Nebraska
Consultant sees $531M 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.
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.
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.”
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.
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
LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Athletics) – The No. 9 Nebraska softball team hit four home runs, including three in the second inning, to down the No. 7 UCLA Bruins by a score of 8-4 on Sunday afternoon at Bowlin Stadium.
With the win, the Huskers clinched the series over the Bruins and moved to 26-6 on the season with an 8-1 mark in Big Ten play. UCLA fell to 29-5 (10-2 Big Ten).
Hannah Camenzind accounted for three RBIs and two hits for the Big Red, as she knocked a three-run homer as part of the Huskers’ six-run second inning. Alexis Jensen and Ava Kuszak contributed the other two home runs in that inning. Jordy Frahm was 2-for-4 with a homer and Lauren Camenzind went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Jesse Farrell also added two hits.
Jensen (13-2) threw six innings with four runs and six hits, along with five strikeouts, to claim the win in the circle. Frahm threw a scoreless final inning to close out the win. Brynne Nally (2-1) took the loss for UCLA.
UCLA loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first, but NU worked its way out of a jam and only allowed one Bruin run.
Frahm tied the score, 1-1, in the bottom of the first on a solo shot to center field.
In the bottom of the second, Farrell singled and Jensen hit a 273-foot homer to score the both of them. Frahm singled and Coor walked to set up an H. Camenzind homer and Kuszak hit a solo shot immediately after to give the Huskers a 7-1 advantage.
UCLA added a run in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to 7-2.
Farrell singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth and advanced to second on a throwing error. Kacie Hoffmann singled to send Farrell to third and Farrell crossed the plate on a Lauren Camenzind RBI single to extend the lead to 8-2.
The Bruins knocked a two-run homer with no outs in the top of the fifth but the Huskers retired three of the next four batters to earn the 8-4 win.
Nebraska is set for a midweek game against the Creighton Bluejays in Omaha, Neb., on Tuesday, March 31. The contest will start at 5 p.m. (CT) and will be streamed on ESPN+ and can be heard across the Huskers Radio Network.
Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
A windy day led to a wild slugfest at Hawks Field Saturday, but No. 24 Nebraska baseball knocked off Indiana, 12-7, clinching the conference series for the Cornhuskers while running Nebraska’s home record to 11-0.
The Huskers scored three runs in the first and two in the fourth to build a 5-0 lead. The Hoosiers answered with three in the sixth and one in the seventh to cut the NU lead to 5-4. Nebraska took control of the game with seven runs in the bottom of the seventh to grow the lead to 12-4. IU scored one in the eighth, but drew no closer.
Drew Grego was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Dylan Carey drove in five runs and hit a home run, while always drawing a pair of walks. Case Sanderson was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a pair of walks. Jeter Worthley added a 2-for-4 showing with an RBI and a walk. Carson Jasa (5-1) earned the win, throwing 5.2 innings for NU. He allowed four hits while striking out 10 and walking five. For Indiana, Owen ten Oever was 1-for-3 with three RBI. Cooper Malamazian was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The Huskers aim for the sweep Sunday at Hawks Field against Indiana. First pitch is slated for noon with pregame coverage at 11:30 a.m. on KLIN.
LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) – Hundreds of Nebraskans protested against the Trump administration Saturday along Nebraska Parkway in Lincoln, and thousands protested near Northwest Radial Highway in Omaha as part of No Kings demonstrations statewide.
The third iteration of No Kings protests organized border to border gatherings to vent displeasure at President Donald Trump and his administration’s policy decisions. The Lincoln protest was held on the Helen Boosalis Trail between North 27th Street and North 56th Street.
“I don’t like what’s going on … I know it’s not the world I want to live in,” said Ford Kloepper, a 17-year-old Lincoln resident.
Kloepper said people his age are going to take the “brunt” of Trump’s “mistakes.” He pointed to the recent U.S. conflict in Iran as a motivator to protest for him, as he doesn’t want to get “drafted into a war in the Middle East for no reason at all.”
Many of the protesters, much like previous demonstrations, held anti-Trump signs with slogans like, “Trump lies” and “Stop Trump, save democracy.” Others held American flags and wore costumes. Volunteers from different groups gathered signatures for ballot initiatives and at least one candidate. One of the petitions sought to let voters decide on a state constitutional amendment requiring larger majorities to repeal or change any law passed by voters. Volunteers for nonpartisan U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn collected signatures to get him on the November ballot.
Organizers planned 18 protests across Nebraska. In Omaha, the rally was held at Gallagher Park, with thousands of protesters filling the sidewalks and grassy areas near the intersection of Maple Street and the Northwest Radial.
