The Superior Express -

In his annual address to the Nebraska Unicameral delivered last Wednesday Gov. Pete Ricketts highlighted key areas of growth that occurred in the previous year as well as outlined his four main priorities for 2020.

First on his list of priorities, Ricketts said, is property tax relief.

The issue, which he said is his number one priority coming into the new year, has plagued the state of Nebraska as well as the Nebraska Legislature since the sales and income tax were enacted in 1967.

Ricketts said he is poised to tackle this issue in the new year, as well as how he has already begun attempting to fix it for his constituents this year.

“Last year, we successfully increased the Property Tax Credit Relief Fund from the state to the people of Nebraska by more than 20 percent,” Ricketts said. “This was a step in the right direction, but more must be done.”

Outlining a multi-step process that would target relief for Nebraskans, Ricketts said, LB 974 would be a great start.

The bill, which state senators on the revenue committee said would take money away from the tax dollars given to schools, would be expected to see Nebraska schools receive $500 million in state aid.

He said that along with LB 974, he hopes there to be no tax increases to Nebraskans and that he also encourages spending restraints from local governments, because, “over the last 10 years, local governments have raised local property taxes 54 percent while inflation only grew at 17 percent.”

Second on Ricketts’ list of four top priorities was flood relief to those individuals and organizations still struggling from 2019’s natural disasters.

Ricketts said he expects both federal and state help to address the $400 million worth of disaster relief projects submitted by 84 counties and five tribal nations across the state to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Furthermore, a proposed $3 million would be allocated from the state budget of $9,691,989,841 to go towards potential future disasters according to Ricketts.

Along with economic aid, Ricketts said the character of Nebraskans also helped the state get through this difficult time and would be needed for the progression of the state.

“When we were faced with the most widespread and costliest natural disaster in state history, Nebraskans responded with heroic grit, determination, resilience and generosity,” Ricketts said. “Through it all, Nebraskans showed the world what it truly means to be Nebraska Strong.”

The third priority Gov. Ricketts spoke about was keeping veterans from leaving the state because of taxation of their retirement benefits.

Ricketts said continuous decreases in veteran population within the state was something he wanted to address this year and is something the state has already been working on.

“Nebraska is the only state in our region whose veterans’ population is declining in part because we tax retirement benefits,” Ricketts said. “This week, you voted 46-0 for military retirement tax relief and I want to thank you for advancing LB 153 and encourage you to deliver this tax relief that will help us retain our veterans.”

Last on his list, Ricketts said, was the state’s assistance to its workforce and business expansion into the foreseeable future.

“Connecting the next generation of Nebraskans to great opportunities in our state is key to helping our children make Nebraska their home,” he said.

How he planned to achieve this was by proposing $16 million in scholarships for students at community colleges, state colleges and the state university system that would help connect the next generation of Nebraskans with careers in fields ranging from math and engineering to healthcare and information technology.

He also recommended funding for LB 720, a bill which would refine Nebraska’s business incentives, and furthermore said a plan that would see $8 million invested to attract and retain quality teammates in Corrections, a part of prison reform that has also long been a thorn in the state’s side, would be a good addition.

Nebraska has historically had a trend of high turnover of prison security staff due to pay issues, progression in the field, crowded facilities and the influx of drugs and contraband into the facilities.

Ricketts acknowledged state senators who are completing their final session including Sens. Bolz, Chambers, Crawford, Howard, Kolowski and Scheer.

Wrapping up his address, Ricketts said to the people of Nebraska that there is still work to be done in many facets of life in the state.

“I know that there will be tough debates, long nights and an unpredictable journey ahead, but I also know that the citizen legislators gathered here today can get the job done when everyone rolls up their sleeves and works together,” he said.