The 37-11 vote came days after Heineman, a Republican, announced that he had trimmed $65 million from the Legislature’s updated budget package. Heineman singled out the $2.5 million fountain project as a less important priority than state-funded property tax relief.
The fountains are the last major unfinished design feature of the Capitol, which was built in stages between 1922 and 1932. They were originally expected to sit in each of the building’s four open-air courtyards, but the work was halted because of the Great Depression. With the new funding, construction is expected to be completed just before Nebraska celebrates its 150th anniversary as a state.
Sen. John Nelson, of Omaha, said the state is now able to finish the project, and that if lawmakers don’t act, it could get postponed indefinitely.
“For the governor to say that we’ve done without this now for 80 years, and we don’t need the fountains now — I disagree with that,” Nelson said. “I think this is the time.”
With the override votes, senators restored $61 million of the $65 million that Heineman vetoed.
