LINCOLN — When a new Nebraska Legislature convenes for its 2027 session, lawmakers will have the authority to accept or reject Gov. Jim Pillen’s plan to cut all state agencies’ budgets by a minimum of 5%. Pillen announced the spending cuts in a July memo. Though the memo announced the reductions would begin immediately, there […]

Records obtained Friday by Nebraska Public Media News show state agencies are using a number of strategies – ranging from cutting positions to potentially having employees sleep in cars rather than in hotel rooms – in response to Gov. Jim Pillen’s memo that said his State Budget Division would be withholding at least 5% of […]

LINCOLN — Nebraska’s tax receipts for July fell less than 1% below economic forecasts, according to the state Department of Revenue, as data shows a steadily lessening impact of higher-than-expected tax refunds. The Department of Revenue’s report on July’s tax receipts showed a net loss of 0.1% compared to what Nebraska’s Economic Forecasting Advisory Board […]

LINCOLN — The effects of Gov. Jim Pillen’s 5% spending reduction across all state agencies aren’t likely to hit Nebraska’s community colleges until mid-2027. Michael Baumgartner, executive director of the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, said the 5% cut won’t impact the state’s Community College Future Fund — the largest share of state aid […]

LINCOLN — An investigation of a $2.5 million no-bid emergency contract between the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and a contractor Gov. Jim Pillen recommended has moved from the Lincoln Police Department to the Lancaster County Attorney’s Office. Erika Thomas, public information officer for the Lincoln police, confirmed the switch to the Examiner. Lancaster County […]

LINCOLN — Nebraska’s education commissioner said a 5% spending cut Gov. Jim Pillen requested from all state agencies won’t apply to the state’s school funding formula. Commissioner Brian Maher provided an update on the Nebraska Department of Education’s response to the governor’s spending memo at a State Board of Education meeting Thursday. While portions of […]

LINCOLN — After Nebraska implemented new Medicaid work rules eight months ahead of a federal deadline, Angela Lindstrom with the Health Center Association of Nebraska said some residents have waited up to 90 minutes on the state’s phone line to get their questions answered. “As you can imagine, our certified application counselors are sitting with […]

LINCOLN — Amid a phase of budget tightening across Nebraska’s state agencies, Gov. Jim Pillen said an ongoing Asia trade mission will have minimal impact on the state’s finances. Through a 13-hour time difference, Pillen on Tuesday gave an update to reporters on his final night of a four-day trade mission to Japan and the […]

LINCOLN — Nebraska lawmakers will likely have to contend with two separate budget deficits when they reconvene for the 2027 legislative session, with the combined shortfall currently set over $1 billion. Legislative Fiscal Analyst Keisha Patent confirmed the situation at a Tax Rate Review Committee meeting on Wednesday. There, she provided lawmakers with a new […]