Sometimes, circumstances remind me of songs, and the John Lennon song "Imagine" came to mind as I was reading the articles I link to below. This article popped up in my Google alerts yesterday. It appears that a couple of legislators in Tennessee have decided to float a very bold idea: Tennessee lawmakers introduced two...
On Thursday, I testified on two bills before the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee of the Nebraska Legislature. The first one I testified on was Senator Andrew La Grone's (LD49) LB1187, which would provide for "universal recognition" of occupational licenses of people who move to Nebraska from other states. A nice write up of...
Jim Vokal joined the KFAB Morning News to discuss a proposal to replace most state and local taxes with a consumption tax.
It’s been an interesting couple of weeks in Nebraska on the occupational licensing front. Yesterday was particularly interesting. My colleague, Laura Ebke, testified yesterday in support of LB1187 introduced by Sen. Andrew LaGrone to allow for universal recognition of occupational licenses held in good standing in other states for individuals coming to Nebraska to...
Politicians have to back up their promises with a stable base of revenue.
This op-ed, posted recently in The Hill, suggests that licensing is not just about reducing “red tape”–it’s also about giving people real opportunities to lift themselves from poverty. Licensing laws are barriers that can put your dreams on hold for years. They also make us less safe. Individuals who have made mistakes in the past,...
Read the Omaha World-Herald's latest editorial on the Platte Institute's licensing reform efforts.
An article published by Reason Magazine today points out the insidious nature of many states’ occupational licensing frameworks. The Hillsbourough County Sheriff’s office conducted a 9-month “sting” operation, which resulted in the arrest of 118 men and women. The sting, according to Patch, saw sheriff’s deputies pose as homeowners seeking handymen on social media to do jobs...
When I was running for the Legislature (both times), property taxes where high on peoples’ minds. I tried to listen to their concerns, and some comments I heard while watching the legislative coverage several days ago (and then again today) reminded me of some of the things that I’d heard, and the difficulty that I...
A Nebraska transportation law is explicitly designed to strangle competition.
Jim Vokal joined Chris Baker to talk about LR300CA.
Senator Steve Erdman dropped a surprise in the hopper on the last day of bill introduction. And his surprise is designed to decrease the “shakedown effect” that many Nebraskans feel when it comes time to pay property and income taxes. LB300CA–a proposal for a “Constitutional amendment to prohibit all forms of taxation other than a...
We have a right to earn an honest living. This right is protected by the U.S. Constitution. Entrepreneurship and good old-fashioned free market competition are playing a lot of defense nowadays. Protectionism has gone unchecked due to the significant increase in career paths subject to occupational licensing. These occupational licenses are often barriers to...
A new report covers a lot of ground on Nebraska's property tax problems.