Nonprofits and charities form a third or “independent sector” that delivers important services and benefits that neither governments nor profit-seeking businesses can deliver as effectively. The state and local taxing entities should be careful not to supplant these institutions of civil society. What do I mean? In Scottsbluff one of the top local stories was...
A state auditor's report found the city of Friend had been paying hundreds of thousands of dollars more for items such as pool chemicals and paper towels that were routinely sold to other Nebraska towns for much less. According to a Lincoln Journal Star article, "Auditors laid blame on the vague purchase descriptions provided to...
Last year Nebraska was ranked the 26th best business tax climate in the nation. This year we dropped 2 spots to 28th. Wisconsin and Oklahoma are the two states that passed us. Nebraska Rank Overall Rank 28th (-2) Corporate Taxes 31st (-2) Individual Taxes 21st (no change) Sales Taxes 10th (-2) Property Taxes 41 (no...
Many people misunderstand the difference between engaging in partisanship and holding differences of opinion on policy issues.
The Pew Charitable Trusts just released new analysis that shows around 1/3 of every state’s revenue came from the federal government in 2017. Nebraska was at 30.9%. The majority of this funding helps to pay for public services such as health care, education, transportation, and infrastructure. This is important for our lawmakers to be aware...
Folks in "liberal Massachusetts" are currently looking at the cost of occupational licensing, thanks to a report from the Pioneer Institute (with help from our friends at the Institute for Justice). Their report points out some of the many inconsistencies like those we've seen in Nebraska. For instance, as this Boston Globe article points out,...
An article just posted by the Lincoln Journal Star reports on the Revenue Committee’s most recent plan to address the property tax problem in Nebraska. “The Legislature’s Revenue Committee on Tuesday changed course, tentatively focusing on a proposed $100 million annual increase in the state property tax credit fund during each of the next three...
Future Florida House Speaker, Paul Renner, seems to be declaring war on occupational licensure in his state. “Occupational licensing is essentially a permission slip for you do what you are passionate about, what you are trained to do, and to provide for your family,” he added. “Think about that: government giving you a permission slip...
Will senators back off of proposals to eliminate sales tax exemptions?
Nebraska recently got some not-so-good news. A Kiplinger analysis suggests that Nebraska is the #1 worst state for retirees from a tax standpoint. Nebraska takes the cake as the least tax-friendly state for retirees, according to the analysis, which Mengle admits is likely to surprise people. “In Nebraska’s case, high income taxes and property taxes...
There is—seemingly--cross-partisan support for occupational licensing reform, and yet little seems to get done.
Policymakers and the public need to start with a set of guiding principles if they have any hope of moving budgets, at both the state and local levels, away from special interests and toward the public interest.
So far, the state has been unable to curb property tax increases, despite now spending $275 million a year to subsidize the local taxes.
A little-known state law allows existing transportation companies to prevent new competitors from being formed.