NASB LEGISLATIVE NOTES Tracking the 2021 Legislature from the Nebraska Association of School Boards MARCH 1, 2021 www.NASBonline.org #liveNASB #weLIVEhere 107th Legislature, 1st Session YOUR 2021 EDUCATION COMMITTEE DAY 35 - LB 408 VOTED OUT OF COMMITTEE ... SEN. LYNNE WALZ, CHAIR SEN. JEN DAY Last Friday, the Revenue Committee met in Executive Session where they voted out LB 408 SEN. LOU ANN LINEHAN out of Committee 7-1. SEN. TERRELL MCKINNEY SEN. ADAM MORFELD LB 408 (Briese) - Adopt the Property Tax SEN. DAVE MURMAN Request Act LB 408 is an erosion of local control as it limits the ability of locally elected leaders to make SEN. PATTY PANSING BROOKS budget decisions. The original intent of this bill puts a 3% cap on annual increases in property SEN. RITA SANDERS taxes regardless of valuation, excluding new construction, approved bonds and annexation. The voters of a political subdivision could override the limit with a majority vote at an election. It is important to note that a number of spending controls and restrictions are already in place such as levy limit, basic allowable growth rate, and allowable reserve limits. NASB’s John Spatz YOUR 2021 REVENUE COMMITTEE testified in Opposition to this bill in front of the Revenue Committee on January 27. SEN. LOU ANN LINEHAN, CHAIR • LB 408 - https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=43864 SEN. JONI ALBRECHT STATEMENT OF INTENT: LB 408 would limit the annual increase in property taxes, SEN. ELIOT BOSTAR excluding approved bonds, for all political subdivisions to three percent. The voters of the SEN. TOM BRIESE political subdivision could override the limit with a majority vote at an election. The limit SEN. MIKE FLOOD would not apply to real growth value. SEN. CURT FRIESEN A proposed committee amendment could further restrict local control: SEN. BRETT LINDSTROM • You can exceed the 3% no more than 2 consecutive years with a vote of the local Board • The total increase cannot be more than 9% for a three-year period SEN. RICH PAHLS • Half (1/2) of your unused budget authority can be carried forward • It is applicable through 2027 • A budget presentation must now include a provision showing compliance with this new law STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST ON ALL BILLS NASB IS FOLLOWING WATCH: LB 408 ROUNDTABLE Q&A WITH OPEN SKY POLICY http://members.nasbonline.org/index.php/government-relations & DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY OF THE Thanks for Renee Fry & Connie Knoche from OpenSky Policy Institute for walking ‘ADVOCACY HANDBOOK’ UNDER through the bill and how it could impact small, medium and large districts. THE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TAB OF www.NASBonline.org NASB CALL TO ACTION Find out where your Senator stands on LB 408 and report back to NASB. SHARE YOUR STORY Learn how it impacts your district. Share that story with your peers, your Senator, and the other political subdivisions within your community. Take the lead on how it will impact your KNOW YOUR DISTRICT’S DATA community as a whole, not just your district. UNDERSTAND THE DATA THAT WILL Like anything, this bill is a moving target, we will keep you updated as it moves along! MAKE A DIFFERENCE KEY DATES OF NOTE: • Priority Bill Designation is March 11; All Day Floor Debate begins March 15 NASB LEGISLATIVE TEAM • NASB Legislative Lunch - April 12 COLBY COASH, JOHN SPATZ, • The final day of the 107th Legislature, 1st Session is currently scheduled for June 10 MATT BELKA & VICKI WALTER-WINTERS • Legislative Proposals for 2022 are due July 1 • NASB Legislative Committee Meeting - July 17 LEADERSHIP INNOVATION VISION ENGAGEMENT #liveNASB #weLIVEhere 1311 Stockwell Street | Lincoln, NE 68502 | 800-422-4572 | www.NASBonline.org | www.twitter.com/NASBonline | www.facebook.com/NASBonline.