Gov. Jim Pillen signs executive order cutting almost 1,000 vacant jobs

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Gov. Jim Pillen issued an executive order on Tuesday eliminating almost 1,000 vacant jobs in the state government.

Executive Order 24-03 will cut positions that have gone unfilled for more than 90 days, with exceptions for jobs deemed critical to public safety.

“These positions have been vacant for months or even years, and yet government continues to function,” Pillen said in a press release. “We have proven we can work without them, so we will eliminate them and return the money to the taxpayers.”

Almost 1,000 jobs will be eliminated on June 1, when the executive order takes effect. The governor’s office estimated that will save taxpayers $39.4 million.

Vacant positions will then be eliminated every 90 days.

Positions that are exempt from the order include law enforcement officers, children and family services specialists, and highway maintenance workers.

The Nebraska Association of Public Employees said workers have “picked up the slack” amid the staffing shortage.

But the union said eliminating the jobs “hurts all Nebraskans” by lowering the quality of state services, including the Department of Motor Vehicles and Medicaid.

“We want to do the best for our neighbors, but we simply can’t deliver quality service with a permanent 20%
reduction in the state workforce,” Executive Director Justin Hubly said in a press release.

Hubly said union members who take on extra work because of the executive order plan to negotiate for higher wages.