At the Nebraska National Guard base in Lincoln Tuesday morning Governor Jim Pillen signed four military focused bills into law. He was joined by three state senators, dozens of National Guard members and the Adjutant General Craig Strong.
” I am in awe of what you do. I am in awe of all that your teams do,” Pillen said. The first bill Pillen signed was LB 52 sponsored by Senator Loren Lippencott. It provides a 100 percent undergraduate tuition credit to Nebraska National Guard members who enroll in any Nebraska college and removes the $900,000 cap on the state funded tuition program .
“And when they go on for a master degree, it will be half paid for,” Lippencott says. “We want Nebraska to be competitive with our other states.” Pillen also signed two bills from outgoing state Senator Tom Brewer.
LB 848 changes the maximum age for an Adjutant General to 66 and LB 1394 exempts National Guard income from state income tax starting on January 1, 2025. The final bill was sponsored by Senator Rita Sanders
LB 895 allows the Adjutant General to establish a recruitment and retention program for enlisted and officers. Major General Strong says he appreciates the support the Nebraska National Guard receives from the state. “The continued investment in our organization will make a very real difference in the lives of out Nebraska National Guard soldiers and airmen. It will greatly impact out ability to continue to be ready to serve when the citizens of out state and our country need us the most.”
