The legislature’s appropriations committee has come up with a balanced budget to respond to a 334-million dollar shortfall in the state budget. Appropriations committee member State Senator Heath Mello of Omaha says the committee’s recommendations match about 90% of the Governors’ recommendations. Mello says the committee is recommending furloughs for state workers, not firings.
“It also helps keeps people employed in these tough economic times right now, which the State of Nebraska has seen a dramatic increase in unemployment and the last thing the state probably wants to do is add to that unemployment more which is a drain on our public services already.”
Mello says the budget recommendations including only slightly cutting developmental disability provider rates and access to higher education. Mello says some changes were also made in the way roads were funded that may provide some extra jobs for Nebraskans. Mello says he feels the recommendations provide only a band-aid approach to solving the state’s budget problems.