LINCOLN — AARP Nebraska is celebrating a newly passed proposal that would help cover family caregivers’ costs as they care for and support eligible family members. State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, center, is flanked by State Sens. Carolyn Bosn and Beau Ballard, from left to right, both of Lincoln. April 10, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
Lawmakers approved Legislative Bill 937, which includes Lincoln State Sen. Eliot Bostar’s Caregiver Tax Credit Act, on a 45-0 vote during the final legislative day on April 18. Bostar designated the bill as his personal priority this year; it awaits Gov. Jim Pillen’s approval.
The nonrefundable credits, which would begin Jan. 1, would be equal to 50% of eligible expenditures related to a family member’s care or support of their loved one during the tax year.
“Caregiving is a critically important public health issue that affects the quality of life for millions of individuals nationally and thousands across Nebraska,” Bostar said in a statement.
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How to qualify
To qualify, a caregiver must have a federal adjusted gross income of less than $50,000 (or $100,000 if filing as a married couple jointly). They must care for a relative who requires assistance with at least two activities of daily living, as certified by a health care provider, and who lives in a private residence — not an assisted living, nursing or residential care facility.
Eligible expenses include:
Home improvements or alterations for the caregiver or eligible family member to permit mobility, safety and independence.
Purchases or leasing of equipment necessary for the family member to carry out one or more activities of daily living.
Costs related to hiring a home care aide, respite care, adult day care, personal care attendants, health care equipment or technology.
Costs must be directly related to care and cannot include general household maintenance, such as painting, plumbing, electrical repairs or exterior maintenance.
Individual caregivers can claim up to $2,000 in credits per fiscal year, or $3,000 if the individual is caring for a family member who is a veteran or has a diagnosis of dementia. If two or more caregivers claim an available credit for the same family member, the maximum credit would be divided between each caregiver.
Up to $1.5 million in credits could be claimed each fiscal year through June 30, 2027. The limit increases to $2.5 million in consecutive years.
Supporting ‘unsung heroes’
AARP Nebraska said Nebraska has approximately 179,000 family caregivers, and while each serves in a “labor of love,” the experience is “stressful, isolating and has a real financial cost” — on average more than $7,200 per household per year.
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In total, this is more than 168 million hours in care, valued at $2.8 billion, which AARP Nebraska said mitigates more costly, taxpayer-funded long-term care and nursing home stays.
“When lawmakers agree on an issue regardless of political affiliation, the message is clear,” Todd Stubbendieck, state director of AARP Nebraska, said in a statement. “AARP is proud of the Nebraska Legislature for recognizing this critical need to help our state’s unsung heroes.”
The deadline is end of day Wednesday for Pillen to sign the bill or submit his objections to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office. As of Monday, the bill had not been signed, according to the Clerk of the Legislature’s Office.
A spokesperson for the governor said Pillen will be presented with LB 937 on Tuesday for his consideration.
More tax credits and exemptions
LB 937 also contained various other proposals for tax credits and exemptions, including these:
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LB 1002, from State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, sets the maximum amount of tax credits under the Nebraska Biodiesel Tax Credit Act for $1 million in the next fiscal year and $1.5 million the following years.
LB 1022, from State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, establishes the Cast and Crew Nebraska Act, with up to $500,000 available beginning July 1, 2025. It will provide a refundable tax credit equal to at least 20% of a film and TV production company’s qualifying expenditures for projects produced in Nebraska.
LB 606, from State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston, establishes the Nebraska Pregnancy Help Act, allowing Nebraskans to claim a nonrefundable credit of up to 50% off their state income tax liability on contributions made to qualifying pregnancy help organizations. Total credits are limited to $500,000 in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025.
LB 58, from State Sen. John Cavanuagh of Omaha, exempts diapers from state sales and use tax. The proposal is estimated to reduce state revenue by $1.2 million in the next fiscal year, then $6.7 million and $8.8 million in subsequent years.
