Gov. Pillen’s office outlines 973 state positions slated for elimination this summer

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen. April 18, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen’s office released a detailed list Wednesday of nearly 1,000 state employment positions slated for elimination June 1 because they have been vacant for more than 90 days.

Pillen signed an executive order Tuesday that calls for any state position that remains unfilled for 90 days to be removed following a periodic review, also every 90 days. According to the list, this includes 973 positions, with 37% coming from the state’s largest agency: the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

The executive order will call for eliminating positions across 38 departments, offices, boards and commissions and is estimated to save nearly $40 million, according to the governor.

The order does not apply to certain “critical” positions, such as public safety or law enforcement, as well as exempt positions, which include employees of the University of Nebraska.

“I promised to run state government like a business and this order delivers on that promise,” Pillen said in a statement. “We have proven we can work without them, so we will eliminate them and return the money to the taxpayers.”

Any saved funds are meant to be redistributed, according to the state budget administrator, particularly for property tax relief. Any redistributions must be authorized by the Legislature if the budget administrator seeks to transfer funds outside agencies or certain programs.

State Sens. Robert Clements of Elmwood and Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, the respective chairs of the Legislature’s Revenue and Appropriations Committees, endorsed Pillen’s order.

“I don’t have a problem with eliminating vacancies as long as the level of service is maintained, which they’re telling me they’re making sure that’s the case,” Clements said.

The breakdown of 820 slated eliminations for state departments:

• Department of Administrative Services — 74

• Department of Agriculture — 7

• Department of Banking and Finance — 1

• Department of Correctional Services — 48

• Department of Economic Development — 25

• Department of Environment and Energy — 25

• Department of Health and Human Services — 362

• Department of Insurance — 5

• Department of Labor — 98

• Department of Military — 37

• Department of Motor Vehicles — 17

• Department of Natural Resources — 6

• Department of Revenue — 36

• Department of Transportation — 74

• Department of Veterans Affairs — 5

The slated 153 position eliminations for boards, commissions or offices:

• Accountability and Disclosure Commission — 1

• Blind and Visually Impaired Commission — 5

• Crime Commission — 12

• Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission — 2

• Educational Telecommunications Commission — 9

• Office of the Fire Marshal — 6

• Foster Care Review Office — 1

• Game and Parks Commission — 46

• Grain Sorghum Board — 1

• History Nebraska — 13

• Indian Affairs Commission — 1

• Nebraska Investment Council — 1

• Library Commission — 4

• Motor Vehicle Industry Licensing Board — 1

• Oil and Gas Conservation Commission — 1

• Racing and Gaming Commission — 19

• Real Estate Commission — 1

• Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems — 3

• Nebraska State Patrol — 15

• Tourism Commission — 1

• Wheat Board — 2

• Workers Compensation Court — 8

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