Nebraska

Consultant sees $531M in trims to NE state government • Nebraska Examiner

Published

6 months ago

July 6, 2024

Consultant sees 1M in trims to NE state government • Nebraska Examiner

LINCOLN – A highly-paid consultant is projecting that Nebraska state government could cut $531 million in spending within a year if it more sharply focused on system-wide outcomes that better serve its customers, and tapped more federal and state reserve funds.

In a 57-page report after a year on the job, Utah-based Epiphany Associates said it has identified “an incredible capacity for change and improvement in Nebraska’s state government” that added up to more than a half-billion in savings.

(Getty Images)

It identified four areas in particular where changes would result “in the biggest return on investment.”

Those are the child welfare and Medicaid divisions within the Department of Health and Human Services, the Lincoln Regional Center, and the inmate rehabilitation and reentry program within the Department of Corrections.

Part of Pillen’s plan

About half of the projected savings — about $256 million — would come from removing financial “buffers” in state budgets, such as reducing fiscal reserves, eliminating unfilled staff positions and tapping additional federal funds to cover expenses now handled with state tax funds.

The rest of the projected savings would come from reduced indirect costs such as data analysis systems ($8.7 million), improved contracting with private suppliers ($73.5 million), better return on economic development grants ($22.4 million), improved return on information technology spending ($32.5 million) and better focus on system-wide performance ($138 million).

Gov. Jim Pillen, who made hiring Epiphany a key part of his plan to reduce local property taxes, has already begun urging state agencies to apply for more federal funds to displace state financing of services, and moved to eliminate hundreds of long-unfilled state jobs. The report said that Nebraska ranks very low, 40th in the country, in its “per-capita balance of payments” with the federal government.

Gov. Jim Pillen addresses attendees at a property tax town hall in Plattsmouth. — Gov. Jim Pillen addresses attendees at a property tax town hall in Plattsmouth in May. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

Pillen spokeswoman Laura Strimple told the Nebraska Examiner on Friday that the governor is pleased with the work of Epiphany so far and looks forward to more of its work.

She said he supports the “systems approach” used by the consultant, and the idea that state government needs to improve its monitoring of state spending to produce “the best outcomes.”

“When state systems improve in quality, there’s the potential for saved resources to be repurposed in other ways, or to reduce overall expenses,” Strimple said in response to emailed questions.

She added that Pillen agreed with Epiphany that Nebraska has too much sitting in reserve funds — nearly $2 billion — “that could be put to better use.”

State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood. Dec. 6, 2023. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

Reaction to the report from two key senators was more mixed.

State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, who heads the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, said that one of his least favorite sayings is “we’ve always done it that way.” He said he encourages new employees at his bank to suggest ways to improve efficiency.

Clements said that while he had not yet read the report, he supported contracting with Epiphany with the assurance that its recommended budget cuts can occur “without a drop in services.” He added that he would have to review the suggestion that reserve funds should be cut.

In its report, Epiphany emphasized that cutting spending does not necessarily mean a reduction in services and that increasing funding does not always equate to better outcomes.

Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad, who served several years on the Appropriation Committee, struck a more cautious tone, and said the report leaves a lot of questions unanswered.

She said that while it’s appropriate to “take a fresh look at ideas to reduce state budgets, most of (Epiphany’s) aren’t that fresh.”

“The ones that are will need a lot more analysis,” Conrad said.

For instance, she said that it’s already accepted that luring more federal funds to the state is a good idea, and that it can save money if prison inmates are better prepared to return to society — another Epiphany recommendation.

Conrad said she was most skeptical about a suggestion that Nebraska significantly pare back its cash reserve fund — the so-called “rainy day fund” — that is used when state tax receipts plummet in an economic downtown.

Doing that, the senator said, risks ruining the state’s reputation as a fiscally sound state. In its last rankings of best states, U.S. News & World Report rated Nebraska No. 3 in the nation as the most fiscally responsible.

$10 million consultant contract

A Lincoln think tank that monitors state budgets has seen the report, and Open Sky Policy Institute expressed concerns about straying from current state budget practices in which the State Legislature — not the governor’s office — determines how state tax dollars are to be spent. Rebecca Firestone, the executive director of Open Sky, said it raises separation of powers concerns.

Epiphany was hired for $10 million over four years to cut state spending and improve services.

In its report, it faulted past state efforts at “continuous improvement” of state programs as missing the mark by focusing on individual parts of a system, rather than the system, and its outcomes, as a whole.

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner).

