Latest News from the Governor's Office

CONTACT:

Laura Strimple, (402) 580-9495

Gov. Pillen Statement on Legislature Failure to Advance Budget Bill

LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen released the following statement after the legislature failed to invoke cloture on LB1071. 

“The legislature has a job to do – and Nebraskans expect them to get it done,” said Gov. Pillen. “My message right now is simple: It’s time for them to stop playing political games and pass a balanced budget. The people of our state deserve better.”

There were 19 yes votes, 10 no votes, and 19 present not voting votes.

CONTACT:

Laura Strimple, (402) 580-9495

Katrina Cerveny, NEMA, 402-326-3179

Kevin J. Hynes, Nebraska National Guard, 402-309-8390

Gov. Pillen, Adjutant General Strong Tour Cottonwood Fire & Visit Brady Community

BRADY, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen and Major General Craig Strong, adjutant general for the Nebraska National Guard, viewed the Cottonwood Fire from the air before meeting with firefighters, ranchers and others affected by the wildfires.  The Cottonwood Fire has destroyed 131,259 acres across Dawson, Frontier and Lincoln counties. It is 40% contained.

This is the second time Gov. Pillen has surveyed fire damage from overhead. He took a similar tour on Saturday, and at that time provided a briefing from the incident command center at the Keith County Fairgrounds.

Upon landing in North Platte this morning, the Governor and Maj. Gen. Strong traveled to the Fire Department in Brady where they met with emergency management representatives, members of the Nebraska State Patrol, firefighters, and county and village leadership from Brady and other nearby communities. Based on the latest information shared with the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Cottonwood Fire has destroyed at least 44 structures and threatened 170 others, some of which may be homes.

Addressing the crowd, Gov. Pillen shared, “Right here is the heart and the soul of this community – our volunteer firefighters. I can’t imagine what you have been through these past 72 hours or more. Our goal is to get you what you need. There are people from across our state and the nation who want to help Nebraska.”

Maj. Gen. Strong added, “I feel in awe being here with you today. I am humbled to be in your presence. When the fire started, the Governor had three words for us, ‘whatever it takes.’”

In addition to Cottonwood, there are three other significant wildfires burning in the state. Together these fires – Cottonwood Morrill, Road 203 and Anderson Bridge in Cherry County – have consumed nearly 827,000 acres of land.

Additional firefighting equipment is now being provided by Colorado and North Dakota to support efforts to extinguish the flames. They, along with Iowa, are answering requests made by Nebraska through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). The Iowa National Guard and the Nebraska National Guard are both utilizing helicopters with buckets to make aerial water drops. An additional 20-person Nebraska National Guard ground firefighting hand crew is supporting the effort. That team is equipped with three military tactical firefighting trucks.

The number of personnel fighting the Cottonwood and Morrill fires, both on ground and overhead, is estimated to be over 400. Those fires are being managed by the Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT), under the direction of the state of Nebraska.

At least three areas near the Cottonwood Fire remain under an evacuation order. That fire has also caused ranchers to move cattle herds out of the path of flames and to find areas of pastureland suitable for grazing.

Following their stop at the Fire Department, Gov. Pillen and Maj. Gen. Strong went to the Brady Community Center where they, along with Laura Field, executive vice president of the Nebraska Cattlemen, spoke with a large group of community members, farmers and ranchers.

Gov. Pillen acknowledged the hardships presented by the raging fires and their effect on people in the community. “When we have a fire here, it affects our way of life. It’s our livelihood and it’s our economy. Ask for help. A lot of you have been through some tough stuff. We have to take care of each other.”

“The resilience and determination of our ranchers in the face of wildfire is deeply inspiring. The courage of first responders and volunteer firefighters who are risking their lives while stepping away from their own families and operations is nothing short of extraordinary,” said Executive Director Field. “In the weeks and months ahead, Nebraska Cattlemen stands ready to support recovery in every way it can. We are profoundly grateful for the heart and soul of Nebraska rallying around neighbors in need.”

Nebraska Cattlemen has established a disaster relief fund to help producers who have experienced property loss or damage because of the wildfires. Applications for assistance are now being accepted. That information is available on the organization’s website as well as information about a variety of resources, both local and national.

Additionally, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture is maintaining a running list of resources. It can be found at www.nda.nebraska.gov/disasterresources. Search under the title: Available and Requested Donations and Services. 

Red flag warnings remain in effect across much of the state, complicating firefighting efforts. Assistant Director for NEMA Erv Portis reinforced the need for extreme caution in the face of ongoing weather conditions.

“Due to drought conditions, low soil moisture, strong winds, and extreme temperature changes, we are urging all Nebraskans to remain cautious with open burning. Fires can start quickly and spread unpredictably under these conditions, putting lives and property at risk. Please avoid burning and consider safer alternatives only when conditions improve.”

Currently, a ban exists on the issuance of burn permits. The Governor’s executive order, signed last week, will continue through March 27.

