Ricketts responds to U.S. Treasury inquiry about Nebraska’s rental assistance application

LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) – Touting Nebraska’s strides in financial restoration from the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Pete Ricketts despatched a response to the U.S. Treasury Division on Friday detailing why the state was declining the second spherical of emergency rental help.

“Nebraska’s financial system is doing properly,” Ricketts mentioned within the letter, noting money reserves, low unemployment, Politico’s current accolade for the state’s COVID-19 response, in addition to an analogous nod from the Nationwide Bureau for Financial Analysis. “…our women and men have jobs, and our youngsters are taken care of… That is, partially, as a consequence of accountable (state) authorities spending.”

Ricketts vetoed the Unicameral’s request for Nebraska’s software for the ERAP funds twice.

The governor mentioned he didn’t really feel compelled to request the second spherical as a result of he hadn’t been supplied with any knowledge from “housing advocates” indicating the help was wanted.

“For months, I’ve invited these teams to offer me with any knowledge displaying there stays a pandemic-related want for these funds,” he says within the letter.

Ricketts additionally took the chance to criticize the Biden administration’s stimulus plan, highlighting present inflation ranges, and mentioned it was all of the extra purpose for Nebraska to not settle for the funds.

“Flooding the financial system with practically two trillion {dollars} of stimulus cash and incentivizing individuals to depend on the federal government not solely exacerbates the problems we face as a nation. It could be irresponsible of me as governor to take federal {dollars} that we don’t want and add to this rising downside,” he mentioned within the letter.

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