A Lot of Bills

We’ve only got a couple of more days of bill introductions, and you can tell that by the sheer numbers that are getting tossed into the bin.  Lots of bills were introduced today.  Two that we’re watching especially closely right now: LR 292, a legislative resolution sponsored by Sen. Tony Fulton; and LB 261 sponsored by Sen. Rogert.

LR 292 is a “sovereignty resolution” which will have little real effect–but which is a nice step in the direction of getting people to talk about states’ rights and state sovereignty.  We generally support this, and encourage our friends and members to let their Senators know that they’d like to see this resolution passed.

LB 261 is potentially dangerous–it provides for machine reading of drivers’ license information (found on the scan bar on the back of the license) by retailers.  While in and of itself it seems harmless enough, since anytime you write a check, or if you are carded buying liquor or tobacco, you will show the clerk your license, one worry is that this becomes an easy way to create a database by businesses that perhaps shouldn’t have that access.

Welcome Back. 2010 Session

Welcome back to NebraskaLiberty’s Unicam Watch.  We’ve got a group of a dozen concerned citizens reading bills as they’re introduced, and will soon start posting here regularly.

Our freedoms at the national level are being threatened, but early bill readings suggest that we need to pay careful attention to what’s going on in Lincoln.  Legislators who don’t have money to spend, seem to be intent on creating new regulations that will affect all of us, and impose unfunded mandates on other levels of government.  Be sure to check back often!

More Learning Community Bills in Committee This Week

Two bills relating to the learning community (ok “learning communities” but we all know there’s only one) are being discussed in a Revenue Committee hearing this Thursday.

One is Sen. Scott Price’s LB418, which I have blogged about before here.  I encourage everyone who cares about tax fairness in Douglas and Sarpy counties to attend the hearing and support this bill or at least contct your senator and register your support.

LB521, introduced by Sen. Dave Pankonin of District 2 (Louisville) authorizes the Learning Community to levy another quarter cent of property tax per 100,000 valuation, on top of the levies they are already authorised, for “general fund” purposes. It also changes the current reduction in state aid for school districts in the learning community from 50% to 10%. It appears to me that the net effect of this is that the learning community school districts will get more money from the state at large (although still not as much as before the learning community was thrust upon us) while Douglas and Sarpy property owners will have their property taxes hiked for the learning community’s “general fund” purposes.  There’s no statement of intent posted for this bill so I’m not quite sure what Sen. Pankonin is trying to achieve here.

Hearing details are: Thursday, March 26th at 1:30pm in room 1524.

Public Risk for Private Profit – Here We Go Again

Government-business partnerships are the bane of liberty, but some people in the Unicameral don’t seem to understand this. Several  bills before the Revenue Committee today are aimed at enabling counties to set up special districts with tax authority to fund the building of “Entertainment and Sports Attractions”. They also want to let these districts get some of the revenue from cigarette taxes.

These bills are tailor-made for Sarpy County’s latest boondoggle. Wake up Sarpy County! Those who wish to ride you are trying to saddle you with a stadium, and they’re trying to get help from the Unicameral to do it.

The bills are LB615, 616, 617, and 618, introduced by Abbie Cornett of Bellevue. The hearing is today! If you have a senator on this committee, let them know what you think of this government-corporate cronyism.

Update 3/23/09:  This a good summary of the hearing for these bills. There is some establishment opposition so they are not a done deal.

The Health Nazis Are At It Again!

Now they want to outlaw smoking in your car. Not to worry though, it’s For The Children.

According to LB93, it “shall be unlawful for an individual to operate or be an occupant in a motor vehicle while smoking if an individual under sixteen years of age is an occupant in the motor vehicle.” This classic piece of nanny-state nazism, introduced by Sen. Gwen Howard of District 9 (Omaha), would impose a $50-to-$150 fine on anyone who violates this law and it appears to be a primary offense, meaning that you can be pulled over specifically for this.

This bill will be discussed by the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee at a hearing tomorrow, March 10, at 1:30pm in room 1113.

Resist the encroaching Totalitarian State! Contact your senator and let them know you won’t tolerate this tyranny! Better yet, go to the hearing and have your say!

LB260 – Vote on Monday

FYI, LB260 – Nebraska Claims for Wrongful Conviction and Imprisonment Act, is at the top of the agenda for a vote on Monday.

Free the Bikers!

Motorcycle and moped riders will no longer be required to wear helmets in Nebraska under a new helmet law introduced by Sen. Charlie Janssen of District 15 (Fremont). Show your support for biker liberty at a hearing on LB200 before the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee this Tuesday, March 3, at 1:30pm in room 1113.

Arrested by the… National Guard!?!?

The ever-thinning line between the military and domestic law enforcement will be erased altogether in Nebraska if Sen. Bill Avery of District 28 (Lincoln) has his way. According to section 6 of LB550, a new addition to the state’s Military Code, “While in the active service of the state or on orders under 32 U.S.C., as a member of the militia of this state or another state, by direction or request of the Governor, members of the National Guard are peace officers and conservators of the peace with the power to keep the same, to prevent crime, to arrest any person liable thereto, or to execute process of law.”

Is this the end of Posse Comitatus in Nebraska?

This bill is being considered by the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, Room 1507, at 1:30 p.m. this Thursday, Feb 26th.

Creeping Prohibition?

Or just another tool in the arsenal of the control freaks?

LB605 has some disturbing implications for those who value property rights. According to the Statement of Intent, it “would allow for additional weight to be given to support or opposition of businesses and residents within 500 feet and neighborhood associations within 100 feet of a liquor license application. The Liquor Control Commission may use this opposition as the sole reason for denial of a license” [emphasis added]. Aside from the fact that the mere existence of a “Liquor Control Commission”  with all it’s attendant encumbrances and opportunities for cronyism is an affront to liberty, this bill removes even the pretence of a fair and objective consideration of an applicant’s ability to be a “responsible” vendor of alcohol.

This bill, introduced by Sen. Gwen Howard of District 9 (Omaha), is being considered by the General Affairs Committee this Monday, Feb 23rd, at 1:30pm in room 1510.

Learning Community Hearings on Monday

Monday is a big day for those concerned about the tax issues raised by the Learning Community law that took effect this year. Three bills being considered by the Education Committee (Room 1525, 1:30pm) appear to address some of these issues.

LB22, introduced by Sen. Mike Friend of District 10 (Omaha),  is a bill “to eliminate the double-taxation of school districts in a learning community by removing the taxing authority of Educational Service Units that are comprised of those districts”, according to his Statement of Intent.

LB387 eliminates the ability the of a learning community to levy taxes for the general fund budgets and special building funds of the member districts and lets them levy their own taxes for these purposes just like all the other school districts. It also changes the law regarding calculation of distribution of state aid to school districts so that so that all districts are  treated the same regardless of their membership in a learning community. This bill was introduced by Tim Gay of District 14 (Papillion).

And last but not least is LB391, the main thrust of which takes the responsibility for distributing the collected learning community tax revenues to the school districts away from the learning community and gives it to the county treasurers. There is also an adjustment to the formula used to calculate the distribution. This bill was introduced by Sen. Greg Adams of District 24 (York). There’s a better summary of this bill in the Fiscal Note.