Pillen Makes Stop In O'Neill On Campaign Trail

Republican candidate for governor Jim Pillen made a campaign stop in O'Neill on Wednesday, April 6 at Handlebend. Pillen is pictured on the right.

The Nebraska Primary Election will soon be upon us and although it is the primary, the office of governor is up for grabs due to incumbent Pete Ricketts being term limited out this election.

Running for office this year are a slew of candidates totaling nine. Donna Nicole Carpenter, Michael Connely, Charles Herbster, Brett Lindstrom, Lela McNinch , Jim Pillen

Breland Ridenour, Theresa_Thibodeau and Troy Wentz.

Three candidates; Jim Pillen, Charles Herbster and Brett Lindstrom have been leading the pack in the race which will end on May 10th.

Jim Pillen has made numerous stops in Holt County and other sites to visit and connect with the rural voters in Nebraska.

Pillen is a livestock producer, farmer, veterinarian, businessman, and Christian conservative.

The son of a Platte County tenant farmer and a seamstress, Jim grew up on the end of a scoop shovel and a pitchfork, farming with his brothers and his dad, Dale. Working on the farm, he learned the meaning of hard work, accountability, and fiscal responsibility.

After graduating from Lakeview High School, Jim was recruited by Coach Tom Osborne as a safety for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. At UNL, Pillen  earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science. After earning a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Nebraska's reciprocal program with Kansas State University, Jim started a small animal and general consulting veterinary practice.

Jim and his dad, Dale, partnered to raise pigs on the Pillen family's home farm.

Jim grew the business into what is today Pillen Family Farms, a multi-generational, family-owned and-run company that has created over 1,000 Nebraska jobs. The business is still based in Columbus.

Unlike some of his opponents who spend more time bragging about their relationship to a former President, Pillen has made his intent clear from the start as to his plan for Nebraska.

Our property tax system is broken, and it must be fixed in order for Nebraska to grow and compete. Governor Ricketts has made good on his promise to address property taxes every year he has been in office, putting hundreds of millions of dollars into the Property Tax Credit Relief Fund and providing record direct property tax relief. Still, property taxes remain too high, hurting families, job-creators, and ag producers in every corner of Nebraska. We need to limit the growth of spending by local taxing entities and overhaul our tax structure to fix the property tax problem once and for all.

Control Spending. Spending control is the best way to cut property taxes and keep them low. Our property tax problem will only be solved when government at every level treats nickels like manhole covers. We need to continue to limit the growth of spending in state government and impose a three-percent cap on growth in local spending.

Provide New Property Tax Relief. The “three-legged stool” of Nebraska's tax code is out of balance because the property tax leg has grown far too long.

It's time to saw the property tax leg down to size. By providing hundreds of millions of dollars in additional property-tax relief, we can end our state's unfair, unsustainable overreliance on property taxes.

Value Ag Land Fairly. A market-based system of ag land valuation makes no sense for an agricultural state like Nebraska, and it's unfair to our farmers and ranchers. With an income-potential assessment system, we can ensure our ag producers are treated fairly and slow the growth of ag land valuation increases.

Income-potential assessment of ag land is used by North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio because it's fair and it works.

Reform State Aid To Education. In the 2021-22 school year, 157 of Nebraska's 244 school districts will receive no state equalization aid, while the largest four districts will receive nearly 50 percent of state aid. That's completely unfair.

The TEEOSA state aid formula is long overdue for a major overhaul. Nebraska education spending should support the schooling of every Nebraska student, no matter what district they attend.

Oppose Big-Government Socialism. There's no place for big-government socialism in our state. It grows government, limits freedom, drives inflation, and fosters a culture of dependency. Pillen will oppose socialist programs at the federal level and do all he can to stop them from hurting Nebraskans.

Fight Federal Overreach. Pillen will fight the Biden administration's overreaching rules and job-killing regulations that hurt families, farmers and ranchers, and job creators.

Cut Red Tape And Regulations. Bureaucratic red tape harms our communities and makes it more expensive to raise a family and do business. By cutting red tape, eliminating unnecessary regulations, and making government more customer-service focused, we can make Nebraska the best state for business.

Retain Nebraska Talent. We need to keep our best and brightest in Nebraska to help grow our economy. Pillen opposes giving tax breaks to out-of-state businesses. We should focus on growing already existing Nebraska businesses, farms, and ranches.

Promote Nebraska Around The World. There's no better place in the world to build, invest, and hire than Nebraska. As governor, Pillen will work hard to share that message with the world and keep it a reality.

Invest In Rural Infrastructure. Good infrastructure is a prerequisite for investment and growth. To attract bigger investments and get products to customers more efficiently, we need to improve our roads and bridges. Some state infrastructure projects have been ongoing for decades. It's time to finish the state's four-lane highway system.

Improve Rural Broadband. Affordable, accessible, dependable, and high-speed broadband is both a quality-of-life necessity and a key to doing business in the 21st century. We need to have internet speeds as fast and reliable in rural communities as we have in downtown Omaha.

Expand Workforce Housing. New workers will not come if they have no place to live. We have to do what it takes to make sure the private sector is able to build new workforce housing where we need it. In some cases, that means government partnering with businesses to provide the spark for critical projects in our rural communities.

Strengthen Career And Technical Education Opportunities. Students in rural Nebraska deserve the same post-secondary skill opportunities as their counterparts in larger communities. We'll work with rural employers to strengthen pathways like career academies, internships, apprenticeships, and scholarships. Students will get more skills and a great-paying job, and employers will gain skilled, hardworking employees.

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