Joint Statement by Governor Jim Pillen, Speaker of the Legislature John Arch, and Secretary of State Bob Evnen Regarding Line-Item Vetoes

LINCOLN, NE — The Governor, the Legislature, and the Secretary of State continue to disagree about whether the constitutional requirements for filing budgetary line-item vetoes in LB 261 and LB 264 were met last week by the deadline of midnight on May 21, 2025.

President Trump Approves Federal Disaster Declaration for March Storm

LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen has been notified that a federal disaster declaration submitted to President Donald Trump has been approved. Damage resulted from a severe winter storm that impacted the state on March 18 and 19. The application for assistance was submitted in mid-April. Cost estimates from that storm exceeded $64.8 million – the bulk of which resulted from downed electrical lines and damaged utility poles.

Power Grid Reliability

Member for

9 months 3 weeks
Submitted by evan.egger on
Statistic Title
Power Grid Reliability
Statistic Description

This metric reflects the number of minutes of power outages the average customer experiences in a year, based on data from the Department of Energy. Average total lengths – excluding major events – in a state can range from under an hour to multiple hours over the course of a year. The power grid reliability metric is one of many that factor into the overall Best States rankings.

Statistic Number
3
Rank
Top ten green circle
Source

Source: U.S. News & World Report, May 2025

Governor Pillen Signs Budget, Announces Line Item Vetos

LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen announced he has signed the 2025-2027 State Biennium Budget and issued line item vetos. In his letter, the Governor thanked members of the Appropriations Committee and the legislative body for its work in developing a fiscally conservative budget. He noted that those efforts solved the $432 million reported shortfall and honored the state’s commitment to providing tax relief for Nebraskans.

Gov. Pillen Signs Bill to Protect Power Grid from Cryptocurrency Operation Use

LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen signed into law LB526, introduced on his behalf by Senator Mike Jacobson. The legislation helps to preserve electrical service to homes, businesses and other Nebraska customers, by establishing requirements for cryptocurrency mining operations. In addition to notifying power utilities in advance, the bill also provides for payment or a letter of credit covering costs associated with potential infrastructure upgrades.