LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen approved a recommendation by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission to appoint Casey Ricketts as its executive director.

LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen is calling on the Nebraska Board of Dentistry to change its licensing standards in a way that would help attract and recruit more qualified dentists to the state. He has issued a letter to each member of the Board, explaining the need to expand testing options.

LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen announced the appointment of Dr. Thomas Janousek as director for the Division of Behavioral Health in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The appointment is effective Oct. 21 at an annual salary of $175,000.

LINCOLN, NE – In his role as commander-in-chief, Governor Jim Pillen has ordered the deployment of approximately 150 Nebraska National Guard soldiers and airmen to Florida who will assist in emergency response operations from Hurricane Milton. The group will leave for Florida at the end of the week.

LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen has issued a statement in response to a recent decision by the Nebraska Supreme Court, which dismissed an appeal filed by the Nebraska Association of Public Employees (NAPE) regarding the Governor’s November 2023 executive order (EO 23-17), requiring that our state government workforce return to the workplace.

LINCOLN, NE -- Governor Jim Pillen has joined a slate of Republican governors in criticizing a federal asylum program enacted to assist people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Their letter cites a lack of coordination and information sharing that is not only harming their states but is also serving as a detriment to those who are seeking asylum. They are demanding complete information about the location and status of migrants being directed to their communities.

LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen announced the mobilization of the Nebraska Telecommunicator Emergency Response Team (TERT) to assist North Carolina as it continues to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The group deployed on Friday, Oct. 4 to Buncombe County for 14 days. That county is one of the hardest hit locations from the storm.

LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen signed a proclamation marking Oct. 7 as a ‘Day of Observance’ in honor of the victims of the terror attack on Israel one year ago.  Issuance of the proclamation coincides with an order to fly all flags at half-staff and tonight’s lighting of the State Capitol in blue.

LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen announced that all U.S. and Nebraska flags are to be flown at half-staff on Monday, October 7 to honor the victims of the terror attack on Israel. Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of the attack which killed 1,200 men, women and children. More than 250 were taken hostage and of those, over 100 are still missing, including four Americans. Flags should be flown from sunrise to sunset.

 LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen has directed the State Capitol be illuminated in blue the evening of Oct. 7, marking the one-year anniversary of the terror attack by Hamas on Israel. The lighting of the building also symbolizes Nebraska’s ongoing support of Israel, which this week was targeted by an Iranian missile strike. Blue is representative of Israel’s flag, which is blue and white.