Governor Pillen's Tax Reforms
Governor Pillen's Tax Reforms
Critics Still Don’t Get It
Update: More details on the Pillen plan: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/07/14/gov-pillens-property-tax-plan-would-add-new-taxes-on-120-goods-and-services-draft-indicates/
Nebraska Governor Pillen continues to push forward to move schools off the property tax system with a Special Session of the Unicameral on about July 27. He is right to do so, but critics are quite vocal (https://rivercountry.newschannelnebraska.com/story/51019584/pillen-defends-tax-plan-its-not-a-billiondollar-tax-increase and https://omaha.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/nebraska-property-taxes-jim-pillen/article_4cbbf13c-3af3-11ef-ad69-174ba36eb97d.html).
But Pillen is right. Moving schools off the property tax system and moving funding to the state will allow the funding of schools to be more equitable and fair, instead of pigeonholing the education of students to a specific ZIP code and property taxes there of. In addition, public schools are the number one user of property taxes.
(image from Omaha City budget)/
Pillen has not been quite clear about his plans (https://governor.nebraska.gov/press/making-case-property-tax-reform), but the Lincoln Journal Star is claiming he will introduce removing many sales tax exemptions to lower property taxes (https://journalstar.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/nebraska-gov-pillen-special-session-tax-plan/article_78576e90-418b-11ef-bfdb-ebaf2818c6e8.html#tracking-source=home-top-story). Also, Senator Erdman will bring up the EPIC Option consumption tax proposal.
If you favor reducing property taxes, contact your state senator and bother other senators you know (https://nebraskalegislature.gov/). Ask your neighbors to take action too.
I'd like to be happy about this Andrew, but... I have some concerns. If the state provides the public school funding, does it then follow that the state makes laws regarding how schools must do their jobs? And if so, how will this impact schools in rural communities?
I'm not saying that I'm completely opposed to the idea, mind... if the state gets behind our Nebraska public school system and supports it properly, they may be able to cut down on reliance on federal funding or remove it altogether. This would be incredibly helpful in stopping the endless barrage of appalling efforts related to pushing porn in schools, DEI/CRT, transing kids, and Planned Parenthood's efforts to get kids hooked on sex, condoms, and abortions.
If that's what Pillen is trying to set up, then--I'm all for it. But I'd like to see some evidence that this is so.
My belief has been that, generally, the more locally taxes are collected (and spent) the healthier it is for all of us. (although, the way that these school levies are working now--or not working--I definitely agree that SOMETHING must be done. I just don't want us all to fall into another cleverly set trap created by the left)