How bad are the roads in Nebraska?

According to Jim Pillen, one of the key GOP candidates for governor, “Not that bad.”

Pillen, an NU regent and so far the odds-on favorite to get Gov. Pete Ricketts’ endorsement, made the comment during a 90-minute candidate forum on Sunday where at least two of his five rivals clearly disagreed.

State Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha called the state’s four-lane highways deficient, while lesser-known Breland Ridenour of Elkhorn said, “Nebraska is known for being the state with horrible roads, we need better roads.”

Noting a number of bad bridges in Nebraska—the National Bridge Inventory reports that 1,302 of the state’s 15,348 bridges are “structurally deficient…in poor or worse condition”—Lindstrom said, “We need to spend money making sure our ag producers aren’t driving miles and miles out of the way to get their products from point A to point B.”

The comments spilled out as the six candidates on stage were asked to name their priorities when it comes to spending some $3 billion in federal funds coming to Nebraska, following Congress’ recent passage of the Biden Infrastructure Law—legislation backed by Senator Deb Fischer and her fellow Republican, Congressman Don Bacon.

Pillen, who we're told thinks the bill should not have passed, told a Farm Bureau audience, “Could we use some money for roads and broadband? Maybe, but not today, they’re not that bad.”

Following the forum, when asked by News Channel Nebraska if he stands by that statement, Pillen  doubled down: ““Our infrastructure is not crumbling so bad that conservatives should make a deal with the big government socialists.”

When the question came to cattle-king Charles Herbster of Falls City, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, Herbster did not comment specifically on the pros and cons of roads or broadband but did argue that “America is broke” and taking money from the federal government always comes with strings attached that “hurt this state.”

At the same time, an NCN investigation uncovered two companies tied to Herbster received nearly $3.5 million in loans from the federal Paycheck Protection Program, money aimed at keeping companies afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Omaha World-Herald has reported that Pillen’s companies received nearly $7.8 million in PPP money before eventually returning $5 million.

Pillen’s comments that the roads are “not that bad” will likely find some wondering if his words will come back to bite him similar to a storied statement from 33 years ago.

In a 1988 US Senate debate with Democrat Bob Kerrey, GOP incumbent David Karnes told a state fair audience full of farmers, “We need fewer farmers at this point in time.”

Karnes’ campaign never recovered and was steamrolled by Kerrey, 57% to 42%.