Sen. Tom Briese, photographed at his desk in the Legislature in March, has proposed changes to school funding in Nebraska.
Some big proposals landed in the laps of state senators Wednesday during another round of bill introduction.
Among the proposals were a proposed constitutional amendment offered by Sen. Tom Briese of Albion that would provide full state funding of classroom education in Nebraska’s public schools, a fundamental change that would result in substantial property tax reduction.
Currently school districts in Nebraska levy property taxes at the local level to supplement state aid distributed through a complicated formula.
“The stark reality is the failure of the state to properly fund K-12 education has created a property tax crisis in Nebraska,” Briese said.
“This constitutional amendment would end that crisis.”
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Another proposed constitutional amendment authored by Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha would allow senators to serve three consecutive four-year terms rather than the current limit of two terms.
Those proposals would require voter approval in 2022 if placed on the ballot by the Legislature.
In another proposal, Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha sponsored a bill that would appropriate $52 million to fund construction or expansion of a community corrections facility with 300 new beds in the Omaha metropolitan area.