Nebraska

Nebraska Gov. Pillen taking ‘potshots’ at state senators while seeking tax relief support

Published

2 years ago

June 16, 2024

Nebraska Gov. Pillen taking ‘potshots’ at state senators while seeking tax relief support

NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) – As Gov. Jim Pillen seeks to rally Nebraskans behind his property tax relief ideas, tensions are heating up, with rhetoric one senator described as “potshots” at state senators.

Pillen has hosted a dozen town halls across the state, with the latest being held Friday in Auburn and Nebraska City, which are represented by State Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar. Pillen has made clear the purpose of the town halls is to encourage constituents to motivate their state senator to support a special session focusing on property tax relief.

Slama was a key voice during the regular 2024 legislative session in defeating the last proposal, criticizing it as unconstitutional because it included a digital advertising tax and because, she said, it would have raised taxes on her constituents.

Pillen directly criticized Slama during his town halls Friday.

“She’s got to change her ideology and understand balancing a checkbook and what it takes,” Pillen said of the southeast Nebraska senator.

‘Stop trying to raise taxes’

Slama did not attend the gathering. She said in a text that she was home sick with her child. She responded to Pillen’s comment about her ideology by saying, “Stop trying to raise taxes. That part of my ideology will never change.”

She continued, “The governor can talk a big talk, but he still hasn’t had the courage to call and talk with me this interim. … My mom’s a retired bank teller — I learned how to balance a checkbook when I was 5.”

Pillen wants lawmakers to sign off on another $1 billion in property tax relief by year’s end and has threatened to call special sessions “til Christmas” if needed to do so.

A formal plan has not materialized yet. Instead, Pillen has pitched various ideas that he said are “concrete,” such as eliminating some of the state’s 120 sales tax exemptions and accepting more federal dollars.

Pillen needs 33 votes for his ideas to succeed in a special session, but he has stated he will call a special session regardless of how much support he has leading into one.

In successive town halls over the last several weeks, the governor has moved away from removing certain state sales tax exemptions, such as those on items that are also taxed as personal property after purchase. As of Friday, Pillen spoke of taking three other tax exemptions off the table: groceries, medicine and church transactions.

The carveouts determine which products or services are or aren’t taxed, with taxpayers retaining an estimated $6.5 billion in what could be collected in sales tax revenue each year. Once approved, it’s often difficult to take such tax exemptions away.

Pillen previously said “everybody’s got to play in the game” when it comes to sales taxes.

‘The courage to call’

The governor has encouraged residents to pick up the phone and press their state senator to support PIllen. Yet, according to Slama, he has not picked up the phone to return her calls seeking to help solve the issue of high taxes.

Pillen has told those attending his town halls that they should call the other 48 state senators if their representative was not interested in supporting his proposals. He has said that if constituents don’t actively support him, they shouldn’t complain about state taxes in the future.

“If you don’t want to call, then don’t (expletive deleted) to me next year about it. If you don’t want to help, (expletive deleted), I can’t do it all myself. I need everybody’s help. … I’m working day and night,” Pillen said at a town hall in Fremont.

“We have to come to a consensus to fix it,” he continued.

State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, Pillen’s former Democratic opponent for governor, is another senator who has not heard from him. She said Friday that he “sounds like a child that is not getting his way.”

“Perhaps if he would quit being so exclusive on who he actually communicates with, he might have a lot of really good ideas for us to go into a special session with,” Blood said. “It’s really inappropriate to talk about my peers and the residents of Nebraska in that fashion.”

Slama said she takes her orders from her constituents, not from the governor, and said the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches is pretty clear.

“Governor Pillen ought to spend more time working towards a fiscally conservative compromise and less time taking potshots at Republican senators he can’t even muster the courage to call,” Slama said.

EPIC tax opposition

A competing tax proposal is being promoted through a petition drive, which has a July 3 signature deadline to appear on the general election ballot. The “EPIC Option” would eliminate all property, income and corporate taxes and replace them with consumption, or excise, taxes.

