Someday, you might have a conversation with a loved one too young to remember 2020. Maybe you’ll recall your online visits with the people you missed. Victoria Kerber just turned five years old recently. For her, getting online during the pandemic meant learning how to one day share her own story. Victoria has a rare...
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 will provide more than $500 billion of aid to state and local governments. Much of this money will go to state and local governments that have already seen their revenues recover from last year’s recession. Because some states are currently posting revenue surpluses, they may be encouraged...
Every bill introduced in the Nebraska Legislature in 2021 has now received a public hearing. But that’s just the beginning of the Platte Institute’s work to lower taxes, provide good governance, reduce red tape, and increase government transparency. During the first few months of the 2021 session, many of the staff at the Platte Institute...
A measure expanding access to telehealth services in Nebraska has been advanced from the Health and Human Services Committee and now awaits legislative debate. The Platte Institute was one of twelve organizations providing testimony in support of Sen. John Arch’s LB400. Today, the Sarpy County senator gave the bill his priority designation. Senators are able...
A bill in the Nebraska Legislature could help a Navy veteran begin the career he trained for in the service. And he’s not the only one. Laura Ebke speaks with Bridgeport native Mike Beyer on why universal recognition of job licensing and work experience would remove barriers for him and the services he can provide...
Bridgeport native Mike Beyer is someone who makes his community and country proud. From 2010 to 2018, he served as a Construction Electrician in the Navy, including assignments at Camp David and U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command. On his deployments to Iraq, Petty Officer Second Class Beyer supported SEAL Teams 3 and 7 as a...
The Nebraska Revenue Forecasting Board met today to discuss the status of the state’s revenue picture. This year the state of Nebraska will be drafting its two-year, or biennial, budget and will need an accurate forecast of state revenues. Overall, the mood of the meeting was very optimistic. On a national scene, Nebraska is recovering...
This update on Lincoln’s cottage food ordinance is provided courtesy of the Institute for Justice, which represents Cindy Harper, a cottage food producer who lives in Lincoln. The city of Lincoln has amended the cottage food ordinance that last year prompted a lawsuit by the Institute for Justice (IJ) and home baker Cindy Harper, in...
To grow and prosper, Nebraska needs a larger workforce. Laura Ebke joins Jim Vokal to discuss why states are adopting universal recognition of job licensing and work experience to roll out the red carpet for workers and entrepreneurs. Resources mentioned on this episode: Take Action on LB263 LB263: Universal Recognition of Job Licensing Eager to...
Nebraska state senators in the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee have held their hearing on Sen. Tom Briese’s LB263. The bill provides for universal recognition, a pro-growth policy recognizing out-of-state occupational licenses based on the training or testing requirements a licensed applicant has already completed. It does not delicense any profession; rather, it eliminates...
Colorado’s Democratic Gov. Jared Polis presented his State of the State address this week. In the speech, Polis proposed to make his state the latest to scrap personal property taxes on business equipment. A proposal moving in the same general direction is being considered this session in Montana, where the exemption would be doubled to...
On Wednesday, Nebraska’s neighbors to the north passed HB1077, a bill to provide universal recognition for occupational licensing. That bill, introduced at the request of Gov. Kristi Noem, is just waiting for her signature. The bill was passed in both houses by near-unanimous votes and will represent the third of Nebraska’s neighbors (Iowa and Missouri...
Nebraska is one of only six states that levies an inheritance tax, but senators in both parties are working on ways to reduce the burden on families and businesses. Jim Vokal and Sarah Curry discuss a new report on one of Nebraska’s least understood taxes. Resources mentioned in this episode: Death and Taxes: Nebraska’s Inheritance...
Executive Summary Nebraska has been seeking ways to modernize its tax code for several years, and unfortunately, the inheritance tax has often been left out of the analysis. The inheritance tax is a worthy subject for tax modernization and reform because only six states continue to have this tax: Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey,...