NFIB prepares for the return of some bad-for-small-business legislation left over from the 2021 half of the session and will fight to get two measures passed
The 2022 half of the 107th Nebraska Unicameral Legislature sits down for business on January 5 and is expected to take up some measures NFIB helped stall in the first half. Click here to see the NFIB victories from the first half.
Stopping Costly Paid Sick Leave Bill
NFIB testified and helped defeat a measure Introduced by Sen. Tony Vargas that would allow employees to accrue a minimum of one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, with a maximum of 40 hours of paid sick time accrued in a calendar year. The issues is expected to surface again.
Defeating Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act
Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh will try again to win approval of her bill has that would establish a statewide paid family medical leave insurance program similar to Nebraska’s unemployment insurance system, managed by the state Department of Labor. The legislation would apply to all employers subject to the Employment Security Act (one or more employees), with self-employed individuals eligible to participate funding would be provided for the program through a payroll tax of up to 1 percent of payroll as determined by the Commissioner of Labor.
Winning Inheritance Tax Exemptions
Introduced by Sen. Rob Clements (Elmwood), LB 310, as amended, would for decedents dying on or after January 1, 2022, increase the exemption amount for:
- Class I beneficiaries (immediate relatives and siblings) from $40,000 to $100,000 and retain the existing 1 percent tax rate
- Class II beneficiaries (remote relatives-nieces and nephews) the exemption amount would be increased from $15,000 to $40,000 and the tax rate reduced from 15 percent to 11 percent.
- Class III beneficiaries (non-relatives) the exemption amount would be increased from $10,000 to $25,000 and the tax rate reduced from 18 percent to 15 percent. In addition, any person under the age of 22 would not be subject to the inheritance tax.
Securing Confidentiality in Workers’ Compensation Injury Reports
NFIB will lobby for passage of Sen. Steve Halloran’s LB 667 would require the Workers’ Compensation Court to withhold workers’ compensation first reports of injury from disclosure to the public for a period of 60 days, with certain designated exceptions.
Photo courtesy of Unicameral Update, the Nebraska Legislature’s official news source since 1977
