Nebraska Legislature has just days to pass the state budget

Senators debate how to spend taxpayer dollars

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The deadline to approve the $1.5 billion state budget is approaching fast, but senators still have much work to do.

There are three budget bills in the second round of debate in the Nebraska Legislature, and senators could spend up to 4 hours on each.

“I have plenty to say, more than 4 hours to say about the budget,” Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh said.

The budget must be passed by Tuesday, and if the bills are approved in the second round, they will go through yet another round of debate.

The biggest roadblock during Thursday’s debate was the $155 million going to a new state penitentiary.

“I would invite the governor to engage in this process, to talk about those four remaining topics that will actually bend the curve about our prison population, and we haven’t done that,” Sen. John McCollister said. “So I think the parties need to engage and we need to resolve this issue, and maybe we can move this legislative session forward.”

Sen. Steve Lathrop said the recidivism increased from 27 percent to 30 percent from 2010 to 2018.

“So our recidivism rate, colleagues, in this status quo is getting worse,” he said. “That should be concerning. That should tell you that the status quo is not sufficient, that we can find a better way.”

Lathrop and other senators are frustrated and say their colleagues are not working together to find a solution.

“After being back here for four years, I’ve seen how the place works,” said Lathrop, who had a prior stint in the Legislature. “I’m disappointed with that. I should be able to talk with my colleagues about a significant problem facing the state, and a solution that many of us have spent a great deal of time coming up with.”

Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers is anticipating each budget bill to take the full allotted time, but he is discouraging senators from wasting time on minor issues.

“I want to make clear that that will happen if we all get together and work together, but it is not going to happen because someone is trying to take things hostage in the body or suggest that the way you get things accomplished here is by slowing things down,” he said. “I want to make things really clear. If you slow things down, you’re hurting the body. You are not gaining leverage over my process, you are not gaining leverage over the work that I do, and you are not forcing me to compromise with you on another issue.”