BEATRICE, Neb. - Next Wednesday, 49 state senators from Omaha to Chadron will meet in Lincoln for Nebraska’s 109th legislative session.

Among them is District 30 Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams, who is beginning his eighth and final year in the Legislature. Dorn expects the state budget to be the primary focus during the 60-day session.

“The main issue this year will be the adjustments to the budget,” Dorn said. “We’re entering with a $470 million deficit, so how we work through that  and make that deficit up… That will be a big issue. By day 40, the budget has to be brought to the floor, and by day 50 it must be passed.”

Property taxes are expected to be another major topic, something lawmakers have debated for several years. Dorn said addressing property tax relief begins with balancing the budget.

“There will definitely be a lot of discussion on property tax and property tax relief,” Dorn said. “But the budget comes first. That will play into it first, and then we’ll have discussions on the rest.

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Dorn discussed the challenge of making budget cuts without introducing new sources of revenue. He said representatives from state agencies will have opportunities to meet with the committee to discuss potential cuts or requests for additional funding. Gov. Jim Pillen is also expected to present his preliminary budget by January 15.

All of these factors will influence the final budget decisions.

“Yes, there will be cuts made,” Dorn said. “But we hopefully have some revenue, which has been strong over the past couple of months, so I hope to have some additional revenue to come about…. But if it doesn’t, we will have a balanced budget that we will bring to the floor.”

In October, the Nebraska State Patrol cited Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst for inappropriate touching of a staff member. McKeon has denied any wrongdoing. Dorn, who serves on the Executive Board, voted in favor of recommending that McKeon be expelled from the Legislature.

Dorn said his decision was based on information provided by legal counsel hired by Executive Board President Ben Hansen.

“I did vote, because of the things that had gone on and all the things we were notified of and let legally known to us by the legal counsel that was hired,” Dorn said. “That’s why the executive board preceded the way that we did.”