Pillen memo calling for 5% cut across Nebraska agencies raises questions about governor’s authority

Does Gov. Jim Pillen have authority to cut 5% from all state agencies without Legislature?

A memo from Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen calling for a spending cut of 5% or more across all state agencies has raised questions about the limits of his authority.

More cuts won't fix the deficit

It is a familiar refrain. It rings more hollow every time it sounds. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen met the most recent news of budget shortfalls with a hiring freeze and a demand for 5% reductions in spending by state departments.

Pillen memo calling for 5% cut across Nebraska agencies raises questions about governor’s authority

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen signs official paperwork to certify Nebraska's May primary election. June 8, 2026. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)LINCOLN — A memo Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen issued last week calling for a minimum 5% spending cut across state agencies has raised questions about whether the governor has the power to impose such a cut without legislative approval. The memo came three months after Pillen signed a pair of bills passed in the…