Removing Barriers for Nebraskans

Property taxes are on the ballot in multiple states, but not Nebraska

Property taxes are on the ballot in multiple states, but not Nebraska

Most of the focus for the election this year has been on the presidential race, but did you know many states have property tax initiatives on their ballot this year? California Proposition 15 would undo the protections of California’s historic Proposition 13 property tax limitations and introduce “split roll” property taxation—commercial properties would be assessed...

By Sarah Curry

Nebraska state senators should make to-go cocktail rule permanent

Nebraska state senators should make to-go cocktail rule permanent

The service industry makes up a large part of Nebraska’s economy, and as noted in a previous policy brief, was heavily impacted by COVID-19. During the early months of the COVID pandemic, both restaurants and bars suffered significant revenue losses. While Gov. Ricketts did not completely shut down the state, the Directed Health Measures (DHM’s)...

By Nicole Fox

Nebraska State Senator Sue Crawford wins Platte Institute Legislative Achievement Award

Nebraska State Senator Sue Crawford wins Platte Institute Legislative Achievement Award

Nebraska state Sen. Sue Crawford is the winner of the Platte Institute’s inaugural Legislative Achievement Award. The Legislative Achievement Award recognizes policy leaders who are making a positive difference for Nebraskans. Crawford represents Legislative District 45 in the Bellevue area. In 2019, Crawford was the sponsor of Legislative Bill 304, which expanded Nebraska’s cottage food...

By Adam Weinberg

Omaha-area entrepreneur wins 2020 Connie Brown Freedom Award

Omaha-area entrepreneur wins 2020 Connie Brown Freedom Award

The winner of the Platte Institute’s 2020 Connie Brown Freedom Award is Marc Nda. Nda, of Bennington, is the owner of Omaha and Lincoln-based Dignity Home Care. Nda became Nebraska’s leading advocate for ending the state’s Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity law for intrastate transportation services, also known as the Competitor’s Veto. This type of...

By Adam Weinberg

Local government spending dominates Nebraska’s state General Fund

Local government spending dominates Nebraska’s state General Fund

Your local property taxes go to your local community, and your state income and sales taxes pay for state services, right? Sometimes. But did you know that a significant amount of your state taxes are also redistributed back to local governments across Nebraska? According to a new report from the Nebraska Department of Revenue, in...

By Sarah Curry

2019-2020 Nebraska Occupational Licensing Review

2019-2020 Nebraska Occupational Licensing Review

Introduction Much has changed since our 2018 review of Nebraska’s progress on occupational licensing policy and reform. The first year of licensing reviews growing out of LB299, Nebraska’s Occupational Board Reform Act, were completed in 2019. Committees of the Unicameral reviewed 26 individual licenses across eight of the standing committees. Several of the other committees—either...

By Laura Ebke

Platte Institute Virtual Legislative Summit to discuss Nebraska’s “Next Normal”

Platte Institute Virtual Legislative Summit to discuss Nebraska’s “Next Normal”

This year’s Platte Institute Legislative Summit will be held online on Thursday, October 8. You can find free registration at PlatteInstitute.org/Events. The Summit, entitled Nebraska’s Next Normal, will discuss how leaders from different points of view can work together to help Nebraskans rise from the COVID-19 recession. Here’s the schedule of events : At 9 a.m....

New Jersey’s increasing debt and taxes show Nebraska what not to do

New Jersey’s increasing debt and taxes show Nebraska what not to do

Nebraska has avoided efforts to raise state taxes in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and is one of the few states whose revenues grew from the previous year. But states like New Jersey are providing an alternate view into what can happen when policymakers consistently rely on tax increases to paper over their financial...

By Sarah Curry

Nebraska unemployment ranks lowest, approaching pre-pandemic levels

Nebraska unemployment ranks lowest, approaching pre-pandemic levels

Since the start of the pandemic, Americans have wondered when the job market would return to normal. For Nebraska, that time may be now. The Nebraska Department of Labor announced Friday that the state’s unemployment rate currently sits at 4%. That figure is not only the lowest in Nebraska since the beginning of the pandemic...

By Jaliya Nagahawatte

Disruptions from COVID-19 on Nebraska’s Agriculture

Disruptions from COVID-19 on Nebraska’s Agriculture

Government and industry responses to the COVID-19 pandemic created a variety of unique situations for agriculture. The “stay-at-home” orders forced consumers to be homebound, which increased the demand for food in grocery stores while simultaneously reducing the demand for food in restaurants. Reduced consumer travel caused the demand for ethanol to fall, impacting distillers’ grains,...

By Sarah Curry, Jay Rempe