In run for governor Bruning touts experience, promises to reduce property taxes

With a month remaining before the state's primaries, Republican gubernatorial candidate Jon Bruning must balance the demands of a campaign and of his role as Nebraska's Attorney General.

In Sidney to visit with Cabela's employees on Tuesday morning, he also took a moment to discuss law enforcement concerns over Colorado's marijuana laws.

"I met with Sheriff [John] Jenson about that issue," Bruning said. "We need to provide additional resources."

Bruning has served as the state's Attorney General since 2002. He believes the time spent in that office, as well as two terms in the state legislature, give him an advantage over other candidates in the crowded field hoping to replace Gov. Dave Heineman.

"He's been a great governor," Bruning said. "There are good people in the race. What differentiates me is experience."

Bruning points to his work creating Nebraska's Medicaid Fraud Unit, which saved $77 million over the past decade. He was also in the forefront of a coalition of state attorneys general that filed a 2012 suit to challenge the Affordable Care Act and expects to continue in the effort to clarify state and federal authority. But Bruning considers the years spent working with governors Mike Johanns and Dave Heineman invaluable in the current race.

"Who knows how to work with the legislature? I've done that. Fighting back against the federal government? I've done it," he said. "That experience will give me the opportunity to lead on day one."

He plans to build upon the success of recent foreign trade missions, believing it critical for the state to open doors for the export of Nebraska's crops and products. But if elected, one of his primary goals would be to reduce property taxes.

"It's gotten out of whack," Bruning explained. "We have to reduce property taxes to keep agriculture strong."

Bruning was raised in Lincoln and earned a law degree from the University of Nebraska. He is aware of the perceived divide between east and west in the state.

"I've been to Sidney and I'll be in Sidney and the panhandle as often as any governor has been," he said. "Every corner of our state is important."