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Dist. 40 R eport
Dist. 40 Sen. Barry DeKay
On Jan. 15, Gov. Jim Pillen presented his State of the State Address before the members of the Legislature. In his address, he noted that Nebraska remains on a strong footing since the state’s unemployment rate remains low and the population is growing surpassing two million residents. As such, much of his address was focused on presenting his legislative priorities for the year. Bills being brought at the request of the Governor this year include:
• LB3 by Sen. Lippincott to return Nebraska to being a winner-take-all system when it comes to allocating the state’s electoral college votes for President and Vice-President;
• LB89 by Sen. Kauth which would adopt the Stand with Women Act to restrict biological boys from sharing bathrooms, locker rooms, and playing sports with biological girls;
• LB246, my bill, to ban the sale of lab-grown meat in Nebraska; and
• LB303 by Sen. Hughes to increase per student foundation aid to schools and create a commission to examine school finance.
Governor Pillen also presented the Legislature with his budget proposal for the next two fiscal years. Late last year, the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board projected the state would have a $432 million budget shortfall due to drawdown of the federal pandemic funds and lower than expected tax collections resulting from tax cuts passed in prior legislative sessions. The proposed budget therefore calls for cuts to multiple state agencies, programs, and projects, repealing recently passed state laws that included new spending or cost the state significant revenue, and leveraging more federal dollars as mandated Medicaid and health costs rise.
In terms of impact relevant to Northeast Nebraska and District 40, the Governor’s proposed budget includes the following:
• Cutting $65 million from the projects proposed at Lewis and Clark Lake and Niobrara State Park in Knox County (and Lake McConaughy in Keith County) as part of the Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability (STAR WARS) initiative;
• Striking a previously allocated appropriation to the Ponca Tribe to help construct a Standing Bear Museum and Visitor Center near Niobrara;
• Increasing state public education funding by $67.6 million to ensure the state can continue to reimburse local school districts for 80% of special education costs; and
• Allocating $5.5 million to the Nebraska Corn Board for local, regional and international marketing.
