ALLIANCE -- Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen hosted a town hall meeting at the West Side Event Center Thursday, June 27.

Topics ranged from property valuations and taxation to school financing.

Gov. Pillen said the state has consistently fallen short in supporting youth.

"I've been fed up from the time I started campaigning where the State has absolutely quit on kids after kids after kids across the state. One hundred eighty school districts have not funded any education, all on the backs of property tax payers. So, our proposal is simple. The State comes up and does what it is supposed to, quit quitting on kids so we fund K-12 education," Pillen said.

He said the State would fund schools with a broad-based sales tax.

Pillen said the State needs to reduce its spending as well.

"The other thing that's really, really important is we have to say no. We've got to stop spending money. Everybody's fired up about the valuations rightfully so. But the hardcore reality is, we have state statute; whenever valuations go up, the levy goes down accordingly. Every single board across the state overrides it. We have to say 'no more'. We can't be Nebraska-nice. Quit spending money, hard caps," he said.

Pillen said it is not a valuation problem; it is a spending problem. He said voters need to stop "putting the responsibility on three people or five people and have it votes of the people."

"That's what local control is; not giving all authority to three people in the county and ... hey, it's proof in the pudding. We're breaking ourselves," he said.