Latest News from the Governor's Office

Contact:

Laura Strimple, (402) 580-9495

Gov. Pillen Issues Statement on the Passing of Nebraska Firefighter Matthews

LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen offered his deepest condolences to the family and friends of Nathan Matthews. Matthews, a firefighter from Lincoln, passed away from the injuries he received while battling a wildfire near the Colorado-Utah border late last month.

“Please join Suzanne and I in lifting up the family of Nathan Matthews in prayer. The sacrifices our wildland firefighters make are real, and we mourn the loss of Nathan,” said Gov. Pillen. “We are forever grateful for his service and sacrifice. May God be with his loved ones during this time.”

During his deployment, Matthews was serving with the U.S. Wildland Fire Service as part of the Rifle Helitack crew battling the Knowles fire. Matthews sustained his injuries during a described burn over – a situation in which shifting winds and fast-moving flames trapped the crew and prevented escape. Three firefighters from other states died during the incident. Matthews and another firefighter were hospitalized.

Gov. Pillen said flags will be lowered on the day of Matthews interment. Further information as to the date will be released in due course.

CONTACT:

Laura Strimple, (402) 580-9495

Gov. Pillen & Sen. Bostar Ceremonially Sign Landmark Law to Shield Nebraska from Foreign Threats

LINCOLN, NE – Friday, Governor Jim Pillen was joined by Senator Eliot Bostar, FBI Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel, and national security advocates for a ceremonial signing of LB 1096. Brought at the request of Governor Pillen and introduced by Sen. Bostar, LB 1096 enacts sweeping protections to defend Nebraska’s agricultural economy, energy and utility grids, public records, and communications infrastructure against hostile foreign adversaries and biological threats.

“Let’s be blunt: nations like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are actively probing American infrastructure every single day. The CCP has made no secret of its desire to undermine American agriculture and infiltrate our technological backbone,” said Gov. Pillen. “Nebraska will not sit back and wait for crisis to happen. We are taking offensive action to secure our fields, our grids, and our networks right now.”

LB 1096 establishes comprehensive statewide defense measures against nations like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that seek to infiltrate, disrupt, or compromise essential American infrastructure and food production.

“I’m appreciative of everything that we’ve accomplished in LB 1096 this year. The security of our agriculture, critical infrastructure, telecommunications, and financial systems is a necessary priority for our state. I’m thankful for all of the state, federal, and law enforcement partners who continue to support our efforts to protect Nebraskans,” added Sen. Bostar

The new law establishes four critical areas of protection across state operations. Under the PLANT Act, LB 1096 safeguards Nebraska’s top industry against biological sabotage by making the unpermitted importation of high-risk pathogens or pests a Class III felony. The law elevates the offense to a Class IIA felony if it involves origin concealment, foreign adversary funding, or causes over $1 million in economic damage to Nebraska’s agricultural sector.

“The FBI is focused on stopping hostile intelligence operations and cyberattacks from foreign adversaries—but we can’t do it alone. Hackers backed by the People’s Republic of China have targeted critical U.S. infrastructure, including water systems, the power grid, pipelines, transportation networks, the telecommunications sector, and even home routers and cameras,” said FBI Agent Kowel.

“Here in the heartland, a major cyber or bioterrorism attack on the agriculture sector, whether from a criminal actor or a foreign adversary, could be devastating. Our robust partnership with state government, private industry, law enforcement, and academia is our most powerful asset in combatting these threats.”

To protect essential utilities and power networks, LB 1096 establishes strict contractual prohibitions. Governmental entities and critical infrastructure companies are prohibited from entering into contracts that allow foreign principals or hostile nations direct or remote system access. This prohibition applies to 911 dispatch networks, high-voltage electric grids, water and hazardous waste treatment facilities, and telecommunications systems.

Furthermore, the law authorizes state entities to withhold sensitive technical records concerning critical water, telecommunications, and broadband infrastructure to prevent hostile actors from mapping system vulnerabilities through public record requests. Finally, LB 1096 enforces a strict deadline of Nov. 8, 2026, for communications providers to strip all hardware and software manufactured by prohibited foreign vendors from Nebraska towers, backed by civil enforcement through the Attorney General and Public Service Commission (PSC).

“This is the fourth year in a row where Nebraska has led the nation,” said founder, CEO, and Chairman of State Armor Michael Lucci. “Nowhere are there better state leaders than here in Nebraska for these critical issues.