A Greeley man who won $300,000 last month on a scratch card he got at the convenience store he managed now is being investigated on suspicion of lottery fraud.
This week, the Nebraska Department of Revenue got a search warrant to take back the money that Jeremiah Ehlers had won, which came to $213,000 after taxes.
In response, his bank turned over a cashier’s check for just under $128,800. Some $84,200 shy.
In the affidavit for the search warrant, Deputy State Sheriff Bradley Burleigh of the Nebraska Department of Revenue said that on April 12, Ehlers had taken a winning “Diamond Dollars” scratch ticket to the Nebraska Lottery headquarters, claimed the prize and deposited it in his bank account the same day.
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Burleigh said Ehlers was fired a week later from his job as manager of the Rapid Stop convenience store in Greeley, where he’d gotten the ticket.
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He said the district manager for the chain later contacted the Nebraska Lottery investigation unit saying he was investigating Ehlers for allegedly stealing lottery tickets from the Greeley store.
Burleigh said the district manager suspected Ehlers had been taking lottery tickets from the business without paying for them since October, and security video from April 12 allegedly showed him taking a “Diamond Dollars” lottery ticket without paying, scratching it, scanning it twice on the lottery terminal and only then paying for it.
In the affidavit for the search warrant, Burleigh said he believed the money in the bank account “will disappear if not seized, and the money is evidence of theft.”
An employee told him Ehlers already had bought a 2019 Dodge Ram and was contacting people around Greeley paying debts. Ehlers hadn’t been charged with a crime as of Thursday afternoon.
LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Athletics Press Release) – The Nebraska softball team travels to Minneapolis this weekend for a three-game series against Minnesota to close out the regular season. Friday’s opener will start at 6 p.m. with Saturday’s game slated for a 2 p.m. first pitch and Sunday’s finale set for Noon.
Nebraska (27-21) and Minnesota (26-22) are both battling to be one of the four teams that receives a bye for next week’s Big Ten Tournament. The Gophers enter the final weekend in fourth place in the Big Ten standings with a 12-8 conference record. The Huskers are just a half game behind in fifth place with a 10-8 Big Ten record.
It should be a close series as Nebraska and Minnesota are similar on paper. Both teams boast one of the top offenses in the Big Ten. The Huskers are hitting .290 as a team and average 5.7 runs per game while the Gophers are batting .292 and score an average of 6.1 runs per game. Nebraska has hit 86 doubles and 52 home runs while Minnesota has totaled 83 doubles and hit 51 home runs.
In the circle, Minnesota’s team ERA of 4.22 is nearly identical to Nebraska’s 4.26 ERA, and the Gophers allowed 4.8 runs per game compared to 4.9 runs per game by the Huskers. The teams are also the top two fielding teams in the Big Ten as Minnesota leads the league with a .972 fielding percentage and Nebraska ranks second, fielding at a .971 clip.
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The first two games of the series will air on the Big Ten Network while Sunday’s final game can be seen with a subscription to Big Ten+, with subscriptions starting at $9.99 a month.
Scouting Minnesota (26-22, 12-8 Big Ten)
Minnesota is 26-22 on the season and enters the weekend in fourth place in the Big Ten standings with a 12-8 conference record. The Gophers are coming off a three-game sweep at Iowa last weekend.
Nebraska and Minnesota share six common opponents this season in Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern, San Diego State, Washington and Wisconsin. The Huskers posted a 7-4 record against that group while the Gophers also went 7-4.
Minnesota is batting .292 as a team while averaging 6.1 runs per game, a total that ranks 27th nationally. The Golden Gophers lead the Big Ten and rank 12th nationally in walks. Defensively, Minnesota owns a 4.22 ERA and a .972 fielding percentage while allowing 4.8 runs per game. The Gophers lead the Big Ten and rank 30th nationally in fielding percentage.
