Lincoln Journal Star. March 21, 2024.
Editorial: Legislature takes 2 steps back on needles, Dreamers
In the past two weeks, the Nebraska Legislature has reversed course on a pair of measures. One would have allowed the children of immigrants who entered the country illegally to serve as law enforcement officers. The other would have cleared the way for needle exchange programs to be established in the state.
In the former, an amendment to LB894 that would have allowed those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status — often called “Dreamers” — to serve as police officers and sheriff’s deputies that had been adopted with 30 votes was stricken from the bill by 25 senators.
In the latter, the Legislature, which had passed Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt’s LB307, the needle exchange bill, with 37 votes on first reading and 30-7 on final reading failed to override Gov. Jim Pillen’s veto.
Seven conservative senators reversed their positions on the needle exchange bill, reflecting the pressure from Pillen’s opposition to the measure while the reversal on the DACA measure was pushed by U.S. Rep. Mike Flood in another GOP assault on the Obama administration-created DACA program.
Those reversals are lamentable. Needle exchange programs have proven to be effective in the vast majority of states, and DACA recipients have served as law enforcement officers in several states without legal controversy.
With only a few days left in the legislative session, it’s unlikely that either measure can see more action this session. That is, in a sense, another victory for Pillen and some conservatives. But it is a loss for the state that should be reconsidered by legislators next year.
Halloran investigation warranted
Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings went beyond the pale when he invoked the names of Omaha Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh and John Cavanaugh, as well as Sen. George Dungan, as he read a graphic description of a rape from a book on the legislative floor Monday.
Roundly condemned by senators across the political spectrum, Halloran is now under investigation for workplace harassment by a panel of three senators, who will hire an outside investigator to assist them.
That investigation shouldn’t take long. Halloran’s speech, which made national news, took place in public, is recorded and, regardless of his excuses and explanations, is indefensible.
That should allow the probe to be completed and Halloran to be deservedly and strongly censured for his comments before the legislative session ends and his term-limited service wraps up in January.
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North Platte Telegraph. March 23, 2024.
Editorial: Obscene spectacle in Unicam merits censure of many
We must be better than this.
This applies to so many after this week’s Unicameral debate on Legislative Bill 441, the stated aim of which was to limit exposure of children to obscene content in Nebraska’s school and public libraries.
We must start with state Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings, who decided Monday night that the best way to fight obscenity was to visit obscenity upon three opposing lawmakers — one of them a mother — by reading an explicit rape description out loud while citing those lawmakers by name.
He was deeply wrong. That sort of thing often triggers excruciatingly painful flashbacks for rape victims or their loved ones, including some of the senators — male and female — who heard it in person.
We condemn what Halloran did. Full stop.
We also condemn the elected officials of both major parties who keep enabling such spectacles by being willing tools in turning U.S. and state capitol buildings into electoral gladiatorial arenas.
Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad diagnosed the real purpose of the LB 441 debate: “We are twisting ourselves in knots to address a political issue.”
That said, Democrats and Republicans alike indulged in frantic histrionics. Republicans and Democrats alike relish the culture wars, no matter how much their leaders tell you they alone are the wronged ones.
Winning elections is the goal of both major parties. Not solving problems. They’re destroying our nation.
Will we ever elect enough people determined to make them stop?
But we Nebraskans and Americans have created this situation over decades by electing slaves to the parties who are bent on doing anything but making things better.
As to the issue behind LB 441 itself?
Humans have misbehaved or harmed each other sexually (and countless other ways) forever. We once had more of an American moral consensus to inform our consciences about which types of behavior — sexual or otherwise, consensual or otherwise — are destructive and unacceptable. No more.
Sadly, our children need information, before adulthood, about how to avoid bad decisions and protect themselves from sexual predators. If they’re victimized, they need to know they’re not alone and are loved.
But at what point does it help more than hurt children, in that educational process, to expose them to sexually explicit descriptions, explanations or depictions?
Not before the teen years, we think. If that’s happening in our libraries before that age, that’s indeed a big problem.
But neither should we be throwing librarians in jail, a result that LB 441 would have made more likely.
The result inevitably would be what we’ve seen in other states and in other eras: the suppression of books and library materials out of fear or for dubious reasons. That is a First Amendment mockery.
That won’t happen now, because senators Wednesday killed LB 441 by failing to break a filibuster. It’s now up to them to say “enough is enough” by censuring Halloran for his actions.
They need to look in the mirror, though. As do party leaders. As do we all.
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McCook Gazette. March 22, 2024.
Editorial: LB 388 continues to raise questions about many issues
The good news, LB 388 advanced by a legislative committee, is projected to lower school property taxes by more than half.
The bad news? It would raise the state sales tax by up to a penny, although that might not be necessary. Oh, and it’ll actually cost you more to buy soda and candy and have your dog groomed.
The bill is designed to deliver about two-thirds of the $1 billion savings sought by Gov. Jim Pillen, but he called its advancement “historic and transformational” and a “once in a lifetime” chance at property tax relief.
Besides lowering local school taxes by half and raising sales taxes by up to 1 cent, other highlights of the bill include eliminating sales tax exemptions on pop and candy, pet grooming, some advertising, state lottery tickets and raising taxes on gambling and smoking-related items such as vaping, cigarettes, synthetic marijuana and CBD. It would do away with the under-used taxpayer state tax credits and send about $500 directly to school districts, cap revenue growth, cap spending by cities and counties except for EMS and corrections and eliminate sales taxes on residential utility bills.
So what are the issues?
Critics argue that the proposal shifts the tax burden from property taxes to sales taxes. This could disproportionately affect low-income families who spend a higher proportion of their income on goods subject to sales tax.
Conservative groups like the American for Prosperity Nebraska oppose the proposal, viewing it as the largest tax increase in Nebraska’s history rather than genuine tax relief.
Some conservative senators, such as Kearney Sen. John Lowe and Bayard Sen. Steve Erdman, have voiced their opposition to a shift in taxes. Erdman is even pushing for an initiative petition drive for the EPIC consumption tax to replace all state and local taxes.
The Platte Institute, typically supportive of tax relief, issued a statement against the proposal, stating that increasing the sales tax rate and extending taxation to business inputs like advertising is a step in the wrong direction.
Increasing the sales tax rate and eliminating exemptions could affect consumer spending and business operations. Businesses may face higher costs, and consumers may cut back on spending, impacting overall economic activity.
Tax increases on items like cigarettes, vaping products, and gambling could have various effects, including potential decreases in consumption, black market activity, or cross-border shopping.
Implementing changes to tax rates and exemptions can add complexity to tax administration and compliance for businesses and government agencies.
Changes to tax policy can have unintended consequences, such as changes in consumer behavior, economic distortions, or impacts on government revenues.
While the proposal includes exemptions for residential utility bills to help low-income families, there may still be concerns about the overall equity of the tax changes and their impact on different income groups.
There may be questions about the long-term fiscal sustainability of the proposed tax changes and whether they adequately address the underlying issues driving property tax burdens and revenue needs in the state.
Overall, the proposal raises various concerns and considerations that policymakers need to address in evaluating its potential impacts and desirability.
END