Gov. Pete Ricketts on Friday praised the Nebraska Legislature for working with him to reduce the growth of state government and provide increased local property tax cuts while pointing to "meaningful tax relief" as a priority for the next legislative session.
In a seven-minute address to senators prior to adjournment of the 2015 session, Ricketts accentuated the positive, pointing to agreement on 243 bills he signed, along with a two-year state budget that matched his fiscal priorities.
"We didn't always agree," the governor said, but he waited until a news conference after the event to focus on the disagreements.
Ricketts and a majority of senators parted company over repeal of the death penalty, an increase in the state gas tax and authorization for the children of illegal immigrants to acquire Nebraska driver's licenses.
People are also reading…
All three of those areas of contention led to vetoes that were overridden by the Legislature.
In a broader assessment of state government at the conclusion of the legislative session, Ricketts said: "I'm very pleased with the direction we're going. This is how we lay the foundation."
The growth of state government, as measured by state tax-supported budget numbers, has been cut from 6.5 percent to 3.5 percent, he said, and additional property tax reduction has been built into the budget.
"Those are good wins for the taxpayers of Nebraska," Ricketts said. "We are making great strides.
"And we'll work together on future tax relief."