Pillen said he appreciates that the EPIC Option would remove sales tax exemptions except for those on groceries, but if it gets on the ballot, he said, he would work “day and night” to defeat it. He said Friday he hasn’t given the petition drive much thought or decided how he would work to defeat it.

State Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard said Friday that for nearly six decades, the Legislature has tried and failed to fix the state’s tax system, which he calls broken. He’s a lead sponsor behind EPIC and described anyone who opposes it as being in favor of the tax collector and against taxpayers.

“The governor speaks about reformative tax reform. EPIC is a reformative solution,” Erdman said in a text. “Nothing the governor has offered is reformative. I’m not surprised by his opposition.”

Erdman said Pillen has already failed to pass a “so-called tax relief plan” this year and that losing again, in the same year, would be “unprecedented.”

“He will need 33 votes for his plan, or stay on the porch,” Erdman said. “Thirty-three will be very difficult to get.”

Next town halls scheduled

Gov. Jim Pillen’s office has scheduled five property tax town halls for this week:

Tuesday, June 18:

8 a.m. at Fire Hall, 201 W. 16th St., South Sioux City.10:30 a.m. at Wayne Country Club, 302 E. 21st St., Wayne.1 p.m. at Handlebend, 215 E. Douglas St., O’Neill.3:30 p.m. at Ainsworth City Office, 606 E. Fourth St., Ainsworth.

Friday, June 21, 2:30 p.m., Lochland Country Club, 601 W. Lochland Road, Hastings.

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 Cate Folsom for questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com. Follow Nebraska Examiner on Facebook and X.

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Nebraska

Nebraska Emerging as Contender for 2027 Edge Rusher

Published

4 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Nebraska Emerging as Contender for 2027 Edge Rusher

Nebraska continues to make its presence felt on the recruiting trail, this time turning attention toward 2027 three-star edge prospect Griff Galloway.

The Cornhuskers have positioned themselves as a serious contender early in the process, signaling their intent to build future defensive depth with a versatile pass rusher who’s already drawing national interest. As Galloway’s recruitment heats up, Nebraska’s involvement underscores the program’s commitment to securing impact talent for the years ahead.

Galloway, a defensive line prospect from Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina, stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 240 pounds. A member of the Class of 2027, Galloway has already drawn attention on the recruiting trail, earning a player rating of 88 from 247Sports. He ranks as the No. 45 defensive lineman nationally and is among the top prospects in North Carolina, positioning himself as a name to watch as his timeline unfolds.

Galloway’s recruitment has quickly gained momentum, with the Providence Day standout already collecting ten scholarship offers. Among the programs showing strong interest, Nebraska, SMU, Notre Dame, and Tennessee have emerged as the schools in the final mix. As the Class of 2027 defensive lineman continues to evaluate his options, these four programs stand out as the leading contenders for his commitment, underscoring the national attention his talent has drawn at an early stage.

According to MaxPreps, Galloway has shown steady production across his high school career at Providence Day. As a junior, he recorded 27 solo tackles and 39 assists for a total of 66 stops, averaging 5.5 tackles per game with 13 tackles for loss. His sophomore campaign was even more impressive, as he tallied 31 solo tackles and 48 assists, finishing with 79 total tackles, 6.6 per game, and ten tackles for loss.

Several schools are starting to stand out for 2027 EDGE Griff Galloway, according to @ChadSimmons_ 👀
Read: https://t.co/x6Oa8PXNGy pic.twitter.com/mMAQszZZgb
— Rivals (@Rivals) December 19, 2025
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Galloway first made his mark as a freshman, posting 39 solo tackles and 21 assists for 60 total, averaging 4.6 per game with 9 tackles for loss. The numbers highlight his consistency and growth as a disruptive force on the defensive line.

