LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – State Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar, who has criticized Gov. Jim Pillen’s property tax relief plan for costing many Nebraskans more while he benefits, touted her own proposal Saturday.

Slama’s 16-piece package of proposed constitutional amendments largely mirrors Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), with hard limits on state, local and school taxing and spending.

She split up the proposal to avoid running afoul of the Nebraska Supreme Court and the state constitutional rule that restricts certain new laws to a single subject.

Her proposal to let Nebraskans adopt a TABOR-style initiative at the ballot box this fall was heard Saturday by the Revenue Committee.

Slama described her proposal as a long-term fix for rising taxes linked to increased spending by local, school and state governments. She said it would let voters apply the brakes.

“This approach is unique in that it empowers the people,” she said. “It empowers the people to decide what their tax rate should be, what government should be spending money on.”

What Slama’s amendments would do

Essentially, her amendments would cap spending and taxing authority by every level of government unless overridden by a vote of the people. It would also let constituents sue the government to enforce the caps.

It would require a public vote to issue major government debt or bonding and would require a baseline rainy day fund of 3%.

Slama said her proposal, as an example, would likely prevent any future project like the City of Omaha’s modern streetcar project without voter approval.

Nobody but Slama testified in support of the idea, but State Sens. Brad von Gillern and Kathleen Kauth, both of Omaha, who sit on the Revenue Committee asked questions that seemed to express interest in the idea.

Both nibbled around how Slama’s proposal might be more lasting than others because it would be part of the constitution and not a state law that lawmakers could more easily change.

Both seemed to buy into Slama’s idea that her proposal would pair well with any short-term fix for property taxes the Legislature might adopt during Pillen’s special session.

“By any measure this is wildly popular in Colorado,” von Gillern said at one point in the hearing. “It’s hard to say the people shouldn’t have a voice in their tax policy.”

Slama, asked whether additional lawsuits could cost taxpayers more, said they wouldn’t because most would stop wayward tax increases with court injunctions.

Critics question damage caps could do

State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln and a pair of testifiers from Colorado, encouraged to testify by OpenSky Policy Institute, emphasized the potential damage to school and local funding.

Dungan questioned what role the passage of TABOR played in Colorado ranking near the bottom nationally in teacher pay and in school funding per pupil.

Representatives from the Nebraska Association of County Officials and the League of Nebraska Municipalities warned about the risks to hiring and retaining public employees.

Jon Cannon, executive director of NACO, and Lynn Rex, executive director of the League of Nebraska Municipalities, pointed to the declining condition of Colorado’s roads and said Nebraskans wouldn’t accept such poor road conditions.

Former Colorado state Rep. Brad Young and Denver-based economist Chris Stiffler said many local governments and school districts have opted out of TABOR, after public votes, because of the funding crunches it caused. (Nebraska’s version, as written, would limit the authority of local governments and schools to opt out.)

Young, who wrote a book about TABOR’s negative effects, said setting the cap for government spending growth at inflation plus population growth didn’t let local governments keep pace with their needs.

He said shrinking government relative to the economy means that the state and its local partners couldn’t pay competitive wages to teachers, health care workers or college and university employees.

“Population plus inflation does not keep up with the economy, and as a result, you end up with a constant shrinking of the government,” Young said.

Government costs don’t follow CPI, expert says

Stiffler said tying the government’s ability to purchase what it needs to the consumer price index leaves governments too little flexibility.

Governments “buy” roads, teachers and health care, he said, all of which have seen costs rise faster than the types of goods in the consumer price index. He said tying caps to a producer price index might work better.

He said some states tie spending caps to personal income growth. But he said starting teachers in Colorado now earn less than a Starbucks manager and the state is losing talent.

Some districts shortened the school week to four days during a recent round of state budget cuts that sliced $1 billion out of school funding, Stiffler said.

State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha said Colorado’s schools consistently rank well in test scores and academic offerings.

She said higher school spending doesn’t always equate with outcomes, and she said Colorado isn’t struggling to attract new residents or visitors.

Colorado has grown from about 3.5 million in 1992, when TABOR passed, to 5.8 million in 2024, based on Census estimates.

“I know this is a slightly unique approach, but it brings a unique flavor to the debate,” Slama said. “Nebraskans work hard for their money, and they deserve a direct say in how it is spent.”

Nebraska voters rejected a TABOR-style state spending lid in 2006.

