September is Truth in Taxation Month in Nebraska
September is Truth in Taxation Month in Nebraska
September is typically when we think of the beginning of fall and settling into the routine of a new school year. However, this year September will take on a new meaning. September is now Truth in Taxation month here in Nebraska. This year, our cities, counties, school boards, and community colleges are required to engage...
By Elizabeth Hallgren
How inflation and taxes impact Nebraska farms and factories
How inflation and taxes impact Nebraska farms and factories
Inflation is the top concern for families heading into midterm elections. Americans largely see federal government actions as hurting their households, and they’re right. As a result of the federal inflationary whirlwind, real wages have fallen 3.6% over the last year. Inflation and supply chain disruptions hurt all household budgets. But they also impact different...
By Michael Lucci
Sign the Petition – Post the Unicameral’s Videos Online
Sign the Petition – Post the Unicameral’s Videos Online
“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...
By Elizabeth Hallgren
Nebraska businesses face 2023 tax increase unless Legislature acts
Nebraska businesses face 2023 tax increase unless Legislature acts
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...
By Michael Lucci
How the Platte Institute Can Help Nebraskans with Elizabeth Hallgren
How the Platte Institute Can Help Nebraskans with Elizabeth Hallgren
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...
Tracking Waste, Fraud & Abuse in Nebraska with Addie Costello & Deputy Auditor Craig Kubicek
Tracking Waste, Fraud & Abuse in Nebraska with Addie Costello & Deputy Auditor Craig Kubicek
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.
How’s Nebraska’s jobs recovery going? It depends on who you ask.
How’s Nebraska’s jobs recovery going? It depends on who you ask.
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...
By Michael Lucci
Nebraska is losing taxpayers. See where they’re moving.
Nebraska is losing taxpayers. See where they’re moving.
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...
By Michael Lucci
A Flurry of Fraud: City Clerks Have Recently Stolen Money from 17 Nebraska Towns
A Flurry of Fraud: City Clerks Have Recently Stolen Money from 17 Nebraska Towns
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...
Report rewards Nebraska’s peers moving to flat income taxes
Report rewards Nebraska’s peers moving to flat income taxes
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,...
By Michael Lucci