Legislative coffee topics
Education funding was the main topic discussed at Saturday’s legislative coffee event in Washington. That part of the discussion was printed on the front page of this week’s Washington County News. Because my story was much longer than the space allowed, and because I was going to be out of the office on Wednesday, I was unable to place the remainder of the topics in the newspaper, so I have pasted them here.
Other topics discussed were:
• Doug Jenkins, of Washington, asked what was being done to fix the broken public education system. He said humanism and homosexuality is being forced down children’s throats and that we need to get God and prayer back in schools.
Schwartz said this was not an issue they were dealing with on the state level and that it might be a state school board issue.
Taddiken said the State has started asking schools to do more of what parents used to do, including breakfast and after school programs among other things. Taddiken said he didn’t think schools were teaching homosexuality.
Later, Herb Dyck commented on the topic, saying he taught for 36 years and never heard homosexuality addressed and that the advocation of sexual orientation should be none of our business.
Other topics discussed were:
• A House bill that would remove tax exempt status for religious organizations. Taddiken said he has received a lot of calls against that and Schwartz said the bill has no been recommended.
• Dyck asked if drug testing was required for welfare recipients, could anyone receiving state funds be tested? Taddiken said he has put some serious thought into that, but it would be a huge program and he couldn’t fathom how the State could pay for that.
• There were about 460 bills in the Senate this year and a similar number in the House.
• A call-in question requested that there should be a broadening of property taxes for tenant farmers. Schwartz said she didn’t think we needed to add any more on property taxes when they are out of balance already. Taddiken said there has been no serious discussion of increasing property taxes.
• Washington County Commissioner Alison Mueller said she was concerned about HB2630, which says they are supposed to have a mill levy decrease if there is a property tax increase. She said they have not raised the mill levy in two years and don’t plan to again this year, but they do receive increased revenue since property valuations are up.
She thought this was a penalty to growth and that it would affect services.
Mueller said HB2707, which would require property tax increases limited to a percentage, might be a little more palatable.
Schwartz said her most frequent complaint from constituents was about property taxes, but since that is set at the local level, she attended a commissioner meeting a couple years ago. Schwartz said that with the population decline, the responsibility of property taxes falls on fewer people.
Mueller said the state dictates evaluation and that was why valuations went up.
• Rodney Ohlde, of Linn, said the legislature should revisit the appraisal process. He said he built new farming facilities in 2007 and 2008 and the property taxes doubled.
“I don’t mind paying my fair share, but when the taxes double, it means you need to look at it,” said Ohlde.
Schwartz said there was something unique with property tax jumps in her district in Washington and Nemaha County.
• Taddiken said there was a bill on storing natural gas underground, which could have an affect on Northern Natural Gas which has facilities in Clifton. He wanted NNG families to know they’re working to make sur ethe field in Cunningham will not close down.
• In closing, Schwartz said she appreciates people staying in contact with her. And for this year, the over-riding issue was how to get out of this budget situation. “I don’t think it will be any better next year,” said Schwartz.
