As Gov. Jim Pillen’s battle to cut property taxes heads for the finish line in Lincoln, a plan that has received plenty of objections, Pillen is even getting blowback from the man who helped put him in office.

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January 2023

Gov. Jim Pillen, Nebraska (R): “It was clear that the person for the job is Senator Designate Pete Ricketts.”

It was just over a year ago when Gov. Jim Pillen named former Gov. Pete Ricketts to the U.S. Senate, and that followed Ricketts’ earlier push for Pillen to succeed him in Lincoln.

But all that history isn’t keeping Ricketts from fighting Pillen’s tax plan.

Sen. Pete Ricketts, Nebraska (R): “I’m against this plan to raise taxes. As Governor I was always against a plan to raise taxes, so I’m against this plan to raise taxes right now. Historically, we've done this in the past, we've raised taxes, income taxes, sales taxes and tried to give it to schools to get property tax relief and it's never worked.”

Gov. Jim Pillen, Nebraska (R): High property taxes hurt every Nebraskan in every part of our state and must be fixed now. Property taxes are so out of whack, you don’t even need to own property to be impacted.”

The debate has found some on Pillen’s side arguing the Pillen plan is a tax shift and not a tax hike, Ricketts sees little if any difference.

Joe Jordan, NCN: “Is Jim Pillen’s tax plan a tax increase or a tax shift?”

Sen. Ricketts: “So, the current plan that's being considered by the Legislature is a tax shift. It’s raising the sales tax. You’re raising taxes on one group of people, a lot of those people being low-income people and giving the tax benefit to somebody else primarily property owners, the owner of a house or car and apartment building—not a car—a house, apartment building or farm their property owners. So, it’s a tax shift it's not actual tax relief.”