Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen cutting half as many vacant state jobs as announced

Gov. Jim Pillen’s plan to wipe out vacant state jobs ended up getting rid of half as many positions as he originally touted.

The governor issued an executive order April 30 requiring the elimination of state government positions that had been vacant for at least 90 days, with several exceptions. He announced at the time that nearly 1,000 positions were on the chopping block, a figure backed up by a list of affected positions released by his office.

But an updated list, released to the World-Herald after the order took effect June 1, showed 489 positions actually being eliminated. The amount of estimated savings was down as well.

Pillen’s office calculated the updated list would cut the state tax budget by at least $11.6 million annually, while also eliminating $14.6 million of spending from federal, cash and other funds. That compares to $15.2 million of state tax savings and $24.2 million of other funds that had been estimated earlier.

“The governor is pleased with the outcome of this process, but it’s only the first step,” said State Budget Director Lee Will. “Positions in state government will continuously be monitored to determine if they meet the 90-day threshold for review.”

When announcing the executive order, Pillen said state government had continued to function with positions vacant and that money allocated for chronically vacant positions was not being used effectively.

“We have proven we can work without them, so we will eliminate them and return the money to the taxpayers,” he said last month.

Will said that the savings will be included in ongoing efforts to reduce the state budget and repurpose state money to “finally address out-of-control property taxes.”

Pillen has made property tax reduction the primary focus of his administration. He has promised to bring state lawmakers back in special session to deal with the issue, although he has said he would not bring lawmakers back until he has a plan that can get 33 votes. He came up empty-handed when the regular session ended in mid-April.

Several positions included in the first list were not in the second list. Under the executive order, agencies could keep and fill positions if they requested exemptions and could justify the need for the positions.

Will said positions on the updated list had been reviewed by the Governor’s Office and were “deemed no longer necessary for agency operations.”

The second list also included several positions that had not been on the earlier list, although they had been vacant for at least 90 days at that point. Will said some positions were added in the second list that state agencies offered up as being unnecessary to fill.

Among the newly listed positions within the Department of Health and Human Services were two psychiatrists, 13 substitute or temporary teachers and 17 youth security specialists. Meanwhile, 64 social services worker and supervisor jobs were spared and only half as many developmental disability coordinator and supervisor positions were slated to be cut.

However, the Racing and Gaming Commission was able to save only three of the 16 positions on the first list. The newly expanded agency lost three of four vacant gaming compliance representative positions and five racing and gaming investigator jobs.

The Parole Board had no positions included in the first list but had seven on the second list. On the other hand, the Department of Correctional Services had 48 positions on the earlier list but only 10 on the later one.

Similar reviews are to be undertaken every 90 days.

Pillen’s order does not apply to several categories of positions, including law enforcement officers, correctional officers, firefighters, children and family services specialists, and “other similar positions that directly involve public safety.”

Also exempt are positions that provide direct operational support for prisons, veterans homes and other 24-hour facilities, highway maintenance and construction workers, and positions that are not covered under the state personnel system.

The last category includes positions at the University of Nebraska, state colleges and universities, the court system, the Legislature, agency heads and top positions within state agencies. The last category also exempts the staff members of state elected officials, including positions in the Governor’s Office.