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...
As Nebraska lawmakers work to close a revenue gap and consider additional property tax relief, they should focus on revenue sources with the wherewithal to produce revenue over time. Unfortunately, the tobacco tax hike proposed in an amendment 603 to LB 170 not only would fail to be an enduring revenue source, it would risk...
Nebraska’s property tax ranks 45th in the nation for overall property tax competitiveness, according to the Tax Foundation’s annual state rankings. One reason that Nebraska’s property tax is so uncompetitive is because the overall property tax burden is so high and because Nebraska’s property tax caps are too loose. These problems are interrelated. Over time, effective...
K-12 school districts account for over $3 billion of all Nebraska property tax collections, making up 60% of the whole. So if lawmakers are looking to deliver tax relief, school district property taxes are a natural target. Lawmakers have used tools from tax credits (beginning with 2020’s LB 1107) to new education funding (such as...
Education is the cornerstone of opportunity, and in Nebraska, community college Dual Enrollment has emerged as a game-changer for high school students. By allowing students to earn college credits while still in high school, Dual Enrollment not only accelerates academic achievement but also fosters long-term success in higher education and beyond. For the past five...