • UNICAMERAL UPDATE • PAGE 3 April 28 - May 1, 2015 ing funds for expanded low- appropriations and not for ongoing income dental care, to remove tax relief. criteria that otherwise would “This [amendment] generally runs have excluded the University against good fiscal policy,” he said. of Nebraska Dental College. The amendment failed on a 14-20 It also stipulated that if mul- vote. A second Schnoor amendment tiple applicants meet the con- to remove the $8 milion transfer for tract requirements, matching expanded dental care also failed 13-22.