(Picture credits John Gage)
LINCOLN — Governor Jim Pillen held a press conference Friday morning to unveil his property tax reform plan heading into 2027. Pillen revealed a “cap. cover. cut.” slogan, which he said was to encourage the Legislature to cap property valuation increases, have the state cover education spending, and cut property taxes.
The governor said if the Legislature does work with him in a “bipartisan” manner to pass his plan, he intends to put his property tax plan before voters on the 2028 ballot.
“I believe in it so much that if we don’t get things accomplished in ‘27 — our team will be working on taking it to the ballot for ‘28. And we will let the people speak, and it will be a resounding when the people speak,” Pillen said.
Pressed later on in his press conference, Pillen left the door open for the possibility of a special session before the 2027 class of state senators get sworn in. “Anything could be possible,” he said, noting later he had not talked to legislative leaders about it yet because “I worked my brains out” running the state and for reelection.
Pillen did not offer many specifics on his property tax plan, but said he would continue focusing on cutting spending and looking at eliminate sales tax exemptions, especially for services.
“It’s time for us to take a look and understand it’s 2026. Let’s take a look at what our economy in Nebraska is,” Pillen said. “We don’t charge sales taxes on services.”
“We’ve been duped by special interest lobbyists groups for 50 years,” he added.
The governor appeared to single out sales tax exemptions for pop and candy as well as dry cleaning. Pillen noted that Nebraska was not capturing sales tax revenue from out-of-state costumers on I-80, who would stop at convenience stores.
He added that he was adding a fifth pillar, the health of Nebraska, to his four priorities of kids, taxes, agriculture, and values. Pillen brought up pop and Twinkies and said kids need to “stop eating this crap in bags.”
‘Etch That Baby Into Your Mind’
Halfway through his press conference, Pillen pulled up a nationwide county electoral map results showing that much of Nebraska’s 3rd District had moved to the right in 2026 while almost all the rest of the counties nationwide had moved to the left.'
“Etch that baby into your mind. The people of Nebraska spoke,” Pillen said, noting he believed he has a “mandate” on property tax reform. “That’s what they expect us do to. The giveaway train in Nebraska is over.”
Pillen said he is “confident” his property tax proposal will receive “bipartisan” support, but if it does not:
“The bottom line — we’ll just see what the attitude of the new Legislature is. If the Legislature doesn’t want to solve the problem, we’ll get started sooner rather than later.”
— John Gage is the executive editor of The Plains Sentinel.
I think most Nebraskans are fed up with perennial property tax cutting rhetoric. Talk's cheap.