Pillen's appointment to head Administrative Services challenged

Feb. 3, 2025, 6 p.m. ·

Nebraska Capitol (Photo by Fred Knapp, Nebraska Public Media News)
Nebraska Capitol. (Photo by Fred Knapp, Nebraska Public Media News)

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One of Gov. Jim Pillen’s key appointments was challenged in the Nebraska Legislature Monday.

At issue Monday was Pillen’s appointment of Lee Will to direct the Department of Administrative Services, which oversees government functions including the governor’s budget office. Sen. Rita Sanders, chair of the Legislature’s Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, praised Will’s qualifications.

Lee Will (Photo courtesy Nebraska governor's office)
Lee Will (Photo courtesy Nebraska Governor's Office)

“In a way, he has been training for this position for the last decade,” Sanders said. "He has worked with DAS since 2015, rising from the position of budget management analyst to deputy budget administrator to chief financial officer of DAS."

But critics cast that same experience as a negative. Sen. Danielle Conrad criticized Will’s role in cutting agency budgets last year to make financial room for Pillen’s unsuccessful proposals to offset property taxes in last year’s special session.

“Games are being played, and it's all to advance a radical agenda… to undermine the legislature's sole and unequivocal role as the power of the purse and power of appropriations to bend, to borrow, to steal for at any juncture to lift up radical tax cuts to benefit the most wealthy landowners in the state,” Conrad said.

Sen. Megan Hunt charged Will with evading questions during his confirmation hearing before the Government Committee. When Sanders said he had subsequently answered questions in an email, Hunt objected.

"I am a member of this committee," Hunt said. "I did not receive this email, my staff has confirmed. So once again, how is this transparency? This is the Executive Branch spitting in the face of a co-equal branch of government because they expect us to rubber stamp this."

But Sen. Rob Clements, chair of the Appropriations Committee, which reviews the governor’s budget recommendations, praised Will’s cooperation.

“He is well qualified. He's worked here in Nebraska for a number of years, and knows the agencies well done an excellent job working toward a balanced budget,” Clements said.

Conrad urged her colleagues to send Will’s nomination back to the Government Committee for further consideration. But senators voted 31-6 to confirm him as director of administrative services.

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