Monday morning, the Platte Institute provided testimony on four bills being considered during the Special Legislative Session.
The Platte Institute for Economic Research is a conservative, free market advocacy group and think tank headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska and established by former governor Pete Ricketts in 2007.
Jim Vokal, CEO of the Platte Institute, added some additional context to this testimony, “As Governor Pillen and the legislature ambitiously seek to reform Nebraska’s property tax system the Platte Institute seeks to be a constructive and reasonable partner, helping to achieve the strongest reform possible for our citizens.”
Just this January, the think tank praised Pillen for reducing corporate income tax to a single rate and reducing individual income tax rates from 5.84% to 3.99%. Pillen also tackled property taxes for community college in 2023 reducing it by 5-6%. All of these factors, in the words of the institute’s Senior Policy Advisor, Michael Lucci, “qualified Nebraska to claim the best state tax reform of 2023.”
So it may come as a surprise to the public and the governor alike that the Platte Institute would not support parts of the current property tax relief plan Pillen has now introduced to the legislature.
Vokal concluded Tuesday saying, “Delaying the income tax reforms made in 2023, adding new tax brackets which would further burden Nebraskans with higher taxes, and increasing taxes on cigarettes should all be avoided to ensure that Nebraska’s tax code is both competitive and fair,”.
The Platte Institute remains dedicated to promoting sustainable and effective tax reform that supports long-term fiscal responsibility and economic growth.