Nebraska
Gov. Pillen pushes back against legislative criticism of his property tax approach • Nebraska Examiner
LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen pushed back Thursday against recent legislative criticism of his approach and process for pursuing his favored property tax relief proposals.
In a statement, the governor thanked state senators he said have worked hard to find ways to deliver the “transformative property tax relief” he and others have sought.
He applauded them for resisting pressure from groups protecting sales tax exemptions on various items from the proposals he supports.
“These senators, who represent all political stripes and all corners of our state, are doing right by their constituents by engaging in tough negotiations, good faith exchanges of ideas, and collaboration with their colleagues to forge a compromise that will work for Nebraska,” Pillen said.
Calls tactics obstructionist
He criticized “a small minority” of senators who called him out Wednesday on the floor of the Legislature. It’s a group likely to filibuster the Pillen-favored bill, which most vote-counters say is still short of the needed 33 votes.
Pillen said those senators should “end their obstructionist rhetoric, stop their time-wasting tactics, and engage with their colleagues to craft a bipartisan consensus solution.”
Pillen said Nebraskans who want property tax relief are “watching carefully” and will hold senators accountable, hinting that those who fail to act will pay at the ballot box.
He also condemned “baseless personal attacks” alleging that he and his hog operation based in Columbus would benefit significantly from the tax relief he supports.
He repeated his stance that Nebraskans want a broader sales tax base, a cap on government spending and lower property taxes. He acknowledged that the plan continues to change.
“I know that any plan passed by the Legislature will be a hard-fought compromise and that it will not include every provision I believe in and am fighting for…,” Pillen said. “Doing nothing is not an acceptable option for Nebraskans.”
Some senators disagree with his funding sources
State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln and several others vented their frustrations Wednesday about the ways Pillen and others in his camp had handled the special session and his favored proposals.
Anger at Gov. Jim Pillen’s property-tax push spills into legislative debate
After the governor’s statement Thursday, she said she welcomed his right of free speech and said she would not be “bullied or silenced in my good faith efforts to represent my district.”
She and others who criticized Pillen for including only certain senators in early planning for tax proposals said they cannot justify raising sales taxes on everyday items that people need.
Conrad and George Dungan of Lincoln; Megan Hunt, John Cavanaugh, Jen Day and Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha; and Carol Blood of Bellevue questioned the governor’s approach from the floor.
Conrad said she would keep fighting against Pillen’s “misguided tax plan that would hurt working families, seniors, local businesses and our schools to benefit large wealthy landowners.”
She said average Nebraskans should not pay more. And she pushed to include other revenue options, such as gambling and legalizing marijuana, in any package to offset costs.
“I have enjoyed working with the governor on many issues,” Conrad said. “We simply have a principled disagreement about how to pay for our mutual goal of property tax relief.”
Hunt shared Pillen’s statement in a tweet Thursday and wrote, “Governor Pillen is calling upon all of us to stop being mean.” State Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar called him “King Jimmy.”
“King Jimmy is very angry senators are fighting his scheme to raise taxes on working Nebraskans. We should be expanding homestead exemptions, freezing valuations and capping spending, but those ideas are being ignored,” she tweeted.
“Pillen doesn’t profit enough from those,” Slama tweeted.
Linehan says property tax ‘war’ is not easily won
One of the lawmakers working closest with the governor, State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha, echoed his defenders on the legislative floor on Wednesday.
She credited Pillen for being “willing to put everything on the table and take every political hit there is out there.” She pointed to “a bunch of senators” saying he’s the problem.
Linehan’s Revenue Committee postponed a couple of attempts at holding an executive session Thursday to vote out the committee’s new version of Legislative Bill 9, the latest vehicle for its tax proposals.
The eight-member committee was supposed to meet Thursday morning and early afternoon to vote out an amended LB 9, but significant technical changes needed to be made to a draft amendment.
That included clarifying how the state would capture the local slice of sales taxes from new items covered by the state sales tax and specifying how the state would revamp school funding.
Linehan’s group was waiting on fixes that several senators on her committee and beyond have sought from a draft amendment Wednesday evening. In total, more than 120 motions and 80 floor amendments have already been filed that will likely prevent changes on the floor.
Linehan said she understands “raw politics” and the fight ahead. She said her side needs to know that “battle is just battle” and that they have “to win the war.”
“That’s why it’s got to be perfect,” Linehan said of the bill’s language. “We won’t even get to an amendment that changes a comma that’s in the wrong place.”
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Red Flag Warnings are in effect across Nebraska as dangerous fire conditions develop heading into the weekend, paired with unseasonably warm temperatures and strong winds that could quickly spread any flames.
Red Flag Warnings are in place for eastern Nebraska through 9 p.m. Friday night. The warning area expands significantly on Saturday, covering the entire state from throughout the entire day Saturday.
Friday: Moderate Fire Danger, Drying Trend
Friday’s fire concerns are lower than Saturday’s, but still significant. A Red Flag Warning remains in place for eastern Nebraska through 9 p.m. tonight as northerly winds pull in drier air throughout the afternoon. Dewpoints are expected to fall between 0° and 10° this evening as wind speeds taper.
The strongest winds and driest air won’t occur at the same time Friday, which is why confidence in Red Flag conditions is lower than normal today. By sunset, winds will become light and shift to the south as a surface high pressure system moves through the area.
Saturday: Extreme Fire Danger
Saturday brings the most critical fire weather conditions of the period. The Red Flag Warning expands to encompass the entire state as relative humidity values plummet to 8-15% — dangerously dry levels that will allow fires to spread rapidly.
Winds will be the primary concern. Southerly winds are expected to be sustained between 20 and 30 MPH for most — with gusts between 40 and 50 MPH possible at times. These powerful winds combined with extreme dryness create a recipe for rapid fire spread.