Slama’s property tax proposal

Under State Sen. Julie Slama’s proposed amendments, the following caps would require voter approval in a statewide general election to:

• Levy a new tax (Legislative Resolution 12CA and LR 7CA).
• Increase a tax rate (LR 13CA and LR 8CA).
• Extend an expiring tax (LR 14CA and LR 9CA).
• Change a taxation approach that increases the funds collected (LR 15CA and LR 10CA).
• Issue bonds or go into multi-year debt, indirect debt or other similar financial obligations. (LR 16CA and LR 11CA).
• Maintain a reserve of at least 3% of fiscal year spending, excluding bonded debt service, for declared emergencies (LR 17CA and LR18CA).
• Cap state spending each fiscal year to inflation plus the percentage change in the state’s population from the prior fiscal year (LR 20 CA and LR 19CA).
• Cap spending by local political subdivisions to inflation plus the percentage change from the political subdivision’s population the prior fiscal year (LR 22CA and LR 21CA).

— Zach Wendling, Nebraska Examiner reporter

Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Cate Folsom for questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com. Follow Nebraska Examiner on Facebook and X.

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Copyright 2024 KOLN. All rights reserved.

Fourth in a series. | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

It’s no secret that the overall success of this upcoming Nebraska football season hinges on the offense. The defense is going to do its part. It will be one of the saltier units in college football.

Nebraska should also have its best offensive line in several years and enough capable bodies to have an effective running game.

The big question comes in its ability to scheme together a reliable passing offense. That was the Achilles’ heel of this team last fall.

Nebraska didn’t have a 200-yard passing game for the first time in the Big Ten era. The Huskers started three different quarterbacks, all of whom threw at least three interceptions and lost a fumble. Combined they accounted for 17 total touchdowns while committing 25 turnovers.

Not done vomiting? Here’s some ipecac in the form of last year’s passing numbers: 135.9 ypg (129th out of 133 FBS teams), 21.8 attempts per game (128th), 52.1 completion percentage (126th), 6.2 yards per attempt (116th), 16 interceptions (121st) and 10 touchdowns (120th).

Okay, now that we got that out of our system, let’s sip on some Kool-Aid and look at the bright side.

The team will have a potential generational-talent under center with Dylan Raiola. And even though the five-star freshman will inevitably experience moments of “Welcome to the Big Ten” this fall, his potential is through the roof and he should develop into one of the best quarterbacks in college football down the road.

It also needs to be pointed out that although the QB play last year was atrocious, the wide receiver room was pretty bereft of talent. Nebraska lost three of its projected top four players in an already thin room early in the 2023 season.

Zavier Betts quit (again) during fall camp and the team lost Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda for the year during the season opener against Minnesota. A month later, Marcus Washington tore an ACL against Illinois and missed the last half of the season. Also remember that Billy Kemp missed time and spent a chunk of the season dinged up.

This forced a baptism by fire for promising true freshmen Jaylen Lloyd and Malachi Coleman, which in turn accelerated their development and set them up for larger roles this season.

The staff then signed several highly rated receivers in its 2024 recruiting class and used the transfer portal to strengthen the room by bringing in a pair of probable starters.

Wake Forest wide receiver Jahmal Banks earned honorable-mention All-ACC as a sophomore in 2022 after grabbing 42 receptions for 636 yards and nine touchdowns, which is tied for the sixth-most in program history.

Following that breakout campaign, Banks entered last season as a preseason first-team All-ACC pick. While statistically Banks may not have broken out further in 2023 like was expected, you have to take into account his quarterback situation.

Wake Forest starting QB Sam Hartman transferred to Notre Dame and Banks was subjected to a near-revolving door most of last season. Like Nebraska, the Demon Deacons started three different QBs and as a team threw for 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while finishing 100th nationally in passing.

To his credit, Banks made the most out of the hand that was dealt. Despite abysmal QB play, he had 59 receptions for 653 yards and four touchdowns. Banks was targeted 88 times last season, and along with Florida State’s Keon Coleman, was one of only two Power Five receivers who didn’t drop a ball all year.

Banks was also one of the highest-graded receivers in the ACC according to Pro Football Focus. He had a 77.6 offensive grade and a 78.5 receiving grade, both of which ranked in the top eight among ACC wide receivers in 2023. Also according to PFF, in 2022, Banks — who had a 77.8 offensive grade — ranked 11th among all Power Five receivers vs. man coverage. He was 20th in the same category last year.

With one season of eligibility left courtesy of the free pandemic year, Banks decided to explore his options as a grad transfer in order to enhance his NFL prospects.

After playing 45 career games across four seasons in Winston-Salem, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Banks announced on social media he was entering the transfer portal on Dec. 8. When Banks entered the portal, he got a four-star transfer rating and was ranked as the No. 25 (247Sports) and No. 26 (Rivals) WR in this year’s transfer portal cycle.

