David Heineman (R)

Health Care

Heineman has engaged in heated debates with Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) over the Obama administration's health-care reform package. After Nelson spoke out in favor of expanding Medicaid under the new law, Heineman said that the federal government could "keep that money." He says he opposed federal health-care reform because it would raise taxes and negatively impact health-insurance premiums.

Heineman also publicly opposed a proposed plan for government-funded prenatal care for low-income women, due to the fact that many of the women covered would be undocumented immigrants. Despite his anti-abortion stance, Heineman didn't reverse his position after the Lincoln Journal Star reported in 2010 that women denied prenatal care were seeking abortions instead.

Immigration

Heineman has said that he supports legal immigration, something Nebraska has tightly controlled thanks to a law mandating that only legal residents could receive public benefits and public employment.

During his 2010 gubernatorial campaign, Heineman vowed to work with the Nebraska attorney general to create anti-immigration legislation during the 2011 legislative session that would be similar to the controversial Arizona law. He has said that he doesn't think the law will lead to racial profiling.

Taxes

As a fiscally-conservative governor, Heineman was responsible for the largest tax relief package in Nebraska state history. He is against raising taxes across the board.

Despite the ways in which it could save health-care costs over time, he has opposed an increased tax on cigarettes, noting, "It shouldn't take a tax increase to get you to quit smoking."

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