OpenSky regularly shares blog posts with information on policy and research impacting all Nebraskans.
OpenSky offered insight on 13 different bills in 5 committees last week, weighing in on everything from property taxes to school vouchers to term limits. We were also in attendance at the meeting of the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board, an important step in the development of the state’s biennium
OpenSky followed along with the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board’s February meeting, and while we are pleased with positive developments reflected during the meeting, we advise caution as the budget process continues since we can’t rely on economic growth alone to resolve the state’s budget challenges. Nebraska still faces a
$262 million Last week, the Appropriations Committee released its Preliminary Budget report for the upcoming biennium, Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027 (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2027). The report, a milestone in the budget process, is the Legislature’s starting point for budget actions to be taken during the 2025 session. The
The OpenSky team was busy again last week, including our first engagement with the Appropriations Committee this session on the biennium budget. Our slate is full again this week and we look forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders as the session continues. LB 261 and 264 – Research
17 Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers joined 16 other attorneys general in asking that Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 be declared unconstitutional, potentially causing severe consequences for children and adults with disabilities, particularly in educational settings. A 504 plan, as they are commonly known, facilitates accommodations necessary
Another week, another busy hearing schedule for the team at OpenSky Policy Institute. Hearings will continue through the remainder of February and into March. If you’d like more frequent updates on the progress of various bills, make sure to check out our new Bill Tracker feature on the website, with
$1,000 As the Nebraska Legislature considers a variety of options for re-imaginging school funding in the state, it is important to consider the impact of additional investments in K-12 public education, independent of any corresponding property tax relief. California rebuilt their funding formula in 2013, launching the Local Control Funding
Education advocacy organizations, including OpenSky Policy Institute, and the state’s largest rural-focused organizations largely endorsed an “incremental” proposal Monday to reform Nebraska’s core school finance formula. Read the story
The fiscal note for LB 509, the Opportunity Scholarships Act, said this program would cost the state $25 million and eventually more than that. In its story, KMTV mentioned testimony from OpenSky’s Rebecca Firestone. “The state can’t pass a budget that’s not balanced. The state would have to find a
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OpenSky offered insight on 13 different bills in 5 committees last week, weighing in on everything from property taxes to school vouchers to term limits. We were also in attendance at the meeting of the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board, an important step in the development of the state’s biennium
