Regulatory Reform Archives - Platte Institute

The Talent Pipeline: How Nebraska’s Child Care Crisis Accelerates the Rural Brain Drain

If you want to understand the future of Nebraska’s economy, you have to look at who is building it. In our previous post, we mapped the geographic reality of Nebraska’s population: steady growth consolidating along the I-80 corridor, while rural counties face compounding demographic declines. But population size is only half the story. The composition...

By Laura Ebke

The Reality of Childcare in Nebraska

For Nebraska to reach its full potential, we must become a state where young families and workers want to build their futures. No single policy will make that happen. It requires sound tax policy, sensible regulation, greater freedom for individuals and businesses, attractive jobs, strong schools, and an affordable cost of living. For young families,...

By Ryan Kopsa

Where Nebraska Stands on Childcare Regulations in 2026

Nebraska has a lot to be proud of in the Archbridge Institute’s 2026 State Childcare Regulations Index. Ranking a solid 10th nationwide with a childcare freedom score of 5.48 out of 10, the Cornhusker State stands as a competitive leader in keeping childcare regulations manageable. Within the West North Central region, Nebraska ranks 2nd, demonstrating...

By Laura Ebke

Nebraska Population Growth: Are We Winning the Race for Residents?

When measuring a state’s economic vitality, the most honest metric isn’t always in a government budget report—it’s in a moving van. Demographics are the bedrock of our workforce, tax base, and future prosperity. If we want to evaluate how Nebraska is truly performing, we have to look at whether we are attracting new talent or...

By Laura Ebke

Free Markets, Local Control, and the Impact of Minimum Wage Policy on Rural Nebraska

Nebraska hit a major wage milestone in January 2026 when the state’s minimum wage rose to $15 an hour, the final step in a voter-approved 2022 plan. But the debate did not end there. Soon after, the Legislature passed LB 258. The law replaced inflation-based increases with a fixed 1.75% annual increase starting in 2027....

By Laura Ebke

What Rural Nebraska Is Losing

NOTE: Before he left, our previous intern provided a blog post based on a paper he’d written for school, discussing the challenges of big cities (especially Omaha) in our state. For his inaugural post, our current intern, Ethan Roth, has provided a colorful discussion of some of the challenges in rural Nebraska below, based on...

By Ethan Roth

Dictionary Policing: What Omaha’s “Censored Shop” Tells Us About State Cartels

If you’re in Omaha’s Blackstone District and you’re looking for a good cocktail, you might stumble into a tucked-away speakeasy now called the “Censored Shop.” Until recently, it went by “Barber Shop Blackstone.” According to the Nebraska Examiner, that name wasn’t a trick—it was a nod to the owners’ dad, who spent his life as...

By Laura Ebke

Who Moved in 2025? Nebraska’s Window of Opportunity

Every year, the “National Movers Study” from United Van Lines and the “U-Haul Growth Index” provide a real-time heat map of the American economy. The 2025 results are in, and they deliver a clear message: while the mass exodus from high-tax coastal states continues, the “quiet competition” for the middle of the country is heating...

By Laura Ebke

LB 663: Nebraska Agricultural Zoning Reform Improves County Permitting Process

On February 25, 2026, Governor Jim Pillen signed Legislative Bill 663 into law while at the Nebraska Dairy Convention and Trade Show in West Point, Nebraska. Introduced by Senator Tanya Storer, and championed by The Platte Institute, LB 663 improves county zoning processes for agricultural producers by establishing a more uniform, transparent, and timely system...

By Jakob Myers

Childcare Freedom in Nebraska

In today’s economy, the high cost and low availability of childcare are major barriers for working families. While policymakers often look toward taxpayer-funded subsidies to solve the problem, recent research suggests a different culprit: state-level overregulation. Nebraska stands at a critical juncture in this national conversation. According to the 2024 State Childcare Regulations Index from...

By Laura Ebke

Cutting the Cord: Nebraska Takes the Wheel on Environmental Reviews

For years, Nebraska’s major infrastructure projects—such as the long-awaited Lincoln East Beltway—have been held back by a slow-moving hitch: Washington, D.C. Federal red tape and the bureaucratic maze of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) have historically added years of delays and millions of dollars to local projects. That changed this week. Governor Jim Pillen...

By Laura Ebke

Reducing Red Tape: Advancing Economic Liberty and Accountability In Nebraska

The growing volume and complexity of government regulation at the state and local levels threaten economic freedom, entrepreneurial innovation, and democratic accountability. State regulations, often issued by unelected officials in executive agencies, accumulate over time, creating significant “hidden taxes” on small businesses and families within the state. This policy brief outlines a set of proven,...

By Laura Ebke

Research Note: Updates in Regulatory Restraint

In recent years, states across the country have taken renewed interest in reviewing longstanding and often outdated regulatory frameworks. Many legislatures are reassessing rules that may constrain economic growth, aiming to reduce regulatory accumulation and increase legislative oversight of unelected agencies. Although each state varies in its approach, a common goal has emerged: limiting high-cost...

By Jakob Myers

Research Note: How Changes in AI Regulation Could Affect Nebraska

A couple of weeks before Christmas, following the President’s recent executive order on artificial intelligence (AI), the Nebraska Examiner published an article examining the potential implications for Nebraska. While the precise impact of the order remains uncertain, the state’s recent legislative activity related to AI suggests the possibility of conflict between state and federal approaches....

By Jakob Myers