Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman targeted taxes, education, state spending and protecting vulnerable state residents in his Jan. 15 state of the state address.
The Republican governor pledged to keep tax relief and tax credit programs enacted in recent years. He proposed spending more money on education but because of a decline in revenue, schools such as the University of Nebraska could face cuts. Overall, he said, state spending would only go up 1.8 percent each of the next two years, compared to an average of 7 percent a year over the last 20 years.
He said the state should keep $200 million on hand for contingencies.
"We made the tough budget decisions two years ago necessary to control spending, but we must prepare our state for a slowing economy," Heineman said.
Heineman, who works with a Legislature that is unicameral, also proposed a modest $5 million-a-year initiative to support children and families dealing with behavioral health issues.
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