Nebraska’s budget should reflect Nebraska’s priorities.
This seems like a simple statement, but really, it says quite a lot. It says that Nebraska values of family and community should drive our budget choices, it says that our shared resources should be directed at strengthening our families and workers, and it says that we should invest in opportunities that allow people in our state to build a better future.
Today, Nebraska Appleseed and a group of organizations from across the state representing interests ranging from elder affairs to child welfare, made that statement together. This is an important step as the state legislature prepares for a discussion about how to address the state’s budget shortfall. An Ad Hoc Committee of the State Legislature will meet on June 29 to address LR 542 and the budget process which will begin in the interim. Click here for more details
The recession has increased the need for critical services with fewer resources, putting new importance on the need to focus on our state’s values and priorities. However, Nebraska does have an opportunity to take a balanced approach that considers a variety of options to draw in more revenue and create cost-savings in our budget. If we make Smart Choices, Nebraska can address budget concerns and prepare our state for recovery.
And that’s what organizations in Nebraska came together today to say. Click here to read the statement
Our vision is that with a balanced approach, we can build a budget that reflects our priorities and ensures that state government has the resources to meet the needs of families struggling through the recession and build a better future for Nebraska.
We believe that we can build a budget that will work for all of Nebraska, and we’ll continue this work as the process continues.