Nebraskans pay their taxes faithfully to local governments, reasonably expecting their hard-earned money to be spent for the improvement and advancement of their local communities. While most tax dollars are eventually spent by local governments directly in their communities, where is this money kept from the time it is collected to when it gets spent? ...
When it comes to economic development, workforce attraction, and keeping young families rooted in Nebraska, many of our communities face a fundamental bottleneck: housing supply. While much of the national conversation around housing affordability focuses on high interest rates and construction costs, one piece of the puzzle remains within our own control. Government regulations, outdated...
Nebraska is one of a shrinking number of states that still tax the transfer of property at death, and the only state to impose such a tax at the local level. Some states impose estate taxes, which fall on the decedent’s estate above some exclusion, typically of several million dollars. Nebraska is one of five...
Most of us picture lawmaking as a public process: a bill is introduced, debated, amended, approved by the legislature, signed by the governor, and scrutinized carefully. But agencies are increasingly bypassing that public process. In Washington and state capitals such as Lincoln, agency staff can use guidance documents—such as memos, policy letters, and online instructions—to...
Tune in to the latest episode of Nebraskanomics as we welcome the 41st Governor of the State of Nebraska, Governor Jim Pillen. During the episode Governor Pillen and Platte Institute Chief Executive Officer Jim Vokal discuss the future of tax reform in Nebraska, how we can attract workers, families, and investment to our state, and...
In the last three posts on this topic, we’ve examined the shifting sands of Nebraska’s demographics. We’ve seen that we are actively losing the regional race for domestic migration (Post 1), that our population is rapidly concentrating along the I-80 corridor (Post 2), and that our rural workforce is aging out at an unsustainable rate...
This is the sixth (and final) in a series of research notes written by our summer intern, Ethan, exploring different facets of housing policy, both in Nebraska and in some of our sister states. Housing affordability consistently ranks among the top priorities and concerns for Nebraska consumers. Studies repeatedly show that land use regulation significantly...
If you want to understand the future of Nebraska’s economy, you have to look at who is building it. In our previous post, we mapped the geographic reality of Nebraska’s population: steady growth consolidating along the I-80 corridor, while rural counties face compounding demographic declines. But population size is only half the story. The composition...
Tune in to the latest episode of Nebraskanomics as we welcome research specialist with the Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth, Ricky Feir. During the episode Ricky and Platte CEO Jim Vokal discuss the impact of childcare to growing states, policies to make childcare more cost effective, and how Nebraska ranks compared to other...
For Nebraska to reach its full potential, we must become a state where young families and workers want to build their futures. No single policy will make that happen. It requires sound tax policy, sensible regulation, greater freedom for individuals and businesses, attractive jobs, strong schools, and an affordable cost of living. For young families,...
This is the second in a series of Research Notes written by our summer intern, Ethan Roth. Ethan had the opportunity to attend a weekend economics conference earlier this summer and incorporated some of what he’s finding in his housing research into what he learned at the conference. I recently had the opportunity to attend...
This is the first in a series of “Research Notes” compiled by our summer intern, Ethan Roth. We have him looking at an assortment of things related to housing in Nebraska. We thought others might be interested in some of the things that he is seeing. These findings will add to our base of knowledge...
Lincoln’s new budget levies the same property tax rate as last year, with Mayor Gaylor Baird boasting that “except for voter-approved stormwater bonds, the city of Lincoln has not increased the property tax rate during my administration.” The statement is accurate—and yet Lincoln homeowners’ property tax bills will increase under the new budget. Same rate,...
We recently posted about childcare regulations, and Nebraska’s solid standing according to the Archbridge Institute. But there are lots of data points to consider when it comes to childcare issues, and how childcare influences a state’s workforce, and another one showed up today, from Wallethub–childcare costs. When we talk about Nebraska’s outmigration problem, we often...