LINCOLN — Despite needing to fill a state budget hole, Gov. Jim Pillen spent much of his 40-minute speech painting a picture of Nebraska that has seen economic growth, calling the state “recession-proof.”

He touted Nebraska’s diverse economy, built on agriculture and said the return of the Trump administration had “created countless new opportunities” for the state and its people. “We can bet the farm that Nebraska is primed to grow,” Pillen told lawmakers Thursday.

His State of the State address comes in a year when Pillen is seeking re-election with a massive war chest and many of the advantages of incumbency — and the possibility of a GOP primary race rematch with multistate agribusinessman Charles Herbster — or perhaps another Republican waiting in the wings. Former Democratic State Sen. Lynne Walz is also considering a bid.

Pillen’s speech emphasized his eagerness to work with Trump — pointing to his volunteering the state to be the first in the country to implement new federal work requirements for Medicaid recipients, beginning May 1 of this year. He also stressed that his administration’s staffers had initiated conversations with the federal government about the possibility of assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by offering ICE the use of a now-former state prison in McCook as a new detention center for migrants. “Nebraska is proud to be doing our part to get the border secure and to protect America’s kids from criminals,” Pillen said.

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