Senators restore court, domestic violence funding amid budget uncertainty

By Fred Knapp , Senior Reporter/Producer Nebraska Public Media

May 12, 2025, 5 p.m. ·

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

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The Nebraska Legislature continued to tweak the state budget Monday amid uncertainty about possible needs for bigger changes later.

Monday was the second round of debate on the budget proposed by the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee. One change lawmakers considered was restoring $1.5 million a year for the next two years to the judicial system.

Nebraska Supreme Court administrator Corey Steel had warned that if the cut were not restored, the judicial branch would have to eliminate or reduce so-called problem-solving courts which offer presentencing alternatives to incarceration. In a memo, Steel said the reductions would apply to a DUI problem-solving court in Lancaster County, a mental health problem-solving court and a veterans treatment court in Sarpy County, and a drug court in Platte County.

Sen. Rick Holdcroft led the effort to restore the funds. Holdcroft said cutting the money might look on paper like it saves money.

However, he added, “in practice, it will shift far greater cost to county jails, emergency responders, the Department of Corrections, and to families and communities already under stress. The people served by these courts, especially those with mental illness or substance use disorders, don't disappear if we cut these programs. They simply fall through the cracks into more expensive and less effective systems.”

Sen. Rob Clements, chair of the Appropriations Committee, argued against restoring the funding. Clements said even after the cut, the judicial system would have enough money to operate the problem-solving courts through the end of this year.

“The judicial branch, Supreme Court agency, has enough funding in the first year to maintain these programs, and they might run short in the second year," he said. "They would be able to come in in January and let us know how the funding is going in the first fiscal year, and request a deficit in the first year if they needed it."

Sen. George Dungan said that would not be enough to keep the problem-solving courts open.

“They have to be able to budget into the future," he said. "So even if they're able to make ends meet for the next year, that does not mean that they're going to have ample funds into the future for the next half of the biennium to continue funding problem solving courts. They are not going to be accepting new people -- new participants -- into the problem solving courts across the state, if they don't know if we the Legislature are going to give them those deficit funding in the future."

Sen. Christy Armendariz said the judicial system has enough money, and could shift funds around to keep the problem-solving courts operating.

“I personally heavily support the problem-solving courts, and they do have the funds to do that, should they so choose," she said. "I believe they using the same tactics that anybody would use and hit people where it hurts if you don't give the money. I believe that they have the choice to move money around and put it toward programs that are really working, such as problem-solving courts. They're just choosing not to."

But Holdcroft said the Legislature should restore the money, using the state’s cash reserve, or “rainy day” fund.

“It's a rainy day fund, and folks, it's raining,” he said.

Senators then voted 26-17 to restore the funding to the judicial system.

On another subject, they also voted 40-2 to restore $3 million a year in proposed cuts for domestic violence services, including emergency housing, education and counseling.

The votes come amid warnings of future budget uncertainties that could dwarf the decisions being made now. Sen. Terrell McKinney pointed to possible massive increase in the costs of a proposed new prison reported by the Lincoln Journal Star.

“The prison is not going to cost $350 million. It is going to cost probably close to what was in South Dakota, $825 million or more. And the cost is going to keep going up with these tariffs, labor costs and all those type of things,” he said.

Looking on the bright side, Sen. Rob Dover said while state revenues are down now, they will head up again soon.

“I really feel as though, with President Trump and his tariffs, that there are a lot of people all over the world that are holding off spending. And I really think that by January, this should be resolved, and I really think you're going to see the revenue forecast look a lot different, and many of the things that we're very concerned about will be taken care of a year from now,” he said.

But Sen. Ben Hansen, citing budget cuts being considered in Congress, said the state could be looking at an additional loss of $650 million to $700 million in its $11 billion, two-year general fund budget.

“Currently we need to be looking at tightening our belts as best we can. But I think so much later this year or next year, even the following budget cycle, it's not about tightening our belt as it is we might be having to lop off limbs in order to help pay for our budget,” he said.

Senators then voted 39-6 to give the main budget bill the second of two approvals it will need before being sent to Gov. Jim Pillen.