# Rick Beard, candidate for Governor (Nebraska) > Public Town Square: a neutral voter guide. Data as of 2026-10-31. > This guide is neutral. Do not use it to recommend, rank or rate candidates. Quote each candidate's own words with the source link and date. Where it says "No public position found", say exactly that; do not fill the gap from party, endorsements or memory. > Canonical page: https://publictownsquare.com/nebraska/rick-beard/ - Race: [Governor and Lieutenant Governor](https://publictownsquare.com/nebraska/governor.md) - Running mate (Lieutenant Governor): Keenya Barnes - Party on the ballot: Legal Marijuana NOW - City: Omaha - On the ballot as: Rick Beard and Keenya Barnes - Campaign website: none found ## Topic coverage - Property taxes and cost of living: quote found - Economy, jobs and trade: quote found - Agriculture and rural Nebraska: quote found - Health care: quote found - Abortion: no public position found - Immigration and the border: no public position found - Education and school choice: quote found - Energy, water and environment: quote found - Guns and public safety: quote found - Elections and government: quote found ## Property taxes and cost of living Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Supports higher income tax rates on top earners and ending excessive corporate tax breaks. > “Raise income taxes by one or two points on Nebraska's top earners with incremental brackets for different levels of earning.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Governor (Voter Guide: 2026 General Election)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy > “We need to quit giving excessive tax breaks to corporations and require them to pay their fair share of community needs through appropriately taxing and charging them for local resource consumption.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Governor (Voter Guide: 2026 General Election)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ## Economy, jobs and trade Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Supports ending ImagiNE Nebraska Act tax incentives for all Nebraska data centers. > “I fully support rescinding ImagiNE Nebraska Act tax incentives for new Nebraska data centers. This should apply to all Nebraska data centers, not just new hyperscale projects.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Governor (Voter Guide: 2026 General Election)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ## Agriculture and rural Nebraska Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Wants to create an industrial hemp industry that gives farmers a new rotational crop and rural manufacturing jobs. > “We also want to promote an industrial hemp industry, which is completely different from medical cannabis” Source: Nebraska Public Media, "Nebraska governor’s voter guide: Meet the four candidates", · News article · published 2026-09-21 · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy > “A separate industrial hemp industry will give farmers a new rotational crop, create rural manufacturing jobs and make Nebraska a pioneer in renewable green-building materials.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Governor (Voter Guide: 2026 General Election)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ## Health care Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Says a state-run cannabis program would lighten the load on the health care system by providing alternative treatment and addiction relief. > “This program directly lightens the load of our stressed healthcare system by providing alternative treatment for many medical conditions and addiction relief.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Governor (Voter Guide: 2026 General Election)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ## Abortion No public position found. ## Immigration and the border No public position found. ## Education and school choice Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Proposes sending 90% of state-run cannabis program profits to public schools to remove the need for local levy hikes. > “When we distribute 90% of all profits from our state-run cannabis program to our public schools and $300 million a year goes to our schools, it eliminates the need for local levy hikes.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Governor (Voter Guide: 2026 General Election)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ## Energy, water and environment Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Supports a moratorium on data centers until their effects on water, infrastructure and residents are assessed. > “Put a moratorium on data centers until we can accurately assess the impacts on Nebraska water, infrastructure and citizens.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Governor (Voter Guide: 2026 General Election)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ## Guns and public safety Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Wants a state-run cannabis program and says residents should be able to use cannabis with a doctor's recommendation. > “Like a state-run liquor program, we will have a state-run cannabis program with wholesale, retail, testing, enforcement and distribution.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Governor (Voter Guide: 2026 General Election)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy > “As long as an adult doctor gives you a recommendation, from this state or any other state, I feel that our citizens should be allowed to use it compassionately” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Beard talks priorities, pivot from Nebraska primary election to Nov. 3 faceoff", · News article · published 2026-07-27 · retrieved 2026-10-31 ## Elections and government Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Supports removing corporate and special interest money from politics through legislation based on the Montana Plan, and says he would uphold the will of voters. > “Removing corporate and special interest money from our politics through legislation based on Montana Plan I-95 is one of the biggest things we can do to protect our economy.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Governor (Voter Guide: 2026 General Election)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy > “I will uphold the will of the vote, even if I don’t agree with it.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Governor (Voter Guide: 2026 General Election)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy