In a significant legislative decision, Nebraska lawmakers have decided to proceed with a reduction of $800,000 from the tobacco prevention and control budget. This comes as part of a broader wave of budget cuts affecting various state programs.
The tobacco prevention budget, previously set at $2.5 million, has now been reduced to just below $1.8 million. The majority of this funding has historically been allocated towards tobacco prevention initiatives and treatment programs. State Sen. Victor Rountree, who opposed the cuts, emphasized the effectiveness of these programs in his appeal to maintain the original budget.
“Lots of people want to quit, they just don’t have the resources or the mechanism,” stated Sen. Jane Raybould, highlighting the necessity of the funds. “And so, we shouldn’t be swiping these funds away. Bottom line.”
While some legislators, such as Dan Quick, recognized the value of Rountree’s argument, they also pointed out the widespread financial pressures necessitating cuts across various sectors. Quick noted, “A lot of these programs that we are looking at cutting, especially on the health care side, they can affect people who don’t have the resources.”
The decision to cut the budget was ultimately upheld, as the Legislature grapples with a significant $125 million budget shortfall.
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