Gov. Heineman Signs Budget Bill; Praises Legislature for Emphasis on Nebraska’s Future
(Lincoln, NE) Gov. Dave Heineman signed the state’s $6.1 billion mainline budget bill this afternoon, returning $8 million in line-item vetoes he said could be removed without harming what he described as vital investments in Nebraska’s future.
“For Nebraska to succeed, we must invest in education and the economic vitality of our state,” Gov. Heineman said. “I agreed with the vast majority of the priorities in this budget and want to commend the Legislature for their shared vision of the need to invest in Nebraska’s future. This is a forward-looking budget in need of fine-tuning, not an overhaul.”
The budget provides an additional $64.9 million in state funding for K-12 schools in FY 2005-06 and $115.5 million in FY 2006-07 and funds an increase of more than 4 percent for special education. The budget also calls for a $1.7 million increase in state grants for early childhood education in each year of the two-year budget.
The Governor’s commitment to higher education is also reflected in an additional $93.7 million over two years in funding for the University of Nebraska. Community colleges and the state college system will receive an additional $18.9 million in funding over the biennium.
“My commitment has been to prioritize spending decisions that will maximize the benefit for Nebraska’s families, while helping the state move boldly toward the future,” Gov. Heineman said. “Education is a vital priority in this global economy that we cannot ignore.”
The budget also reflects the Governor’s emphasis on public safety, providing for an increase of $833,000 for additional state troopers. It includes $6 million in funding for the Water Policy Task Force and also earmarks $15 million for job-training programs.
Gov. Heineman said, “This $15 million is an important part of our comprehensive approach to economic development and a key element of the broader jobs-creation package that will set Nebraska on a path for a decade of growth. It is a vital recruitment tool.”
The Governor’s vetoes will scale back general fund increases by more than $5 million over the two-year biennium, mostly in new programs, administrative costs and savings from the phasing in of significant budget increases.
“These vetoes are in-line with my earlier recommendations and those of the Appropriations Committee,” Gov. Heineman said. “We can all agree that improved economic conditions led to a much more optimistic outlook as we began drafting this budget. I began this session by cautioning that we could not fully restore spending for all programs and said that prioritized spending decisions would be required in order to maintain a balanced budget as we took steps to invest in our state’s future economic strength.”
The Governor’s $8 million in total spending vetoes includes $1.5 million each year in cash funds for transit authorities in Lincoln and Omaha. Other reductions include $1.1 million over the two years for probation efforts that the veto will allow to be phased in, roughly $817,000 in additional money for jail reimbursement above the recommendations of the Governor and Appropriations Committee, as well as $1.2 million in additional scholarship funding that is in addition to the lottery and general funds the Nebraska Scholarship Program is already set to receive.
Additional information on the line-item vetoes is enclosed in the veto message the Governor sent to the Legislature, which is available on the State Budget Division Web site at http://www.budget.state.ne.us/.
“I submit these vetoes today with the sincere hope that State Senators will take one last look at the overall budget and sustain these reductions,” Gov. Heineman said.
