The Nebraska State Capitol (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)
LINCOLN — A six-month fight between Nebraska’s legislative and executive branches has gotten a reprieve, with watchdog access at least temporarily restored Wednesday to state inspectors general.
Speaker John Arch of La Vista addresses state lawmakers during a legislative retreat at Nebraska Innovation Campus. Dec. 7, 2023. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
With the blessing of Speaker John Arch of La Vista and Executive Board Chair Ray Aguilar of Grand Island, the Legislature joined Gov. Jim Pillen in a memorandum of understanding signed Wednesday. It specifies what information the executive branch will provide to the state ombudsman and inspectors general for corrections and child welfare.
The agreement includes the Department of Correctional Services and the Department of Health and Human Services, effectively hitting the pause button on the fight and avoiding the potential of a lawsuit from either branch.
“Over the years, this effort to provide greater and more effective oversight has now become an opportunity to step back and have a broader assessment of the oversight function of the Legislature and how to better coordinate that function,” Arch said Wednesday.