Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen recently directed state agencies to cut spending, including a 5% reduction across agency budgets, a hiring freeze on most new positions, and tighter limits on travel, technology upgrades, and other expenses as the state works to close a projected budget shortfall. Erin Feichtinger argues those cuts won’t just reduce government spending—they could make it harder for Nebraskans to access the services they rely on. Comparing the proposal to a grocery store with only self-checkout, she says fewer state employees could mean fewer people available to help with programs like Medicaid, SNAP, housing assistance, and community development. “The help button is flashing, and there’s no one there to answer.”
