Special session debate: Should there even be a special session?

Nebraska state senators expressed frustration with property tax proposals – and with each other – as they continued to slog through their special legislative session Wednesday.

In theory, what senators had on their agenda Wednesday was a bill to pay for the expenses of the special session, and several gubernatorial appointments.

What was actually discussed was mostly why they were at the Capitol for a special session on lowering property taxes, and whether the proposed ideas are good ones.

Sen. Danielle Conrad led off debate, criticizing Gov. Jim Pillen’s proposal to lower property taxes by expanding sales taxes and sending the additional revenue to schools.

“When the governor seeks to engineer one of the largest tax increases and largest tax shifts that has been met with opposition because it's not sound policy, trying to rewrite the state budget, the school funding formula and the tax code in a hastily organized special session is unserious at best and dangerous at worst,” Conrad said.

Pillen has denied his plan will increase taxes, saying Nebraskans would pay less in taxes overall.

Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, as chair of the Revenue Committee, has been leading the charge for Pillen’s proposal, and her committee has been modifying it in an attempt to meet objections. Linehan praised the governor’s effort.

“I think what Governor Pillen has done here is amazing," Linehan said. "It's not politically smart, that's for sure. Most people don't put ideas out that know they're going to get shot (down). What Governor Pillen has done with LB1, he said, ‘Here it is, guys, here's everything I can think of that you could do.'"

Linehan also expressed frustration with the style of debate.

“I've been told many times, and I'm really bad at this, that you need to use emotion," she said. "Emotion. People don't follow numbers. So that's what we're seeing here today. We're seeing a lot of emotion with no facts."

More from the Legislature's special session:

Legislature considers budget cuts in special session

Scaled-down version of property tax cuts proposed

Marijuana, municipal aid proposed for property tax relief

Education Committee considers school funding changes

Online sports betting touted as way to reduce property taxes

Committees hear support, opposition to Pillen’s budget and tax proposals

Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh acknowledged the subject is emotional.

“I know that people are feeling emotional," she said. "I feel emotional. I'm really frustrated to be here. We don't have to be here. We don't have to be doing this this way. We don't have to be disregarding the people of Nebraska's opinions. We don't have to disregard the institution that we all serve in at the pleasure of the people. We have a responsibility for good governance, and this special session is not it."

And Sen. George Dungan said a special session, which usually lasts only a few weeks, is not the way to handle such an issue.

“I've had a number of conversations with senators that have come before me, who were here for decades prior to being term limited out," Dungan said. "I've talked to the number of subject matter experts who have been around the building for decades, and the one pervasive sentiment that they've shared with me is that this special session is not normal."

But Sen. Ben Hansen urged his colleagues to get on with the work at hand.

“What's abnormal and not normal is the property owners of this state being taxed, other homes, people retiring out of our state," Hansen said. "That is abnormal, not how you conduct a special session. We're here. Let's do our jobs."

Adding to the confusion Wednesday was the fact that the bill containing the governor’s ideas and the committee’s proposed changes was still not fully drafted. Because of that, Sen. Mike Jacobson had a suggestion for his colleagues.

“I want to make one statement to everybody listening: Don't listen to anything else you hear today," he said. "Don't listen to a thing you hear today until we have that bill in front of us. Everything you're hearing is hyperbole. Just ignore it."

The bill is supposed to be ready in time for the committee to vote on it and brief senators on the content Thursday morning. The full Legislature is expected to begin debating it Friday.