Nebraska lawmakers working with Gov. Jim Pillen ahead of special session for property taxes

According to Sen. Jacobson, 17 lawmakers are trying to craft a plan that'll be brought to the upcoming special session

According to Sen. Jacobson, 17 lawmakers are trying to craft a plan that'll be brought to the upcoming special session

BACK TO YOU. ALL RIGHT, BILL, THANKS. GOVERNOR JIM PILLEN HAS CALLED HIS PROPERTY TAX RELIEF PROBE PROPOSAL A LIVING, BREATHING DOCUMENT. THAT MEANS IT’S NOT SET IN STONE. TODAY, LAWMAKERS TELL KETV MORE THAN A DOZEN SENATORS WERE AT THE GOVERNOR’S MANSION WORKING THROUGH DETAILS. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S BILL SCHAMMERT ON THE LIVE DESK. BILL. JULIE. ROB. WE ARE NOW 17 DAYS AWAY FROM THE LIKELY SPECIAL SESSION. GOVERNOR PILLEN HAS SAID THE SINGULAR FOCUS WILL BE ON REDUCING TAXES. KATIE FIRST TOLD YOU ABOUT HIS PLAN A WEEK AGO. HE WANTS TO PAY FOR K THROUGH 12 SCHOOLS. EVERYTHING EXCEPT BUILDINGS AND BONDS WITH THE STATE’S BUDGET TO DO THAT, LAWMAKERS NEED TO FIND $1.8 BILLION IN NEW FUNDING AND BUDGET CHANGES. THIS IS 17 STATE SENATORS THAT ARE COMING UP WITH A PLAN THAT HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET CONSENSUS ON, AND THEN IT’S GOING TO TAKE THE REST OF THE BODY TO KIND OF GET THEIR INPUT AND TELL US WHERE WE WANT TO GO. THAT GROUP MET TODAY. SENATOR MIKE JACOBSON SAYS THIS WILL BE A NET TAX REDUCTION IN THE END, A REMINDER OF WHERE PILLEN IS PROPOSING HE’LL GET THE FUNDING MORE THAN $1 BILLION FROM EXPANDING THE SALES TAX BASE AND REMOVING CERTAIN EXEMPTIONS. THAT’S EVERYTHING FROM BUSINESS AND AG INPUTS LIKE BUYING TRACTORS AND ENERGY TO LEGAL SERVICES AND DOG GROOMING. UP TO HALF A BILLION WOULD COME FROM STATE EFFICIENCIES, LIKE ELIMINATING VACANT JOBS AND DIPPING INTO THE CASH RESERVE. ABOUT 200 MILLION WOULD COME FROM SIN TAX INCREASES. STUFF LIKE CIGARETTES, VAPING, HARD LIQUOR AND THEN ADDING POP AND CANDY TO THE SALES TAX ROLL. WE ARE SITTING DOWN WITH LAWMAKERS WHO OPPOSED PILLANS ORIGINAL PLAN THAT FAILED TO GET ENOUGH VOTES THI

Nebraska lawmakers working with Gov. Jim Pillen ahead of special session for property taxes

According to Sen. Jacobson, 17 lawmakers are trying to craft a plan that'll be brought to the upcoming special session

A group of lawmakers is working with Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen to craft property tax relief bills that'll be proposed in the upcoming special session, according to Sen. Mike Jacobson, who was seen leaving the governor's residence on Monday. "Clearly, property taxes are a problem," Jacobson said. Jacobson said there are 17 lawmakers in the working group and that he expects they'll meet again before the special session, which he believes will start on July 25. READ MORE: Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen intends to call special session for property taxes at end of July"There's been a lot of good ideas," he said. "It's a good cross-section of legislators in this group. The exchange has been good."KETV first told you about Pillen's plan to eliminate the local portion of K-12 education, except for bonds and special taxes that appear on Nebraskans' property tax bills. To do so, the governor and this group need to find about $1.8 billion in new funding and budget changes. "This issue isn't going to go away," Jacobson said. "I don't think we'll solve the entire problem in the special session. I'm confident we'll get it figured out."Jacobson expects multiple bills to be introduced by this group and others. Pillen has said he hopes to pay for his plan by eliminating certain sales tax exemptions, finding state efficiencies, and increasing so-called sin taxes. Tax policy group Open Sky Policy said it doesn't believe the plan will work. They call it "unprecedented" and a tax burden to middle-income Nebraskans and businesses. "People saying this is a tax shift — to some extent, it's a shift, but there's also cuts to state spending, savings, and synergies, so this will be a net tax reduction when we get done," Jacobson told KETV.KETV is sitting down with Omaha metro lawmakers who disagreed with Pillen's original property tax plan, which failed to get enough votes during the spring, this week. That story is scheduled to air on Thursday. Click here for the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7

LINCOLN, Neb. —

"Clearly, property taxes are a problem," Jacobson said.

Jacobson said there are 17 lawmakers in the working group and that he expects they'll meet again before the special session, which he believes will start on July 25.

READ MORE: Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen intends to call special session for property taxes at end of July

"There's been a lot of good ideas," he said. "It's a good cross-section of legislators in this group. The exchange has been good."

KETV first told you about Pillen's plan to eliminate the local portion of K-12 education, except for bonds and special taxes that appear on Nebraskans' property tax bills.

To do so, the governor and this group need to find about $1.8 billion in new funding and budget changes.

"This issue isn't going to go away," Jacobson said. "I don't think we'll solve the entire problem in the special session. I'm confident we'll get it figured out."

Jacobson expects multiple bills to be introduced by this group and others.

Pillen has said he hopes to pay for his plan by eliminating certain sales tax exemptions, finding state efficiencies, and increasing so-called sin taxes.

Tax policy group Open Sky Policy said it doesn't believe the plan will work. They call it "unprecedented" and a tax burden to middle-income Nebraskans and businesses.

"People saying this is a tax shift — to some extent, it's a shift, but there's also cuts to state spending, savings, and synergies, so this will be a net tax reduction when we get done," Jacobson told KETV.

KETV is sitting down with Omaha metro lawmakers who disagreed with Pillen's original property tax plan, which failed to get enough votes during the spring, this week.

That story is scheduled to air on Thursday.

Click here for the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7

Nebraska lawmakers working with Gov. Jim Pillen ahead of special session for property taxes

According to Sen. Jacobson, 17 lawmakers are trying to craft a plan that'll be brought to the upcoming special session

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