The governor floated the idea last week as a way to prevent property taxes from sharply increasing even as the state’s agricultural economy is having troubles. A similar bill stalled in the Legislature in 2017, but Ricketts said he doesn’t think it was fully debated or understood.

“I still think it’s a good idea,” Ricketts said in an Associated Press interview. “People have had a chance to think about it and look at it, and I think that gives us more of an opportunity to get that passed.”

Nebraska now relies on a market-based system when valuing agricultural land, unlike most Midwestern states that levy based on the potential income a property can generate. Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, Wisconsin and the Dakotas all use the latter and typically charge less in agricultural property taxes than Nebraska.

Under Nebraska’s system, farmland is assessed based on the market price of nearby land parcels that have recently been sold. Investors in recent years have bought such land at a premium, raising property values for the surrounding area even when commodity prices have fallen. The soaring land values result in higher taxes.

Fresh off his win in Tuesday’s election, Ricketts said cutting taxes and promoting business growth will remain his top priorities for his next four years in office. He said the Legislature “has been the obstacle” to reducing property taxes because lawmakers have rejected his proposals, but he pledged to continue working with lawmakers.

Some senators have blamed Ricketts for not accepting their ideas.

Sen. Steve Erdman, a retired farmer from Bayard, criticized the governor’s tax package in April as “too little, too late” for property taxpayers and called it “one of the most ridiculous pieces of legislation I have seen in my life.”

Now, Erdman said he’s working with the governor’s staff on a bill that would tax agricultural land based on its potential income instead of its market value.

“A lot of people are buying for purposes other than farming it,” Erdman said. “It seems very unfair to value 99 percent of ag land based on what happens to 1 percent of it.”

Ricketts said he was also interested in the work done by a group of senators who were looking for ways to change Nebraska’s aid formula for K-12 public schools, a major driver of property taxes.

“There’s not going to be one silver-bullet answer to solve this,” he said. “Part of my job is to try to bring together (urban and rural senators) on property taxes and find something we can agree on.”

One prominent agriculture group, the Nebraska Farm Bureau, stopped short of endorsing the proposal but left open the possibility. Spokesman Craig Head said the group’s members haven’t yet approved a policy agenda for next year’s session, “but property tax reform is still a high priority for us.”

Other rural senators said they support the concept but didn’t think it addressed the immediate problem facing rural landowners.

“It doesn’t really fix anything,” said Sen. Mike Groene, of North Platte. “Twenty years ago it would have been the answer, because it would have prevented these huge valuation increases we’ve seen. Over the long range it works, but we don’t have time for the long range.”

Groene said the proposal would shift the tax burden to other property owners within a county or school district. Local governments that can’t collect additional revenue because of the policy could compensate by raising their levies — putting farmers back in the same predicament.

Groene, a blunt-spoken fiscal conservative who owns farmland, said he was fine-tuning a different proposal to address the taxes levied by public schools.

“We have to do something, or else I’m going to leave this damn state,” Groene said. “I’m sick of this.”

One of the next training opportunities will be on Nov. 29 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Dan Neenan with the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety says it’s important to understand the hazards of anhydrous ammonia and to use proper safety gear, especially a full-face respirator.

Neenan says anhydrous ammonia will freeze human tissue on contact and cause chemical burns.

The training costs $10. More information is available by calling 800-551-9029.

Darrell Fischer has served in the position since 2014 and previously spent 28 years with the Nebraska State Patrol. Gov. Pete Ricketts issued a statement Friday praising Fischer for his “outstanding work.”

Fischer will retire on Dec. 31.

The Crime Commission sets and maintains standards for Nebraska’s public safety agencies, tracks crime statistics and awards public safety grants.

The governor’s office is accepting applications for the commission’s next executive director until Dec. 1.

Architectural, real estate and engineering consultants recently shared their vision for a Capitol campus after working with the state’s Department of Administrative Services and the city of Lincoln for nearly two years. The proposed development plan aims to consolidate space, bring agencies together and provide a more attractive workplace to improve recruitment.

“For the state to compete with private-sector jobs, amenities such as a fitness center with shower facilities, dining options, daycare and wellness areas are all complementary additions to office space …,” the consultants said.

In addition to a new Justice Center for the state’s Supreme Court, consultants also recommended buildings or additions to house a Department of Health and Human Services consumer office and a Revenue and Economic Development Center. The plan includes a location for high-traffic public agencies, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, state treasurer, child support and an unclaimed property department.

The plan would be completed in phases. Consultants proposed long-term projects, such as renovation or new construction near the Pershing Center.

Construction of new buildings is the most cost-effective approach for the state in the long run because of increasing lease rates and demand for premium office space in downtown Lincoln, according to consultants from companies DLR Group, WRT, Berggren Architects, NAI/FMA Realty and Olsson Associates.

The 20-year plan outlines benefits totaling a cost savings of about $11 million, or $550,000 annually. The savings come from reducing average office space per employee and decreasing future space and leased space needs.