That appeared to be a jab at the 26-employee Center for Operational Excellence created under then-Gov. Pete Ricketts that was eliminated by the current governor. Pillen opted instead for Epiphany, which Utah officials credited with improving efficiency of executive branch agencies in that western state by 35%.

Pillen, when he signed the contract, told the Omaha World-Herald that he was seeking “breakthrough change” in state spending. The contract calls for cutting at least 3% of state general funds in the first year, and 6% in the second.

The cost-cutting effort is part of his goal of reducing local property taxes by 40% – a goal which has prompted Pillen to suggest a special session of the State Legislature later this month.

Recommendations, observations

Among other recommendations and observations in the report:

— Draw down existing Cash Reserve Fund and General Fund unobligated balances. The report recommended reserves of between 4% and 8% of the general fund based on the stability of Nebraska’s tax base.

The state’s cash reserve fund is expected to hold $800 million by fiscal year 2027, about 14% of the general fund, the report stated, and unobligated funds in the budget are expected to be $700 million by that time, or about 12% of the general fund budget. The report said that two recent fiscal downturns — the Dot-Com recession of 2001 and the pandemic — saw state tax receipts drop by 3.7% and 8.6%, respectively.

— Between 2021 and 2023, costs in the Nebraska child welfare program increased an inflation-adjusted 6% ($53.7 million), while the average number of children served per month decreased by over 4% and the average days it took to establish permanency for children increased by 108 days. That, the report said, is an example of how more spending does not improve services.

— Stop projects and resources that are dedicated to things that, although well intentioned, are not generating system-level results for the customers they serve.

True improvements must result in better outcomes for the primary customer — not the internal bureaucracy, the report stated. State staffers, it added, spent “significant time” on projects that do not have a defined result or outcome.

— The state could save $73.5 million in the next year by improving its contract procurement processes. The state awarded nearly $20 billion in contracts for goods and services during the 2022-23 fiscal year, but procurements often are not held accountable for their impact (or anticipated impact) to system performance or outcomes. (Sen. John Arch, the Speaker of the Legislature, is leading an effort to improve contract selection and performance under a bill passed this year.)

— Improve return on investment for grants awarded by the Department of Economic Development by better targeting specific industries and identifying and tracking specific outcomes. That could save $14.8 million.

“In some cases,” the report said, “(DED) grants were awarded to large corporations who would have likely done business in Nebraska regardless.”

Nebraska Phase 1 Report Final

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Nebraska

HUSKER VOLLEYBALL: Nebraska prepares for Final Four match vs. Penn State

Published

3 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Press Room

HUSKER VOLLEYBALL: Nebraska prepares for Final Four match vs. Penn State

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WOWT) – Nebraska is back in the Final Four.

The Big Red arrived in Louisville late Tuesday night and will take to the podium Wednesday for their Final Four media availability.

This is the sixth appearance in a national semifinal over the last nine years for John Cook’s Huskers. Their season ended here last year with a loss to Texas in the title game. Now, the Huskers are back on college volleyball’s biggest stage with some unfinished business.

Standing in their way Thursday will be Penn State (33-2). In their only meeting this season, the Nittany Lions beat Nebraska 3-1, forcing the two squads to share the conference title at the end of the season.

Penn State and Nebraska do battle Thursday at approximately 8 p.m. in at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., following the conclusion of Pittsburgh vs. Louisville, which is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Both games will be televised on ESPN and streaming on WatchESPN.

2024 NCAA VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

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This is a developing story. Check back for more preview of Thursday’s match as well as interviews with Nebraska coaches and players.

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Nebraska HS State Champion Easton Glandt Decides On FGCU (2025)

Published

11 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Press Room

Nebraska HS State Champion Easton Glandt Decides On FGCU (2025)

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Breaststroke and IM specialist Easton Glandt will continue her swimming career at Florida Gulf Coast University in the fall of 2025. A senior at Omaha Marian High School in Nebraska, Glandt currently trains with Greater Omaha Aquatics. She has been the fastest swimmer at Omaha Marian in the 100 breast and 200 IM in all four years of her high school career.

Glandt set personal bests in the 200 breast and 400 IM last month at the IA IFLY A3 Midwest Challenge (SCY).

Her time of 2:19.59 in the 200 breast earned her 2nd place overall, and her 4:30.58 in the 400 IM secured 3rd place. Both times qualified her for the 2025 USA Swimming Futures Championship in Madison. She also achieved Futures cuts in the 100 breast (1:03.97) and 200 IM (2:05.25) at the meet. In the finals, she placed 2nd in the 100 breast and 3rd in the 200 IM.

