Gov.  Pillen delivers Sine Die Address to Members of the 109th Nebraska Legislature

Hear the compressed final day featuring Governor Pillen and Speaker Arch below.
 
LINCOLN, NE -- Below are Governor Jim Pillen’s remarks, as delivered to the 109th Nebraska Legislature (1st Regular Session) today:
 
Kelly, Speaker Arch, and members of the 109th Nebraska Legislature.
Friends and distinguished guests.
My fellow Nebraskans.
It’s an honor to join you today as we celebrate our shared achievements of this session in our work to serve the people of our great state.
I talk a lot about my why.
Why do we do this work?  Why spend early mornings and late nights on this stuff?
I know everyone in this room – as public servants – has wrestled with those questions.

My why?  It’s about serving the people.
The reality is: Nebraskans make this the greatest privilege possible.
It might be in a short note a constituent sends to you, or it might be on the handshake from a family you know has been helped by your work.
The reminders of why this work matters are everywhere.
It’s also no secret to any of us that life in Nebraska is special.
Sometimes, the reminder is an example – far beyond the call of duty – that humbles us to our cores and breaks our hearts.
On February 17, we were all tragically reminded of the danger and sacrifice Nebraska’s law enforcement officers face as they work to keep all of us safe.

Trooper Kyle McAcy, badge number 302, lost his life in the line of duty as he worked to assist motorists following a crash during a snowstorm on I-80 between Greenwood and Ashland.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind all of us of Trooper McAcy and his ‘end of watch’ – and to make it a point to thank the men and women in uniform for their bravery and service to our great state.

Joining us today are the troopers who knew Kyle best.
In the balcony are State Troopers Sergeant James Estwick, Trooper Keith Bell, Trooper Christopher McGuane, and Trooper Tyler Macnab who were with Kyle, serving in difficult conditions, and were at his side as he gave his last full measure of devotion to the people of our state.
Please join me in recognizing each of them and the memory of their fallen comrade.
To me, the headline for the first session of the 109th Nebraska Legislature is simple: Positive, lasting impact serves Nebraskans well.

Together, we worked through – and passed – a balanced, historically conservative budget package that said no when we needed to say no, that put idle pillowcase money to work, and invested in education, property tax relief, and the safety of our state.
 I believe we are setting the Cornhusker State up for success, and when we commit to strong fiscal conservatism and reduce the tax burden for Nebraska families, the potential of this place for generations to come is beyond our understanding.
Outside of the budget, through our work this session:

We are taking major steps to protect Nebraska’s kids from the harms of social media and giving parents more of an opportunity to fight back against big tech’s grip on our kids.
We are defending the legacy – and future – of Nebraska agriculture by banning bio-reactor, fake meat.
We are also taking important steps to prioritize our water resources by standing up the Department of Water, Energy and Environment.
Our focus is on water quantity and water quality – it has to be.
We are making the classroom experience for our kids better by banning cell phones – bell-to-bell.
And, improving the lives of teachers by giving them a raise.
We are prioritizing our national security by standing strong against the Chinese Communist Party and other foreign adversary interference in our state.

We are taking a stand to ensure a level playing field and a fair shot for all of Nebraska’s young female athletes.
We are eliminating or combining nearly 40 pieces of government to increase efficiency, improve outcomes, and reduce bureaucracy – shrinking government in an unanimous, bipartisan vote.  
That’s just a sampling – we had many more successes from protecting consumers from cryptocurrency scams, to standing up for rural and community pharmacies, to rejecting the scourge of antisemitism.
Recently, Nebraska welcomed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to the state.
What an amazing opportunity to showcase the grit, innovation, and kindness of our people.
I left that experience energized about this work.
I already believe that Nebraska is the best place to live and raise a family, but every day I have this privilege.
I meet new people, hear new stories, and have new moments to be inspired to lead our great state.
In my book, we’re the best of the best.
There’s no place – or people – like you find here in Nebraska.

It’s easy when we’re in the grind of this building to lose sight of the successes and victories. But we had many of them.
You all know my four words for being Governor are: kids, taxes, agriculture, and values.
We made real progress that will make practical improvements in the lives of Nebraskans.
I’m really proud to have partnered with you all on many of these initiatives.
So… good news… in just seven or so months, we all get to do it over again.
There will be new problems to solve – and old ones too.
We have to do more with less – and spend less serving Nebraskans.
We can decrease spending and actually fix our tax system – and we have to fix it because it is badly broken.

Together, we can; together, we must.  But I need your help.
My team and I will continue to work alongside and partner with you as we all serve this extraordinary state.
So, as this session comes to a close, please rest up and spend time with your families and in conversation with Nebraskans but remember that it takes hard work to fulfill our shared calling – as you do that, keep in mind the answer to your why.
Remember in Nebraska, it’s the people.
A final closing thought for the first session of Nebraska’s 109th Legislature:
It’s really, really important that we recognize those from previous generations that preserved our freedom and defended this great country.

2025 is the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII.

So this year, along with the Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs, my team and I have developed our World War II veterans’ recognition program.
We believe there are roughly 250 World War II veterans still with us in Nebraska, and we’ve made it our goal to present each one of those heroes with a medallion to recognize their service… to remind all of us of their courageous stories… and to simply tell them thank you.

At the heart of it, it’s a tribute to liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and we are only here enjoying those ideals because of the work and service of our veterans.

Today, I’ve invited Mr. Wayne Davy of Columbus to join us as a representative of all of Nebraska’s men and women who served our country during World War II.

He served in the Pacific Theater as a Marine before returning to Nebraska to raise a family and start a business.

In March, I met Wayne as his family and friends joined him to celebrate a big day… his birthday…… his 100th birthday.

Please join me in honoring Mr. Davy – and all of Nebraska’s World War II veterans – to say thank you and to celebrate 80 years of American victory.

On behalf of our team and cabinet, Lieutenant Governor Kelly and I thank you and your teams for the good work and accomplishments of the first session of the 109th Nebraska Legislature.
God bless you, and God bless the great State of Nebraska.