Homeowner bill 'ineligible'

LINCOLN — A proposal from an Omaha state senator to nearly double a property tax break given to Nebraska homeowners was ruled ineligible for debate during the special session of the Legislature.

The Attorney General's Office, in a legal opinion distributed just after the noon hour Friday, ruled that the proposal by Omaha Sen. Tom White was mostly outside the parameters of the issues that can be debated during the special session.

"I respect the Attorney General's opinion regarding the narrow nature of Governor Heineman's call, and I do not plan to challenge it," said White, who is a Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress in the 2nd Congressional District.

White had introduced the measure this morning to limit the state's current property-tax rebate program to Nebraska residents only. He has criticized the fact that many out-of-staters get huge tax breaks on land when they don't even live here.

White's bill also proposed scaling back cuts to state school aid that have been proposed by Gov. Dave Heineman.

Under White's now-nullified proposal, he would have directed the $25 million saved by not giving the property tax breaks to non-residents to state aid to local schools. That would mean a smaller cut in aid than the $47 million reduction proposed by Gov. Heineman.

World-Herald staff writer Martha Stoddard contributed to this report.

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