Regulatory Reform Archives - Page 6 of 38

Nebraska closed 2020 with lowest unemployment rate, but workforce challenges remain

In December, Nebraska’s state unemployment rate remained the country’s lowest at a preliminary rate of 3%, matching neighboring South Dakota for the top spot, according to figures released by the Nebraska Department of Labor and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Non-farm employment increased by 5,394 for the month, which the Labor Department called...

By Adam Weinberg

The Full Platter Podcast: 21 Great Bills for 2021

Senators have introduced hundreds of bills in the new legislative session. We discuss 21 of them that we’re supporting to remove barriers for Nebraskans in 2021. Resources mentioned in this episode: The Platte Institute’s Take Action Page Find Your Senator Wyoming Legislature considers universal recognition of occupational licenses Bills discussed in this episode (listed by...

Wyoming legislature considers universal recognition of occupational licenses

Occupational licensing reform has been one of the hot topics in state legislatures throughout the country for the last five years or so. What started out as an effort to chip away on excessive or no-longer-needed occupational regulation has turned into a state-by-state, nationwide effort to reform the way that we think about licensing jobs....

By Laura Ebke

State of the State emphasizes taxes and licensing reform

In his State of the State Address, Gov. Pete Ricketts outlined his priorities for the next two years during the 107th Nebraska Legislature. He started by proposing only a 1.5% growth rate to the state’s budget while highlighting areas including property tax relief, making Nebraska more welcoming to veterans and the military, job licensing reform, public...

By Sarah Curry, Laura Ebke

Licensing review prompts bill to eliminate locksmith registration

Lincoln-area state Sen. Matt Hansen has introduced a remarkable bill, and it’s only one sentence long (which we don’t see enough). LB169 starts with the words: “The following sections are outright repealed…” The sections of statute that would be repealed refer to the registration, or occupational licensing, of locksmiths. Locksmiths were among the occupations reviewed as...

By Laura Ebke

Report: Regulatory burdens reduced Nebraska jobs and businesses

While some regulation will always be necessary, Nebraska needs to make sure its regulations are not unintentionally inhibiting economic prosperity or harming the potential to create jobs and allow businesses to expand. As of August of 2020, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University had inventoried 44 states’ regulatory restrictions. Compared with the 43 other...

By Nicole Fox

Occupational board reform act reports submitted as scheduled

December 15 was the statutory deadline for committee submission of final reports of reviews in compliance with the Occupational Board Reform Act (LB299, 2018). Although two committee reports have yet to be uploaded on the Legislature’s website, it appears that the change in the scheduling of the legislative session (as a result of COVID) and...

By Laura Ebke

Nebraska’s economy returned to growth in 2020’s third quarter

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis has released state Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures for the third quarter of 2020, with the welcome news that every state experienced a return to growth. Nebraska registered an annualized 33.2% GDP growth rate. The country as a whole saw a similar percentage increase, at 33.4%. GDP is a...

By Adam Weinberg

KC Federal Reserve: Small business in Nebraska still at risk

Economists with the Omaha branch of the Kansas City Federal Reserve suggest that at year-end, there are still challenges ahead for small businesses in the Cornhusker State. The analysis points out the strength of Nebraska’s COVID recovery thus far: relatively low employment throughout the year, with even the increased numbers that were seen in April,...

By Laura Ebke

November jobless rate up only slightly, but workforce challenge remains

In November, Nebraska’s state unemployment rate increased slightly to 3.1%, according to the Nebraska Department of Labor. The jobless rate still ties Nebraska with Vermont for the country’s lowest rate. In October, Nebraska had a 3% unemployment rate. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics would say that the difference between 3% and 3.1% is not...

By Adam Weinberg

Presidential executive order calls for more licensing reform efforts

On Monday, President Trump signed an executive order which urges the continued work of states and localities in the area of occupational licensing. This would include states like Nebraska and Iowa, who have been toiling for several years in this arena. While most occupational licensing takes place at the state level (and, so, problems with...

By Laura Ebke

Podcast: Build More Housing with Emily Hamilton

Emily Hamilton, a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University joined Adam Weinberg to discuss her new Plate Institute policy brief, Build More Housing: Land Use Reform Opportunities for Nebraska’s Cities.

Build More Housing: Land Use Reform Opportunities for Nebraska’s Cities

Introduction Across the U.S., local zoning ordinances limit the amount of housing that can be built within their jurisdictions and drive up costs for housing that is permitted. These regulations are particularly burdensome for low-income households.1 The effects of land use regulations on housing costs are largest in high-cost coastal regions, but the ubiquity of...

By Emily Hamilton, Kelcie McKinley

Licensing recognition can help launch projects like Space Command in Nebraska

This article from the Lincoln Journal Star popped up in my notifications a bit ago, and while the first section talks primarily about COVID-19 response and plans at the University of Nebraska, here’s one excerpt that struck me as the most interesting. Ted Carter, the University of Nebraska president, is also a retired U.S. Navy...

By Laura Ebke