“Nebraska’s 1096 provides the best state solution for all of these problems, removing those technologies that we know provide a backdoor into our critical infrastructure, and removing the allowance for the privilege for financial technology companies controlled by the Chinese Communist Party to harvest the data of Nebraskans. This law sets the example for the rest of the country,” continued Lucci.  

“The continued effort of legislation with real teeth that this bill represents to impose deadlines on telecommunications carriers to actually remove the problematic ear is extremely important,” said Jackie Deal, also with State Armor. “It’s helping accelerate implementation of a bill that’s actually taking too long to get implemented at the federal level and that would be the secure and trusted Telecommunications Act that was originally proposed in 2019 and passed in 2020.”

With the enactment of this bill, Nebraska sets a new national benchmark for state-level defense against foreign hostile regimes. By taking proactive measures to shield its fields, power grids, and digital networks today, the state ensures that its critical assets remain secure, sovereign, and resilient for generations to come.

“Homeland security starts at home,” Gov. Pillen added. “We will continue to be a national leader in protecting our state against foreign threats.”

Eugene Kowel from the FBI speaks at signing of LB 1096

Michael Lucci from State Armor speaks at signing of LB 1096

Gov. Pillen presents copy of LB 1096 to Sen. Bostar

Contact:

Laura Strimple, (402) 580-9495

Gov. Pillen Joins White House Roundtable to Highlight Ratepayer Protections and Energy Safeguards

Washington, D.C. – Today, Governor Jim Pillen joined governors from across the country to highlight the Ratepayer Protection Pledge that was signed in March of this year, another action taken to ensure the protection of Nebraska’s natural resources and safeguard local ratepayers.

The pledge will help combat the rising electricity costs driven by data center expansion. Under this framework, major hyperscale technology companies pledge to follow a “build, bring, or buy” model that obligates developers to cover 100 percent of the energy generation, transmission, and infrastructure expenses required to power the facilities. The effort establishes clear standards ensuring tech firms pay their full share for utility usage and fund all necessary power grid enhancements without passing costs onto everyday consumers.

Following the announcement from President Donald J.Trump regarding participating states, Gov. Pillen joined fellow governors at a roundtable to discuss the pledge’s impacts on their respective states. At the roundtable, Gov. Pillen highlighted the state's exceptional electrical rates, Offutt Air Force Base – the home of the strategic nuclear deterrence of our nation – and the Ogallala Aquifer, the country’s largest and most sustainable aquifer.

“It’s important for Americans to understand we have massive amounts of electricity, so we have to produce to protect our ratepayers,” said Gov. Pillen. “We have been able to work and get behind-the-meter legislation in place so private dollars will come and build electricity, and we are going to protect public power in Nebraska because it’s really critical for our state to grow, and we are protecting our ratepayers.”

The pledge reinforces policies that are already in place to protect local public power customers. Under legislation LB 1261 – Nebraska established ‘behind the meter’ rules that shifted 100% of the financial burden for constructing new energy generation to the large corporation, making the industrial customer pay for all the costs, grid upgrade fees, and congestion charges resulting from their project. By implementing this bill, the state shields residential households and small businesses from subsidizing massive utility expansions.

To enforce these protections, Nebraska also enacted LB 1010 during the legislative session, titled The Large Load Customer Regulation Act. This law empowers public power entities to structure specific rates for large loads and requires these industrial customers to fund their own infrastructure upgrades.

Complementing LB 1261, Gov. Pillen recently signed an Executive Order establishing a dedicated Data Center Task Force through the Department of Water, Energy, and Environment (DWEE). The task force works collaboratively alongside the Department of Economic Development and the Department of Revenue to evaluate major project proposals. It focuses on protecting Nebraska’s critical water supply, partnering with local Natural Resources Districts (NRDs), and providing local communities and county officials with the necessary tools for zoning and resource planning to ensure projects deliver a genuine public benefit.

By signing onto the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, it reaffirms Gov. Pillen’s commitment to protecting public power ratepayers and safeguarding Nebraska’s essential resources.

Gov. Pillen attends roundtable with President Donald J. Trump and state leaders in Washington, D.C.

Gov. Pillen alongside Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright

Roundtable event that was held in Washington, D.C. with leaders from across the country

Gov. Pillen with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, Idaho Governor Brad Little, and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp

CONTACT:

Laura Strimple, (402) 580-9495

Gov. Pillen is Part of Virtual Panel on Transportation Emergency Response

LINCOLN, NE – When an emergency strikes impacting Nebraska roadways, the Department of Transportation is a frontline tactical force. Speaking as part of a panel during the Western Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (WASHTO) Conference, Governor Jim Pillen highlighted accomplishments and challenges faced by emergency responders and NDOT workers when called into action during severe weather and other events.