Organizers said the spot let protesters draw attention to historic Benson and all of the restaurants, galleries and coffee shops that have made the neighborhood a cultural destination since 1887. Among the crowd filled with a variety of ages and races was Lorin and Elwin Moseman, waving signs that said, “End Wars Before Wars End Us” and “No Kings No ICE.”
It was the Mosemans’ third anti-Kings rally, and despite the chill of the day, they said they wouldn’t have missed it.
“It could have been an ice storm,” said Elwin, who was motivated in particular by “the Epstein files and Trump being in them, this stupid war we’ve got involved with Iran.”
His wife, Lorin, said she came to “stand up for democracy.”
“I want to show up, stand up and speak out about our country,” she said, decrying “leadership incompetency from the very beginning.”
She said the nation needs a presidential job description and interview, and she was not short on words to describe her disgust and disappointment about current leadership: “Shameful, disgusting, exhausting.”
“We’re in a broken world,” she said.
Nearby, a bundled up woman in a wheelchair held onto a sign that said, “I’m mad about everything.”
Sara Peterson led buses carrying about 75 protesters from First United Methodist Church of Omaha. She said people felt a sense of unity and joy seeing the chanting crowd, which she said reflected her group’s makeup — diverse in age, ethnicity and political party.
“We’re not alone,” she said “It’s an exciting day to be a part of.”
Peterson called the rally a “tangible sign of people coming together … for democracy.” Her group included church members and their friends — some of whom never participated in such a protest or rally before but felt the urge and were nudged “out of their comfort zone to take back our country and democracy.
Since the return of Trump for a second term, the anti-Trump group has organized national protests. Nebraska, much like the rest of the nation, saw multiple demonstrations throughout 2025.
The group also bought ads in local newspapers ahead of the Saturday protests. Nebraska Republican Party chair Mary Jane Truemper had no immediate comment on the protests.
As Election Day gets closer, political observers have wondered how organizers might harness the political energy, whether the demonstrations might signal a coming wave of change at the polls, or whether momentum will fizzle after the crowds go home. Some have argued Democrats and progressives are good at mobilizing people for large-scale protests but have lagged conservatives in building local infrastructure to affect sweeping policy changes.
Back in Lincoln, Erik Betts, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln student, said the political winds are in Democrats’ favor, and he feels the possibilities are endless, even in a reliably red state. He said he thinks Osborn could beat Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, and he hopes the “blue” wave might be large enough to beat Nebraska 1st Congressional District Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, a former speaker of the Legislature.
“We need to really show up this time …We’ve got to take this motivation … and make a difference,” Betts said.
Betts said events like these help him stay hopeful because it reminds him that he is not alone.
“When you are in your own house and just scrolling on social media, it’s easy to feel just defeated,” Betts said. “So I come out as much to show support for everyone else, to feel that maybe a bunch of people agree with [me] and things can change.”
Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Aaron Sanderford for questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com.
Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
All the latest in AI ‘music’
US allows Russian oil tanker to reach Cuba amid blockade as Trump says island ‘has to survive’
Dem senator warns deportation could let Virginia woman’s illegal immigrant killer ‘escape accountability’
Sleeping 11 minutes longer each night shows surprising health benefit, study finds
UConn’s Braylon Mullins hits game-winning 3-pointer to shock Duke, advance to men’s Final Four
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Dem senator warns deportation could let Virginia woman’s illegal immigrant killer ‘escape accountability’
Newsletter: G7 ministers to hold talks on war’s economic fallout
ICE officers could remain at airports after TSA workers are paid
Scathing report claims nation’s oldest labor union ‘betrayed’ MAGA members through ‘shocking’ spending
Republican US lawmaker demands Congress vote on any Iran troop deployment
-
Sports1 week agoIOC addresses execution of 19-year-old Iranian wrestler Saleh Mohammadi
-
New Mexico1 week agoClovis shooting leaves one dead, four injured
-
Miami, FL4 days agoJannik Sinner’s Girlfriend Laila Hasanovic Stuns in Ab-Revealing Post Amid Miami Open
-
Tennessee6 days agoTennessee Police Investigating Alleged Assault Involving ‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson
-
Minneapolis, MN4 days agoBoy who shielded classmate during school shooting receives Medal of Honor
-
Politics1 week agoSchumer gambit fails as DHS shutdown hits 36 days and airport lines grow
-
Science1 week agoRecord Heat Meets a Major Snow Drought Across the West
-
Technology1 week agoYouTube job scam text: How to spot it fast