He garnered serious interest immediately, taking December visits to Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Purdue and Minnesota.

Nebraska spent the early portion of the portal recruiting window full-court pressing Ohio State’s Julian Fleming, bringing him in for a visit Dec. 12. When it became apparent the Huskers were going to lose out to Penn State for Fleming’s services, they pivoted to Banks, one of the top transfer receivers remaining in the portal.

Coaches began talking to Banks around Dec. 20 and extended an offer on the 23rd, with Dylan Raiola getting involved as a peer recruiter.

While in the midst of the dead period, Banks nearly decided to end his recruitment and commit elsewhere, but Husker coaches talked him into delaying his decision by laying out their blueprint for how they could help position him for an eventual pro career.

A few days after visiting Michigan, Banks was accompanied by his mother for a visit to Lincoln on Jan. 5 to check out the Huskers. On his visit, Banks had a throwing session with Raiola, who was in town to help with the staff’s recruiting efforts. Banks came away extremely impressed. “I haven’t seen anybody warm up like him,” Banks later said. “Maybe Sam Hartman (at Wake), how quickly he gets depth and his arm strength and his tight spin.”

Not bad company to be in for a teenager who hadn’t even enrolled at Nebraska at that point. To put a little perspective on that compliment; Hartman — currently playing for the Washington Commanders — is the ACC record-holder with 143 TD passes and his 15,656 career passing yards is the second-most in conference history. Both marks also rank in the top 20 in FBS history.

Raiola’s arm talent helped put Banks’ mind at ease, but several other factors played a part in a successful visit.

Matt Rhule, Garret McGuire and Marcus Satterfield did a great job of showing Banks how they planned on using him in the offense to showcase his talent. The team was recruiting him for the “X” position — typically an outside receiver — but also wanted to line him up and take advantage of him in the slot.

Along with Raiola, Banks also spent a lot of time around players like Malachi Coleman, Jaylen Lloyd, Jeremiah Charles and Cam Lenhardt, and felt the family vibe throughout the program.

Banks left his visit impressed by what the Huskers could offer, but wanted to take a few days to collate information he gathered from all of his visits. He had conversations with his mother and other people he trusted about which school had the best combination of things and would be the best option not just for the upcoming season, but his future aspirations of playing in the NFL. The choice came down to Nebraska or Michigan.

Banks announced his commitment to Nebraska to play his fifth and final college season on social media the morning of Jan 11. “I’d say the people,” Banks said of what put the Huskers over the top. “Not only the staff – in terms of the coaches, nutritionist, sports medicine and development, strength staff. But the players. The guys I’ll go to war with between the lines. They showed me why they wanted me to be a part of their family. They showed me how likeminded they are. How not entitled they are and how hungry they are to learn from me and from themselves in this process in this journey to go win championships.”

This offense is thirsting for established playmakers. The Huskers desperately need a great wide receiver to emerge as a focal point of its passing offense. I expect Banks, who has played 1,198 snaps over the past two seasons, to be the Huskers’ No. 1 wide receiver and fill that role.

He will give Nebraska a big-bodied target on the outside of the offense who was prolific at making contested catches at Wake Forest. Nebraska needs a receiver who can catch the ball when he’s covered and Banks made a career out of doing that for the Demon Deacons.

Banks understands how to use his body to box out defensive backs and use his size to be effective on slants. With his hands, frame and résumé, he should be the team’s go-to player on 3rd down and in the red zone.

Banks is arguably Nebraska’s most important addition this offseason. He arrived on campus and made an immediate impression on the staff during winter workouts and spring practices. He’s been exactly what they hoped for and is already a team leader.

He’s an important veteran presence who brings a professional approach to his craft and is a role model for Nebraska’s young and developing wideout room.

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI , following HuskerMax on X, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – These next few days will play a major factor as to which bills make it onto the property tax omnibus bill next week. Two of the bills in discussion go hand-in-hand and would legalized recreation marijuana in Nebraska.

The first bill was introduced by State Sen. Justin Wayne; It would remove the drug off the controlled substance list and establish rules for selling marijuana across the state for people 21 years and older.

The other was introduced by State Sen. Terrell McKinney and centers around the framework of how the tax revenue would be distributed. The two were both heard in the judiciary committee on Friday and people behind the bill said economically, this could help the state a lot.

“We can provide tax relief in our state,” McKinney said. This revenue can also be allocated in our educational systems, helping children receive the education they deserve, and into businesses and community development initiatives.”

Bills will be debated through the weekend before lawmakers spend the following few days building the package bill Debate on the floor is expected to start on Thursday.

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