At the writing of this blog, the 108th Nebraska Legislature is entering the 7th week of its 90-day session. A massive 812 bills were introduced in the first 10 days of the new session, each receiving a public committee hearing before full-day floor debates begin. Striking this year is the attention the Governor and legislative...
In recent years, states around the country have started experimenting with different methods of voting. Ranked Choice Voting. Instant Runoff Voting. Open Primaries. Approval Voting. All of these methods of voting are being proposed or experimented with in an assortment of configurations in different jurisdictions. From local elections to statewide elections; from primary elections to...
A recent story about Geraldine Tyler in Reason went something like this: 94-year-old Tyler fell behind by $2300 on her property taxes. Interest and fees came to $15,000. The government foreclosed, sold the home for $40,000, and kept the remaining $25,000. Right or wrong, most of us know that government can seize property to collect...
High Resolution Downloadable Study Here. Introduction Nebraska’s property tax burden is the central issue in the state’s tax debate. Property taxes are high and unevenly distributed, making it hard to develop clean solutions for direct tax reduction. Indeed, legislative action in the last several sessions shows that Nebraska lawmakers are working to tame the state’s...
Nebraska levies the 18th-highest corporate income tax rate in the country in 2023, according to a new compilation of state corporate rates from Tax Foundation. The Cornhusker State’s top corporate rate was reduced from 7.5% to 7.25% on January 1st, making Nebraska’s top rate equal to New York’s at #18. Nebraska is one of...
The state flat tax revolution marches on in 2023. Arizona, Idaho, and Mississippi each inaugurated a flat-rate income tax on January 1st, expanding the count of states that opt for a single-rate income tax structure. Massachusetts, on the other hand, moved in the other direction by abandoning its decades-long protection of a flat tax system....
Nebraska’s Legislature will consider major tax reform proposals to slash income and property taxes in 2023. Historic revenue surpluses provide lawmakers a rare opportunity to dramatically cut income and property tax rates, improving the state’s friendliness for both families and firms. Yet one key tax reform can be enacted for “free.” LB 492, introduced by...
As Nebraskans, we’re proud to say our state is the place for the Good Life. Over the years, Nebraska’s had its fair share of controversial mottoes and even license plates. But through it all, the concept of the “Good Life” has been considered about as good as it gets when it comes to capturing what...
Nebraska lawmakers begin 2023 in the midst of a wave of state tax cuts. Most importantly for local families and firms, Nebraska’s individual income tax rate dropped from 6.84% to 6.64% on January 1, and the corporate rate fell from 7.5% to 7.25%. Nebraskans should have more to cheer about in 2023, as influential lawmakers...
As we prepare for the new legislative session, Nebraska’s facing a substantially changed landscape in the Unicameral. There are 16 new state senators, which is nearly one in every three legislative seats. In addition, our governor’s office is transitioning and a wave of retirements is occurring for legislative employees responsible for the important behind the...
The elections are over, and Nebraskans now know who will be representing them in the Nebraska Legislature. People run for public office for a variety of reasons. For many, the decision is because they want to make a difference and help others. For some, they feel that elected officials currently serving have let them down....
Nebraska ranks 39th in the country for property tax competitiveness. How do we modernize our tax policy to keep and attract more people? Today, we’re talking about the future of Nebraska’s tax policy and how we compare to other states. Given the changes in the economy, states are competing to keep their current population and...
We are happy to share with you our 2022 Cottage Food Holiday Guide. The guide contains the offerings and contact information for over 80 Nebraska cottage food producers. These producers are a fraction of the over 1000 individuals who are now registered to operate cottage food businesses in Nebraska thanks to LB304. In 2019, the...
In 2022, the State of Nebraska made it easier for taxpayers to get involved in the process of how local property tax increases are decided, with the adoption of Truth in Taxation. For the first time ever, taxpayers had complete information about which tax entities were seeking major tax hikes, and where they could go...