LINCOLN- Sen. John Stinner of Gering, chairman of the Legislature's Appropriations Committee, pointed to water resource and tourism development, workforce initiatives, and rural broadband development as potential beneficiaries of federal pandemic recovery funding that will be allocated by the state government next year.

"I'm 100 percent behind mental health improved access and affordability," Stinner said during a webinar question-and-answer session hosted by OpenSky Policy Institute.

Stinner said the University of Nebraska has offered "some proposals that have merit" for funding with the flow of federal stimulus dollars into state government as well as proposed initiatives promoted by community colleges.

The state government will receive more than $1 billion in federal recovery funding for distribution by the Legislature.

Wishart says pandemic funding priorities can help shape Nebraska's future

Stinner said the Legislature will need to be careful to meet federal criteria associated with the infusion of those federal dollars.

"It needs to be a one-time spend," he noted during a conversation with Renee Fry, executive director of OpenSky.

Proposed new state prison to replace the aging State Penitentiary in Lincoln was also part of the discussion.

With the state sitting on a healthy budget surplus and a recent revenue forecast of more to come, "we have the money" to build a new prison if the Legislature decides to support Gov. Pete Ricketts' proposal to do so, Stinner said.

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