KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Farm Bureau is calling for state officials to lower property taxes by broadening the state’s sales tax base.

Farm Bureau President Steve Nelson made the suggestion Monday at the group’s annual meeting in Kearney. Nelson says reducing property taxes would help restore balance with income and sales taxes.

Broadening the sales tax base would likely require lawmakers and the governor to eliminate exemptions, providing revenue that would make up for lost property tax collections.

Nelson says the current system places much of the tax burden on homeowners, farmers, ranchers and other business owners.

Nelson says broadening the sales tax base would help keep the proposal budget neutral. Lawmakers will face a nearly $1 billion projected shortfall in next year’s session.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska is hosting a farm conference next week that will include America Online co-founder Steve Case, “Duck Dynasty” star Willie Robertson and local celebrities.

The Farmer 2 Farmer event hosted by Farmers Business Network runs from Dec. 12-14 at the Hilton Omaha. Gov. Pete Ricketts, Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert and legendary former Husker coach Tom Osborne are expected to attend.

The event is expected to draw around 1,500 farmers and industry leaders. Case, Osborne and Robertson are scheduled to give speeches.

Farmers Business Network is an independent farmer-to-farmer network, helping producers share farm data to make agronomic and financial decisions.

The event will focus on American entrepreneurs. Last year’s conference was held in Davenport, Iowa, with more than 600 guests from 20 states.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An author who unsuccessfully sued the state for access to a serial killer’s prison drawings has published the artwork of John Joubert in a new book.

The Nebraska Supreme Court refused last year to release the drawings Joubert made before his execution in 1996.

Author Mark Pettit said Monday that a source provided him a copy of the drawings while his case was pending, but he waited to publish them until after Nebraskans voted to reinstate the death penalty this fall.

Pettit is a former Omaha reporter who had previously written a book about Joubert and his crimes.

Joubert was convicted of fatally stabbing two Bellevue-area boys, ages 12 and 13, weeks apart in 1983. He was also convicted of killing an 11-year-old boy in Maine in 1982.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A new report says Nebraska will need $16.6 billion over 20 years to meet its road project needs.

The Department of Roads announced the inflation-adjusted estimate Monday in testimony to a joint legislative committee. The department is required by law to outline its long-term needs each year.

Department Director Kyle Schneweis says his agency is in an “enviable” position with $500 million on hand for construction. Schneweis says state officials recognize that the needs will always be greater than the money available for projects.

Nebraska approved $450 million infrastructure package earlier this year to accelerate work on a backlog of progress. In 2011, lawmakers passed legislation to divert roughly $75 million a year in sales tax revenue into road projects.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Four beer stores in Whiteclay are reapplying for licenses to sell alcohol in the unincorporated village next to South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

The Nebraska Liquor Control Commission received the applications late last week. In November, the commission ordered the four stores to reapply and demonstrate that they can meet state requirements such as providing adequate law enforcement.

The village with a dozen residents sold the equivalent of 3.5 million cans of beer last year. The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation bans alcohol but is plagued by alcoholism.

Commission Executive Director Hobert Rupe says the re-applications will first go before Sheridan County commissioners. If the county commission recommends against the renewals or if three county residents file a protest, the applications will go to the state liquor control commission.

CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The average price of regular grade gasoline is unchanged nationally over the last two weeks, holding steady at $2.20 a gallon.

Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday that refiners have had little time to react to last week’s announcement by major oil-producing countries to slash output. Many retailers have yet to see big price increases.

Lindberg says to expect higher prices after OPEC’s decision to cut production. She says prices may fall if financial markets don’t believe the cuts will stick.

Gas in San Diego was the highest in the continental United States at $2.69 a gallon on average on Friday. The low average was in Houston at $1.91 a gallon.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Game and Commission is offering boat decontamination training to operators of boat repair shops and marinas.

The commission is looking to partner with those operators as a way to prevent the spread of invasive species such as zebra mussels.

Operators interested in the training may contact Game and Parks’ Dave Tunink at [email protected] or 402-471-5553 and provide contact information and information about when they would be available for training. The training likely would take place in February or March.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Iowa and Nebraska legislators are preparing a new push for gun-rights laws next year, and they may be in a good position to succeed after past failures.

Republicans will soon control both the Iowa House and Senate, and in Nebraska, a leading gun-rights advocate said he’s hopeful newly elected conservative senators will support a proposal that could overturn local gun restrictions in Omaha and Lincoln.

In Iowa, numerous attempts to pass gun-rights legislation have stalled in the Democratic-led Senate. That could change, however, once Republicans officially take the majority in January.

In Nebraska, gun-rights advocates will push again for a bill that would prohibit local governments from imposing gun restrictions that go beyond state law. A similar measure was narrowly defeated by a filibuster earlier this year.

CHAPPELL, Neb. (AP) — A former Deuel County sheriff’s deputy who was shot four times last year while serving arrest warrants is slowly recovering but still unable to work.

Hutchinson was injured on Dec. 3, 2015, while trying to arrest a suspect in Big Springs. The suspect was subsequently killed by another officer. Hutchinson left a hospital Feb. 22 and has been recovering since.

Hutchinson celebrated his 53rd birthday on Friday, but he hasn’t been cleared by doctors to work. He still has trouble sitting or standing for long periods.

The career law enforcement officer still goes to several physical therapy appointments each week. Hutchinson says his doctors have told him it will likely take two years for his body to reach some new normal level.