Nebraska needs school choice, which empowers families to select what is best for them, creates pressure on all schools to improve, and fosters harmony among diverse people. To best serve Nebraskans, the amount of choice needs to be much greater than what the state has tried to date. First, because choice is something that all...
Nebraska’s Corporation Occupation Tax is a business tax levied upon a business’ net worth in Nebraska rather than the business’ profitability. This form of property taxation is generally known as a capital stock tax, and is calculated based upon the value of capital within the state. The Corporation Occupation Tax funds the Nebraska Secretary of...
Check out our new video to see how the Platte Institute is advocating for a state style REINS Act in Nebraska. In Nebraska, our strong communities and thriving economy depend on a regulatory system that empowers growth, innovation, and opportunity—not one bogged down by unnecessary red tape. But every year, new rules and mandates are...
The Platte Institute began its work in occupational licensing policy in earnest in 2016. Our 2018 review highlighted the many reasons for improving the licensing environment for Nebraskans seeking employment. In 2018, the Platte Institute celebrated the passage of LB299, the Occupational Board Reform Act (OBRA), which has since seen the review of every occupational...
Nebraska was an early mover in regulatory reform, but there is still room for improvement. The State RegData project, in a first-of-its-kind inventory of state regulations, found that in 2017, the state of Nebraska had 100,627 regulatory restrictions on the books—that is, terms within regulatory text that create legal obligations or prohibitions, such as the...
Last week Governor Pillen provided state senators with the newly published 2024 School Property Tax Collection Report and asked them to consider legislation to address inconsistencies in state aid to schools. We applaud the Governor’s ongoing efforts to improve the competitiveness of the state’s education systems and believe addressing the perceived disparities in the state...
Nebraska’s 2023 income tax reforms are beginning to bear fruit in the form of enhanced state tax competitiveness. So says the findings of Tax Foundation’s 2025 State Tax Competitiveness Index, a tool that assesses the competitiveness of each state’s tax code. Nebraska moved up from #30 in the 2024 edition to #24 in the 2025...
Over the last 24 years, Nebraska’s major revenue sources have grown at roughly 2.5-3 times the rate of inflation, with property tax collections outpacing sales and income tax collections at a slightly faster clip. This overall high rate of revenue and spending growth is what drives Nebraska’s high tax burden. Nebraska’s property tax remains the...
This is the first edition of our Annual Cost of Medicaid Expansion report, marking a critical step in providing Nebraskans with transparent, detailed data on the financial impacts of Medicaid expansion. As Medicaid costs have grown rapidly in recent years, this annual report will now offer a consistent and independent source of information, allowing Nebraska...
Aurora officials have had their hearts set on a major tax hike in 2024, causing Aurora residents to scramble to defend their wallets. Luckily, Aurora’s most recent tax grab fell under the scrutiny of Nebraska’s Truth-in-Taxation law, which allowed taxpayers to push back against a massive tax hike. The Truth-in-Taxation neon postcards sent to Aurora...
LR2CA, a constitutional amendment proposed by Senator Tom Brandt, emerged as an interesting option with significant support during Friday’s special session. While this proposal would not immediately change property taxes, it would open a constitutional door for legislators to tax different property types differently. Article VIII of the Nebraska Constitution defines the types of taxes...
Ratemaking is one of the oldest and most important responsibilities of many Public Service Commissions (PSCs) around the US. While the issue isn’t as important as other regulatory tools for the Nebraska Public Service Commission (NePSC) due to the state’s size and the commission’s limited jurisdiction, this research note will provide an overview of ratemaking...
Last week, the Mercatus Center of George Mason University released its 2024 edition of “Snapshots of State Regulations.” As with most rating systems, this allows states to compare themselves to other states and examine particular strengths and weaknesses in their systems. These strengths and weaknesses explain good and bad rankings and provide focus areas for...
I’m frustrated – again. It’s the time of year when we are all braving the heat and the release of countless budgets across the state. And the majority of the elected officials crafting and approving budgets are making the case not only for a Special Legislative Session to reduce property taxes, but reinforcing my number...