Does Nebraska Need More Regulations Than Minnesota?

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University has started evaluating state regulations, counting the number of regulations in state codes, and looking at which industries these regulations targeted.  Multiple economic studies show that excessive regulations have harmful effects on prosperity and growth. Naturally, we wanted to know if Nebraska has excessive regulation or not.
 

Whether we realize it or not, we are touched by regulations every day. And while many are more familiar with federal regulations, there are plenty of state regulations as well.  These range from building codes, occupational licenses, motor vehicle laws, and many more. In some cases these regulations were created in the interest of public safety, but over the years they have become layers upon layers of red tape that businesses and citizens must navigate to live their lives.

Many of today’s regulations in Nebraska place a hidden tax on employers, workers, and consumers that increase the difficulty of making a living.
 

The best way to determine if Nebraska has excessive regulation is to compare to other states.  There are many federal regulations that require state regulations to be implemented, but these rules will apply to all states. Also, a state with significantly more people and businesses will more than likely have more regulations than a state with less people and businesses, meaning a look at the raw number of regulations alone can be misleading. 

A per capita analysis of regulations gives a clearer picture how Nebraska ranks compared to other states in the country:[1]

From the data available, Nebraska ranks 2^nd in regulations per capita.  That’s certainty an argument for reviewing which of these regulations may be needed and which are excessive.  Still, many states that are not included in this analysis because Mercatus has not yet finished its review of all 50 states. One thing we can deduce in the meantime is that Nebraska has more regulations per capita than three of its neighboring states: Iowa, Missouri, and Colorado.  This should send a sign to state lawmakers and policymakers that something needs to be done to roll back state regulations if Nebraska wants to be competitive amongst its neighbors.
 

Nebraska‘s state regulations come with a significant burden that have impeded the state’s economic growth. In a time when Nebraska is not experiencing robust economic growth, something must be done to provide Nebraska businesses and citizens the opportunities to reach their full potential and ultimately better the state’s economy.

Photo by: Jonathan Joseph Bondhus