Nebraskans view funding of public education justifiably as a long-term investment in the state’s future. A strong K-12 education system not only expands economic opportunities for all, it helps strengthen the overall economy. Many of the policy choices made by our state’s lawmakers have major ramifications for our state’s vital investments in public education.
LB 364, a bill on today’s Legislative agenda, could allow taxpayers to direct up to half their income tax dollars to private school scholarship funds. The measure would allow taxpayers to deduct the full [...]
Nebraska legislators and legislative committees have designated their priority bills for the session. Priority bills are placed ahead of non-priority bills on the legislative debate schedule, so receiving a priority designation increases [...]
Funding early childhood education is vital to support the growth and economic well-being of Nebraska. LB 625, a bill before the Revenue Committee on Thursday, would increase funding for this vital investment by [...]
Economic development and growing Nebraska’s economy is a common refrain every legislative session and this year is no exception. Economic growth has been cited as a reason to advance legislation related to [...]
Under scholarship tax credit programs such as the one created by LB 364, the state would forgo a large and growing amount of revenue to provide a dollar-for-dollar tax credit to those who [...]
Read about some of the priority bills that relate to OpenSky’s work and what position we have taken on them.
LB 974, as amended by AM 2433, would significantly change school funding in Nebraska and raises concerns about fiscal sustainability and equity in educational opportunities.
One of the many concerns raised about LB 974, the Revenue Committee’s property tax proposal, is that it would tie school spending to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) measure of inflation.
Nebraska relies more on local property taxes to fund public schools than 48 other states.[1] LB 1073 -- which will be the focus of an Education Committee hearing on Tuesday -- could reduce our reliance on property taxes while maintaining the equalization principle of the state’s school funding formula.
LB 974, a bill that would significantly change school funding in Nebraska and is the focus of a Revenue Committee hearing today, raises concerns about fiscal sustainability and equity in educational opportunities.