“NDOT is not just about routine road maintenance. The agency works alongside first responders during wildfires, floods, blizzards, and other crisis situations,” said Gov. Pillen. “During the Morrill and Cottonwood fires, NDOT utilized heavy equipment to cut miles of critical firebreaks to slow fast-moving fires, protect communities, and clear obstacles out of the way.”

The role of NDOT and other emergency responders was a focus of the Governor’s presentation on Wednesday, as well as how events can have long term economic impacts, even after the initial crisis is over.

“Recovery involves partnering with federal, state, and local agencies to support displaced cattle and hay recovery programs, repairing hundreds of miles of fencing, mitigating soil erosion, and helping local agencies track damage coordinates to assist when asking for federal disaster funding.”

Gov. Pillen was invited to speak at the conference, held in Nevada, as part of the National Transportation Emergency Response Summit (NTERS). The summit, which included transportation, emergency management, and public safety leaders, focused on how states can respond in cooperation with other agencies and local communities during major emergencies. Gov. Pillen joined Governor Josh Green from Hawaii in joining the moderated discussion virtually.

Among the challenges Gov. Pillen noted when managing emergency responses included navigating the state’s vast rural geography and reliance on volunteer response forces. Additionally, many of those agencies operate their own communication systems which are not often compatible with each other.

In advising other states on best practices, Gov. Pillen pointed out that having trust among jurisdictions and responding agencies is critical and that building those relationships cannot wait until a disaster happens.

“It’s important to cut red tape, empower folks on the frontlines and remember that emergency response is ultimately about neighbors helping neighbors, said Gov. Pillen. “Driven by a commitment to continuous improvement and addressing areas for improvement in our emergency response strategically and proactively ensures our team avoids repeating past mistakes.”

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WASHTO (Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) comprises 18 member states. These include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

NDOT Director Vicki Kramer currently serves as president of WASHTO.

This week, Nebraska was amongst the states in WASHTO to receive awards for regional transportation projects. The entries were part of 127 nominations from 45 state DOTs submitted as part of the 2026 America’s Transportation Awards. A link to the release can be found here: Press Release Western States Safety Projects

CONTACT:

Laura Strimple, (402) 580-9495

Justin Pinkerman, DED, justin.pinkerman@nebraska.gov

Gov. Pillen Nominates 28 Tracts for Designation as Federal Opportunity Zones

View a map of the nominated tracts.

LINCOLN, NE — Today,Governor Jim Pillen announced that he has nominated 28 census tracts for designation as federal opportunity zones. He has submitted the nominations to the U.S. Treasury Department under the new Federal Opportunity Zones Program (OZ 2.0) authorized by Congress in 2025. The Governor was joined for the announcement by Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) Director Maureen Larsen, Omaha Mayor John Ewing, Lexington Mayor John Fagot, McCook Mayor Linda Taylor, and Norfolk Mayor Shane Clausen.

“Opportunity Zones are powerful tools to encourage investments that will help build housing and create jobs,” said Gov. Pillen. “The new Opportunity Zone initiative sweetens incentives for investing in rural communities, which is great news for Nebraska. We’re thankful to the Trump Administration for launching this game-changing initiative, which will boost our state’s economic growth without burdening Nebraska’s taxpayers.”

The Federal Opportunity Zones Program

Through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, Congress established the first iteration of the federal Opportunity Zones Program (OZ 1.0). The purpose of the program is to promote investment and drive economic growth in low-income and/or economically disadvantaged communities. Nebraska has been a leading state in attracting investments into opportunity zones under OZ 1.0, ranking second among Midwestern states in opportunity zone investments per capita.

In 2025, Congress made the Federal Opportunity Zones Program permanent and updated its benefits through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The new program, OZ 2.0, includes enhanced tax benefits for qualified investments in rural communities. Per federal rules, Nebraska was allowed to nominate 28 of the state’s 112 eligible census tracts for designation as Opportunity Zones under the new program.

Nebraska’s Nomination Process

In March, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development invited communities with eligible census tracts to apply for Opportunity Zone designation. DED received applications from communities covering 107 of the 112 eligible tracts. The Department then evaluated the applications for investment readiness, economic need, and potential community benefit before providing recommendations to the Governor’s Office. Nebraska is among the first states to submit opportunity zone nominations for the new Federal Opportunity Zones Program. Following certification from the U.S. Treasury Department, the nominated tracts will be designated as opportunity zones beginning January 1, 2027.