Glandt became the 2024 NSAA Champion (SCY) in the 200 IM in February as a junior, setting a lifetime best of 2:04.11. She also placed 2nd in the 100 breast with a time of 1:03.80, her best in the event. In the prelims of the 200 free relay, Glandt led off with a personal best time of 24.08. Marian went on to win the event, finishing 1st in the finals.

She was also a two-time champion at the 2024 Metro Conference Championship in the 100 breast and 200 IM, posting times of 1:04.20 and 2:06.46.

Top SCY Times

100 breast – 1:03.80
200 breast – 2:19.59
200 IM – 2:04.11
400 IM – 4:30.58

Florida Gulf Coast University placed 3rd overall for the women at the 2024 ASUN Championships, where Glandt’s best time in the 200 IM would have qualified her for the ‘A’ final. Despite bringing only five swimmers, the team also finished 25th at the 2024 CSCAA National Invitational Championship, which included over fifty teams from across the country. Texas Christian University won the invitational, followed by Akron in second and Kentucky in third.

Glandt has the potential to make a significant impact at FGCU in the 200 IM and breaststroke events. Her best 200 IM time would have ranked 1st on the team last season, while her 100 breast time would have ranked 2nd, behind Jenna Gwinn, who has since graduated. Gwinn’s top time last season was 1:01.84.

Glandt will join Libby Freeman, Ipek Burcu Aydiner, Bianka Barna, and Sydney Ringwald as part of the 2025 recruiting class for FGCU. Other recruits in this class also have the potential to strengthen the IM and breaststroke groups. Barna’s converted SCM time in the 100 breast is 1:02.05, and her converted 200 IM time is 2:03.96. Aydiner’s converted LCM time in the 200 IM is 2:02.08.

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Nebraska Prepares for QB Grayson James and Boston College in Pinstripe Bowl

Published

18 hours ago

December 17, 2024

Press Room

Nebraska Prepares for QB Grayson James and Boston College in Pinstripe Bowl

As Nebraska prepares for its matchup against Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl, the Huskers will be facing a different challenge under center than they would have a little over a month ago. With former starter Thomas Castellanos entering the transfer portal in November, Boston College has turned to junior quarterback Grayson James to lead its offense.

James, a transfer from FIU, has taken on a much larger role for the Eagles after Castellanos’ departure. While he doesn’t possess the dynamic rushing ability of Castellanos, James brings a steadier presence in the passing game. At 6-foot-3, James is more of a traditional pocket passer, relying on quick reads and efficient decision-making rather than scrambling to create plays.

James had limited opportunities this season before November, but he made the most of his starts once he took over the job. He stepped in earlier this year against Western Kentucky when Castellanos was unavailable, leading Boston College to a 21-20 comeback victory. James was calm under pressure, throwing a game-winning 8-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter and adding a critical 1-yard rushing score to spark the Eagles’ rally. He finished that game 19-of-32 for 168 yards while showing his ability to manage a close contest.

Grayson James throws during Boston College’s Nov. 9th game against Syracuse. / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

In early November, James provided a spark off the bench in Boston College’s win over Syracuse. With the Eagles trailing, James replaced an inconsistent Castellanos in the third quarter and immediately steadied the offense. He went 5-of-6 for 51 yards and a touchdown, helping Boston College score on three straight possessions to complete the comeback. He then started the last three games of the season and went 2-1 in those games, with the only loss coming to SMU.

For Nebraska’s defense, James represents a different kind of test. While Castellanos was known for his ability to create chaos with his legs, James is more comfortable staying in the pocket and delivering accurate throws. This gives Nebraska’s defensive line an opportunity to focus on pressuring James without worrying as much about the quarterback escaping for big gains. However, Boston College’s offense has shown it can rally behind James when he’s in rhythm, so generating pressure early will be key for the Huskers.

Nebraska’s defense, one of the team’s strengths this season, will look to disrupt James’ timing and force him into difficult throws. If the Huskers can collapse the pocket and limit Boston College’s passing game, they’ll put themselves in a strong position to control the game.

The Pinstripe Bowl presents an opportunity for Nebraska to close the season on a high note, but James and Boston College will provide a worthy challenge. While the Eagles have had to adjust since benching their former starter, James has shown he’s more than ready to lead the offense. Nebraska’s preparation and ability to adapt to this newer-look Boston College attack will be crucial as the Huskers look to finish strong in New York.

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