[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6277853,"mediaKeyId","2646107-c3804d589a5e5b6f065b5fa4885ff07d","parentId",2646107,"title","Public Employees Retirement System requests early compliance audit and accepts preliminary budget","audioSeconds",397,"startMs",2733000,"endMs",3130000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2646107-c3804d589a5e5b6f065b5fa4885ff07d&start=2733&end=3130","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2646107-c3804d589a5e5b6f065b5fa4885ff07d/thumbnail_2733000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6277853/Nebraska/Public-Employees-Retirement-System-requests-early-compliance-audit-and-accepts-preliminary-budget","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277853-e81c2047c42fe33a4d0b3ce874a77a5f/orig.mp4?Expires=1777195064&Signature=gqRiHQF36Z6zdm4Q1wvQYA6gJ3VN0lB8Ra22HkkID9C05~aiCDPh617ReTBLTevOFn-j9ws1CNU6B1DXUz~pYqqU0pgPYKgirPPGxT2gIhGqkigf~bjvNJdIE3ukMa1bUVToAY4HvuSMjPLeqEyQR20MdjRpiOGuV6yoS6NtKuQCXeRQ-h9PfHg5yiqDEoTlG2eHNeTnHtNRitnd60UvnDyYwN6Acj0aZ7dymgdQPQ9cg4O4K6tMC0EudWKJtZFrkAlCuya91Ffh3NEUOLt6qdtRJF6x1~2owbv2dErTfRUGYOMJW0Eyy~GlfmbFKivBM-E-3w8wmCZS01rjua4GmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Nebraska Legislature","date","2025-03-14T00:00:00Z","article","Tyler Cummings, interim director of the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems (NPERS), told the Appropriations Committee that NPERS administers seven retirement plans covering more than 175,000 members and that total plan assets are approximately $23 billion (invested by the Nebraska Investment Council).

Cummings said NPERS paid roughly $1.3 billion in retirement distributions last year and that the agency is largely cash‑funded by plan fees and assets. He told the committee NPERS is satisfied with the committee’s preliminary budget but asked for one additional item: $315,000 in additional spending authority for a legal compliance audit required by statute to be completed by December 2028.

Cummings asked that the audit be done earlier in the next biennium and said the request was split across the two fiscal years in the agency’s original budget submission (approximately $157,500 per year). He said the agency had experienced administrative efficiency (pointing to low administrative cost ratios in an NASRA study) and that conducting the compliance review sooner would be prudent, particularly because NPERS recently assumed administration of the Omaha School Retirement Plan and federal changes (Secure 2.0 Act) affect compliance considerations.

Committee members asked about the scope and frequency of the compliance audit. Cummings said the most recent compliance audit was completed in 2020 and that statutory timing allows a compliance audit to be done on a schedule in the 4–10 year range but the statutory deadline for the next audit is December 2028.

NPERS said it would proceed with the requested audit schedule if the committee approves the additional spending authority.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Appropriations Committee - Room 1003 3/14/2025, 2:30:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","Tyler Cummings, interim director of the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems, accepted the committee's preliminary budget and requested additional spending authority for a statutorily required legal compliance audit to be completed before the December 2028 deadline.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature NE, Nebraska","taxId",77675,"location","Nebraska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6277858,"Investment council seeks modest budget increases to hire specialists, shore up private markets returns",279,2411000,2690000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2646107-c3804d589a5e5b6f065b5fa4885ff07d&start=2411&end=2690","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2646107-c3804d589a5e5b6f065b5fa4885ff07d/thumbnail_2411000.jpg","/articles/6277858/Nebraska/Investment-council-seeks-modest-budget-increases-to-hire-specialists-shore-up-private-markets-returns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277858-7e01db540b2ce220fed800652812a0a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1777195064&Signature=L5sAIdiz~5lSDglIGVUMfJVnrbNR6cQvYFRP6bfrmjk-iNM2w1ciIozDaUQaCoWUOlUQlwIMj6OJXBmZgslQmHwr-n0wZA-ek24-raXXyMHFNCXUHkJGJteNtTg1zVGNIBYaQRycc6EIS~E3joKapAiH39HXtD~ZiXXqiWjpsOLrKkRLsL9Y~V98MAFW-Z~dhtBxzeTJxxZMAH3wnZzRoLN83Hq4-AOSijtI0z-kCOuMl2NFyzrwH0cObIMCRraeecjxsDmMDOKCdaVRaycSXmFw9AEx2Q8uMsLHVzuS7Gbsl9M0AslAXl2sSU~kS-Q8Fc56fxOj9fxXGj1ds5BIjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ellen Hung, Nebraska’s state investment officer, told the Appropriations Committee the Nebraska Investment Council manages roughly $43.5 billion across 32 programs and earned an 11.2% return for the year ending December 2024.