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Jess Oakland is Minnesota’s top hitter and is among the best hitters in the country. Oakland is hitting more than .100 higher than any other Gopher, as she leads the team with a .455 average, 71 hits, 16 doubles, 19 homers, 64 runs and 54 RBI.
Oakland has put up remarkable statistics in Big Ten play. She is batting .523 in the conference season with 34 hits, 11 doubles, 11 home runs and 34 runs.
With three conference games still remaining, Oakland already ranks second in Big Ten history for home runs in a conference season (11, one shy of tying the record) and runs in a conference season (34, four shy of tying the record). Oakland’s 11 doubles currently rank as the fourth-most in conference season in Big Ten history.
On the season, Oakland leads the Big Ten in batting average, hits, home runs, runs, on-base percentage (.552) and slugging percentage (.923) while ranking second in the conference in RBI.
Nationally, Oakland ranks third in runs per game and slugging percentage, sixth in batting average, home runs and on-base percentage and 19th in RBI.
Morgan DeBord is batting .354 this season and has produced eight doubles, three home runs and 27 RBI.
Taylor Krapf owns a .306 average and has 12 doubles, 10 home runs and 45 RBI.
Sydney Strelow is hitting .299 and has tied Oakland for the team lead with 35 walks.
Breezy Burnett has started every game and is a perfect 13-of-13 on stolen bases.
In the circle, Bri Enter has seen the most action but she has not pitched since April 17. Enter is 12-7 on the year with a 3.16 ERA in 110.2 innings. She leads the Gophers in wins, ERA, innings, starts (19), complete games (4) and strikeouts (67) while tying for the team lead with one save.
Jacie Hambrick is 6-8 on the year with one save and a 4.80 ERA in 89.0 innings. She leads Minnesota with 30 appearances and ranks second in starts (16) and innings.
Macy Richardson and Sydney Schwartz have also seen significant time in the circle. Richardson is 5-4 with a 5.30 ERA over 27 appearances, 10 starts and 67.1 innings. Schwartz is 3-2 with one save and a 3.21 ERA in 28.1 innings over 10 appearances.
Jessa Snippes (0-1, 6.66 ERA in 13.2 IP) and Cameron Grayson (0-0, 3.50 ERA in 8.0 IP) round out the Gopher staff.
Piper Ritter is in her fourth season as Minnesota’s head coach. She has guided the Gophers to a 122-80-1 record. Prior to becoming the head coach, Ritter spent the previous 13 seasons as Minnesota’s pitching coach.
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Kansas State baseball suffered its worst loss of the season Wednesday night against Nebraska. The Wildcats failed to collect a hit through nine innings, suffering an 8-0 loss. Cornhusker starting pitcher Jackson Brockett stayed on the mound for all nine innings, striking out 12 as three runners made it on base.
Brockett made quick work of the Wildcat bats all night, throwing just 107 pitches while facing 29 batters.
K-State gave Brockett his biggest challenge in the fifth inning. After a throwing error allowed catcher Raphael Pelletier to make it to first base, left fielder Chuck Ingram walked to bring runners to first and second with one out. The Cornhuskers bounced back with a double play off third baseman Jaden Parsons’ bat. The only other runner to advance on base for K-State was designated hitter Jayden Lobliner off a walk in the ninth inning.
On the mound for K-State, Josh Wintroub got the start, pitching just 2 1/3 innings and allowing an unearned run. Wintroub suffered the loss, moving his record to 2-3. Six other relievers took the field for the Wildcats, with pitchers JJ Slack, Blake Dean and Adam Arther allowing six of the final seven runs in less than three innings combined.
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The loss moves K-State’s record to 26-18 on the season. It was the second no-hitter this season after the Wildcats’ Jacob Frost and Jackson Wentworth threw a combined no-hitter against Cincinnati.
Next up is the Jayhawks off an 8-1 win over Wichita State, which marked Kansas’ seventh straight win. The Sunflower Showdown series begins at 6 p.m. Friday in Manhattan.
