Walz Unveils Her ‘Commitment to Nebraska’ Platform, Day 1 Priorities
by John Gage
(Picture credit Matt Johnson)
Democratic gubernatorial challenger Lynne Walz released a “Commitment to Nebraska” platform on Wednesday, where she lists the values and actions that would guide her if elected governor, as well as her day-one priorities.
“Over the last year I have traveled the state listening to Nebraskans. I’ve visited over 20 communities, held countless town halls and round tables and what I heard validated what I was feeling — Nebraskans have more in common than the issues that divide us,” Walz said. “Today, I’m making a commitment to Nebraskans that I will stay focused on the issues that matter most in your everyday life. I will work tirelessly to better the lives of all Nebraskans. In this commitment, I’m proposing some of those ideas.”
Walz listed five ways she would pursue in “unifying Nebraska,” including: holding unscripted town halls; holding office hours; appointing Republicans, Democrats, and Independents to “key” positions in her administration; meeting with all 49 state senators to find “common sense solutions” on important issues; and creating “comprehensive” strategic 1, 5, and 10-year plans with industry leaders to “grow Nebraska’s economy.”
Day One Actions
The former Fremont state senator also listed a series of “day 1 actions” she would take if elected. Many of the actions focused on economic issues, such as “restore fiscal discipline” and “declare that Nebraska is Open for Business Again!”
Others touched on more controversial issues in the state. Walz said she would issue an executive order “immediately legalizing medical marijuana for consumption with a doctor’s prescription,” and threatened to fire and replace members of the Medical Cannabis Commission if they did not pass “meaningful regulations in a timely manner.”
Walz also promised to “reject any and all forms of school vouchers to follow the will of Nebraska voters.” The promise would mean a likely end to a federal program passed in the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which created a education tax credit program for students. Pillen became the first governor in the nation to opt into the program, which begins next year.
The candidate’s day one priorities also called for the hiring of an “independent auditor,” who would “investigate waste, fraud, and abuse of power by the state government.” It is unclear how the position is designed to compete with the current state auditor’s position.
Walz Lists Values
Walz ended her platform release with six values, including: work ethic, freedom, community, honesty, kindness, and family.
Governor Jim Pillen notably ran his 2022 campaign and continues regularly in speeches to list four values that motivated his run: family, taxes, agriculture, and values. In a statement to The Plains Sentinel, a spokesperson for the Pillen campaign responded to Walz platform release:
“Governor Pillen is a proven common-sense leader with a record of results - historic tax cuts, protecting our farmers and natural resources, investing more money than ever before in K-12 education, and ending corporate welfare for Big Tech data centers. Liberal Lynne Walz’s record - boys in girls’ sports, opposing property tax relief for homeowners, and giving handouts to Big Tech data centers - is wrong for Nebraska.”
— John Gage is the executive editor of The Plains Sentinel.