Is FEMA Going Away?

By Gordon HopkinsIs FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) going away? Will the functions of FEMA be passed onto states? If states must take over the role of FEMA, will they receive additional funding or will that cost have to come from the states’ own coffers?Those questions have been asked by numerous Nebraska government officials, most recently at a meeting of the Jefferson County Commissioners on Tuesday, November 25.FEMA is the US agency within the Department of Homeland Security that coordinates disaster response efforts. Jefferson and Saline County Emergency Manager John McKee has had discussions with Erv Portis, Assistant Director of NEMA (Nebraska Emergency Management Agency) about this matter. Commission Chair Mark Schoenrock said to McKee, “You know, there’s been a lot of stuff in the past about a lot of the functions at FEMA being decentralized to the state emergency management agencies.”According to McKee, Portis has advised emergency managers, “The current direction is, let’s keep in the back of our minds that FEMA is going away.”However, McKee also pointed out, “Again, election time is coming up. Is it going to change?”“Well, is that a good thing or bad thing, or is it indifferent?” asked Commissioner Michael Dux. “I can tell you, DC doesn’t know what’s going on in Nebraska.”McKee suggested it would be a net negative for Nebraska, “If they don’t let the emergency management agencies of the state hire extra people,” said McKee.“Some of the talk is that the state is going to have to come up with that narrative to convince somebody back east,” said McKee. “But all the groundwork and all the footwork and everything else is going to have to be done locally.”Schoenrock said, “If the state level is going to take on those additional responsibilities from FEMA, but they’re not going to be resourced to take on that additional workload, that’s going to be a huge challenge.” Unfunded MandatesMcKee described requiring the states to take on more of the functions currently done at the federal level by FEMA but not being given additional funding another example of an unfunded mandate.Unfunded mandate is the term for laws, regulations or other requirements imposed by a higher level of government on a lower one, but without accompanying appropriations to cover the cost of compliance.States are primarily funded through various state taxes and fees, such as individual income and sales taxes, and funding from the federal government. Counties fund operations primarily through property tax revenue. When the federal government issues a new mandate without providing the funds to implement it, states and counties must find a way to pay for it. That normally means raising taxes, reducing services or both.NACO (Nebraska Association of County Officials) recently set their legislative priorities for the 2026 and one of those is unfunded mandates. President Trump’s PositionShortly after President Trump took office, the White House announced the creation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Review Council. One of the functions of the was to provide, “An evaluation of whether FEMA can serve its functions as a support agency, providing supplemental federal assistance, to the states rather than supplanting state control of disaster relief council.”A public meeting of the council will be held on Thursday, December 11, 2025.

Sheriff To Increase Monitoring Of Dangerous Dogs In Fairbury

Fairbury High School One Act

Related Articles

High Winds Fuel Multiple Wild Fires in SE Nebraska

Sen. Ricketts Makes the Case for War

City Offices Closed During Move

A Broken Wire Over Railroad Tracks Leaves City in the Dark