Group trying to replace all Nebraska taxes with sales tax says it’s met one ballot requirement

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Organizers of an effort to overhaul the state’s tax system said Tuesday that they’ve met one of the requirements to get the issue on the ballot.

The group Epic Option announced that its two ballot initiative petitions have been signed by at least 5% of voters in 38 counties.

The first ballot initiative would eliminate all state taxes, even property taxes.

The second ballot initiative directs the Legislature to enact a consumption tax with an exemption for groceries.

EPIC said that consumption tax would be less than 8%.

But opponents have said that to replace the lost revenue, the rate would need to be at least 21%.

The petitions still need to reach the overall signature threshold of 10% of the state’s registered voters, which is about 123,000, to make the ballot.