Law Makers Discuss Medical Marijuana, School Funding During Special Session

LINCOLN–(KFOR July 28)–For a little more than an hour today, Nebraska lawmakers quickly filed bills to be introduced in the special session that would help deal with a property tax relief plan from Governor Jim Pillen.

One bill, LB 52, is the adopt cannabis control act and the cannabis conviction clean slate act. The bill from Omaha Senator Justin Wayne would remove cannabis as a controlled substance under the uniformed controlled substances act and change provisions to penalties related to possession of a synthetic cannabinoid and drug paraphernalia, among other things. It would also put a higher sales and use tax rate on cannabis sales, to provide for the distribution of tax revenue.

Members of the Nebraska Legislature’s Revenue Committee also held a public hearing on LB 9 today, which is an alternative to the school funding model in reducing general fund property tax rates for the state’s 244 school districts over 10 years. It would also address the main state aid formula. Bruce Rieker (reeker) is the senior director of state legislative affairs for the Nebraska Farm Bureau and told the committee this bill his organization and several others support it because it’s better for the state’s economy. Seward Senator Jana Hughes has introduced the bill and is a bipartisan effort with four other lawmakers.