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Expensive Special Legislative Session Underway

Jim Pillen, center, talks about his campaign after receiving an endorsement from Gov. Pete Ricketts, right, on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at the state Capitol in Lincoln, Neb. According to the AP, Pillen won the Republican primary May 10.
Grant Schulte
/
AP
Jim Pillen, center, talks about his campaign after receiving an endorsement from Gov. Pete Ricketts, right, on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, at the state Capitol in Lincoln, Neb. According to the AP, Pillen won the Republican primary May 10.

Nebraska lawmakers have kicked off a special legislative session called by Republican Gov. Jim Pillen with a directive to slash soaring property taxes in half. But there appears to be no consensus among legislators on how to do that. Pillen called the special session after lawmakers were unable to agree on his less ambitious proposal during the regular session to cut property taxes by 40%. Pillen’s newest plan would vastly expand the number of goods and services subject to new taxes, including candy and soda and services like pet grooming and auto repairs. Most groceries and medicine would remain exempt. In less than an hour, Nebraska senators introduced five legislative resolutions and twenty bills with no debate. One bill proposes the School District Property Tax Relief Act, which would provide more than 560-dollars in tax relief starting in 2024. If approved, 30-million dollars would be added to that number each following year. Another proposal would add an income tax credit for renters. Meanwhile, The current special session of the Nebraska Legislature is expected to be the most expensive ever. WOWT reports that the session will cost taxpayers 16-thousand-dollars per day. A 13-day special legislative session in 2021 cost taxpayers 105-thousand-dollars.