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The State

of the States

Nebraska

Cornhusker State

Nebraska is the only triple landlocked state – to get to an ocean, one must travel through three states. It is also the only state with a unicameral state legislature, meaning that instead of having a house and a senate, it has a single governing body. In 1986, Nebraska became the first American state to have a gubernatorial race where both major party candidates were women. Despite this historic first, now only 27% of the state’s legislature are women. Nebraska is one of 22 states where Republicans control the governorship and the state legislature.

State capital

Lincoln

Population 2017

1920076

Largest city

Omaha

Year entered union

1867

State flower

Goldenrod

Motto

"Equality before the law"

  • Rep

    Governor

    • 49 Total Seats

    State Senate

    • 34
    • 14
    • 11
    • 0

    Democrats

    Republicans

    Independent

    Vacancies

    Policies & Political Updates

    • In 2020, Nebraska voters will decide whether to legalize casino gambling

      Business and industrial policy

      30/06/2019

      AP

    • Now you can listen to Governor Ricketts' new podcast

      Gubernatorial politics, State government

      26/06/2019

      AP

    • Voter-approved Medicaid expansion finally begins in Nebraska

      Healthcare

      23/06/2019

      AP

    • New Nebraska Law Puts Focus on Future State Budgets

      Budgets and finance

      20/06/2019

      Pew

    • Stage AG is only one to not pursue a lawsuit against an opioid company

      Drug policy

      12/06/2019

      AP

    • State Game and Parks Commission mulls mountain lion hunting season

      Environment

      12/06/2019

      1011 Now

    • Prison cellphone ban advances

      Incarceration and recidivism

      15/05/2019

      AP

    • Lawmakers to vote on package making it easier to prosecute human traffickers

      Justice and the courts, Policing

      12/05/2019

      AP

    • Governor Pete Rickets criticizes proposed sales tax increase on car repairs

      Business and industrial policy, Taxation, Transport and infrastructure

      6/05/2019

      AP

    • State may increase e-cigarette age limit to 19

      Healthcare

      30/04/2019

      ap

    • State prisons try to attract new workers

      State government

      22/04/2019

      AP

    • New ACLU report shows evidence of bias against minorities in policing

      Civil Rights, Policing

      2/04/2019

      AP

    • New bill targets human trafficking

      Civil Rights, Justice and the courts

      13/03/2019

      AP

    • Online sales tax proposal advances

      Taxation

      4/03/2019

      AP

    • State officials subpoena hundreds of Catholic churches as part of sexual abuse investigations

      Justice and the courts

      28/02/2019

      AP

    • State looks at abolishing recall elections

      Elections and voting

      14/02/2019

      AP

    • Nebraska has no formal plan to deal with extreme weather

      Climate Change

      10/02/2019

      AP

    • Bill to help policymakers identify Native American missing person cases advances

      Civil Rights, Justice and the courts

      7/02/2019

      AP

    • Outdated voting machines spark election worries in Nebraska

      Voting and electoral systems

      21/11/2018

      AP

    • Medicaid Expansion Passes in Three Red States

      Healthcare

      8/11/2018

      Stateline

    • Medicaid Expansion Measure Certified for Nebraska Ballot

      Healthcare

      26/08/2018

      Governing

    State Facts and Figures

    • Each of the 50 states is led by a governor, who is elected directly by that state’s voters. He/she implements state laws and oversees the executive branch, one of three branches of state government.

      Governor

      • Governor
        Pete Ricketts
      • Governor's Party
        Republican
      • Running for re-election?
        Yes
      • General Election
        Nov 6 2018
      • Primary Election
        May 15 2018
      • Open or Closed Primary
        Closed
      • Governor and Lieutenant Governor on same ticket
        Yes
    • In most states, the lieutenant governor succeeds to the gubernatorial office if the current governor vacates the role. The lieutenant governor often heads the state senate.

      Lieutenant Governor

      • Lieutenant Governor
        Mike Foley
      • Lieutenant Governor's Party
        Republican
      • General Election
        Nov 6 2018
      • Primary Election
        May 15 2018
      • Open or Closed Primary
        Closed
    • The attorney general is the chief legal advisor to the state's government and the state's chief law enforcement officer.

      Attorney General

      • Attorney General
        Doug Peterson
      • Attorney General Party
        Republican
      • General Election
        Nov 6 2018
      • Primary Election
        May 15 2018
    • The upper chamber of state government, and the second branch of state government.

      State Senate

      • Length of Term (Years)
        4
      • Term Limits
        2
      • Scheduled Session 2018
        Jan 3 - April 18
      • Total Members
        49
      • Number who are Democrats
        14
      • Number who are Republicans
        34
      • Number who are POC
        3
      • Percentage who are POC
        6%
      • Number who are men
        35
      • Percentage who are men
        71%
      • Number who are women
        13
      • Percentage who are women
        27%
      • General Election
        Nov 6 2018
      • Primary Election
        May 15 2018
    • The lower chamber of state government, sometimes called the house of delegates or state house of representatives, and the third branch of state government.

      State Assembly

    • Each state sends two senators to the U.S. Senate, which is the federal government’s upper chamber. They also send a number of representatives that is proportional to the state’s population to the House of Representatives, the federal government’s lower chamber.

      Representation in Congress

      • Senior Senator
        Deb Fischer
      • Party
        Republican
      • Next Election
        2024
      • Junior Senator
        Ben Sasse
      • Junior Senators Party
        Republican
      • Next Election Year
        2020
      • U.S. House Republicans
        3

    • Demographics

      • Female, percent
        50.1%
      • White alone, percent
        88.6%
      • Black or African American alone, percent
        5.1%
      • American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent
        1.5%
      • Asian alone, percent
        2.6%
      • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent
        0.1%
      • Two or More Races, percent
        2.2%
      • Hispanic or Latino, percent
        11%
      • Number of Veterans, 2012-2016
        127,340
      • Percentage of foreign born persons, 2012-2016
        6.7%
      • Language other than English spoken at home, percent of persons aged 5+, 2012-2016
        11%
      • Number of Homeless
        2,501
      • Number of Kids in Foster Care, 2015
        3,887
      • Percentage in Foster Care for 5 or more years
        4%
      • Number in Foster Care per Thousand
        5

    • Economy

      • Minimum wage level in 2018 (Dollars per hour)
        9
      • Annual state budget in Dollars (2016)
        11,610,000,000
      • State Credit Rating as of 2017
        AAA
      • State Debt in Dollars (2014)
        1,809,126,000
      • Maximum State Income Tax Level, Percent
        6.84%

    • Top Export by value, 2017

      • Top 1
        Meat of bovine animals
      • Top 2
        Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery
      • Top 3
        Corn

    • Healthcare

      • Children's Uninsured Rate
        5%
      • Parents' Uninsured Rate
        11%
      • Medicaid Expansion
        No

    • Policy

      • Capital punishment
        Yes
      • Legalization of cannabis
        Medicinal decriminalized, recreational illegal
      • Assisted dying and euthanasia
        No
      • Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16 years+, 2012-2016
        18.3
      • Persons in Poverty, Percent
        11.4%
      • Download data (CSV)