Temperatures will warm into the 60s and low 70s on Saturday — warmer in the west — but the heat is secondary to the wind and dryness threat. Relative humidity values will fall below 30% as early as 9 a.m. when the Red Flag Warning begins.
Sunday: High Fire Danger, Lighter Winds
Fire danger remains high to very high Sunday as an upper ridge moves overhead. Temperatures will climb to the upper 70s to upper 80s. The good news: southerly winds won’t be as strong, with gusts peaking at only 20 mph. This provides some relief from the most critical conditions, though fire danger will still be elevated.
Record Heat Monday
Monday will be the week’s warmest day, with mid- to upper-80s and low 90s forecast across Nebraska. Records are within reach — for many areas across the state. Lincoln’s forecast high of 88 degrees would tie the 1917 record.
Pattern Change Ahead
A cold front will slice through the area Tuesday morning, bringing cooler and cloudier conditions back to Nebraska. Highs will fall back to the 50s and 60s — a dramatic 30+ degree temperature drop from Monday. Winds will remain gusty from the north.
Precipitation chances will increase by early to mid-week. Tuesday through Thursday will see low chances (~20%) for light precipitation, with a mixture of rain and snow possible at times. No winter impacts are expected. Better chances are forecast for Wednesday night and Friday night as a wholesale pattern change develops, bringing southwest flow and surface moisture back to the region.
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.
Iowa coach Ben McCollum met with the media following his team’s 77-71 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Sweet 16. The Cornhuskers led by three at the half but Iowa was able to outscore Nebraska 34-25 in the second half.
Pryce Sandfort led all scorers with 25 points while shooting 8 of 13 from the field and 6 of 10 from the 3-point line. Bennett Stirtz led the Hawkeyes with 20 points and played for all 40 minutes.
Advertisement
Iowa shot 52% (27-52) from the floor, 43% (13-30) from beyond the arc and 83% (10-12) from the free throw line. Nebraska struggled shooting 41% (24-58) from the field, 34% (13-38) from the 3-point line and 91% (10-11) from the charity stripe.
The Hawkeyes’ head coach acknowledged that his team had a poor start but a great finish and said that his team will need to play better to advance beyond the Elite Eight.
Yeah, I think to start we weren’t fantastic to start. They had an elite game plan to start. They played with elite pace. They adjusted their defense quite a bit. I think a lot of people will talk about the rivalry. I was around it when I was in Iowa, you know, and grew up in Iowa and understand the rivalry and whatnot. It’s nice to have — I guess if you would a call it rival that runs such a class program.
I think Coach Hoiberg, they have got great kids. They completely turned everything around from the previous season, and they have absolutely nothing to hang their heads about or anything. I have the utmost respect for them, all their players, and especially Coach Hoiberg. Heck of a season. I know it’s no consolation, but we still want to beat ’em every time and they want to beat us every time.
But from and internal perspective, there’s not a lot of bad blood there. It’s actually a lot of respect. I was really pleased with our second-half performance. I thought we actually decided we were going to try — not try. They had a lot to do with it, but kind of. Yeah, they’re smiling over there because they saw me break my marker.
And I thought our kids did a good job of executing offensively in both halves. We spent a lot of time trying to make sure that we could score, and you saw the result of that. We didn’t defend. But we were able to score, so we were able to stay in the game long enough and then get enough stops and had some big possessions down the stretch. Really good program win for everybody, coaches, managers, everybody included.
Iowa advances to the Elite Eight with the victory. Nebraska’s season ends with a record of 28-7.
Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.
Advertisement
This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: What Iowa coach Ben McCollum said after defeating Nebraska on Thursday
LINCOLN, Neb — Gov. Jim Pillen has appointed Antonio Gomez of Jackson to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, adding a longtime Siouxland business leader and public servant to the panel.
Commission members serve four-year terms and are subject to approval by the Nebraska Legislature.
Gomez launched Gomez Pallets in South Sioux City in 1983. He has since retired from daily operations, but last year the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce recognized him with the W. Edwards Deming Business Leadership and Entrepreneurial Excellence Award.
Gomez previously served on the Nebraska Commission on Latino Americans from 1981 to 2002. He also served as a Dakota County commissioner for 12 years and was on the Foundation Board for Northeast Community College.
Gomez’s appointment is effective April 1.
Tiger Woods charged with DUI after rollover crash in Florida
Georgia Senate passes bill for hand-marked paper ballots
Hawaii police investigate alleged gun threat at Kealakehe Intermediate
Idaho Senate introduces new bill to give local municipalities authority to control rat populations
Illinois vs Iowa prediction, analysis, Elite Eight expert picks for men’s March Madness
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
WATCH: Senate hearing goes silent after Angel Father confronts top Dem over daughter’s death
US diplomat Marco Rubio denounces settler violence, tolls in Hormuz strait
Iran-linked hackers have breached FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal emails | CNN Politics
Live: CPAC 2026 Day 2
Video: Will ICE Change Under Its New Leader?
-
Detroit, MI1 week agoDrummer Brian Pastoria, longtime Detroit music advocate, dies at 68
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago‘Youth’ Twitter review: Ken Karunaas impresses audiences; Suraj Venjaramoodu adds charm; music wins praise | – The Times of India
-
Sports6 days agoIOC addresses execution of 19-year-old Iranian wrestler Saleh Mohammadi
-
New Mexico5 days agoClovis shooting leaves one dead, four injured
-
Business1 week agoDisney’s new CEO says his focus is on storytelling and creativity
-
Technology5 days agoYouTube job scam text: How to spot it fast
-
Tennessee4 days agoTennessee Police Investigating Alleged Assault Involving ‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson
-
Texas1 week agoHow to buy Houston vs. Texas A&M 2026 March Madness tickets