Approval of expanded gambling should boost property tax credit fund
Nebraska’s 2020 election results are in and Initiative #431 passed, allowing the state to levy a 20% tax on all gross gaming revenue generated within licensed racetracks. Along with companion ballot measures approving expanded gambling, this means slot machines and table gambling will be allowed along with their respective regulations. The licensed horse racetracks in...
Nebraska ranks 17th in cosmetology board capture index
A new study from Arizona State University’s Center for the Study of Economic Liberty (CSEL) focuses on the “regulatory capture” of cosmetology licensing boards around the country. It shows the Nebraska cosmetology board ranked in the middle of the 34-place pack (multiple states are tied for ranks). Regulatory capture in occupational licensing refers to the...
Court: Lincoln cottage food lawsuit can move forward
A lawsuit over city ordinances imposed on home bakers and cottage food producers in Lincoln can move forward. Lancaster County District Court Judge John A. Colborn rejected the city’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, which was filed by area home baker Cindy Harper earlier this year. The city had shut down Harper’s home-based baking operation,...
More housing may be built in Grand Island, but not everyone is happy
A typical zoning hearing in Grand Island shows some of the challenges Nebraska faces in addressing its housing shortage. People will acknowledge more housing is needed, but many current homeowners don’t want new housing to be located near their properties, particularly if it requires changes in zoning that alters the type or style of housing...
Economic Forecasting Board projects higher state tax receipts
The Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board met today and increased the forecast for the expected tax revenue the state will receive during the 2020-2021 fiscal year. While this was one of the regularly scheduled meetings, this meeting had a completely different mood and focus due to the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and recent legislative changes....
Economics can help explain empty campaign promises
“The first lesson of economics is scarcity: there is never enough of anything to fully satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics.” – Thomas Sowell People run for public office for a variety of reasons. For many, the decision is because they want...
These states set the example for a better Nebraska tax system
Today, the 2021 State Business Tax Climate Index was released. Nebraska’s rank has remained unchanged from last year, which is unsurprising, because structural reform has not been accomplished in the Cornhusker State. However, states rising in the rankings, like Kentucky and North Carolina, have significantly overhauled their tax codes and have seen the positive benefits...
Ranking shows no improvements to Nebraska’s business tax climate
In any organization, maintaining the status quo can create an opening for competitors to gain on you and even surpass you. That is exactly what’s happening to Nebraska with our latest ranking in the Tax Foundation’s 2021 State Business Tax Climate Index. In 2020, despite passing major tax legislation, Nebraska lawmakers did nothing to structurally...
Tax Foundation calculations prompt explicit response from rapper 50 Cent
Many of us focus on the most hated tax in Nebraska, which is the property tax, but did you know the income tax can change some people’s minds about business decisions and even who they vote for? A tweet from rapper-turned-actor and entrepreneur 50 Cent implies he’d prefer the Trump tax policy based on analysis of...
Nebraska’s September unemployment rate remains nation’s lowest
The Nebraska Department of Labor reports that September’s state unemployment rate remains the lowest in the country, at 3.5%. Last month’s rate is half a percentage point higher than the state unemployment rate was this time last year, but continues a trend back toward pre-pandemic employment levels. The department reports that education and health, professional...
Mobile nail salon shows the beauty of entrepreneurship
Just as the Great Recession gave rise to a generation of food truck entrepreneurs, Jadomté Mobile Nail Bar is finding its niche during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of providing manicures and pedicures from a brick and mortar location, owner and nail artist Sabrina Mahupete built the Jadomté salon inside a trailer, allowing her to hitch...
Nebraska has spent half its CARES Act funds, but more transparency is needed
Where did all the CARES Act money go in Nebraska? Federal taxpayers in Nebraska have a right to know the answer. The Platte Institute published a report calling for more transparency in mid-September, and less than a month later the state published its dashboard providing that added transparency. The state’s dashboard shows that $587 million...
The Nebraska Department of Revenue released their report for September’s 2020 General Fund tax revenues today, and the state is continuing to recover from the recession we entered just a short 6 months ago. According to the department, the actual tax revenues are 5.4% higher for the fiscal year than projected by the state’s revenue forecasting...
Republican and Democratic governors say licensing reforms are “jobs bills”
Many states have undertaken a series of occupational licensing reforms across the country—some comprehensive and some piecemeal. From regular licensing reviews to expanding licensing opportunities, to eliminating licenses that no longer make sense in today’s context, to removing exclusions for those who have felonies in their backgrounds, many policymakers recognize that licensing requirements can limit...