Latest news with #vonGillern
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmaker claims ‘good life' changes could avert taxpayer ‘devastation'
A rendering of a water park under construction in Bellevue that will anchor its good life district near the intersection of Highways 75 and 34. The Legislature on Tuesday advanced a bill to further clarify and add guardrails to the existing good life laws. (Courtesy of City of Bellevue) LINCOLN — If the third time's a charm, Nebraska lawmakers might finally have clear guidelines to pull off a handful of 'good life districts' envisioned as a way to bring 'transformational' change and unique tourism to the state. On Tuesday, the Nebraska Legislature voted 37-0 to advance an amended Legislative Bill 707, intended to update, clarify and add guardrails to a pair of previously adopted laws: the Good Life Transformational Projects Act of 2023 and the related cleanup bill enacted the following year. State Sen. Brad von Gillern, chair of the Legislature's Revenue Committee, said the latest attempt to fix 'cracks' in the laws governing up to five statewide good life districts was complicated and time-consuming but now projects a $3.6 million savings for the state over the next two years at a time when lawmakers grapple with a budget shortfall. Lawmakers have heard concerns about potential changes to the laws from developers of approved good life districts. But more recent objections came, they said Tuesday, from west Omaha's Avenue One district. Developer Curt Hofer, who is leading that estimated $1.4 billion project site, did not return a reporter's phone call Tuesday. Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers signed off on proposed changes, von Gillern told colleagues who pressed him about legal ramifications to clarifications made after agreements were approved. Von Gillern said that if developers had problems with changes, they'd have to take those matters up with the attorney general or the Nebraska Department of Revenue. 'I think we came up with a good landing point,' von Gillern told the Nebraska Examiner. 'Most parties were satisfied with the outcome today.' He said the intent was to ensure that the districts achieve their intended purpose: to foster transformational economic developments that in the long run will be a boon to the state in the form of increased sales tax revenue. 'There were serious concerns from multiple parties that the good life district program was simply handing a blank check to development groups with little to no assurance that the state would reap a fair return on its investment,' von Gillern said. He said LB 707 would steer the state away from 'possibly devastating' financial impact. LB 707 now moves forward to a third and final reading, with several amendments approved Tuesday. Among those were changes submitted on behalf of the Cities of Grand Island and Bellevue, which represent two of the four good life districts approved so far by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. Bellevue, for example, objected to language that would require it to go back and hold a special election. State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue said the district is underway, and that would introduce 'unnecessary costs, uncertainty and risk' of delay or cancellation. In addition to Omaha's Avenue One, the other approved district includes and surrounds Gretna's Nebraska Crossing shopping center. Kearney and Papillion are vying to be designated as the final of five districts allowed under the law. Problems with the current good life legislation were spotlighted in, but not limited to, the Gretna area district, which is the largest and most high-profile of the four approved. Among the controversy was how more than $2.2 million in state sales tax revenue was lost as progress on the Gretna district was stymied. The host city and Nebraska Crossing owner Rod Yates, whose application established that district's boundaries, deadlocked over terms for his multibillion dollar mega sports-themed vision. Yates demanded concessions that Gretna officials said put taxpayers at financial risk. As designed, the good life law created a major incentive: State sales taxes imposed within good life districts were to be cut in half, from 5.5% to 2.75%. The idea was to recapture the difference to help finance unique entertainment and shopping districts that over time would draw more tourism for the state. Gov. Jim Pillen earlier this year proposed clawing back an annual $5 million in state incentives budgeted to help development in good life districts. Even the law's primary champion and architect, former State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of the Elkhorn area, criticized how the legislation was being carried out. Von Gillern said the amended LB 707 proposes a dozen key fixes to address what had been identified as flaws. He said, for example, his team caught on to a 'scheme' that would have allowed sales tax revenue from retailers nearly a mile away from the current Omaha good life district boundaries to go to a developer. 'It's not right …we fixed that,' von Gillern said. 'It's not right that a developer could have relocated a substantial ongoing business to their new development and then capture half of the sales tax revenue,' von Gillern said. 'We fixed that.' Changes include: Prohibited use of eminent domain. That became a conflict in Gretna, when Yates suggested that the city force acquisition of other property so that he could control the entire district. Language allowing multiple developers, essentially sub-good life districts or project areas, within a district. A $5 million cap on annual sales tax income that a developer can capture from retailers already in a good life district. That applies to Grand Island and Gretna, von Gillern said, which have pre-existing stores within approved boundaries. Defining a 'new to market' retailer as one not existing within 40 miles of the district. (New business and tourism is required to qualify for the tax incentive.) Requiring that tax-exempt owners within a district still pay sales tax on construction materials. Von Gillern denied what he said were accusations that the effort seemed aimed to kill an existing or future project. He said he has spent a career in real estate development and that the Legislature's recommended changes represent an attempt to 'check aspects of projects that threaten to take advantage of Nebraska taxpayers for no other purpose than to satisfy private interests.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill targeting Nebraska business incentives advances with some shifts, after an intense exchange
