It’s been an incredibly busy year at OpenSky, navigating the regular legislative session, saying goodbye to legislators who will not be returning in January, navigating the heat (both literal and figurative!) in [...]
75% Nebraska voters sent a clear message in last month’s election on paid sick leave, approving ballot measure 436 by a staggering 50-point margin, with nearly 75% of Nebraskans voting to pass [...]
$432 millionOn Wednesday, Nebraska’s Tax Rate Review Committee projected a $432 million budget shortfall for the upcoming FY26-FY27 biennium, nearly $490 million below what was expected after the conclusion of the 2024 [...]
$1.1 billion Iowa legislators will navigate a $1.1 billion budget shortage when they convene in January, largely driven by an aggressive income tax cut and a school voucher program that has eclipsed [...]
$7.69 billion Economists estimate that Nebraska’s 2024 farm income will reach $7.69 billion, which would reflect a 17% year-over-year decrease, but rank as the third highest on record, according to the Center [...]
81% A study released by Pew Research Center last month reported that 81% of voters surveyed indicated that the economy is among the most important issues they consider in the presidential election. [...]
$553.5 million As a regular part of the two-year state budget process, Nebraska’s code agencies (state agencies who report directly to the Governor) recently submitted their FY26/FY27 budget requests. This is a [...]
OpenSkyLIGHTS: Focus on Nebraska fiscal policy $4.4 billion Today is National Tourism Day, and according to the U.S. Travel Association, Nebraska business and leisure travel generated $376 million in 2022, the last [...]
1,351 Nebraska State Auditor Mike Foley issued a 26-page advisory letter warning state and local lawmakers about the potential consequences of rapidly increasing use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds [...]
$100,000 Indiana is the latest to join the list of states with outrageously expensive school voucher programs that attract primarily affluent students already enrolled in private schools. The average recipient of a [...]