Helping ag community still at center of Sen. Tom Brandt's priorities

LINCOLN, NE — The Nebraska State Capitol sits in one of the state’s major metro areas and many of the state’s 49 senators come from those metro areas, meaning it’s unlikely they have direct ties to the state’s number one industry: agriculture. Last year, Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth was the only active farmer on the Unicameral’s eight-member agriculture committee. He says that gives him an added responsibility to teach about the state’s top business.

“I think in agriculture, particularly in our rural counties, we have an opportunity to educate those who don’t have an opportunity to live in rural Nebraska about how it works," Brandt said. "It’s different out here than it is in the urban areas.”

Last year, the unicameral passed a bill that included $375 million in property tax relief over five years, a major priority for rural lawmakers. Now, Brandt wants to work on adjusting how the state allocates funds to public schools. Right now, only a select number of school districts get state funding.

“All 1.92 million people in the state of Nebraska pay sales and income tax and that’s what goes into the TEEOSA Fund," Brandt said. "Yet, we turn around and tell those 166 school districts that you’re on your own, you have to raise your own taxes and we’re going to give this money to these other 66 school districts.”

Last month, Gov. Pete Ricketts said he will ask lawmakers to put limits on school spending, an idea strongly opposed by the education community. Brandt thinks there should be controls, at least on schools that receive state funds.

“If the state gives your school district $1 million, what’s to prevent that school district from just using that money any way they want and not dropping their property tax asking?”

Brandt says his office will offer a bill related to expanding broadband access in rural areas. He plans to continue to push for Legislative Resolution 337, which would add two workers at the Department of Education to coordinate farm to school programs across the state.  Brandt says he will also sponsor a bill to increase the threshold to qualify for the Low Income Heating Assistance Program from 130 percent of the poverty line to 150 percent.

“We would probably add another 10,000 eligible households in the state of Nebraska for heating and cooling assistance and a portion of that goes to weatherization of homes also,” Brandt said.

Brandt was also on the general affairs and judiciary committees last session. He might swap out his judiciary spot for another group this time around. Assigning committees is one of the first items the body will tackle after it convenes for the first time on Wednesday.