For Immediate Release:

A Quieter Beginning

January 19, 2010, Lincoln – The One Hundred First Legislature, Second Session began with a more moderate pace than I have previously experienced.

In the first seven days of the 2010 session, about 275 new bills were introduced. Clerk of the Legislature Patrick O’Donnell noted that 500 bills are usually proposed in a 60-day session. All new bills must be introduced by the tenth legislative day, so we probably won’t reach the average bill count this year. Fewer proposals probably result from the legislature’s desire to manage the state budget without spending increases.

Twice during my first three years in office, the legislative session began with the swearing in of a large class of newly elected or re-elected senators and the body’s selection of members to serve in leadership positions. The only changes required for the 2010 session were actually addressed last fall during the budget-cutting special session. In November District 10 Senator Bob Krist arrived to replace former Senator Mike Friend. Senator Friend resigned his legislative seat in order to accept a gubernatorial appointment to a new state position. Senator Friend’s departure also created a leadership vacancy for the Urban Affairs Committee. The Committee’s Vice Chair Senator Amanda McGill from Lincoln was elected in November to chair the Committee through the 2010 legislative session.

The quieter beginning this year has allowed a little more time for me to review the vast array of information that state senators receive. Individuals and organizations in Nebraska and throughout the United States provide senators with details about specific events, as well as research and perspectives on policy issues. Here are two examples of news reports I received last week.

From the Department of Health and Human Services came news that the governor proclaimed January as Radon Action Month. Most people know that smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, but they may not know that nonsmokers are also susceptible to the disease. Exposure to radon can lead to lung cancer, and it is the primary cause for nonsmokers. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that approximately 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year are due to radon exposure. Radon is a colorless, odorless, naturally occurring gas that originates in the soil and builds to dangerous levels in homes. In Nebraska 50 percent of radon tests conducted yield elevated levels of radon.   For nonsmokers, the best way to reduce risk of lung cancer is to test for radon, and if levels are high, to mitigate the home. Winter months are the best time for Nebraskans to test for radon, because homes are closed up and can trap the toxic gas, causing it to build to dangerous levels. The Nebraska Radon Program offers low-cost radon test kits to encourage people to test their homes. Most homes with high levels of radon can be successfully treated using a standard radon mitigation system. The program provides technical assistance to those who have questions about the mitigation system. A list of trained professionals is available at the Nebraska Radon Program website:  http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/radon. To purchase a short-term radon test kit for $5, send a check or money order with name and mailing address to:  Nebraska Radon Program, 301 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, NE 68509.

State Tax Commissioner Doug Ewald announced the Department of Revenue’s implementation of the federal Military Spouses Residency Relief Act (MSRRA). For spouses who are residents of the same state as the military servicemember, the income earned by the spouse while accompanying the servicemember to Nebraska is only taxable in the spouse’s state of legal residence. This change is effective beginning with the 2009 tax year. The income earned for services performed in Nebraska by the spouse, who is a legal resident of a state other than Nebraska, is exempt from Nebraska income tax if: 1. The servicemember is present in Nebraska solely in compliance with military orders, 2. the spouse is in Nebraska solely to be with the servicemember, and 3. the spouse is a legal resident in the same state as the servicemember. All three conditions must be met to qualify for the exemption. More complete information is available on the department’s web site at www.revenue.ne.gov

I appreciate the opportunity you have given me to represent District 2 in the Nebraska Legislature.