We are officially over 2/3rds of the way through the 2026 Legislative Session!
This Week: Budget Deficit and Priority Bill Debate
This week, senators will focus on the budget and continue to debate priority bills. Debate typically takes place from 9am-12pm and 1:30pm-5pm, with the potential to go later into the evening starting next week. (Learn more about the debate process.)
As you may know, our state currently has a $646 million budget deficit, which is expected to grow in the coming years due to declining tax revenue. Over the last few years, our elected officials have prioritized cutting property, individual, and corporate income taxes, all of which have contributed to this deficit. This is a structural deficit, caused by the decisions made in recent years by those elected to represent us. The longer these tax cuts stay in place, the larger Nebraska’s budget deficit will grow.
Funding for critical infrastructure – including social infrastructure programs like SNAP and Medicaid – relies on steady, predictable revenue. We know that a strong Nebraska for all of us requires support that helps keep our state stable, and we hope that our lawmakers will recognize and prioritize this throughout their state budget conversations.
The Legislature will likely spend the next few weeks debating the budget before moving on to other bills.
Currently, none of Appleseed’s 2026 priority bills are scheduled for debate yet, but we’ll be sure to share updates as they move through the legislative process.
Follow along: You can livestream all legislative happenings through Nebraska Public Media.
Stay Up To Date
You can keep up with all the happenings at the Legislature by following Appleseed online:
- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky.
- Stop by our blog for opinion pieces, informative updates, and news stories.
- Throughout the session, we’ll let you know how you can take action to get involved and make your voice heard!
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