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Nebraska legislator plans constitutional amendment on property taxes

A state senator in Nebraska says he will introduce a constitutional amendment to lower property taxes.

“We’ve been talking about property taxes for 40 years,” says Senator Steve Erdman of Bayard. “It is my opinion that we’ve talked long enough—and it’s time to do something.”

Erdman says he’ll introduce the amendment at the start of the 2018 legislative session.

“My intention is to introduce a constitutional amendment the first of January, when we return, and ask the legislature to adopt it and put it on the ballot in November,” he says. “In November of 2018, the second house –those voters who pay the taxes—will have the opportunity to vote on how much property tax they pay.”

Erdman says his amendment would restrict the amount of property tax that local entities can collect.

Erdman indicates that if the legislature fails to advance the constitutional amendment, he’ll consider a petition drive to place it on the November 2018 ballot.

Some potential allies, including Nebraska Farm Bureau, say they want to hear more about what Erdman is proposing before deciding whether to join his effort.

Brent Martin, Nebraska Radio Network, contributed to this story.

AUDIO: Excerpt from Senator Erdman’s news conference at the state capitol