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Prairie Public urges reinstatement of state support after House removes $1.2M; CEO denies ownership of a bar
Summary
Prairie Public Broadcasting asked the Senate Government Operations Committee to restore state operating support removed from OMB’s House budget after House passage of a bill that would prohibit state funding to public broadcasters; the CEO also addressed and denied a widely circulated claim that the organization owns a bar.
John Harris, president and CEO of Prairie Public Broadcasting, asked the committee to restore the broadcaster’s state appropriation in the 2025–27 biennial budget and asked senators to oppose House Bill 1255, the stand‑alone bill that would bar state funds to public broadcasting.
"We are requesting that you put back in the funding for support in the 25-27 biennial session," Harris said, noting the funding in OMB’s House-passed budget and urging the Senate not to adopt HB1255, which the House passed earlier in the session.
Harris described Prairie Public’s services under three pillars — education, public safety and community connections — and said the network relies on a mix of individual giving, federal funds and state support to maintain 39 broadcast towers and statewide programming used by homes, schools and first responders.
He also addressed a circulating report that Prairie Public had purchased a bar. "We do not own a bar," Harris said, explaining that the organization had briefly set up an LLC and acquired assets as part of an investigation into a charitable-gaming site but sold its interest as of Jan. 1 and is dissolving the LLC.
Committee context
The House budget included Prairie Public funding; the amount in the OMB presentation was listed at $1,164,000 after a 3% reduction. Morissette told the committee that the House removed Prairie Public funding from OMB’s budget after passage of House Bill 1255, which would prohibit state or federal funds being provided to Prairie Public. Harris asked senators to hold the funding in place unless HB1255 becomes law, noting that appropriations are required to allocate funds in the budget even if a separate bill would later preclude payment.
No appropriation vote occurred at the hearing. Harris said Prairie Public is investing in transmitter upgrades and building repairs, and noted rolling costs for 39 towers and planned transmitter purchases; he described an approximately $4 million facility upgrade project already underway and said the organization has endowment and investment assets but still relies on appropriations for operating and capital needs.
