Research Note: Use of the Nebraska Livestock Matrix
Research Note: Use of the Nebraska Livestock Matrix
Introduced in 2015, the Nebraska Livestock Matrix is a tool designed to help counties evaluate proposed livestock operations seeking conditional use or special exception permits. Created to promote consistency across county lines in the permitting process, the committee tasked with developing the matrix faced two significant challenges in aligning its objectives. First, the tool needed...
By Jakob Myers
One Big Beautiful Bill and Nebraska’s Fiscal Response
One Big Beautiful Bill and Nebraska’s Fiscal Response
The One Big Beautiful Bill introduces sweeping changes to federal fiscal policy that will have tangible impacts on the state of Nebraska. Policymakers must choose which provisions to adopt of the federal law and which to defer. These decisions will have significant budgetary and growth implications for Nebraska. On the tax side, the OBBB makes...
By Michael Lucci
Research note: Conditional Use and Special Exception Permits
Research note: Conditional Use and Special Exception Permits
[Note: This is the second in a series of Research Notes by Platte’s summer intern, focusing on county zoning and agriculture issues] In Nebraska, conditional use and special exception permits are regulatory tools used by county commissions or boards to allow specific land uses that are not typically permitted under existing zoning rules but may...
By Jakob Myers
Saving America’s Family Farms: A Rural Revival
Saving America’s Family Farms: A Rural Revival
States like Nebraska – and my native Wisconsin – face one of the biggest challenges, and public policy opportunities, you are likely to find in America. Our family farms in rural areas across the country have been disappearing at the staggering rate of 45,000 per year on average for the past century. The incredible thing...
By Brian Reisinger
Research Note: LB106 and the Nebraska livestock siting assessment matrix
Research Note: LB106 and the Nebraska livestock siting assessment matrix
Note: This is the first in a series of Research Notes authored by this year’s Platte Institute Summer Intern, Jakob Myers. Jakob is researching information related to zoning issues involving livestock facilities. The continued growth of Nebraska’s agricultural sector depends significantly on the development and expansion of livestock operations across the state. These projects typically...
By Jakob Myers
The Importance of Charitable Giving, State Think Tanks and the “Big, Beautiful Bill”
The Importance of Charitable Giving, State Think Tanks and the “Big, Beautiful Bill”
At the Platte Institute, our mission is simple: we work to remove barriers that limit growth and opportunity in Nebraska. We believe every Nebraskan deserves the freedom to pursue their version of the Good Life—our state’s own take on the American Dream. Nonprofits like ours are vital to making that vision a reality. Across the...
By Jim Vokal
What Nebraska Can Learn from the Mississippi Miracle in Education
What Nebraska Can Learn from the Mississippi Miracle in Education
The “Mississippi Miracle” is catching headlines across states for delivering education success at a low cost. Most recently, the Kansas Policy Institute reviewed Mississippi’s performance results compared to Kansas and found the Sunflower State lagging. In a February Platte analysis, we found that Nebraska’s K-12 funding is the third-most reliant on property taxes of all...
By Michael Lucci
The Nebraska Impact of Federal Fiscal Reforms
The Nebraska Impact of Federal Fiscal Reforms
Federal fiscal reform will have layers of impact upon states like Nebraska. From taxes to tariffs to entitlements, the highly touted “Big Beautiful Bill” will preserve some elements of America’s fiscal formula while reforming others. Nebraska lawmakers ought to keep an eye on the relevant options on the table and be prepared to respond appropriately. ...
By Michael Lucci
Nonpartisans in Nebraska
Nonpartisans in Nebraska
While Nebraska is often described as one of the most Republican-leaning states in the country, it also has a long and unique history with nonpartisan governance—from its unicameral Legislature to local offices elected without party labels. This white paper reviews the historical roots of nonpartisan reforms in Nebraska, examines shifts in voter registration over the...
By Laura Ebke