On film, Galloway flashes several standout traits that make him a compelling defensive prospect. His quick first step allows him to penetrate gaps and disrupt plays right at the snap, while his relentless motor ensures he pursues ball carriers across the field with consistent energy. Galloway’s versatility is another asset, as he has lined up both inside and outside, showing the flexibility to play on the edge or slide into a 3-tech role depending on scheme.

The production backs up the tape. His MaxPreps numbers reveal steady growth in tackles and tackles for loss each season, underscoring his ability to finish plays and impact games at multiple levels of the defense.

While Galloway’s film shows plenty of promise, there are clear areas for growth that could elevate his game. He needs refinement in hand usage and pad level to consistently win battles against stronger offensive linemen, ensuring he can maintain leverage and control at the point of attack. In addition, developing a wider array of pass-rush counters will be crucial to his progression, helping him move beyond being a solid disruptor to becoming a true difference-maker on the defensive front.

Grateful to be named RBC player of the week vs Rolesville @ChadGrier_ @PrepRedzoneNC @pepman704 @247recruiting @RBC pic.twitter.com/zlqa4DFMah
— Griff Galloway (@Griff_Galloway) September 6, 2025

Nebraska’s defensive vision under Matt Rhule emphasizes toughness and versatility up front, and Galloway’s skill set fits seamlessly into that approach. With the ability to line up both on the edge and inside, his size and motor make him a natural fit for the Huskers’ multiple 3 looks. Nebraska is actively recruiting pass rushers to strengthen its defensive line rotation, and Galloway’s recruitment shows the program’s commitment to targeting national prospects with high upside.

With continued development, Galloway projects as a player who could contribute early in a rotational role before growing into a starter capable of setting the edge and generating consistent pressure. If the Huskers can secure him, he’d be a valuable addition to their 2027 class, offering both immediate depth and long-term upside as a disruptive edge presence.

No. 15 Nebraska’s offense picks up in second half to put away UND

Published

17 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

No. 15 Nebraska’s offense picks up in second half to put away UND

LINCOLN, Neb. — No. 15 Nebraska found itself in a rock fight with UND at halftime on Sunday evening.

The Cornhuskers shot 28.1% from the field, barely worse than the Fighting Hawks’ 31.3%, and trailed by two points.

It didn’t take long for the Husker offense to find its rhythm in the second half, though.

Undefeated Nebraska (12-0) pulled away quickly for a 78-55 win at the Pinnacle Bank Arena, shooting 63.3% in the second half.

The Huskers found scoring from across the lineup, as four different players notched 12 or more points. Forward Braden Frager led the way with 17 points.

UND freshman forward Marley Curtis (0) shoots the ball against Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Braden Frager (5), forward Pryce Sandfort (21) and guard Cale Jacobsen (31) during the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb., on Sunday, Dec 21, 2025.

Dylan Widger/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

UND fell to 5-10. The Hawks will close up non-conference play next Sunday, hosting Dakota State.

The Hawks ended the day shooting 33.3%. They actually were better from beyond the arc than from the field, shooting 34.5% from deep with 10 triples.

Senior guard Eli King scored a team-high 13 points. Freshman forward Marley Curtis contributed 10 points and six rebounds after missing last Thursday’s game against Winthrop.

Redshirt sophomore guard Zach Kraft did not play against Nebraska. He was out due to illness, according to the broadcast.

King started hot, nailing two 3-pointers as UND jumped out to an 8-2 lead.

NCAA Basketball: North Dakota at Nebraska — UND freshman guard Anthony Smith III (9) drives against Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Cale Jacobsen (31) during the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb., on Sunday, Dec 21, 2025.

The Hawks clung onto a slight advantage for the entire first half, leading by as much as nine points. By halftime, they led the Huskers 26-24.

Nebraska, which entered Sunday’s contest averaging 11.2 3-pointers per game, shot 2-for-18 from beyond the arc in the first half.

The Huskers ripped off a quick 6-0 to start the second half, capturing a 30-26 lead.

