Nebraska senator secures $20 million in funding for critical water infrastructure projects
(UI) — Sen. Deb Fischer's measure was overwhelmingly passed Thursday by the Senate Appropriations Committee, securing more than $20 million for water infrastructure projects across Nebraska, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.
The Cedar Knox Rural Water Project in northeastern Nebraska will get $10 million as part of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which was passed out of committee on a 28-0 vote on Thursday.
“This funding bill will keep Nebraskans healthy and safe by investing in crucial water infrastructure projects across our state,” Senator Fischer said in a press release on Monday. “As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I fought to secure measures that support the construction of water treatment plants, the replacement of aging water towers, and the continued removal of dangerous lead pipes throughout our state. I look forward to the full Senate taking up and passing this important legislation.”
In May, Gov. Jim Pillen rejected $7 million in state funding that the Legislature had designated for the same project, claiming that the state had already invested a considerable amount of money in it.
The governor's decision to withhold $119 million from the state budget legislation included the project's funding. One of the governor's line-item vetoes was overridden by state legislators, returning $1.1 million to the state auditor's office.
The much-needed funding for the development of a water source, treatment facility, and distribution system that will serve residents in Knox and Cedar counties, as well as funding for a dozen other infrastructure projects, has now been secured by Fischer, the state's senior Republican senator and a member of the body's Appropriations Committee.
The legislation, which still requires Senate and House passage, also provides $72,000 for water meter replacement in Malcolm and $360,000 for the replacement of lead service lines and water meters in Denton.
The measure also contains $1.5 million for York's current wastewater treatment facility and collecting system to be upgraded and repaired.
This story was originally published by the Lincoln Journal Star.
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