Hung said assets under management have doubled in the past decade while staffing and appropriations have not kept pace. She asked the committee to approve modest increases in spending authority for two priorities: (1) a specialized consultant to help the council access top‑quartile private markets funds and (2) salary adjustments to keep investment staff at competitive public‑fund medians.

Hung said private markets totaled about $2.9 billion as of June 2024 and that even small improvements in private‑market performance would offset the requested budget increase. She told senators the council’s expenses are not charged to the general fund but come from investment earnings and that the council reduced expenses by $3 million in 2024 while still seeking limited additional authority to improve long‑term returns.

Committee members asked for a dollar figure for the consultant and confirmation of preliminary committee recommendations; Hung indicated she supports the committee’s preliminary recommendation and referenced amounts for consulting services and step increases for salaries included in the council’s budget file.

Hung closed by saying the council seeks to preserve experienced staff and to increase its ability to access higher‑performing private market funds.","Ellen Hung, state investment officer, told the Appropriations Committee the Nebraska Investment Council oversees $43.5 billion and asked for additional spending authority to hire specialized consultants and make staff salary adjustments to remain competitive in private markets.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6277863,"Nebraska State Surveyor outlines records, repository and technical duties to appropriations panel",595,1655000,2250000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2646107-c3804d589a5e5b6f065b5fa4885ff07d&start=1655&end=2250","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2646107-c3804d589a5e5b6f065b5fa4885ff07d/thumbnail_1655000.jpg","/articles/6277863/Nebraska/Nebraska-State-Surveyor-outlines-records-repository-and-technical-duties-to-appropriations-panel","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277863-b9b5808b3398e2562219747d6c2a7352/orig.mp4?Expires=1777195064&Signature=T4R0v6cH9x6rBwIsqraU8Cu8Pc4jrg-qYEQT9kYl509T1Cam5cvFzNmT7qfaaGboUKgYZRGm1Bnwyppni3f4AVnRAHB2XHTpWKtI20hdTWpJOpgox7xEmQbl6anJF~fpJiho3uNX3wbgFGsbIp48C7~pLPJxanhVhlPZTcgtL4mVFIEPELmX1an8tUekgglyFNP4ZtNelStg9DHMBF1uu-39~2Y8ue4XBwY0H0Ocg-rjQmzmH0rUjIQuM8reNdXCXDno6uvMe-ByHr4ESowpzLhm8AuN-rc7UZjKYIGXcWkixzhSwpYOvETphdCajpd0UlaorRYApqvoHMFQyfLrVw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Casey (Cassy) Sherlock, Nebraska State Surveyor, told the Appropriations Committee the State Surveyor’s Office serves as custodian of the original field notes, plats and government‑survey records that form the foundation of property boundaries in Nebraska.

“I'm custodian of the field notes, maps, charts, all of the original plots of the original government surveys that began in Nebraska in 1855,” Sherlock said, describing records kept in a vault in the statehouse. She said the office maintains the Nebraska Survey Record Repository, receives about 10,000 surveys a year and holds more than 250,000 survey records, maps and images.

Sherlock outlined other statutory duties: serving as arbitrator for settlement of boundary disputes, issuing opinions on survey questions, appointing deputy state surveyors (including a deputy in the Nebraska Department of Transportation for DOT project control corners) and serving as ex officio secretary of the Board of Examiners for Land Surveyors. She said the repository’s digital scanning program uses an overhead book scanner to preserve older records and that she is actively pursuing older county records to add to the repository.