State Sen. Brad von Gillern of the Elkhorn area is chair of the Legislature's Revenue Committee, which is targeting business incentives and proposing other program cuts to help address the state's projected budget deficit. July 29, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — A revised bill aimed at plugging Nebraska's budget gap by about $51 million, largely by clawing back several business incentives, sparked intense exchanges and nearly three hours of debate Thursday before it advanced another lawmaking step. Legislative Bill 650 is one way the Legislature's Revenue Committee proposes to help address the state's projected biennial budget shortfall, said committee chair State Sen. Brad von Gillern of the Elkhorn area, who introduced the bill. He told lawmakers that the committee used a 'last-in-first-out' approach in targeting initiatives previously approved by the Legislature and Gov. Jim Pillen. He said the package scales back or repeals incentives and programs the committee believed would have the least negative impact on a typical taxpayer. 'We opted to target business incentives and steer around consumer items as much as possible,' von Gillern said. 'In other words, these rollbacks are unlikely to hit the pocketbooks of most everyday Nebraskans.' State Sen. Bob Hallstrom of Syracuse challenged that assertion, however, in successfully seeking an amendment to save a newly passed law that eliminated a tax on providers that lease space on cell phone towers. Hallstrom argued that such a tax, which under LB 650 would have equated to about $4 million for the state over two years, likely would be passed on as a cost to cell phone users. 'It will send a chilling signal to providers considering where to invest next, and it will undercut our shared goal across party lines of expanding broadband access to every corner of Nebraska,' said Hallstrom. His amendment passed on a 30-10 vote. Two other successful amendments by von Gillern on Thursday in effect added more anticipated savings by further paring back an employer relocation incentive program and a rural development program, putting the latest total impact of LB 650 at about $51 million, he said. That's down from the $71 million von Gillern attached to the package earlier this month. He said that earlier projection was partly based on faulty timelines, as certain rollbacks can't begin in the middle of a fiscal year. The $51 million is also down from the $140 million worth of clawbacks and program revisions that Pillen sought in his original budget proposal, von Gillern noted. He said the package reflects a 'good compromise' made as the committee sought to respond to stakeholder groups yet address a budget shortfall. As of Thursday, the state's projected deficit over two years stands at $457 million, as the Legislature's Appropriation Committee works to whittle that to zero. Among programs scaled back or repealed by LB 650, and related estimated savings over two fiscal years, according to the Department of Revenue and an update by von Gillern: A credit to retailers for collecting sales tax ($11.7 million). Renewable Chemical Production Tax Credit Act ($8.5 million) Relocation Incentive Act ($8 million) Nebraska Advantage Rural Development Act ($7.3 million) Nebraska Biodiesel Tax Credit Act ($1 million) Creating High Impact Economic Futures, or the CHIEF Act ($900,000) Cast and Crew Nebraska Act ($500,000) Income tax credit for food donations ($500,000) Nebraska Shoreline Rail Modernization Act ($500,000) Reverse Osmosis System Tax Credit Act ($250,000) Urban Redevelopment Act ($101,000) Also included is a rollback of a buyer-based exemption ($12.9 million), which was championed two years ago by von Gillern. It allowed an organization's tax-exempt status to be used in certain circumstances by a purchasing agent for that group. LB 650 passed to its final round of debate with a 34-5 vote. State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, who was among the five 'no' votes, reiterated criticism that the state is in a position of having to 'beg, borrow and steal' because of a 'self-created' budget deficit fueled by the Pillen administration-led 'inequitable, unsustainable tax cuts for the largest corporations and the wealthiest individuals.' But the most scorching moments of the debate came after State Sen. Bob Andersen of north-central Sarpy County called State Sen. Terrell McKinney of North Omaha to the microphone. He noted McKinney's repeated request to save millions of state dollars by canceling the planned construction of a new prison. Andersen suggested that some of the budget deficit could be resolved instead by redirecting the millions of dollars appropriated for a North Omaha area business park. McKinney told Andersen that it seemed as though he had 'a problem that North and South Omaha received dollars.' Andersen responded: 'Those are your words. … My perspective is, there's money that was allocated for COVID relief that is being used for economic development, and that's misappropriation of funds. That money should be brought back.' Andersen left the chamber as McKinney continued and requested that Andersen return to hear him out. He did not immediately return. 'Do you want to see communities like North and South Omaha impoverished for eternity? That's what it sounds like to me,' McKinney said. 'And you probably would be happy to see little Black kids poor for the rest of their lives; little Latino kids poor for the rest of their lives … making sure businesses that are owned by Black and Latino business owners are not as successful.' Andersen did not respond to a reporter who asked if he had further comment. Conrad, responding to the exchange during debate, said that federal COVID-19 relief funds were intended to address communities hit hardest during the pandemic. She said communities with high poverty and communities of color were hit 'particularly hard' and that there was legislative intent to ensure those federal dollars had a direct connection to those communities. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lawmakers approve no longer issuing front-facing license plates in Nebraska by 2029
