UNO professor talks what state budget debate will cover

LINCOLN, Neb.—Starting Wednesday, Nebraska state senators will consider the proposed $700 million budget the Appropriations Committee approved.

This year, the state’s projected revenue surplus is especially large.

UNO political science professor Dr. Gregory Petrow said that definitely will usher in some tax cuts.

“The state can kind of afford it," Petrow said. "Also, I think there'll be some increases in education funding—K-12—that will be coming out of the budget surplus that the state has."

It will also concern higher education.

"The University of Nebraska system asked for a small increase in its budget—only 3 percent—and the governor proposed an even smaller increase, which was only 2 percent," Petrow said. "So far, it looks like they're going to kind of meet in the middle at 2 1/2 percent.

"What's very striking to me is that even given the current exceptionally generous budget situation, that funding for higher ed is as low as it is."

Petrow said he expects prison reform to be part of the conversation as well.

"We might have the most crowded prison system in the country. There have been lawsuits. Judges have decided that Nebraska needs to reduce prison overcrowding because it's so chronic."

He said senators couldn’t come to an agreement on how to achieve that during last session.

“Which means that we are still stuck with this heinously, horrendously, overcrowded prison system. So part of what I think we're going to see happen is that the state will commit to building a new prison."

Dr. Petrow added that the rapidly increasing cost of healthcare has really impacted state budgets, and as a result, many other worthwhile things have received less funding.