Special Session Put On Hold While Pillen Criticizes "Time Wasting" Legislators

The Nebraska Legislature's special session is on hold for the next few days. Lawmakers were set to begin debating the latest tax reform plan today, but the chair of the Revenue Committee requested that the session be adjourned until Monday. Speaker of the Legislature John Arch says State Senator Lou Ann Linehan noted that the Committee Amendment needs additional work. The amendment would provide a 35-percent cut in property taxes, and provide one-point-eight-billion dollars into public education while capping the school levy rate at 35 cents per dollar. Meanwhile, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen is criticizing a small group of state senators. The governor released a statement yesterday accusing the group of "baseless and time-wasting tactics" during the special session. Pillen called the special session last month and requested that lawmakers come up with ways to reduce state property taxes by 50-percent.