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Nebraska Farm Bureau supports property tax relief bill

A bill providing property tax relief through an income tax credit has been introduced in the Nebraska Unicameral.

Under the bill, introduced by Senator Steve Erdman of Bayard, taxpayers would receive a refundable tax credit equal to 50 percent of the school district taxes levied on their property. Erdman says if the legislature fails to act on the measure in this session, a ballot initiative will be launched to accomplish the same goal.

Ansley Mick, director of state government relations for Nebraska Farm Bureau, says they support Erdman’s bill and will also get behind the ballot initiative, if it comes to that.

“We would like to see some really substantive changes in statute and in law,” Mick says. “But I think the people have spoken for a number of years and if this a path we have to take to actually force some action, we’re willing to do that.”

Erdman has estimated it will provide about one-point-one billion dollars in property tax relief, beginning in 2019.

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts has expressed concerns about the cost of the proposal.

AUDIO: Ansley Mick