Letter of Support for Legislative Bill 733
Dear Chairman Friesen and members of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee,
I am writing to express the Platte Institute’s support for Sen. Thibodeau’s Legislative Bill 733, “Change provisions relating to licenses of county highway and city street superintendents.”
In a forthcoming Platte Institute report, “Nebraska’s Hidden Tax: Red Tape Regulation Harming Economic Growth,” our policy director Sarah Curry reviews the cost of complying with state regulations, including fees, licenses, and permits collected by the State of Nebraska.
In 2016, the cost of paying for fees, licenses and permits reached over $300 million. A study by the Beacon Hill Institute identified an additional $110 million cost associated with Nebraskans in the private sector complying with state regulations.
Two costs that were not evaluated by the study were those imposed on government entities, and the opportunities that individuals and businesses forgo when they must spend time complying with regulations, or acquiring or renewing licenses or permits, instead of providing their intended goods or services.
The Platte Institute believes that LB 733 will assist in reducing these two costs, which are difficult to measure, but apparent in any conversation with officials and professionals who must comply with licensing requirements.
Although the amount of fees collected for highway and street superintendent licensure would effectively remain the same, by changing licensing to a 3-year period instead of 1 year, there would be a less frequent need to process renewals on the part of the Nebraska Department of Transportation, and fewer disruptions to day-to-day operations for licensees.
For these reasons, LB 733 builds upon the Legislature’s growing commitment to cut red tape, and the executive branch’s stated goal of making government more effective, efficient, and customer-focused. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions the committee may have. The Platte Institute is always glad to be a resource to the Nebraska Legislature.
Sincerely,
Nicole Fox
Director of Government Relations
Platte Institute