Line-item vetoes delivered, returned to governor

Gov. Jim Pillen sent a message to lawmakers May 21 announcing a handful of vetoes to line-items contained in two components of the state budget package passed last week.

Those items include cutting $18 million in cash fund appropriations for recreational upgrades at Lake McConaughy, reducing an appropriation to the Nebraska Supreme Court by approximately $4 million in fiscal year 2025-26 and $7.8 million in FY2026-27, and cutting general fund appropriations by $512,000 over the next two fiscal years to the State Fire Marshal’s office and $1 million annually to public health departments.

Under the Nebraska Constitution, the governor has five calendar days, excluding Sunday, to sign, veto or line-item veto appropriations within the budget. Bills not returned within that time frame become law as though there were signed by the governor.

In a brief floor speech May 22, Speaker John Arch of La Vista said the physical bills with the line-item vetoes were not delivered to the Legislature by the five-day deadline of May 21.

“As such, we don’t believe that we can accept these vetoes,” Arch said. “I have directed the clerk to return the bills to the governor with a message outlining the facts.”

Brandon Metzler, Clerk of the Legislature, then read the message into the record. The message indicated that the bills were delivered by the governor’s office to the secretary of state’s office on May 21.

“On May 22, 2025, at 12:01 a.m., the signed bills were in the possession of the secretary of state,” Metzler said. “In light of the aforementioned considerations, the Legislature is hereby remitting these bills to the governor’s office pending further determination regarding the constitutionality of present circumstances.”

The Legislature then adjourned for the week.