"The Genius of Creative Energy," a mosaic at the Nebraska State Capitol, was unveiled as the backdrop for the new state license plate in May 2022. A new license plate cycle will begin in 2029, bringing a new design and changes to registration. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — By the start of Nebraska's next license plate cycle in 2029, the state could only issue drivers a rear-facing license plate and allow multiyear registrations. State lawmakers gave near-unanimous approval Thursday, on a 46-0 vote, to approve Legislative Bill 97 led by State Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha. It included the new license plate change from State Sen. Brad von Gillern of the Elkhorn area (originally LB 297) and the multiyear registration allowance from State Sen. Rob Dover of Norfolk (originally LB 543). Von Gillern said he brought his change partly because it is often the 'norm' for new cars to no longer have brackets or mounts for front-facing license plates. He said that means some new car owners are left with three options: Pay the car dealership an average of $100 to furnish and install a front plate holder. Pay a $50 annual fee for a windshield decal conferring the right to display just a rear plate. Drill holes in the front bumper of someone's 'dream' car. Von Gillern said his bill, originally LB 297, could save taxpayer dollars by not issuing dual license plates to about 2 million vehicles in the state. Nebraskans currently pay $4.10 per license plate, leading to potential savings of about $8 million. Nebraskans incarcerated at the Nebraska State Penitentiary manufacture state plates. New car buyers could also save about $6 million to $8 million, von Gillern estimated. His bill could also have an environmental benefit, von Gillern said, reducing 200 tons of aluminum mined. At least 26 other states no longer require front-facing plates. Law enforcement officials from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and the Omaha Police Officer's Association have testified neutral or in support of similar legislation in recent years. Von Gillern's proposal was added to LB 97 during first-round debate in a 30-5 vote. Under Dover's bill, auto owners could pay up to three years of registration taxes or fees in advance, giving them the chance to save if local taxes or fees increased in future years. Lawmakers during debate Thursday also passed LB 113 from State Sen. Dan Quick of Grand Island, which would allow licensed craft breweries to operate up to eight separate retail locations (up from five) and allow such license holders to directly sell for resale up to 3,500 gallons of microdistilled products (up from 500 gallons) each year to retail licensees in the state. State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln led opposition to the bill, as she's done during each of the bill's three stages of debate. She alleged it would give 'preferential treatment' to in-state operators compared to out-of-state or regional distributors, risking a lawsuit. 'It is only a matter of time that some regional distributor that plays by all the rules and adheres to the regulations and standards gets frustrated and files a lawsuit,' Raybould said. The longtime grocery store executive sought an attorney general's opinion on whether LB 113 could increase the risk of a lawsuit against the state's craft brewery laws on the grounds of violating the constitutional clause about regulating commerce over state lines. Raybould argued the lawsuit could undo some of the state's other alcohol-related laws. Quick told his colleagues to remember that they were discussing Nebraska small businesses and that lawmakers had added an earlier amendment to protect other statutes if LB 113 was ever challenged and ruled unconstitutional. 'This is a good bill,' Quick said. 'It will help a lot of our Nebraska businesses grow their business model.' State Sen. Tanya Storer of Whitman also defended the proposal. She said it had gone through 'significant compromises' from its original version and was 'just government allowing someone to distribute their own product to the retail market without being forced to pay a middleman some fee to distribute that for them.' The bill passed 33-13 — six senators were present but did not vote, which, under a legislative rule adopted earlier this year for final reading votes, meant their votes had to be categorized as 'no' votes. The Legislature also approved Thursday: LB 390, from State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, to require that public schools by the start of the 2026-27 school year publicly catalog all library books by school building. Parents could opt-in to be notified via email of when their child checks out a book, including the title, author name and the book due date. It passed 34-14. LB 457, from State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, to cap out-of-pocket costs for medically necessary epinephrine injectors, such as EpiPens, to no more than $60 for a two-pack. It also would require the state's health and education agencies to create model policies for schools and licensed child care programs for responding to severe allergic reactions, or anaphylaxis. It passed 47-1. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
