LINCOLN- On Tuesday, Gov. Jim Pillen announced that he had signed both bills in the state budget adjustment package while praising the Legislature's Appropriations Committee. He credited the committee with sending him a "fiscally sound" budget that funds the school aid formula and makes several changes to the current budget.

"This budget reflects the conservative values of Nebraskans," Pillen said of the proposals. Combined, both budget bills provide for an average increase in state spending of 2.7% over the two-year budget period, up from the 2.3% approved last year. The bills also include the transfer of around $230 million from various cash funds to support Pillen's property tax reduction plan.

However, the fate of Pillen's property tax proposal remains unclear. The biggest spending increase in the budget package resulted from a higher-than-expected calculation of state aid to schools for next year. School aid had been projected to drop $28 million for the 2024-25 school year, but actually increased by $65 million once actual spending figures were considered.

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