Ricketts trims $51.8M in spending with line-item vetoes
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a trio of budget bills this week after issuing line-item vetoes that trimmed $51.8 million in spending.
The budget items would have caused a 5.9% in state general fund appropriations, according to the governor’s office.
“It’s important that we strike the appropriate balance between calibrating government spending and returning excess revenue back to the people,” Ricketts said in a letter to lawmakers.
According to the governor, “that is how we responsibly steward taxpayer money.”
Ricketts on Monday signed bills LB 1011e, LB 1012e, and LB 1013e, which address middle-income housing, community corrections, and the governor’s emergency cash fund.
“My vetoes will ensure that Nebraska is poised to provide top-notch government services while keeping tax relief a possibility,” Ricketts said. “In total, these reductions cut the General Fund appropriation growth by $51.8 million and limit the growth of State expenditures to 4.8 percent in FY 2022-23.”
All three bills were introduced by Sen. Mike Hilgers, speaker of the Legislature. When asked for comment, Hilger’s office emailed the following response:
“The three budget bills identified were introduced as a procedural practice by the Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature for the Governor. The bills were introduced by ‘Speaker Hilgers at the request of the Governor.’ The Appropriations Committee reviewed the bills and offered committee amendments comprising their own budget recommendations. All three bills went through three stages of debate and voting and were passed by the Legislature with over 33 votes each.”
This article was originally posted on Ricketts trims $51.8M in spending with line-item vetoes
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