LINCOLN- In a 'local view' opinion piece, Senator Lou Ann Linehan responded to a recent editorial board release by the Lincoln Journal Star stating that the board was correct in stating “property tax relief for Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers remains sorely needed.” However that is a major divination from the editorial board's opinion:

"That, put simply, means that the state will not have sufficient income to fund the property tax relief proposal without decimating the remainder of the discretionary budget -- the part that funds the University of Nebraska and state agencies, whose services will be needed in the upcoming recovery." ('Virus should lead senators to take new look at taxes' April 17, 2020)

Senator Linehan's response, while offering no new statistics or developed plans for relief, continued to argue that property tax relief is possible, and necessary, even during the projected continued economic downturn. We would note that during a Platte Institute zoom meeting on Thursday, Dr. Ernie Goss estimated losses during a 3 week period at the start of the pandemic at $46.16 Million. Our opinion is that it much to early in the process to determine whether or not it is realistic to proceed with property tax relief.

View the article HERE