2012 Nebraska State Legislature

[Coyote]

The second session of the 102nd Nebraska State Legislature convenes on Wednesday the 4th.

Questions about child welfare to dominate Nebraska Legislature

Nebraska's 2012 legislative session looks to be the year of the child. During the next four months, lawmakers will wrestle with key questions about the future of child welfare and juvenile justice in the state.

The debate will include whether to pull back on the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services' controversial experiment in privatizing child welfare. Lawmakers also will look at creating a state children's agency, setting up an advisory commission on child welfare, raising pay for foster parents and shifting responsibility for juvenile delinquents away from HHS.

[Coyote]

Lawmaker considering casino bill

State Sen. Paul Schumacher said he may sponsor a constitutional amendment to allow gambling, so Nebraska won’t continue losing gaming revenue to neighboring states that allow casinos. But the idea faces long odds because Nebraskans have rejected several gambling proposals over the past decade

[Coyote]

Lawmaker: Ease term limits a bit

Sometime after the 2012 Nebraska Legislature convenes Wednesday, Carlson said he intends to introduce a resolution for a constitutional amendment allowing senators to serve up to three consecutive four-year terms. If Carlson's proposal passes, voters will be asked to amend the two-term limit they wrote into the Nebraska Constitution in 2000.

[Coyote]

Lawmaker Wants To Boost Taxi Competition

Avery says the current system favors existing companies because taxi firms are required to prove their services are needed and a public convenience. That's easier to prove for companies that are already operating.

[joeglow]

Sen.: Occupation tax needs vote

Citizens sometimes complain about the "hidden" occupation taxes on restaurant and hotel bills, and a Valentine state senator plans to address that in 2012.

Sen. Deb Fischer said she will introduce legislation Wednesday — the first day of the 2012 session — to require a public vote before a city can impose an occupation tax.

Such a vote is already required when a city imposes a local sales tax, but occupation taxes on things like restaurant, bar and hotel bills can now be enacted without voter approval.

"Elected officials ought to be more forthright with their constituents," Fischer said.

[Coyote]

Senator Proposes Bill To Cut OPS Board To Five Members
Nebraska Legislature opens 2012 session

Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh of Omaha introduced a bill that would decrease the Omaha Public School Board membership from 12 to five. They would still be elected by district as they are now. Members would be paid $20,000, making them the only salaried Board of Education members in the state.

[Coyote]

Lincoln senator would tax soda pop to help fight childhood obesity

Avery introduced a bill (LB753) Wednesday that would no longer allow sugary soft drinks to be classified as food, and thus take away their sales tax exemption. They would join alcoholic beverages, dietary supplements and tobacco as nonfood products.

[Coyote]

Bill targets city occupation taxes

"Current occupation taxes, in my opinion, are sales taxes," Fischer said. "Municipalities have used them for more than 100 years, but things have changed, and we need to look at it." Omaha, for instance, expects to collect $19 million this year from a 2.5 percent occupation tax on restaurant and bar bills. The tax was enacted two years ago to finance a shortfall in police and fire pensions and to pay for city services.

[StreetsOfOmaha]

These threads really need to go into the Nebraska forum, not the Lincoln forum.

[Big E]

I didn't even realize this was in the pipeline:

http://www.omaha.com/article/20120201/NEWS01/702019856

City of Omaha and Douglas County officials would be forced to sit down and talk about merging services under a bill advanced Wednesday by the Nebraska Legislature.

Legislative Bill 344 would require the creation of a commission to review and plan for merging governmental services in the metro area.

[Coyote]

Nebraska entertainment districts bill advances

State Sen. Bill Avery of Lincoln says the city's Haymarket District or arena could benefit from an entertainment district. Kansas City has similar districts, which has helped bolster its downtown.

[iamjacobm]

Nebraska entertainment districts bill advances

State Sen. Bill Avery of Lincoln says the city's Haymarket District or arena could benefit from an entertainment district. Kansas City has similar districts, which has helped bolster its downtown.

This is a no brainer.

[Seth]

Nebraska entertainment districts bill advances

State Sen. Bill Avery of Lincoln says the city's Haymarket District or arena could benefit from an entertainment district. Kansas City has similar districts, which has helped bolster its downtown.

This is a no brainer.

Yeah, but our good 'ol governor has to find time out of his busy tax-cut schedule to even look at development bills like this.