UND counterpunched with a layup from freshman guard Anthony Smith III and a triple from senior guard Garrett Anderson for a one-point advantage.

That was the last time the Hawks led. Nebraska responded with a 13-1 run, and its lead slowly ballooned as the second half progressed.

The Huskers made a concerted effort to push the ball inside. They made just four triples, content to create easy field goals and force contact by attacking the rim.

Nebraska was 12-for-13 from the stripe in the second half.

Staff reports and local scoreboards from the Grand Forks Herald Sports desk.

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Cowboy Wrestling Set to Scrap With No. 6 Nebraska – Oklahoma State University Athletics

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

Cowboy Wrestling Set to Scrap With No. 6 Nebraska – Oklahoma State University Athletics

The Basics
The No. 5 Oklahoma State wrestling team heads to Lincoln, Nebraska, to face No. 6 Nebraska at 1 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network at the Devaney Sports Center. The Cowboys met up with the Cornhuskers earlier this season at the National Duals Invitational and defeated them, 33-6. The premier bout of the night is without a doubt No. 2 Sergio Vega vs. No. 3 Brock Hardy at 141 pounds. Vega defeated Hardy by major decision at the National Duals. This marks the 58th meeting between the storied programs.

On the Air
Sunday’s dual is scheduled for a 1 p.m. CT start and will be available for streaming on the Big Ten Network. Rex Holt also returns as the voice of Cowboy wrestling to provide live radio coverage, which will be carried on Pete 94.3 KSPI-AM. Live stats and results can be found on trackwrestling.com.

The Series
The Cowboys have dominated the Cornhuskers in their 57 meetings, leading 52-4-1. Oklahoma State is 19-2 in Lincoln, and won the last road contest, 22-10, in 2011. Oklahoma State comes into the matchup having won the previous three by a combined score of 86-22. Despite the history between the squads, before this season’s contest at the National Duals Invitational, OSU and Nebraska had not met since 2011.

About the Cowboys
The David Taylor era is in full swing after a third-place finish with a pair of individual champions at the NCAA Championships in March. The Cowboys return six NCAA qualifiers and added three more out of the portal, including Richard Figueroa II, Casey Swiderski and Alex Facundo. Despite losing NCAA champions Wyatt Hen- drickson and Dean Hamiti Jr., the Cowboys are primed for another deep run in March.
Affectionately known as “Sparky,” Troy Spratley is back and ready for another deep run this season in the Cowboys’ leadoff spot. A 2025 national finalist, Spratley holds down the 125-pound slot and is ranked seventh in the nation. Sparkey avenged his Big 12 title bout loss to WVU’s Jett Strickenberger on December 14, where he defeated Strickenberger on the road, 6-2.
The Cowboy lineup this season features multiple transfers who have made immediate impacts, including 2024 All-American Casey Swiderski, Alex Facundo and Zack Ryder. Konner Doucet retakes the reins at heavyweight after sitting behind Hendrickson in 2025.
Coach Taylor’s first freshman class has already left its mark on the 2025-26 squad. The hometown hero LaDarion “Dee” Lockett put the country on notice at 165 pounds. Other freshmen who have made an immediate impact are 157-pounder Landon Robideau, 141-pounder Sergio Vega and 133-pounder Ronnie Ramirez. Lockett, Robideau and Vega are all undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the country.
Last year’s highly touted freshman Cody Merrill has had a dominant start to his 2025-26 campaign, starting his season off 7-1 and ranked No. 7 in the country.

An Oklahoma State Win Would…
• Make OSU 53-4-1 against Nebraska.
• Make OSU 20-2 in Lincoln.
• Give OSU its seventh ranked win of the season.
• Make OSU 29-3 against ranked opponents since the 2023-24 season.
• Improve OSU’s record to 52-6 in its past 58 duals.
• Improve David Taylor‘s record against Nebraska to 2-0.
• Improve OSU to 10-1 on the road under David Taylor.
• Improve OSU to 21-2 in dual matches under David Taylor.
• Improve OSU to 17-2 against ranked opponents under David Taylor.

