Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts is pushing for legislative action to head-off a $200 million tax hike for state taxpayers linked to that federal tax relief package passed by congress late last year.

In a news release Friday the governor said the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by lawmakers and signed by the president will result in more take-home pay for Nebraskans but there's a catch.

Due to changes in the federal tax code, Nebraskans may see a state tax increase "unless the Legislature acts."

The issue is the personal exemption. The federal tax relief package eliminated it while raising the standard deduction.

The personal exemption was a tax credit that taxpayers could claim on their taxes for themselves and each of their dependents. Nebraska has a state-level personal exemption credit that was tied to the federal personal exemption.

The governor says that, "since congress eliminated the federal exemption, our state level credit will go away starting in tax year 2018 unless the Legislature acts. With the personal exemption credit, you get a $134 tax credit from the state for each of your personal exemptions. If the Legislature doesn't act, that means a family of four will potentially pay $536 more in state taxes this year. All told, Nebraskans would see an over $200 million tax increase next year unless senators pass LB1090.

"Like many other states, Nebraska’s tax code has many references and ties to the federal tax code. When the federal tax code changes, many states have to adjust their tax code to avoid unintended consequences. That’s why Senator Jim Smith and I are working to get LB1090 passed. If Nebraskans want to continue to have the option of claiming the personal exemption credit on their state tax returns, the Legislature has to pass this bill."

The governor said that there are a few state senators who have discussed spending the windfall rather than adjusting state tax law.

to read the governor's news release.