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Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman spoke at the Johnson conference room at North Platte’s airport Thursday afternoon.

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Heineman’s appearance was in support of the State of the State address he delivered before the legislature Thursday morning.

Speaking to a room full of local politicians, citizens, and media, Heineman addressed both the economy and the state’s educational system.

“What can we do to help businesses create jobs?” Heineman asked rhetorically early in his comments.

He talked about the Nebraska Advantage, a program he helped foster a few years ago to promote business growth and job creation. He said that the Nebraska Advantage has exceeded expectations.

More than 190 companies have participated in the program of tax breaks and incentives, Heineman said. Those businesses have or are going to invest more than $5 billion in the Nebraska economy, and have created more than 16,000 jobs, he continued.

Heineman’s remarks soon turned to taxation.

“For too many years, Nebraska has been a high tax state,” he said.

Heineman said that three years ago he launched the largest tax relief initiative in state history, and as a result, Nebraska went from being ranked 44th in taxation to 33rd.

Heineman said it is an ongoing process.

“I have yet to talk to a Nebraskan who thinks taxes are too low,” he quipped.

The governor noted that Forbes recently ranked Nebraska in the top 10 states for business, and pointed out that the state’s unemployment rate is less than half of the national average.

Heineman also said that the population of Nebraska is growing, and that means the state is headed in the right direction.

Heineman said that Nebraska’s progress is steady and responsible.

He warned that the state is not immune to the national economic slowdown, and said that is the challenge faced by him and the Unicameral moving forward.

He referenced the $335 million dollar shortfall the state faced last year. At that time, Heineman called a special session of the Legislature, and they made the necessary cuts to fit the budget in 12 days.

That doesn’t happen in other states, he said. “They can’t get anything done in 12 days.”

Heineman turned the focus of his remarks to education. He said that he has updated requirements for high school graduation in Nebraska for the first time since 1984.

He stated that a new, statewide “Virtual High School” is being developed.

The purpose of the program is to alleviate problems that smaller schools have with hiring foreign language teachers, as well as advanced mathematics and science instructors.

By providing these courses online to kids K-12, Heineman said, it keeps kids engaged and out of trouble during non-school hours.

“Kids spend hours online at a time,” Heineman said. “They can complete 40 percent of the course work one weekend, leave it alone, then come back in two weeks and finish it.”

Turning to higher education, Heineman said it is critical that Nebraska becomes a top 10 state for the percentage of students who attend college.

It is a goal he thinks can be accomplished quickly. He used the Cornhusker football team as an example.

“If Bo Pelini can take the Nebraska defense from the worst in the country to the best in two years, then surely we can get in the top 10 pretty quickly,” he joked.

“We’ve got Nebraska moving in the right direction,” Heineman said before fielding questions.

County Commissioner Joe Hewgley asked what kind of bills Heineman expected from the Unicameral in light of the economy.

Heineman said that everyone seems to be aware that “Any bill that costs any money isn’t going anywhere.”

He continued that Nebraska’s government has an advantage over other states in that both the govenror’s office and the Legislature use the same budget forecast from the same source.

“We’ve made progress by lowering income and sales taxes. Other states raised taxes and spent beyond their means. Nebraska didn’t do that,” he said.

“I read recently that Kansas is proposing a new tax. You won’t hear those words coming out of my mouth,” he continued.

The Bulletin asked Heineman to comment on Sen. Ben Nelson and the infamous “Cornhusker kick back.”

After joking about how much he has already commented on the topic to the Nebraska and national medias, Heineman said Nelson got in trouble because by cutting a special deal that no other state received, putting the ethics and integrity of the whole state on the line.

“We don’t want it, take it out,” Heineman said. “Nebraskans want a fair deal, not a special deal.”

When asked if he had corresponded with Nelson since the latter gave his support to the national healthcare reform bill, Heineman said he hadn’t spoken to Nelson but “I’m pretty sure he’s read all I’ve said about it. I know I’ve read everything he’s said about it.”

He said he’s written five letters to Nelson. The gist of the letters is, “Nebraskans are angry because you put our integrity at stake,” Heineman said.

Heineman declined to comment on the challenges filed in state and federal court to the constitutionality of the new Sex Offender Registry and Notification Act. Heineman signed the bill in May 2009.

“I know the attorney general is in full support of (the law)," he said. "I don’t want to say anything that may jeopardize our case.”

Next time

Heineman will return to LIncoln County Jan. 22.

He will speak at the Governor’s Parental Involvement Award Assembly at 10 a.m. at the Sutherland school.

At 1:30 p.m., Heineman will be at the Governor’s Parental Involvement Award Assembly at the Cozad school's alternative education building, 1910 Meridian.