“Thank you to Governor Pillen for positioning Nebraska to take full advantage of the new-and-improved Opportunity Zones!” said Nebraska Department of Economic Development Director Maureen Larsen. “Our state is leading the way in identifying tracts, both rural and urban, that are ripe for business and housing development. We’ve seen strong interest from across Nebraska in investing in Opportunity Zones. Thank you to the many communities who applied for OZ designation!”

The Benefits of Opportunity Zones

Within Opportunity Zones, investments made through certified investment vehicles known as “Opportunity Funds” can be used to spur economic growth—for example, by supporting new businesses or workforce housing development. Investors in Opportunity Funds can benefit from tax incentives, such as deferrals on capital gains tax.

Compared to the initial rollout of Opportunity Zones (OZ 1.0), the new Opportunity Zones initiative (OZ 2.0) includes significantly upgraded benefits for rural areas through the creation of a Qualified Rural Opportunity Fund. This fund offers investors better tax incentives (a 30% basis step-up compared to 10% for standard funds). It also lowers investment hurdles by decreasing the substantial improvement threshold for rehab projects from 100% to 50%.

“As Mayor, I’ve learned every city has potential. The challenge is in finding communities with promise. It’s creating conditions for promise to grow. That is why the opportunity zones matter,” said Mayor Clausen. “They don’t guarantee success. They don’t replace the hard work happening in our communities every day. What they do is give us another opportunity to compete, to attract investment, encourage redevelopment, and help turn good ideas into reality.”

“Some people might think — why Lexington with opportunity zones when we might have some adequate housing within our community?  We’re going forward. We’re going to work with building houses. We’re going to build our community. We’re going to go forward in every aspect,” said Mayor Fagot. “With this, we think it is going to create a lot of good opportunities. And we have a lot of optimism in our community.”

“The City of McCook would like to thank Governor Pillen and the team at the Nebraska Department of Economic Development for selecting McCook's Opportunity Zone application,” said McCook Mayor Linda Taylor. “This will help move our community forward with the recent expansions of our Industrial Park, new residential development projects, and the completion of our Airport Master Plan. We look forward to sharing with others the great things that we are doing in McCook.”

In May, Governor Pillen hosted U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner for community roundtables in Fremont and Omaha. During the visit Gov. Pillen and Secretary Turner discussed how Nebraska could best benefit from the new Opportunity Zones. As the new zones take effect, the State is particularly focused on encouraging public-private collaboration to develop workforce housing within them.

“We need all vehicles to drive development of housing that is safe, decent, and affordable,” said Omaha Mayor John Ewing. “I am hopeful this designation will spur meaningful change in the eastern part of our city where it is much needed.”

Opportunity Zones in Nebraska

To learn more about Opportunity Zones in Nebraska, visit the Department of Economic Development’s website.

A map of the 28 tracts that Governor Pillen nominated for designation as Opportunity Zones. They are also listed below.

Nebraska’s Census Tracts Nominated for Designation as Opportunity Zones

Congressional District 1:

1. Bellevue - Census Tract 104.02
2. Columbus - Census Tract 9656
3. Fremont - Census Tract 9642
4. Lincoln - Census Tract 5
5. Lincoln - Census Tract 6
6. Lincoln - Census Tract 18
7. Lincoln - Census Tract 21
8. Lincoln - Census Tract 31.04
9. Norfolk - Census Tract 9607

Congressional District 2:

1. Omaha - Census Tract 8
2. Omaha - Census Tract 11
3. Omaha - Census Tract 12
4. Omaha - Census Tract 16
5. Omaha - Census Tract 27
6. Omaha - Census Tract 29
7. Omaha - Census Tract 34.01
8. Omaha - Census Tract 40
9. Omaha - Census Tract 42
10. Omaha - Census Tract 70.01

Congressional District 3:

1. Alliance - Census Tract 9513
2. Beatrice - Census Tract 9649
3. Crete - Census Tract 9606.02
4. Hastings - Census Tract 9660
5. Lexington - Census Tract 9685
6. McCook - Census Tract 9633
7. North Platte - Census Tract 9602
8. Ogallala - Census Tract 1

9. Scottsbluff - Census Tract 9537

    

Gov. Pillen addresses attendees of Federal Opportunity Zones announcement

DED Director Maureen Larsen addresses attendees of Federal Opportunity Zones announcement

Norfolk Mayor Shane Clausen addresses attendees of Federal Opportunity Zones announcement