Regulatory Reform Archives - Platte Institute

Nebraska and Iowa groups call for uniform approach to job licensing

In a letter addressed to the governors of Iowa and Nebraska, and state legislators, the leaders of two Midwestern policy organizations propose that both states can improve their economic response to the COVID-19 recession by adopting each other’s recent professional licensing reform legislation. Platte Institute Chief Executive Officer Jim Vokal and Iowans for Tax Relief...

By Adam Weinberg

New legislation can welcome workers to Nebraska

As sometimes happens when you’re reading stories online, you stumble across things you’d never seen from months ago. In this case, I ran into this article from Forbes—published in January of this year—which talks about a study by Atlas Van Lines that tracked migration patterns in the country in 2019. The study found that in...

By Laura Ebke

Help entrepreneurs find paths to success in the pandemic

A recent Wall Street Journal article opens with this line: “The coronavirus destroyed jobs. It also created entrepreneurs.” Although the economy has struggled throughout the pandemic, the challenges have opened up new opportunities for some, as well. “As horrible as [the pandemic] is, and as badly as it has affected so many people, it has...

By Laura Ebke

Nebraska has low unemployment again, but for how long?

The Nebraska Department of Labor reports that the state’s October 2020 unemployment rate declined to 3%, which ranks as the country’s lowest for the third consecutive month. Nebraska’s unemployment rate fell 0.6% from September to October, with non-farm employment increasing by 8,912. Nebraska has not seen an unemployment rate this low since before the pandemic...

By Adam Weinberg

Nebraska ranks 17th in cosmetology board capture index

A new study from Arizona State University’s Center for the Study of Economic Liberty (CSEL) focuses on the “regulatory capture” of cosmetology licensing boards around the country. It shows the Nebraska cosmetology board ranked in the middle of the 34-place pack (multiple states are tied for ranks). Regulatory capture in occupational licensing refers to the...

By Laura Ebke

Court: Lincoln cottage food lawsuit can move forward

A lawsuit over city ordinances imposed on home bakers and cottage food producers in Lincoln can move forward. Lancaster County District Court Judge John A. Colborn rejected the city’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, which was filed by area home baker Cindy Harper earlier this year. The city had shut down Harper’s home-based baking operation,...

By Adam Weinberg

More housing may be built in Grand Island, but not everyone is happy

A typical zoning hearing in Grand Island shows some of the challenges Nebraska faces in addressing its housing shortage. People will acknowledge more housing is needed, but many current homeowners don’t want new housing to be located near their properties, particularly if it requires changes in zoning that alters the type or style of housing...

By Adam Weinberg

Nebraska’s September unemployment rate remains nation’s lowest

The Nebraska Department of Labor reports that September’s state unemployment rate remains the lowest in the country, at 3.5%. Last month’s rate is half a percentage point higher than the state unemployment rate was this time last year, but continues a trend back toward pre-pandemic employment levels. The department reports that education and health, professional...

By Adam Weinberg

Mobile nail salon shows the beauty of entrepreneurship

Just as the Great Recession gave rise to a generation of food truck entrepreneurs, Jadomté Mobile Nail Bar is finding its niche during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of providing manicures and pedicures from a brick and mortar location, owner and nail artist Sabrina Mahupete built the Jadomté salon inside a trailer, allowing her to hitch...

By Adam Weinberg

Republican and Democratic governors say licensing reforms are “jobs bills”

Many states have undertaken a series of occupational licensing reforms across the country—some comprehensive and some piecemeal. From regular licensing reviews to expanding licensing opportunities, to eliminating licenses that no longer make sense in today’s context, to removing exclusions for those who have felonies in their backgrounds, many policymakers recognize that licensing requirements can limit...

By Laura Ebke

Nebraska state senators should make to-go cocktail rule permanent

The service industry makes up a large part of Nebraska’s economy, and as noted in a previous policy brief, was heavily impacted by COVID-19. During the early months of the COVID pandemic, both restaurants and bars suffered significant revenue losses. While Gov. Ricketts did not completely shut down the state, the Directed Health Measures (DHM’s)...

By Nicole Fox

Legislative Summit Podcast: Licensing in a Remote Economy

Legislative Summit Podcast: Regulatory Reform Roundtable

2019-2020 Nebraska Occupational Licensing Review

Introduction Much has changed since our 2018 review of Nebraska’s progress on occupational licensing policy and reform. The first year of licensing reviews growing out of LB299, Nebraska’s Occupational Board Reform Act, were completed in 2019. Committees of the Unicameral reviewed 26 individual licenses across eight of the standing committees. Several of the other committees—either...

By Laura Ebke