On technical accuracy, Sherlock told senators the original monument location controls priority even where measured distances vary; she explained how early survey methods (66‑foot steel chains) produce geographic anomalies but that monuments’ found position governs legal location.

Sherlock accepted the committee’s recommended budget for agency 62 and described that the Board of Examiners operates on a fee‑funded budget that has remained roughly constant for years. She closed by saying the survey office provides technical assistance to county and city officials, surveyors, title companies and members of the public who use the repository.","Nebraska State Surveyor Casey (Cassy) Sherlock described the office's responsibilities — custodian of original survey plats, statewide survey repository, disputed‑survey settlements and appointment as ex officio secretary to the Board of Examiners for Land Surveyors — and said the office receives roughly 10,000 surveys a year.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6277868,"School Land Trust CEO objects to LB3 interest transfer, warns of constitutional issue",1706,564000,2270000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2646107-c3804d589a5e5b6f065b5fa4885ff07d&start=564&end=2270","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2646107-c3804d589a5e5b6f065b5fa4885ff07d/thumbnail_564000.jpg","/articles/6277868/Nebraska/School-Land-Trust-CEO-objects-to-LB3-interest-transfer-warns-of-constitutional-issue","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277868-a3455fcce42d05a1851c0fce84308ebb/orig.mp4?Expires=1777195064&Signature=JaR7rXsFyEuNa4Oj7NurqerQdDP2tFju35qMrphvb2b9V9MmR2yr8inwdTKvoCOQfNyrivrQQXf8CMMuaM5E7gZzR9pK0J-YYMo99BTa6TgeBM-O9XaiZnqeVbWNJk3eluRZZDxWTFACLfiuk1ML-wnfBFJdj9Z-iWMzOJZo7XTYESdFyaMep1wRa5XS9Jeiy9~tsIfDn8-2w3lkPAbYKYu6TjbbjLdYTAJwM8XhKNX6cTxvABfhFeBfrXKbx4yT3EWDDzIkpQekRXVwa4Lss244gTHZDYUn0-ibsPPgFZv0UAMDt7vpLeon5ooixaezkgCBZSsmCV~1yZp4y5g34A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kelly Sudbeck, chief executive officer of the Board of Educational Lands and Funds (commonly called the School Land Trust), told the Appropriations Committee that the board’s income is constitutionally dedicated to support K–12 public schools and asked the committee to consider amending LB3 to remove the board’s operating account from that bill.

“We are a constitutional agency,” Sudbeck said, describing the land grant under the Enabling Act and noting the board still holds about 1,250,000 acres. She said the trust paid $120,000,000 into the public school system “for their support” this year and that the board is self-funded — “no tax money is used by us, and all income, rent and interest goes to the schools per the constitution.”

Sudbeck said LB3 was originally not intended to include accounts held by the Board of Educational Lands and Funds but that a floor amendment last summer added the board’s operating fund to the bill and diverted interest from that account into the state general fund. She told the committee that, as she reads the law, the change takes money intended for schools and moves it into the general fund and that “as it applies to us, [LB3] is unconstitutional.”

On questioning, Sudbeck provided committee members a month‑by‑month accounting of amounts taken under LB3 since October 2024, saying the total taken so far is $366,193 and listing October 2024 through February 2025 amounts. She said the interest amounts are declining as the operating account is spent down.

Senators asked how the trust’s payments to schools are calculated. Sudbeck said the trust’s payments are divided per pupil that lives in a district (K–12), and she said the total distribution this year is about $120 million, split between land-derived income and the permanent fund’s investment income; she described the funds as managed by the Nebraska Investment Council and the land income as flowing through the temporary fund administered by the Department of Education.

Sudbeck said the board continues to manage and sell land to maximize income and currently has about 158,000 acres listed for sale. She described long‑term average returns and cash returns for land and invested funds, characterizing total return around 10% and cash returns in the 3–4% range, while attributing specific investment return figures to the Nebraska Investment Council when discussing the permanent fund.

