State lawmakers opt for income tax cuts over property tax relief

ALL THINGS NEBRASKA | PAUL HAMMEL

State lawmakers went home recently, ending a ninety-day session marked by reductions in spending and borrowing from cash reserves to close a projected budget gap that once topped $400 million.

Hard to believe that just a couple of years ago, the state was sitting on a huge surplus of cash. It was enough to set legislators dreaming big dreams, like digging a massive lake between Omaha and Lincoln and financing new marinas and other tourism amenities.