Gov. Pete Ricketts revealed his budgetary and legislative priorities for Nebraska during his State of the State address Jan. 15. The governor highlighted proposals to provide property tax relief and flood recovery.<\/p>\n
\u201cA strong finish to the last fiscal year helped us rebuild our cash reserve and has created the opportunity for us to work on key priorities for the people of Nebraska,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ricketts said the state\u2019s economic forecasting board has raised its revenue projection by $266 million for the next two fiscal years, money that he\u2019d like to see go toward his top priority\u2014property tax relief. The governor proposed $500 million in property tax relief over the next three years, adding that he would not support increases in other taxes to offset the reduction in revenue.<\/p>\n
Many areas of the state are still recovering from last spring\u2019s flooding, Ricketts said, and the federal government will pay for the majority of recovery efforts. Ricketts, though, would like Nebraska to contribute $50 million toward those efforts, provide an additional $9.2 million to the most devastated counties and increase the Governor\u2019s Emergency Fund by $3 million.<\/p>\n
Ricketts lauded the advancement of LB153 which would reduce income taxes for veterans. He said more needs to be done to encourage veterans to stay in Nebraska.<\/p>\n
\u201cVeterans continue to contribute to our communities and our economy after they complete their service,\u201d Ricketts said. \u201cNebraska is the only state in our region whose veterans\u2019 population is declining in part because we tax retirement benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n
The governor\u2019s final priorities were expanding the state\u2019s workforce and passing LB720, which would revise Nebraska\u2019s business incentives. He proposed $16 million in scholarships for students attending community and four-year colleges, and $8 million to attract and retain corrections officers.<\/p>\n
\u201cConnecting the next generation of Nebraskans to great opportunities in our state is key to helping our kids make Nebraska their home,\u201d Ricketts said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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