Sudbeck asked the committee to consider restoring interest on the board’s operating account to school support and thanked members for their attention.","Kelly Sudbeck, CEO of the Board of Educational Lands and Funds, told the Appropriations Committee that interest from the board's operating account has been diverted to the state general fund under LB3 and urged restoring those funds to K–12 support, saying the change is unconstitutional as applied to the board.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6277873,"Nebraska Department of Labor urges funding alignment for workforce programs, supports governor's transfers",399,143000,542000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2646107-c3804d589a5e5b6f065b5fa4885ff07d&start=143&end=542","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2646107-c3804d589a5e5b6f065b5fa4885ff07d/thumbnail_143000.jpg","/articles/6277873/Nebraska/Nebraska-Department-of-Labor-urges-funding-alignment-for-workforce-programs-supports-governors-transfers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277873-ae39bcafcf35201b285807397c431cda/orig.mp4?Expires=1777195064&Signature=K9fmb-Lv16Z9TsHPJLhedbDKHHQP47~jkNq9b05Q57f3vHeV9itOozSvf2KcCxJVv5zAPsOaNqoql~92iWzmnCxIGo4Lrizii8OCboqbm-WxZmWaNjhgQ~b9TsFmlCma1r4xdTp8BC6Qz~NrajwDWO2YagpAagHwGVd3OVSkblda1zP5BzclJ2hZklwzMcB3NHRp0jeBV-~XWJvN69PSqtrcxEgkTFUy3NJb2Icf~aZbOJ-3GdcaNbOyIAcdyM5GVAUPHnrB6kmHYuqzJyXiMypmKS4jwev3Xj6ZE1az6W53KtYGNHrgXYocQhG13JK7BodtBt4-7fjuVgyCSj4LfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Interim Commissioner Katie Thurber told the Nebraska Legislature’s Appropriations Committee on the record that the Department of Labor supports Governor Jim Pillen’s budget recommendation and requests the committee adopt the governor’s proposed appropriations.

Thurber said the department’s role is to “create a skilled, stable workforce” through training, unemployment support and labor-market analysis and that the governor’s package “closely reflects a cost effective and efficient use of funds to serve Nebraskans.”

The department asked the committee to accept two enterprise items—public servant health insurance and a public servant salary increase—matching the governor’s recommendation, and noted there are “small differences” between the governor’s recommendation and the committee’s preliminary proposal. Thurber said the department will provide a fiscal analyst with detail on the roughly $7,000 difference she identified in one enterprise item.

On the workforce development cash fund, Thurber told senators the department supports Governor Pillen’s recommended transfers from FY26 fund balances and the proposal to make administrative funds available from the workforce development cash fund. She said the fund’s original appropriation was limited to aid and that allowing administrative use would help the department manage aid disbursements.

During questioning, Senator Kim Long asked about a $1,000,000 transfer and the fund’s original funding. Thurber replied that the workforce development cash fund currently has no permanent revenue source and that a one‑time transfer of $40,000,000 was made in 2024. On whether statutory changes are required to move workforce programs from the Department of Economic Development to the Department of Labor, Thurber said LB265 contains some of that language and that the workforce development cash fund’s statutory language “permits wide use,” but she could not speak to every DED program or bill number.

The committee did not take votes during the hearing. Thurber closed by thanking the committee and offering to answer follow-up questions about budget details.

Looking ahead, the department and committee staff said they will follow up on the enterprise reconciliations and the department’s request to mirror the governor’s recommendation.","Interim Labor Commissioner Katie Thurber told the Appropriations Committee the department supports the governor's FY26 recommendations, requests administrative flexibility for a workforce cash fund and flagged small variances on enterprise salary and health insurance items.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public Employees Retirement System requests early compliance audit and accepts preliminary budget

Investment council seeks modest budget increases to hire specialists, shore up private markets returns

Nebraska State Surveyor outlines records, repository and technical duties to appropriations panel

School Land Trust CEO objects to LB3 interest transfer, warns of constitutional issue

Nebraska Department of Labor urges funding alignment for workforce programs, supports governor's transfers