Nebraska senators struggle to fund schools and cut taxes

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Three months after a coalition of Nebraska lawmakers started looking for ways to pay for K-12 public schools while lowering property taxes, senators still haven't united behind a proposal and a tight budget could threaten their plans.

Senators on the informal committee said they're hopeful they can agree on a plan to sell to the Legislature in next year's session, despite a possible revenue shortfall that would limit their options.

The group wants to change Nebraska's school-funding formula, which has been sending less money to rural schools because of soaring farm and ranchland values.

"I'm cautiously optimistic," said Sen. Tom Briese, of Albion. "There's a lot of sentiment within the committee to change how we fund education to ensure more dollars get to school districts."

Read more: https://www.starherald.com/news/regional_statewide/nebraska-senators-struggle-to-fund-schools-and-cut-taxes/article_a1734595-a2b6-52cd-a276-baae3fae2a6e.html