Nebraska Governor Proposes 40% Property Tax Cut, Faces Opposition

Jim Pillen's plan includes potential sales tax increase and support for controversial anti-LGBTQ bill.

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has proposed a 40% reduction in property taxes, which would cut $2 billion from the $5 billion collected across the state in 2022.
Pillen's plan to fund the tax cut includes imposing a hard spending cap on local governments, closing several tax loopholes for special interests, transferring $274 million from state agency cash funds toward property tax relief, and raising the cigarette tax by up to $2 a pack.
The governor has also suggested increasing the state's sales tax by 2 percentage points to 7.5%, which would be the highest in the nation. However, he has not found support for this proposal in the state's legislature.
Pillen's tax proposals have drawn criticism from both sides of the political spectrum, with the Nebraska Democratic Party arguing they represent a massive shift in taxes onto working and middle-class families, and the conservative Tax Foundation warning they could hurt Nebraska businesses by driving consumers to neighboring states with lower sales taxes.
In addition to his tax proposals, Pillen has also expressed support for a controversial bill that would restrict transgender student participation in high school sports and limit trans students' access to bathrooms and locker rooms.