The Opening Act
David Taylor‘s opening season for the Cowboys brought the Cowboy faithful a new hope. Taylor’s Cowboys dominated the competition by going 13-1 in dual action, finishing the season unblemished at home in seven matches and winning 10 matches against ranked opponents, including Oregon State, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, NC State, West Virginia, Northern Iowa, Iowa State, Missouri and Little Rock in dual action. Taylor also led the Cowboys to a Big 12 title for the first time since 2021. On the biggest stage of collegiate wrestling, Oklahoma State had a pair of Cowboys, Wyatt Hendrickson and Dean Hamiti Jr., crowned national champions. It marked the first time since 2016 the Cowboys had multiple NCAA champions in the same season. Taylor’s Cowboys never left the top three in the rankings, climbing as high as two in the polls.

Hey Now, You’re an All-Star
On November 1, Zack Ryder and Casey Swiderski competed in the NWCA All-Star Classic. Casey Swiderski led off the night for the Cowboys by facing Michigan’s three- time All-American Lachlan McNeil. Swiderski controlled the match and nabbed the lone takedown of the bout to win, 4-2. The win vaulted Swiderski up to No. 2 in the poll at 149 pounds. Ryder dominated what was considered the match of the weekend, as he took down Maryland’s Jaxon Smith at 184 pounds. Ryder collected the only bonus-point win of the event with his major decision over Smith, 14-4. He took down Smith four times and did not allow a takedown. Smith, a three-time national qualifier, had only given up bonus points twice in his career – once to Carter Starocci and the other to Aaron Brooks, who have nine national titles between them. Ryder’s win turned heads around the country, and it was seen in the polls as he climbed to fourth at 184 pounds.

The Spark
The Cowboys have one of, if not the most, vaunted lead-off man in the country in Troy Spratley. Spratley, a returning NCAA finalist from last season now ranks seventh in the latest poll after his win on December 14 against No.
7 Jett Stickenberger. The 125-pounder is 5-2 on the young season. Spratley’s incredible season in 2024-25 included five wins over top-five opponents, gaining bonus points for the Cowboys in over half of his matches as the leadoff man.

Fab Freshmen
The freshmen on the OSU roster have been the story of the 2025-26 season. 141-pounder Sergio Vega, 157-pounder Landon Robideau and 165-pounder Dee Lockett are all 7-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country at their respective weight classes. Other true freshman Ronnie Ramirez is 6-1 with a Cougar Clash title in the 133-pound division. Other freshmen making an immediate impact are 184-pounder Zack Ryder
and 197-pounder Cody Merrill. Ryder started his season with an impressive win at the NWCA All-Star Classic. Ryder currently ranks No. 10 in the country with an 8-3 record, while Merrill holsters a 7-1 record on the year and is ranked No. 7.

New Kids On the Block
David Taylor took the recruiting world by storm, as he brought in the second-ranked recruiting class in the country entering his second season at the helm. The Cowboys led the nation with eight signees ranked inside FloWrestling’s Top 100 Big Board. The group is spearheaded by blue-chip prospects LaDarion “Dee” Lockett, Landon Robideau and Sergio Vega, who make up half of the top six overall spots. Of the 10 wrestlers in the class, six are in-state products while the others hail from Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Arizona and California. The full list includes Kruz Goff, Ishmael Guerrero, Beau Hickman, Austin Johnson, Lockett, Ronnie Ramirez, Robideau, Kody Routledge, Ethan Teague, and Vega.

The Douce(t) is loose
A familiar face for Cowboy fans, Konner Doucet is back in the lineup for the 2025 season after sitting behind Hodge Trophy winner Wyatt Hendrickson last season. Doucet started the season ranked ninth and has now climbed to seventh. The two-time NCAA qualifier is primed for a breakout season after going 1-0 in his only dual action against Air Force last season and collecting four wins at the Michigan State Open, where he took first.

