Gov. Jim Pillen praises Nebraska in his State of the State address
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Gov. Jim Pillen gave his State of the State address Thursday in front of a full crowd at the Capitol building.
He highlighted the construction of the first ICE facility in Nebraska, the economy’s growth during Biden’s presidency, population records, and the growth of the cattle industry.
But he says, in part, “Nebraska is in the strongest state it’s ever been.”
“The state of our state is as strong as ever,” Pillen said. “But, with the work of the leaders in this chamber, I believe we can make it even stronger.”
But not everyone agrees with the governor’s address.
The Nebraska Democratic Party responded to Pillen’s address, saying that by nearly every measure, Donald Trump and Jim Pillen have turned Nebraska into a punchline, a staggering failure of leadership.
“Working Nebraskans are struggling as costs continue to rise, healthcare becomes more expensive, and jobs disappear. Nebraskan’s republican leadership has failed working Nebraskans.
Nebraska Appleseed also responded. The Executive Director stated in part, “Instead of working toward positive solutions to give Nebraskans the good life, our leaders are creating and celebrating barriers to progress for all of our communities.”
The full statement from Nebraska Appleseed is as follows:
“Far too many of our neighbors are struggling right now to make ends meet as the costs of housing, health care, food, and child care continue to rise. Instead of working toward positive solutions to give Nebraskans the good life, our leaders are creating and celebrating barriers to progress for all of our communities.
Governor Pillen celebrated SNAP food restrictions and Medicaid work requirements before the harmful effects of those changes have been felt. He also touted the large-scale detention facility in McCook that serves to separate our communities rather than unite us.
Nebraska’s Legislature needs to step up to keep Nebraska’s current SNAP program intact, ensure that Nebraskans can access health care through a strong Medicaid program, and commit to implementing Medicaid work requirements and other changes in a way that prevents even more coverage losses and cuts.
Elected officials also need to come together to protect longtime community members from deportation and family separation. Nebraska is safer and stronger when we welcome and include our neighbors who are stuck in limbo despite their best efforts to navigate long-outdated immigration laws.
It’s critical that all Nebraskans are able to continue to put food on the table, afford health care and child care, access safe and affordable housing, and earn a fair wage. We look forward to working with our fellow community members to advance common-sense policies that support working families and strengthen our communities across the state.”
But for 2026, a few things Pillen wants to fix are Nebraska’s tax policy, a stricter budget, and overall improvements to the education system.
“Unity is an important theme as we embark on 2026.”
Pillen went on to thank the men and women of the legislature and expressed his gratitude for their work.