CONTACT:

Laura Strimple, (402) 580-9495

Joint Statement of Opposition by Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly, State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg, and Secretary of State Bob Evnen

LINCOLN, NE -- As the Nebraska Legislature continues its work to finalize a balanced budget for the 2025-2027 biennium, our offices write to express our collective opposition to the salary increases proposed for our respective offices within AM 2640 to LB 1210.

Our primary mission is to protect the taxpayer and ensure that the essential services Nebraskans rely on are delivered as efficiently as possible. To that end, we must be willing to make the same sacrifices being asked of our fellow public servants. Accordingly, we respectfully request that the Legislature remove the Lieutenant Governor, State Treasurer, and Secretary of State from the proposed salary adjustment schedule.

We remain committed to our work on behalf of Nebraskans and believe this step is necessary to maintain public trust as we navigate the state’s current financial responsibilities.

CONTACT:

Laura Strimple, (402) 580-9495

Gov. Pillen Signs Executive Order for Assistance with Ag Supplies for the State of Nebraska

Lincoln, NE – Due to the Nebraska wildfires that have severely impacted livestock feed and supplies within the state of Nebraska, Governor Jim Pillen has issued an executive order to provide emergency relief.

The executive order waives hours of service restrictions and adjusts the maximum load width/weight limits allowed for commercial motor carriers operating within the State of Nebraska which are providing direct assistance to areas and industries affected under the emergency declaration.

The Governor’s order (26-07) is effective immediately and will remain so for the following 14 days.

“Nebraska’s producers are facing a real need right now, and we have the responsibility to stand with our farmers and ranchers,” said Gov. Pillen. “The faster we get feed and supplies where they’re needed, the more we can do to support our livestock industry.”

“We thank Governor Jim Pillen for quickly signing this important executive order as producers are fighting against the devastating effects of wildfires,” said Nebraska Cattleman President Craig Uden.

More than 600,000 acres have been burned across central and western Nebraska.

Gov. Pillen continued, “Please continue to pray for our firefighters on the frontline, the families whose lives are being upturned, and the producers who are working around the clock to protect their operations and livestock.”

The executive order is included as an attachment to this email.

PDF Copy of Executive Order 26-07

CONTACT:

Laura Strimple, (402) 580-9495

Kevin J. Hynes, Nebraska National Guard, 402-309-8390

Katrina Cerveny, NEMA, 402-326-3179

Gov. Pillen Tours Wildfires, Provides Update on Operations

KEITH COUNTY, NE -- Today, Governor Jim Pillen provided an update on operations following an aerial tour of wildfires burning across Nebraska. He was joined in the briefing at the Keith County Fairgrounds by U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts and U.S. Representative Adrian Smith. Lt. Colonel Scott Henrickson, chief of the joint staff for the Nebraska National Guard also spoke, providing an update on personnel and equipment deployed by the Nebraska National Guard to support local firefighters.

In total, three of the state’s largest wildfires have damaged around 600,000 acres. Gov. Pillen spoke specifically about impacts resulting from the Morrill County Fire, which has now consumed 460,000 acres and the Lincoln County (Cottonwood Fire) near Gothenburg, which has burned 100,000 acres. The Road 203 Fire near Halsey has burned 40,000 acres.

Gov. Pillen emphasized that the state is taking a proactive approach to enlisting additional resources for fire suppression and providing assistance to community volunteer firefighters, who have been working around the clock. Earlier today, he called the mayors of Omaha, Lincoln and Columbus to see what fire personnel and equipment they would be able to provide. He also indicated he would contact other mayors and nearby states like Iowa, to see what assistance they could lend.

“This is a fight from the river to Harrison, and I’m really excited that we’re getting people deployed to help our volunteer firefighters,” he added.

The Nebraska National Guard has deployed 29 airmen and soldiers to assist with firefighting efforts in central and western Nebraska.  That includes a ground firefighting hand crew, which is working shoulder to shoulder with local fire teams. Two Nebraska Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters equipped with Bambi buckets have also been flown to the area for aerial firefighting support.

“We are working to get more resources into the state, but as we heard, there are multiple fires across multiple states,” said Lt. Col. Henrickson. “We are still working to see what is available and of course, bring that up in a unified effort here with the local emergency management team as well as our Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).”

NEMA has requested and received approval from FEMA for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG), which is designed to help support efforts to mitigate, manage, and control fires on public or private forests or grasslands. That assistance may help recover some of the costs associated with the state’s ongoing fire response.

Gov. Pillen also mentioned ongoing assistance from the Nebraska Department of Transportation which is providing road graders in order to create necessary roadblocks to prevent the spread of flames.

During the news conference, the Governor reiterated a message shared previously – the need to heed any locally-issued evacuation orders. Officials yesterday confirmed one fire-related fatality.

“I think it’s important that all Nebraskans pray. The circumstances have not changed. Yesterday was one of the toughest days, and through the night, that we’ve probably ever experienced in our state,” said Gov. Pillen. “Tomorrow, the winds are supposed to be extraordinary.”