LINCOLN - Gov. Pete Ricketts again swatted down the notion of getting $120 million in federal rental and utility aid for Nebraska, as he vetoed a bill Tuesday, March 29 that the Legislature had passed calling on him to apply for the money. The governor penned a letter to the Legislature where he explained the Emergency Rental Assistance Programs (ERAP) funds would "create a government subsidy that will make people more reliant on the government for years to come."

“We must guard against big government socialism where people are incentivized not to work but are instead encouraged to rely on government handouts, well after an emergency is over,” he said in defending his veto.

State Sen. Matt Hansen of Lincoln, who has made the rental assistance measure his priority, has maintained optimism that he can round up the 30 votes necessary to override a veto. The original sponsor of LB1073, Sen. Justin Wayne, has already filed a motion to override the governor. He and Matt Hansen hope the debate can take place before the March 31deadline to receive the entire amount that has been allocated for Nebraska.

Ricketts pointed out the state still has nearly $30 million of unused ERAP funds, which he says is "more than enough to meet the legitimate needs for assistance through the end of the year."

Nebraska and Arkansas are the only two states that have not applied for the second round of emergency funds, which Nebraska Appleseed's Economic Justice Director Ken Smith called "indefensible."

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