Greetings from your State Capitol. The Legislature is nearly two thirds of the way through the second session of the 107th Legislature. Each meeting of a Legislature is divided into two sessions over two years. The first session of a Legislature can last no longer than 90 days and the second session can last no longer than 60 days. The State’s biennial budget is set during the 90 day session and budget adjustments are worked through during the 60 day session.

Standing Committees have finished their public hearings on bills and the Legislature is now meeting in the morning and afternoons for the remainder of the session. The Speaker has also scheduled several “late night” days. Given that this is a short 60 day session, focus will be entirely on priority bills and finalizing budget adjustments.

The budget discussion, however, will be somewhat different than in sessions past due to the onetime, $1.04 billion the State of Nebraska received through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The Governor and Senators including me, have offered several creative proposals for the use of these one-time funds. I have proposed using $20 million to go to the State’s Rural Workforce Housing Investment Act, and $25 million towards a companion building to the USDA building that will be constructed on the University of Nebraska Innovation Campus. Among the Governor's proposals for use of the ARPA funds are two significant water projects.

One proposal would allocate $200 million to build a new lake in Eastern Nebraska. The other proposal would allocate $100 million to the Perkins County Canal Project in Western Nebraska that would divert Platte River water due to Nebraska under a compact between Nebraska and Colorado.

In other news, the state’s Economic Forecasting Board met recently and projected an additional estimated $700 million coming into the State’s coffers. These additional funds will help the Legislature on decisions related to income tax cuts, phasing out the State’s income tax on Social Security benefits, and fully funding the property tax income tax credit.

I would like to take this opportunity to again wish good luck to the teams competing in the Nebraska State Basketball Tournament. Congratulations to the girls teams of Anselmo-Merna, Broken Bow, and Gothenburg and the boys team of Amherst for making the Tournament. Good luck!

As always, feel free to contact me anytime at (402) 471-2642 or mwilliams@leg.ne.gov. Thanks again for your continued support.

Matt