Straight Talk From Steve: ARPA Funds

Nebraska’s economy has weathered the COVID-19 pandemic better than any other state in the Union. According to Politico’s State Pandemic Response Scorecard, Nebraska’s economy ranks first in the nation. Nebraska continues to enjoy record low unemployment, and last fall the Department of Revenue reported that our state’s incoming tax revenues beat the projection of the Forecasting Board by 7.7%.

Despite our economy doing so well, the State of Nebraska has been given more than a billion dollars in federal funds to spend this year and next year from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Nebraska is...