LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts isn’t giving up on his push to lower property taxes after his proposal to lawmakers stalled in this year’s legislative session.

Ricketts pledged in an Associated Press interview to keep trying to build a contingent of supporters that’s large enough to overcome senators who oppose it in next year’s session. The governor’s property and corporate income tax package was derailed by a filibuster during the 60-day session that ended Wednesday.

“We’ll continue to look for solutions in the future to build that broad coalition,” Ricketts said.

Supporters of the governor’s plan said it would have eased the tax burdens on farmers who have seen their property taxes spike in recent years and helped businesses by lowering the state’s top corporate income tax rate. Some rural senators said the benefits wouldn’t have come fast enough, while other lawmakers argued there wasn’t a specific way to pay for it in the future.

Additionally, the plan was forced to compete with other property tax bills. One major proposal would have paid for property tax cuts by raising Nebraska’s sales and cigarette taxes, while another would have used more than $1 billion a year in state revenue — roughly one-fourth of the state’s annual budget.

Ricketts, a Republican who is up for re-election in November, said he and the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jim Smith, of Papillion, tried repeatedly to find common ground with senators.

“It was changed throughout the entire process, and I believe we ended up with a very good bill,” Ricketts said. “We compromised all along the way, but we would not compromise on our principles of not raising taxes.”

He said he opposed the competing bills because one would raise taxes and the other would cause major disruptions in state services, possibly necessitating a tax increase. Because rural senators are now a minority in the Legislature, Ricketts said tax bills will need to provide benefits to rural and urban residents to have a chance at passing.

“If they insist on tax relief for just farmers and ranchers, that bill’s not going anywhere,” he said.

The governor’s proposal would have offered income tax credits to reimburse a portion of the property taxes paid by agricultural landowners and homeowners. Commercial property wouldn’t see any new benefit, but the bill would lower Nebraska’s top corporate income tax rate and pump $5 million a year into job training programs.

Ricketts praised lawmakers on other matters, including their success in balancing the state budget, eliminating some state regulations and raising the speed limit by 5 mph on state highways. He also touted their vote on a measure that will prevent health clinics from getting federal family-planning dollars if they provide abortion services or provide referrals to groups that do.

Sen. Bob Krist, of Omaha, a Democratic candidate for governor, said Ricketts failed to unite urban and rural senators behind major property tax legislation. Krist said Ricketts was trying to blame the Legislature for his inability to pass the bill.

“Frankly, he lacks the leadership skills necessary to move our state forward,” said Krist, a former Republican who frequently clashed with the party.

Ricketts dismissed the criticism as “a purely political attack,” and referred questions to his campaign.

Asked about Krist’s comment, Ricketts campaign spokesman Matthew Trail called them “empty rhetoric.”

“As a senator, Krist hasn’t introduced property tax relief, and the Legislature has failed two years in a row to pass property tax relief measures put forward by the governor,” Trail said.

One of the property tax measures that failed in the Legislature could end up on the November general-election ballot. Sen. Steve Erdman, of Bayard, a Republican who helped launch a citizen ballot drive, said he has seen a surge of voters who want to sign the petition.

“It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced,” Erdman said. “The signature people say it’s one of the easiest signatures they’ve ever asked for.”

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Officials say a tractor safety course will be taught at a dozen locations across Nebraska in May and June.

There will be extensive training on tractor and all-terrain vehicle safety, with a variety of hands-on activities.

Teens 14 or 15 years of age are encouraged to register for the two-day Nebraska Extension Tractor Safety & Hazardous Occupations Course. Younger youths are not eligible. The $60 fee includes lunch.

Locations are Ainsworth (June 5-6), Auburn (May 31-June 1), Geneva (May 22-23), Gering (June 14-15), Gordon (June 20-21), Hastings (May 24-25), Kearney (May 29-30), McCook (June 21-22), North Platte (June 12-13), O’Neill (June 7-8), Wayne (June 19-20) and Weeping Water (June 29-30).

More information is available at Extension offices near the locations.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — As surging numbers of women run for federal, state and local offices, some of those who have been elected in Nebraska say they have been facing worsening harassment that ranges from name-calling to pornographic emails.

The women largely blame the attacks on men they believe feel threatened by shifts in gender roles, and while acknowledging the comments are troubling, most say they won’t be intimidated.

“The part that’s hard to deal with is that in this day and age there should no longer be unfair targeting of women,” said state Sen. Theresa Thibodeau of Omaha.

No one tracks such cases of harassment in Nebraska or nationally, but women say the intensity of such attacks has increased, in part because social media makes such efforts so easy. The attacks come at a time when more than 300 women from the two major parties have filed to run for the U.S. House.

Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University, argued the situation worsened amid the divisive 2016 presidential election. The strong feelings triggered by the presidential campaign combined with growing use of social media to embolden and connect more people willing to attack female politicians, Walsh said.

Following the presidential election, the #MeToo movement prompted more women to speak up, which in turn led more opponents to lash out.

“You can do it in a way that you don’t have to leave home, you don’t have to have money, you don’t have to look anyone in the eye and you can easily reach a large audience to try to silence women,” Walsh said.

Leirion Gaylor Baird, who has served on the Lincoln City Council since 2013, said the harassment she faces is more aggressive than ever before. She believes it comes from men who aren’t accustomed to seeing women in positions of power.

Gaylor Baird introduced a city ordinance to ban bump stocks, which enables more rapid firing of semi-automatic firearms, and the City Council unanimously approved the action. But she said she then endured the most aggressive, hateful opposition she’d seen in her five years in politics.

She took to Facebook to post one letter that swore at her and said “you not so bright females” are attacking America by regulating guns.

“While I appreciate passionate advocacy, I also firmly believe in civil discourse,” she responded. “Please check your misogyny at the door. #LegislateLikeAGirl.”

Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln and Thibodeau said they’ve faced harassment related to a bill they supported that would more strictly regulate so-called bottle clubs, where members pay a fee to join and can bring their own alcohol. Some of the clubs allow members to touch nude dancers, and Pansing Brooks and Thibodeau contend they are hubs for human trafficking.

Although several male senators spoke in support of the measure, Thibodeau said female senators have been the focus of criticism from bottle club owners and constituents who say the clubs have nothing to do with trafficking.

At one Waverly bottle club, the owner even posted a sign threatening court action against Pansing Brooks and used an expletive against Thibodeau.

Thibodeau also said she received profanity-laced emails and similar comments on her Facebook page.

The bottle club bill was later incorporated into another bill that was approved, but only after some requirements were removed.

Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue said she’s found that harassment is typically spurred by women supporting legislation about women’s health or rights.

This session, several radio show hosts criticized Blood as being vulgar after she used the word “vagina” during legislative debate about a budget bill that denies federal family-planning dollars to health clinics that offer abortion referrals. Blood said the comments were sexist and unnecessary.

Blood, who also said she’s been sent porn, encouraged senators to report harassment to the Nebraska State Patrol.

“Until we stand up to them in a way that’s on an equal or greater level, it’s going to continue,” she said.

Male politicians in Nebraska have also faced harassment, such as a sign placed in U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry’s yard last May berating him for his Republican political beliefs.

But Blood said there is a difference in the way women and men are harassed.

“With women it’s, ‘Oh, she’s having her period,’ but with men it’s ‘Oh, he’s just having a bad day,'” she said. “Women are always defined by their anatomy.”

Female legislators have spoken about their experiences with harassment during legislative debate, on social media or at press conferences. Gaylor Baird said it’s vital to speak up and support women campaigning for political positions.

“We have to get to a point where women leadership is expected and not disrespected,” she said.