UNICAMERAL UPDATE News published daily at Update.Legislature.ne.gov Vol. 42, Issue 12 / Mar. 25 - 28, 2019 Best practices for school resource TIF repayment extension officers advanced stalls on first round awmakers gave first-round approval March 25 to a bill L that would establish statewide standards for school resource officers. LB390, as originally introduced by Lincoln Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks, would have re- quired the Ne- braska Com- mission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice to de- velop a model Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks policy for school districts that employ school resource officers. The bill does not require the hiring of a school resource officer, Pansing Sen. Justin Wayne said his proposal could provide the necessary incentive for developers to Brooks said, it simply ensures that if a consider hard-hit areas of Omaha and other cities. district decides to hire one, it employs fter two days of debate, a designated substandard and blighted, certain best practices. proposal that could extend a challenge that becomes even more “LB390 will make sure we aren’t A the maximum length of time difficult in areas that are extremely using law enforcement’s time on disci- to repay tax-increment financing in- blighted—those with high poverty plinary matters, but rather to enhance debtedness in certain cases stalled on levels and high unemployment rates. safety, respond to law violations and general file March 26. State law defines an extremely serve as a community resource for LR14CA, introduced by Sen. Jus- blighted area as a census tract with an students, parents and school staff,” tin Wayne of Omaha, would place a average unemployment rate that is at she said. proposed constitutional amendment least 200 percent of the average state A Judiciary Committee amend- on the November 2020 general elec- unemployment rate and an average ment, adopted 34-0, replaced the bill. tion ballot. The amendment would poverty rate of more than 20 percent As amended, LB390 instead would authorize the Legislature to extend according to the most recent federal require the state Department of the maximum repayment period for decennial census. Education to develop a model memo- TIF indebtedness from 15 to 20 years “The underlying goal of LR14CA randum of understanding that would if more than half of the property in is to spur the use of TIF in those areas govern the use of school resource a project area was designated as ex- that need it the most,” Wayne said. officers or security guards, beginning tremely blighted. Only Nebraska and Montana cur- Jan. 1, 2021. Wayne said that many Nebraska rently have a 15-year maximum length The MOU would include training cities struggle to attract developers of time for TIF bonds to be repaid, requirements for all school resource to revitalize neighborhoods that are he said, however Montana allows for (continued page 3) (continued page 2) INSIDE: Meet Sen. Ben Hansen • Student mental health bill considered • Provider rate increase proposed March 25 - 28, 2019 TIF repayment extension stalls on first round (continued from front page) projects to be extended up to 25 years, “A cornfield west of town that has lawmakers in the future could expand making Nebraska’s repayment period been farmed for the last 100 years all of the definition of extremely blighted in the most restrictive in the country. a sudden becomes blighted,” Erdman state law if that definition is not made North Platte Sen. Mike Groene said. “No clue how that happens— explicit in LR14CA. opposed the measure, saying mu- except the city council wanted that “I believe perhaps we should fur- nicipalities will find a way around annexed into town and now they’ve ther define extremely blighted in the any constraints that the Legislature designated it blighted.” constitutional provision,” Briese said. attempts to place on TIF projects. Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg Wayne said he understood the He acknowledged that high-poverty supported LR14CA, saying TIF does concern, but said the constitution is areas of Omaha have been ignored by not deny property tax income to po- a place for broad concepts and ideas, developers, but said expanding TIF litical subdivisions. Cities and schools not strict definitions. For example, he provisions is not the way to solve the still receive property tax revenue on said, the current definition of extreme- problem. the base value of a project, he said, ly blighted in state law uses census Groene offered an amendment while the projected increase in prop- tract data, which may not be available to stipulate that 100 percent of the erty tax value is used to pay down the in the same form in the future. property in a project area must be project bond. Adjusting public policy is easier to designated as extremely blighted to “[TIF] never does—never has—taken do in state law than by amending the qualify for the extended repayment property off the tax rolls,” Williams constitution, Wayne said. period. said. “We have these areas that need The Legislature moved on to the “Quite frankly, I don’t trust the encouragement. We have housing next item on the agenda before voting economic gurus,” he said. “You are shortages, we have workforce develop- on LR14CA or the pending amend- taking property off the tax rolls for ment issues. All of those can be partly ment. Per a practice implemented by 15 years now.” addressed by how we develop blighted Speaker Jim Scheer, the sponsor of a Bayard Sen. Steve Erdman agreed, areas in our communities.” bill that is facing a potential filibuster saying TIF is not being used for Albion Sen. Tom Briese said he must demonstrate sufficient support redevelopment as it originally was believed that the measure could be a for a cloture motion before the mea- intended. Instead, he said, it is a “tax benefit to areas in need of redevelop- sure will be scheduled for additional giveaway” that benefits developers. ment. He cautioned, however, that debate. g 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. 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THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE’S OFFICIAL NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1977 PAGE 2 • UNICAMERAL UPDATE • 106TH LEGISLATURE March 25 - 28, 2019 Best practices for school resource officers advanced (continued from front page) officers or security guards employed by a district as well as at least one admin- istrator. The training would include at least 20 hours focused on school-based law enforcement, student rights, under- standing students with special needs and disabilities, conflict de-escalation techniques, ethics for school resource officers, teenage brain development, Unicameral Youth Legislature adolescent behavior, implicit bias training, diversity and cultural aware- registration open ness, trauma-informed responses and igh school students with an based on legislation considered during violence prevention in school settings. Hinterest in law, government, the current legislative session. The school district would be re- leadership or public speaking are Registrants are encouraged to ap- quired to maintain records of each encouraged to register for the 2019 ply for a Speaker Greg Adams Civic student referral for prosecution by a Unicameral Youth Legislature, which Scholarship award, which covers the school resource officer, including the will convene June 9-12. full cost of admission. Applicants reason for each referral and federally The Unicameral Youth Legislature must submit a short essay. Other $100 identified demographic characteristics is a four-day legislative simulation con- scholarships are also available. of each student. ducted at the State Capitol Building The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s A district also would be required and coordinated by the Clerk’s Office Extension 4-H Youth Development Of- to identify when a parent or guard- of the Nebraska Legislature. Student fice coordinates housing and recreational ian would be notified if a student is senators will sponsor bills, conduct activities for the camp as part of their questioned or interrogated, and under committee hearings, debate legisla- Big Red Summer Camps program. what circumstances a student would tion and discover the unique process Registration forms can be obtained be advised of their constitutional of the nation’s only unicameral. from the Legislature’s Unicameral rights. Each MOU would include a Students will learn about the inner Youth Legislature page: www.Nebras- complaint process for students and workings of the Legislature directly kaLegislature.gov/uyl. parents to express concern about a from senators and staff. Bills will be The registration deadline is May 15.