{"id":22270,"date":"2017-05-17T17:13:39","date_gmt":"2017-05-17T23:13:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/update.legislature.ne.gov\/?p=22270"},"modified":"2017-05-18T08:54:53","modified_gmt":"2017-05-18T14:54:53","slug":"line-item-budget-vetoes-sustained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/update.legislature.ne.gov\/?p=22270","title":{"rendered":"Line-item budget vetoes sustained"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lawmakers declined to override any of the governor\u2019s line-item vetoes of the state budget package May 17.<\/p>\n

\"Sen.
Sen. John Stinner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Several bills comprising the $8.9 billion, two-year budget package were passed last week and sent to Gov. Pete Ricketts. The governor vetoed $56.5 million in line items from the budget. The Appropriations Committee offered override motions on two of those vetoes.<\/p>\n

Among the provisions vetoed in LB327, the mainline budget bill, was $33.6 million in general funds that lawmakers had approved for Medicaid, child welfare, behavioral health and developmental disability providers. The governor\u2019s veto amounts to a 3 percent cut in provider rates in the four categories.<\/p>\n

In his May 15 veto message, the governor said the change would return the level of funding for provider rates to the amounts recommended in his budget proposal. Ricketts said that prudent fiscal management calls for less general fund spending in light of a recent downturn in state tax revenue.<\/p>\n

Gering Sen. John Stinner, chairperson of the Appropriations Committee, offered a motion to override $32.4 million of those cuts to provider rates for Medicaid, behavioral health and developmental disability providers.<\/p>\n

While a 3 percent cut may seem reasonable, Stinner said, rates for Nebraska Medicaid providers are the sixth lowest of all the states that provide such information. Nursing homes \u2013 particularly in rural areas of the state \u2013 are stressed financially by those low rates, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith an aging population, nursing homes need to be preserved at least at a flat rate,\u201d Stinner said, which the bill as passed by the Legislature would have done.<\/p>\n

Sen. Mark Kolterman of Seward supported the motion, saying an override was warranted in this case. Many critical access hospitals and nursing homes in rural areas are the largest employers in their towns, he said, and some are in danger of failing because of Medicaid provider rates.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are we going to recruit people to an area where the largest employer in many cases is struggling to keep their doors open?\u201d Kolterman said.<\/p>\n

Omaha Sen. Robert Hilkemann also supported the override motion, saying the state is not \u201cbroke\u201d and should not balance its budget by cutting rates to providers who take care of the state\u2019s most vulnerable.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if we do this override, we\u2019re still going to have $350 million in our rainy day fund,\u201d he said. \u201cTo what end? It\u2019s a rainy day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont said it has taken 200 years of advocacy to open doors to employment, education and housing for people with developmental disabilities. Speaking in support of the override motion, she said Nebraska parents and providers have long fought against abuse and neglect and for community acceptance and access to services.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a step backward \u2013 for families, for advocates and for people needing services due to a disability,\u201d Walz said.<\/p>\n

Elkhorn Sen. Lou Ann Linehan opposed the override motion, saying she does not believe that the state\u2019s economic condition will improve anytime soon.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are hard, difficult votes,\u201d she said. \u201cBut if we take [the cash reserve fund] down to 2.5 percent and have to come back in October and make the very cuts that we\u2019re doing today \u2013 painful as they are \u2013 they\u2019re not going to be less painful in October. They\u2019ll be more painful,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have to face the reality that we\u2019re in. We aren\u2019t broke, but we shouldn\u2019t let ourselves get quite so close.\u201d<\/p>\n

The motion failed on a vote of 27-21. Thirty votes were required for adoption.<\/p>\n

The other committee motion would have restored $300,000 vetoed from the Office of Probation Services. Stinner said the amount reflects a 0.5 percent across-the-board cut to most state agencies that was included in the governor\u2019s line-item vetoes.<\/p>\n

\u201cProbation services provides constructive change through rehabilitation, collaboration and partnership to enhance and maintain the safety of our communities,\u201d Stinner said. \u201cBringing an additional cut to those services will not serve the mission of Nebraska.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crete Sen. Laura Ebke supported the motion. A robust probation system with sufficient services is important to avoid expensive lawsuits related to prison overcrowding and the possible need to construct additional prison facilities, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important for us to keep our eyes on the big picture,\u201d Ebke said.<\/p>\n

The motion failed 23-25.<\/p>\n

Omaha Sen. Bob Krist then offered a motion to override $6.4 million in cuts to developmental disability aid. He said the funds provide important support and services to the state\u2019s most vulnerable residents in every legislative district.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the essence of what we are in business to do \u2013 to protect the innocent,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Sen. Matt Hansen of Lincoln supported the override motion, saying the governor had an unlimited number of choices in how to re-balance the budget with his line-item vetoes but chose cuts that impact individuals who cannot advocate for themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe governor had his choices and he made them,\u201d Hansen said. \u201cAnd I hope he is comfortable with [it].\u201d<\/p>\n

The motion failed on a vote of 27-21.<\/p>\n

A number of additional motions were offered and withdrawn, including motions to override vetoes of:
\n\u2022 $5.8 million for the University of Nebraska;
\n\u2022 $1.3 million for child welfare provider funding;
\n\u2022 $716,00 for juvenile justice transportation funding; and
\n\u2022 $26,800 in general funds for the state\u2019s specialized court system.<\/p>\n

Following a vote on a second motion to override the veto of child welfare funding, which failed 19-23, all of the governor\u2019s line-item vetoes were sustained.<\/p>\n

Among other vetoes was a $6.5 million reduction to the Highway Cash Fund appropriation contained in LB327. Ricketts said the change \u2013 along with a $15 million line-item reduction in transfers from the Roads Operations Cash Fund to the General Fund in LB331 \u2013 would prevent an increase in the state\u2019s variable gas tax.<\/p>\n

The governor also line-item vetoed $11 million in general funds appropriated in fiscal year 2018-19 in LB330 for the ongoing heating, ventilating and air conditioning system renovation of the State Capitol. Ricketts said the veto would not cancel or delay the project.<\/p>\n

No motions were offered to override those vetoes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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