Pillen promises ‘local control’ amid latest Nebraska tax reform plan putting all K-12 education funding in state’s budget

COLUMBUS, Neb. (WOWT) – At Gov. Jim Pillen’s lastest town hall meeting on Wednesday in his home town, it was standing room only — and a receptive crowd — to hear his plan to reduce Nebraska property taxes.

The State of Nebraska collects billions more dollars from property taxes than sales taxes. Pillen is trying to even it out — something he couldn’t get done earlier this year.

Now, he has new carrot in the proposal targeting education.

The new wrinkle in the proposal would have the state fund all K-12 education — and it comes with a $1.3 billion price tag. It’s similar to what the state does now for community colleges.

Right now, that line item is the largest on the Nebraska property tax bill. Pillen insists, however, that local control would still rule the day.

“No question — all of us have that issue, right? And we want to control our destiny,” Pillen said. “The thing that is really really the classic about ‘local control’: I’m the most guilty; I’ve never gone to City Council meeting, school board meeting, or county board meeting. We have out-taxed ourselves because we have not said ‘no’ to spending.”

The governor urged those in attendance to contact all 49 senators to share the importance of increasing sales taxes and lowering property taxes — and to combat the power of the lobbyists.

“The lobbying groups are really really good at bringing up all these barriers; and hell, I think most of them are myths,” he said.

He repeated that everything is on the table — except for taxing groceries and medications. But that message wasn’t able to convince 33 senators to carve out the exceptions and new taxes just a few months ago. And even today, state senators believe they are 2-3 votes short of passing Pillen’s plan.

“I don’t think I’ve ever remembered a governor in the entire time I’ve lived in Nebraska make a promise to do something without a plan,” State Sen. Carol Blood said. “‘I’m going to lower your property taxes by 40%.’ And then bring forward bad legislation — which, he doesn’t have full body support, not enough to get it passed — and then blame the Legislature because he brought forward bad policy.”

On Tuesday, Pillen sent a letter to Unicameral Speaker John Arch, officially announcing his plans to call senators back to Lincoln on July 25 to make more headway on addressing property taxes in Nebraska. But many senators told 6 News that they only heard about the special session from the governor’s social media accounts.

Pillen said Wednesday that his office hadn’t yet been in touch with all 49 senators but would be before the special session in a month.

“And again, our plan is living, breathing. There’s key components where we’re moving. But yeah, we’ll hear from everybody and everybody will have input,” the governor told 6 News.

Nebraska

Thursday Tim-Bits: Latest Nebraska recruiting intel (6/12)

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June 12, 2025

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Thursday Tim-Bits: Latest Nebraska recruiting intel (6/12)

There’s a lot happening in the world of recruiting right now, forcing a second Tim-Bits piece this week. If you missed out on Tuesday Tim-Bits, you can check that out here, with plenty of insider intel on the latest surround Nebraska recruiting.

In this Thursday edition of Tim-Bits, we’ve got some more updates on this past weekend’s official visitors, this weekend’s official visit list, and a note on an elite 2027 cornerback and his four-star teammate.

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Food donation event helps fill food pantry needs in central Nebraska

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1 day ago

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June 11, 2025

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Press Room

Food donation event helps fill food pantry needs in central Nebraska

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) – The need for food assistance in the Tri-Cities remains significant, but a local food drive is helping fill the gap.

The 10/11 Can Care-A-Van rolled into town this week, supporting four local organizations in their efforts to collect food donations. Among the beneficiaries was Hope Harbor, which recently faced critically low pantry supplies.

The shortage became so dire that Hope Harbor was forced to limit its pantry services — distributing one food box every three months instead of monthly. Since then, conditions have improved, and staff say community support is making a difference.

“It’s a great feeling to know that our community is here to help those that are in need,” said Jennifer Figueroa, marketing director at Hope Harbor. “We all know about Nebraska nice, and so whenever pantries or churches put out a call to action, we know they’re going to answer.”

Figueroa said the organization leaned on its donors, volunteers, and supporters to weather the challenges.

“There’s always a moment of panic or worry, but we just look at the evidence and know that we do have support here,” she said.

In addition to Hope Harbor, donations collected during the Can Care-A-Van also went to the Salvation Army, St. Mary’s Cathedral, and Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church.

The drive is part of a broader effort to address food insecurity across central Nebraska as families continue to face economic pressures.

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33 Nebraska students recognized for academic achievements

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2 days ago

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June 11, 2025

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Press Room

33 Nebraska students recognized for academic achievements

HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) – Students from across the state of Nebraska were welcomed to the State Capitol on Tuesday to be recognized for their academic achievements.

Thirty three students, including one from Kearney High School, Drew Welch, were recognized at a ceremony in the State Capitol Rotunda for scoring a perfect 36 on their ACT exam.

All of the students were graduates of the class of 2025.

“The ACT ceremony represents the culmination of years and years of study,” said Gov. Jim Pillen. “The students who are here today should feel a great deal of pride in this accomplishment. To those who are taking advantage of the Presidential Scholars Program and attending school in-state – we are glad to know that you are continuing your education pathway in Nebraska and there will be many career opportunities available when you are ready to graduate. Remember, Nebraska is the safest place to raise a family. Because in Nebraska — it’s the people.”

The Presidential Scholars Program provides students who obtain a perfect score on the ACT a scholarship through the University of Nebraska Office of the President.

The scholarship covers tuition, fees, books, housing and other attendance cost, plus a $5,000 annual stipend.

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