Neb. lawmakers begin hearings on plan to deal with $334M shortfall in state’s two-year budget

Public hearings on Neb. budget cuts begin Thursday

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska lawmakers may get an earful from people who might be affected by the $334 million in budget cuts they are considering.

Public hearings on the cuts are scheduled to begin on Thursday and continue into next week as part of the Legislature’s special session.

State Sen. John Harms of Scottsbluff said he thinks across-the-board cuts like the governor proposed are the best way to fix the immediate budget shortfall. But he says lawmakers should look at ways to streamline government when the regular session convenes in January.

That kind of major overhaul isn’t possible within the constraints of the special session, but Harms says he hopes the Legislature will tackle it soon because the budget projections for later years are grim.