Gov. Jim Pillen’s spokesperson Laura Strimple confirmed Wednesday that Pillen is filling three positions on the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board with familiar state government faces.
Pillen is appointing former state treasurer and former state Sen. Tom Briese to the board, as well as former state Sen. Lou Ann Linehan. Tom Wilson, a retired CPA who serves on the board for Farm Credit Services of America, is Pillen’s other selection.
The board appointments come one day after the state received better-than-expected news on tax revenue receipts. The state collected more tax revenue than forecast in August, only the second time this year that has happened. The board is due next month to update the forecast that will shape the state budget next year.
Strimple said the appointments aligned with three board terms that expired this month. The departing members are Leslie Anderson, Thomas Henning and John Kuehn.
“We received no applications for reappointment from them,” Strimple said. “We received no other applications for appointment to the Board.”
Briese was Pillen’s choice in 2023 to fill a state treasurer vacancy that was created when John Murante stepped down to become the director of the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems. Briese served in the office until 2025, when he resigned to spend more time with his family. He was later replaced by Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg, who’s seeking reelection to the seat this fall.
Linehan has carried substantial spending and tax bills on behalf of Pillen when she served in the Legislature in 2023 and 2024. She was term-limited after the 2024 session. Linehan spent six years as the chair of the Legislature’s Revenue Committee. One of the bills she led in 2023 was LB727, a massive omnibus bill that combined more than two dozen separate tax bills.
Several senators raised concerns during that session that such steep tax cuts and reforms could lead to revenue shortfalls later on. The state has faced declining income and corporate tax revenues throughout most of this year. In July, Pillen directed state agencies to cut their budgets even further to meet budget needs, even if that meant eliminating government positions. Nebraska faces a projected budget shortfall of more than $200 million this fiscal year, and $800 million in the next two-year budget period.
“These appointees bring direct knowledge and experience that are vital to Nebraska’s consensus financial forecasting process,” Strimple said. “Their combined backgrounds provide a broad range of perspectives that will strengthen the Board’s ability to evaluate economic conditions, revenue trends, and other factors affecting Nebraska’s fiscal outlook.”
Lynne Walz, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, said Wednesday that Pillen, who’s up for reelection this fall, has “stacked” the forecasting board with the “same people who helped him write his tax plan and the reason we are in a budget crisis today.”
“Nebraskans deserve the truth about the state of their budget – not appointees who will project inaccurate numbers to make the governor look good before the election in November,” Walz said in a statement. “Public servants across the aisle agree: the people of Nebraska expect better.”
The board will meet Oct. 30 to update the forecast that will shape the state budget next year.