How Nebraska’s special legislative session on taxes came about and what to expect

Nebraska lawmakers have introduced more than 100 proposals aimed at easing residents’ soaring property tax bills — from a vast expansion of goods and services subject to the state’s sales tax base to legalizing marijuana to reap new tax revenue.

The Associated Press takes a look at how the special session came about, what to expect from it and which proposals to watch.

Why is the Nebraska Legislature in a special session?

Gov. Jim Pillen recalled state lawmakers to the State Capitol on July 25 after the Legislature failed to pass a property tax relief bill before the regular session that ended April 18.

Soaring housing and land prices in recent years have led to ballooning property tax bills for homeowners and farmers, but some have been hit especially hard, as state law requires residential property to be assessed at nearly 100% of fair market value. That compares with 75% for agricultural land.

Property taxes aren’t collected by the state, but by local governments to pay for services such as public education, police and fire protection and maintenance of infrastructure. As such, state leaders used to avoid any attempts at property tax relief, saying it was a local issue.

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