The Special Session is officially over, with a new budget to help balance the $334 million projected shortfall.

Governor Dave Heineman says, "If you look at the overall package, it's a good package. It keeps us moving forward and it does so immediately."

Lincoln Senator Amanda McGill adds, "We had to do what was tough but I think we did the right thing."

The decisions didn't come easily. The Legislature was forced to cut state agency budgets by 2.5% this fiscal year and 5% the next. Similar to what the Governor originally proposed.

McGill says, "Our plan versus the Governor's plan are 96% the same. So we just made those few small changes and there just wasn't a lot of room for people to disagree because it's a tough time."

But as the effects of this massive cut in services are felt gradually over the next couple of months, the Governor is hoping they made the best decisions.

Heineman says, "We're going to try to minimize the impact on services. I think the schools are going to try to minimize the impact in the classroom. And we're all going to have to do that but it will be difficult, make no mistake about it."

Difficult decisions Governor Heineman believes are from over. "Calendar year 2010 is going to be a difficult economic challenge for our state. We're going to need to continue to tighten our belts."

A reality the entire state of Nebraska is all too familiar with.

Governor Heineman did express some disappointment about the budget.

According to Heineman, the Legislature made cuts to the job training cash fund, took smaller reductions from the courts and returned $1 million to its own budget.

He's hoping to take up these issues when the next session begins in January.

The package does not contain tax increases.