LINCOLN — State senators, nonprofits and native organizations expressed glee however warning Wednesday with Gov. Jim Pillen’s outlined priorities in his State of the State handle.
A lot of Pillen’s handle expanded upon his price range suggestions, which have been launched in laws by Speaker John Arch of La Vista and provided a imaginative and prescient for Nebraska’s trajectory.
State Sen. Robert Clements of Elmwood provided his endorsement of Pillen’s work, noting that the suggestions fall throughout the price range.
“I’m in settlement together with his proposals, and I didn’t discover something that I used to be lacking,” Clements mentioned.
Clements, who has simply taken over management of the highly effective Appropriations Committee, and with an extra in state income, mentioned he’s slightly overwhelmed as he’s “wading into deep water” together with his new function, however he mentioned he takes it sooner or later at a time to assist Pillen.
State Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central Metropolis, an Appropriations Committee member, mentioned Pillen’s fiscally conservative price range reveals a great steadiness with sources and pertinent points comparable to property tax reduction.
“Property taxes within the present system have triggered lots of people, primary, to maneuver out of the state and quantity two, to not transfer into our state,” Lippincott mentioned. “And I do imagine that Jim Pillen addressed that challenge immediately.”
‘Future success’
State Sens. Tom Briese of Albion, Government Board chair, and Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn additionally praised Pillen for a price range they mentioned was tight sufficient on spending to supply historic tax reduction.
“I feel the governor is doing a great job making an attempt to set us up for future success and to get us aggressive,” Linehan mentioned.
State Sens. Danielle Conrad and Jane Raybould, each of Lincoln, mentioned Pillen provided transformative priorities, significantly involving schooling funding.
Conrad added that Pillen’s tax bundle will earn a large swath of assist throughout the political aisle and that Pillen’s “heat, genuine, private management fashion” continues to face out.
“I really like how he’s not afraid to put on his coronary heart on his sleeve in relation to speaking about his ardour for Nebraska and his love for his household,” Conrad mentioned. “I feel that’s very welcome and really inviting and a very, actually neat management fashion that sort of struck me all through his handle to the Legislature.”
‘The abdomen’ to keep up funding
Pillen’s priorities additionally raised issues about what they do — and don’t — handle.
Conrad mentioned the governor’s need to ship extra state {dollars} to personal spiritual faculties is “misguided.”
“Public {dollars} ought to stick with public establishments,” Conrad mentioned.
State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, who challenged Pillen for the governor’s seat, mentioned his speech fell flat, giving her “grave issues” the brand new governor doesn’t perceive how authorities works.
“I discover it very uninspiring, and I do know that public talking is tough, and I’m positive that he’ll get higher with time, however he introduced up issues that I feel are very regarding, and the numbers don’t add up,” Blood mentioned.
Raybould mentioned her important concern is whether or not future lawmakers will “have the abdomen” to keep up the extent of funding wanted to proceed Pillen’s requests yr after yr.
‘Ignores the disaster’
Blood and State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha additionally famous a scarcity of priorities involving well being care entry and affordability. Blood mentioned notable exceptions from Pillen’s speech included water high quality and methods to handle the environmental catastrophe from the AtlEn plant in Mead that Blood has centered on.
Nebraska well being care and human companies suppliers joined in an announcement in opposition to Pillen’s price range proposal saying it “ignores the disaster” their area is going through that “we haven’t seen in generations.”
The joint assertion was issued by 10 well being organizations, together with the Youngsters and Households Coalition of Nebraska, Nebraska Hospital Affiliation, Nebraska Rural Well being Affiliation and Nebraska Affiliation of Behavioral Well being Organizations.
“This price range jeopardizes the care that rural Nebraskans — particularly our aged Nebraskans and susceptible households — have entry to,” the joint assertion reads, calling on the Legislature to make sure continued entry to nursing house care, hospitals, major and behavioral well being care, dental companies, developmental disabilities and others.
Jalene Carpenter, Nationwide Well being Care Affiliation president and CEO, mentioned in an announcement that nursing properties and assisted residing services depend on state funding, particularly in rural communities, and that these points have to be addressed immediately.
“We are able to’t depart our elders behind, and we should put money into these care settings,” Carpenter mentioned.
Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Celebration, criticized Pillen for his stance to limit abortion additional and assist laws that will hurt LGBTQ Nebraskans, two points she mentioned are pushing younger individuals out of the state extra so than taxes.
“When [Gov. Pete] Ricketts created the slogan for the state to be ‘Nebraska, it’s not for everybody’ it was a real reflection of Ricketts’ and now Pillen’s plans,” Kleeb tweeted after Pillen’s handle. “… Pillen may stay his phrases of ‘equity’ and wanting Nebraska to ‘win’ by bringing Dems and Republicans collectively.”
‘Sinkhole of nickels’
State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha, City Affairs Committee chair, focused Pillen’s proposal for a brand new state jail as one thing he would by no means assist.
McKinney mentioned a brand new jail is just not the answer as a result of one other new jail can be wanted as quickly as the primary one is constructed. He mentioned the ask ignores different wanted reforms for psychological well being or substance abuse points and workforce abilities.
“It’s a waste of taxpayer cash, and if we’re taking a look at each nickel, then that’s positively a sinkhole of nickels going to one thing that’s by no means going to work,” McKinney mentioned.
Nebraska Examiner political reporter Aaron Sanderford contributed to this report.
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