LINCOLN — Nebraska’s version of “One Big Beautiful Bill” for property tax relief went up in smoke Monday despite an effort to narrow new revenues to increased taxes on cigarettes and vapes. It becomes the third property tax package in the past year to propose and fail to garner traction to use new sales tax revenues to lower property taxes. It also deals a significant blow to Gov. Jim Pillen’s pledge to keep property taxes flat this year as he eyes reelection.

Legislative Bill 170, led by State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, failed 30-15. It needed 33 votes to overcome a filibuster from opponents across the political spectrum who opposed the tax “shift. The proposal originally sought to add sales taxes to 20 currently exempt goods or services, including pop, dating services, chartered jets, swimming pool cleaning and maintenance services, and pet grooming. It also sought to hike the taxes on cigarettes (up to $1.36) and vapes (up to 40%). The original package anticipated $110 million in new revenue, with $100 million directed to property tax credits to offset property taxes paid to local K-12 school districts.

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