Platte Institute Staying Busy Over Legislative Interim

While there’s always more that can be done to cut red tape in Lincoln, it’s good that we send our lawmakers home with half the year to spare. 

The real business of Nebraskans happens outside the Legislature. We can all use a regular reminder that there’s much more to life than government. 

And we can all use some time to study up on the issues. 

As our senators take the next six months to focus more on family and their jobs outside the Capitol, the Platte Institute will be hard at work preparing more resources to help the Unicameral remove barriers to you living your own Good Life.

The Legislature may have punted on tax reform this year, but we’re not giving up on them yet. 

There are still many other ways to right-size the burden of government on your pocketbook. Tax rates are important, but there are plenty of hidden taxes in Nebraska too, which come in the form of various regulations.

With nearly 200 careers still requiring a government license, and 43 chapters in the state’s regulatory code alone, there is always room for improvement, and a constant need to be on guard against additional unnecessary roadblocks.

There are also other destructive taxes in Nebraska that deserve more attention than they’re getting. 

For example, did you know Nebraska places a heavy property tax on business equipment, while most Midwestern states have completely ended or significantly reduced this tax?

That’s why over the next six months, our team will be releasing new research and hosting programs that can set the stage for yet another year of breaking down barriers to growth and opportunity:

• In the next month, we’ll release our recap of occupational licensing reform in the 2017 legislative session. We’ll show where progress has been made, the latest input from researchers and regulators nationwide, and why some important reforms are facing obstacles in the Nebraska Legislature.
   
• Over the interim, we’ll hit the road, hosting events in support of a comprehensive licensing reform framework with research and insights from allies including the Nebraska ACLU, the Institute for Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and Sen. Laura Ebke. 
   
• Our involvement in the tax reform discussion will continue with new research on Nebraska’s counterproductive personal property tax.
   
• And we’ll also take a deep dive into Nebraska’s state regulatory code, looking at which of our state’s industries are most negatively impacted by regulations. Then, with this data, we’ll conduct the Institute’s very first field research project, getting our hands dirty with workers and entrepreneurs statewide who are struggling with bureaucracy, and partnering with them to identify less-restrictive alternatives.

With these tools, we can provide even more Nebraskans with a chance to find and create great opportunities in our state. Subscribe to our weekly email to stay informed about these projects.