23-05-2025
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen vetoes parts of budget but signs off on rest
LINCOLN, Neb. (KCAU) — Nebraksa Governor Jim Pillen signed the 2025-2027 State Biennium Budget, but there are some items he vetoed and sent back to state lawmakers.
The $11 billion budget will cover fiscal year 2025-26 and fiscal year 2026-27.
In his veto letter on Wednesday, Governor Pillen thanked the lawmakers for their work creating a fiscally conservative budget, which closed a projected $432 million shortfall.
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The four-line item vetoes the governor issued in which he made changes to the budget include: nearly $12 million in reduction to the budget increase for the state's Supreme Court, cut $1 million from public health departments, and take almost $512,000 from the state Fire Marshal for salary and health insurance premium increases.
'As with all current decisions surrounding our state budget, as stewards of the public's resources we must prioritize what is necessary over what would be nice to have. We must be conservative in good times as well as during fiscally challenging times. Reducing spending is hard work, but Nebraskans expect us to exercise common sense and discretion in achieving a balanced, fair and operative budget,' said Gov. Pillen.
On Thursday, the Nebraska Unicameral said the governor's office sent the bills LB 261-E and LB 264-E to the Secretary of State's office instead of the Clerk of the Legislature's Office.
Under the state's constitution, the governor has five calendar days, excluding Sunday, to sign, veto, or line-item veto appropriations within the budget.
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Speaker John Arch said the measures were not delivered to the legislature by the five-day deadline of May 21, adding the Unicameral cannot accept the vetoes.
The governor's office will consult with the Nebraska Attorney General's Office and other counsel on next steps to effectuate the law.
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