States like Nebraska – and my native Wisconsin – face one of the biggest challenges, and public policy opportunities, you are likely to find in America. Our family farms in rural areas across the country have been disappearing at the staggering rate of 45,000 per year on average for the past century. The incredible thing...
[Note: This is the second in a group of articles reviewing occupational licensing reviews for the first five-plus years of the Occupational Board Reform Act. For more context, see this post.] The Business and Labor Committee has reviewed a number of licenses from 2019 to 2024. Their areas of review included: Boiler Safety/Pressure Vessel Inspectors...
Note: This is the first in a series of Research Notes authored by this year’s Platte Institute Summer Intern, Jakob Myers. Jakob is researching information related to zoning issues involving livestock facilities. The continued growth of Nebraska’s agricultural sector depends significantly on the development and expansion of livestock operations across the state. These projects typically...
At the Platte Institute, our mission is simple: we work to remove barriers that limit growth and opportunity in Nebraska. We believe every Nebraskan deserves the freedom to pursue their version of the Good Life—our state’s own take on the American Dream. Nonprofits like ours are vital to making that vision a reality. Across the...
The Occupational Board Reform Act (OBRA) was passed in 2018 and became effective in 2019. It requires legislative committees of jurisdiction to review all occupational licenses in the state, roughly 20% per year, on a five-year rotation. These reviews examine whether the licensing requirements are adequate or excessive by current standards. The committees then submit...
The “Mississippi Miracle” is catching headlines across states for delivering education success at a low cost. Most recently, the Kansas Policy Institute reviewed Mississippi’s performance results compared to Kansas and found the Sunflower State lagging. In a February Platte analysis, we found that Nebraska’s K-12 funding is the third-most reliant on property taxes of all...
Federal fiscal reform will have layers of impact upon states like Nebraska. From taxes to tariffs to entitlements, the highly touted “Big Beautiful Bill” will preserve some elements of America’s fiscal formula while reforming others. Nebraska lawmakers ought to keep an eye on the relevant options on the table and be prepared to respond appropriately. ...
Beginning in the summer of 2019, committees of the Nebraska Legislature have been reviewing, on a rotating basis, all of the occupational licenses issued by the state under their subject matter jurisdiction. We provided a report outlining the general state of occupational licensing regulations in Nebraska at the end of 2024. As we head into...
While Nebraska is often described as one of the most Republican-leaning states in the country, it also has a long and unique history with nonpartisan governance—from its unicameral Legislature to local offices elected without party labels. This white paper reviews the historical roots of nonpartisan reforms in Nebraska, examines shifts in voter registration over the...
Platte Institute’s proposal to address the state’s $262 budget gap is to freeze the growth in two tax credit programs. The two-year freeze would yield $162 million in budget savings which, coupled with a $100 million draw down on the state’s rainy-day fund, would fix the issue for the current budget. Going forward, lawmakers should...
Last week, Nebraska’s forecasting board revised its projections, and the news wasn’t good. State revenues continue to fall short of expectations, and lawmakers now face an even larger budget gap than they did just weeks ago. If you caught my email last week, you’ll remember we cautioned against oversteering. That message remains just as relevant...
As the tail end of the legislative session approaches, it’s important for Nebraska lawmakers to keep their eyes on the prize of state tax competitiveness. Revenue uncertainty requires that lawmakers redouble their focus on fiscal discipline and tax competitiveness. For Nebraska, tax competitiveness isn’t just a national issue, it’s a neighborhood issue. Since the year...
President Trump is working with Congressional leaders to produce one “big beautiful bill” that will set the tax and spending baselines for a decade. The bill would be enacted through the Senate’s budget reconciliation process, likely along slim partisan lines. Such a federal package would likely contain a complement of policies, from tax changes to...