Made for the Moment
True freshman Landon Robideau and Dee Lockett made their Cowboy debuts on November 7 against Stanford, both facing All-Americans in Daniel Cardenas and Hunter Garvin. Unafraid of the moment, Robideau picked up a major decision victory and Lockett used a gutsy second period ride out to pick up a 2-1 win. Other true freshman Sergio Vega was incredible in his debut as well, picking up a technical fall win. Of the Cowboys’ 33 points in last Friday’s opener, the true freshman accounted for 12 of them. The trio is now a combined 21-0 and all are ranked No. 2 in the country in their respective weight classes.

The Power of the Pivot
The Cowboys brought in transfers Richard Figueroa II, Casey Swiderski, Alex Facundo, Zack Ryder and Gary Steen to bolster the lineup this season, and if last year’s transfers are any indication of what they can do in David Taylor‘s program, the sky is the limit for those five. Last year’s transfers that started for the Cowboys were Caleb Fish, Cam Amine, Dean Hamiti Jr. and Wyatt Hendrickson. All four of them earned All-America status and two of them went on to win national titles.

Wrestling’s House of Horrors
No venue in America has a richer wrestling tradition than Gallagher-Iba Arena, home of the Oklahoma State wrestling program since 1939. In its beginning as Gallagher Hall, the gymnasium was named for Ed Gallagher, but when renovations were completed in January 1988, it was renamed Gallagher-Iba Arena to honor the late Mr. Henry P. Iba, Oklahoma State’s legendary basketball coach. Alongside 54 NCAA championship banners, Gallagher and Iba’s names have looked over Oklahoma State’s historic venue for nearly 40 years.
Since 1939, Oklahoma State has captured 25 NCAA team titles, completed 45 perfect campaigns at home and won over 90% of its duals inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. The building’s opening coincided with the longest home unbeaten streak in program history, as the Pokes won their first 37 duals inside GIA as part of a 67-dual unbeaten streak at home. That stretch still stands as the program’s longest home unbeaten streak, as OSU never suffered defeat from 1933 to February 1951.
Oklahoma State’s next-longest home unbeaten streak 1. occurred from the 1959 finale to the middle of the 1967 2. season, going undefeated for 57 duals in a row.
Not far 3. behind, the Cowboys won 51 consecutive duals inside
Gallagher-Iba Arena from 1986-1993, good for the third-longest such streak in program history. More recently, John Smith guided the Cowboys to a 26-dual home winning streak from 2018-2022. Not long after the streak was snapped, Oklahoma State defeated South Dakota State on February 4, 2022, for the program’s 500th victory inside the venue.

The Home of Wrestling
Oklahoma State is the gold standard in the college wrestling world. On the national level, the Cowboys have won 34 NCAA team titles, crowned 145 NCAA individual champions and earned 492 All-America honors. No other program comes close to those astounding numbers. It’s a similar story on the conference level, with OSU winning 56 team titles and Cowboy wrestlers combining for 297 individual championships.
From an individual perspective, any list of the greatest wrestlers in NCAA history must include Oklahoma State’s Yojiro Uetake, who was a perfect 57-0 with three NCAA titles, and Pat Smith, the first four-time NCAA champion in history. Pat’s older brother, John Smith, was a two-time NCAA champion for the Cowboys and went on to win six straight world gold medals from 1987-92. His OSU teammate, Kenny Monday, also won gold in 1988 and 1989 as part of his four world medals. That group is just part of Oklahoma State’s consistent representation on the Olympic stage every four years. Since 1924, 32 Oklahoma State wrestlers have fought their way to Olympic team membership a total of 41 times, with nine athletes winning 11 gold medals.
All told, 40 members of the Cowboy wrestling family have been inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the most in the country.

NCAA Team Championships