Short Session of 104th Legislature Has Convened

By Senator Lydia Brasch

Day one of the Second Session of the 104^th Legislature convened on Wednesday, January 6^th and ends April 20^th – a short, 60 day session. Three of my bills from the first session remain in committee: two offer property tax relief; and the third makes a payment system fairer for those seeking modifications of child custody, support, or parenting time whether the parents are married or unmarried.

On day one, I submitted a legislative resolution (LR388) to pay tribute to fallen hero Joseph G. Lemm, who was raised in District 16 and was a 1989 graduate from Beemer High School in West Point. The NYPD detective and staff sergeant in the National Guard passed away on December 21, 2015 from wounds received while serving our country in Afghanistan. We extend condolences to detective Lemm’s family and friends who remain in our thoughts and prayers. The memorial service is Saturday, January 16^th at 1:00 p.m. in the Beemer Elementary School gymnasium.

On day two, as Vice Chairperson of the Transportation Committee, I was invited to a press conference with Governor Ricketts and our committee. During the press conference announce Governor Ricketts announced one of his 2016 legislative agenda items: the creation of a transportation infrastructure bank. The infrastructure bank will be administered by the Nebraska Department of Roads and will help accelerate Nebraska’s roads construction and repair. Simply stated, $150 million will be phased in through cash reserve transfers. More information can be found here: https://governor.nebraska.gov/press/transportation-initiative-accelerate-roads-projects-unveiled-governor-ricketts-chairman-smith. The Governor’s State of the State will be on NET at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 14^th. Also on day two, during the Rules Committee hearing, I testified as a proponent for a rule change that would require senators’ votes for each committee chairperson and for the Speaker to be open to the public.

On day three, bill introduction continued. Presently, I introduced two new bills. The first bill, LB757, increases the amount of personal property that can be exempted for individuals filing bankruptcy. The statute governing exemptions has not been updated in 17 years. Mandating a larger amount for exemptions allows individuals filing bankruptcy to get back on their feet.

The second bill, LB811, was brought to me by the DMV. It eliminates all county numbered license plates in counties over 100,000 people, which are Douglas, Lancaster, and Sarpy. This bill will provide a savings to the state by cutting down on duplicate plates in those counties; and it will also add efficiency to the DMV by eliminating the confusion caused by the duplicates.
We have a new Legislative Aide in my office, Brett Waite, who has a strong background in the Constitution and the sciences. Katie Wattermann, who is from District 16, remains, thankfully, my Administrative Aide. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me or my office via email at lbrasch@leg.ne.gov or via phone at 402-471-2728; or stop by Room 1016 if you are at the Capitol. Legislative sessions and committee hearings are broadcast on NET found here: http://netnebraska.org/basic-page/television/live-demand-state-government.

Lydia Brasch