“The Salvation of the State is Watchfulness in the Citizen” Some of you may remember that those are the words etched into the stone above the main entrance to our State Capitol building. Video recordings and archives of floor debate and committee hearings are one of the primary tools most states and U.S. territories...
Nebraska is widely acknowledged to face one of the most severe labor shortages in the country. Even if every unemployed Nebraskan found work right this minute, there would be tens of thousands of jobs still unfilled. Although the nature of the labor market is currently changing all across the country, not every state is being...
Nebraska lawmakers enacted tax relief in 2022 in the form of LB873, which cut individual and corporate income taxes, eliminated taxation of Social Security benefits, and expanded a property tax credit program. The lion’s share of the tax relief will go to households in the form of income tax cuts and property tax credits, yet...
Platte Institute Community Engagement Director Elizabeth Hallgren joins Jim Vokal to talk about her experiences as an educator and small business advocate, and how Nebraskans can stay informed and help remove barriers to success in their state. A transcript of this episode is available below. If you’d like to watch this episode on YouTube, press...
City clerks in 17 small Nebraska towns have been caught stealing from taxpayers in recent years. Addie Costello of the Flatwater Free Press and Nebraska Deputy Auditor Craig Kubicek discuss ways Nebraskans can trust but verify what government is doing with your money, and what to do if you see something that might be wrong.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly jobs report shows Nebraska retained the nation’s lowest jobless rate in May at 1.9%. That’s an indicator of a tight labor market, which can make it hard for businesses to hire and expand. Indeed, businesses across the country are experiencing a labor shortage due to a confluence of factors...
When taxpayers vote with their feet, policymakers should listen. Nebraska endured one of the nation’s largest migration-caused losses of income between 2019 and 2020, according to taxpayer migration data released by the Internal Revenue Service. Nebraska’s net loss of annual income due to outmigration was nearly $500 million. The Wall Street Journal described the new...
Eli Vedral, a student-athlete at Creighton University, joins Jim to discuss how a change in Nebraska legislation enabled him to start a home-based baking business, Kookaburra Cookies. A transcript of this episode is available below. If you’d like to watch this episode on YouTube, press play. Or you can listen to the podcast on Spotify...
By Addie Costello Flatwater Free Press Over and over again, Steve Sharp told the village clerk that she deserved a raise. When Sharp was elected chairperson of the village board in 2010, Mary Terry had already worked as Cedar Creek’s village clerk and treasurer for nearly a decade. Terry controlled Cedar Creek’s finances, records, utilities...
Nebraska ranks 36th in economic outlook according to the 2022 Rich States, Poor States report. The annual report ranks states for economic competitiveness using a comprehensive analysis of economic policy factors. While public policies aren’t the only factor for economic growth, they are some of the most controllable factors for states. Nebraska’s current ranking is lackluster,...
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Nebraska communities of all sizes were experiencing housing shortages, and from 2008 to 2018, Nebraska saw the 6th fastest increase in home prices among all states. That’s why the Blueprint Nebraska economic initiative has set the goal of increasing the housing supply and making our state a national leader for...
Election policy expert Tyler Fisher, from the nonpartisan reform group Unite America, joins Jim Vokal to discuss why state and federal election systems often incentivize policy outcomes that leave most Americans dissatisfied, and what Nebraska can do to give the majority of voters more say in who represents them in Lincoln and Washington. A transcript...
Nebraska picked up 1,900 non-farm payroll jobs in April according to new monthly data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state jobless rate fell to 1.9%, keeping Nebraska tied with Utah for the lowest jobless rate in the nation. Overall, Nebraska showed gains on both surveys that make up the monthly jobs report, and...
A gusher of tax revenues poured into Nebraska state coffers in April, creating an unexpected revenue bump for the month when most Nebraskans file their annual tax returns. Revenues were strong across the board, with a surge in personal and corporate income taxes more than covering a slight underperformance in sales tax revenues. Nebraska’s surprisingly...