The short 60-day legislative session starting Wednesday means lawmakers have to make choices on introducing new bills, and State Sen. Brian Hardin is no exception, having reduced 40 proposals to just three for introduction.
Even so, Hardin says lawmakers need to continue making progress on reforming the property tax, as that tax continues to be a significant drag on economic development and growth in Nebraska.
The Gering lawmaker says high property tax rates continue to drive two key demographics out of the state: “Those who graduate, and I mean either high school or college, three out of four of them are leaving the state, and that’s the workforce of tomorrow. Those are the taxpayers of tomorrow,” said Hardin. “The other group that’s leaving in large measure are our seniors. They’re looking at it and saying, I paid for this house years and years ago, and I still put aside ‘x’ number of dollars every month because I have to pay these property taxes, and that amount of money looks like my original mortgage.”
Hardin tells KNEB News the biggest of his three new measures would be a bill aimed at foreign land ownership in Nebraska, specifically involving our nation’s adversaries, such as China, Russia and Iran. Especially with the Sentinel missile project soon to get underway centered on Kimball, he said it will be an era of “watchful vigilance” in the Panhandle for as long as that project goes on.
Regarding any other new measures, Hardin says anything with a new appropriation is really a non-starter during the short session, as spending priorities were already set during the 2023 session.
He also expects another floor fight over LB575, the Sports and Spaces Act sponsored by Lincoln Sen. Kathleen Kauth. That measure would ban biological males from using women’s restrooms and locker rooms, as well as prevent them from playing on girl’s athletic teams. Hardin says lawmakers are interested in protecting kids, not only those yet to be born, but also those being impacted by trends driven heavily through social media.
