Nebraska lawmakers have easily overturned Gov. Dave Heineman's first veto of the legislative session. 38 state senators voted to override Heineman's veto of a bill (LB867) that will increase to $1,000 the cost of licenses that liquor manufacturers must have to ship liquor into the state. Thirty votes were needed. The current fee of $200 hasn't been changed in nearly 30 years. Sen. Russ Karpisek of Wilber introduced the bill. He says it will increase state revenue by about $500,000 annually. Heineman had said in his veto letter to lawmakers that the increase would place an undue burden on small businesses during a difficult economic period.
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Various members of the Legislature disagree about whether a proposal to eliminate the state treasurer's office in Nebraska would save money. During debate today (Tuesday) on a proposed constitutional amendment (LR284CA), Sen. Dennis Utter of Hastings said money would be saved because existing state agencies can handle jobs now done in the office. Utter introduced the measure, but said he could guarantee only that at least $117,000 - the cost of salary and benefits to the treasurer - would be saved. Sen. Charlie Janssen of Fremont was skeptical that elimination of the office would save money, saying state agencies would likely expand to handle duties formerly done by the office. If approved by lawmakers, the measure would go before voters.
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Lawmakers may tackle the issue of how to pay for solutions to some of the Nebraska's water problems. A legislative committee announced on Tuesday that it had advanced a bill (LB862) to the Legislature that would let more natural resources districts levy per-acre taxes on irrigated farmland. Revenue could be used for measures to boost river flows. If amended as proposed, the bill would allow districts that have developed water-management plans with the state to levy the tax. A current law allows NRDs only in the Republican River basin to levy the tax. But it is not used because of a pending lawsuit that says the law is unconstitutional because it is limited to that basin.
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A bill that would let illegal immigrants and certain legal residents continue to receive state-supported prenatal care will be debated by Nebraska lawmakers. A legislative committee on Tuesday advanced the bill (LB1110) to the full Legislature. Because Gov. Dave Heineman opposes it, lawmakers who support it may have to muster 30 votes to overcome a veto. It takes 25 votes to pass a bill. The bill is a reaction to federal notification late last year that the state had been breaking federal rules by allowing unborn children - not just their mothers - to qualify for Medicaid. That allowed women who didn't qualify for Medicaid to get Medicaid-covered care because their children qualified.
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