OpenSky board member: Data should drive tax discussion
The following op-ed was sent to media outlets throughout the state. It was authored by Dick Campbell, vice president and treasurer of the OpenSky Policy Institute Board of Directors, owner of Campbell’s Nurseries and Garden Centers in Lincoln, a Republican, and former chairman of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce.
OpenSky Policy Institute believes good data and quality public discourse are the best ways to create state policies that benefit all Nebraskans. These are at the heart of all of our work, and we hope that data and dialogue will be at the heart of the state’s tax debate, too, because if Nebraska pursues the right tax reforms now, the state and its economy will benefit for years to come.
Some of the policies the Legislature’s Tax Modernization Committee is considering have the potential to help average Nebraskans and other policies will do the opposite. Policy analysts at OpenSky Policy Institute have spent years collecting the data, and here’s what we know will work for Nebraska and what won’t.
Property tax reductions are in order. A steady stream of Nebraskans turned out at public hearings of the Legislature’s Tax Modernization Committee last week and said that lower property taxes would help their communities, and we couldn’t agree more. If we work to lower local property taxes by providing more state assistance to local governments, we can give real help to Nebraska families.
After thoroughly reviewing the data, it’s clear that Nebraska should not cut its income taxes. It would not benefit average Nebraskans. In fact, Gov. Dave Heineman’s proposal last session to cut income taxes in favor of higher sales taxes would actually have increased taxes for 80 percent of Nebraskans.
The Tax Modernization Committee has said that its final proposal should be revenue neutral, and we strongly agree. It’s vital that the state have enough revenue to continue investments in neighborhood schools, world-class universities, and safe communities, since experts agree that these are building blocks for a strong economy and job growth. Next week, OpenSky will examine how some of the options the committee is considering would affect real Nebraska taxpayers. We encourage you to visit our website – www.openskypolicy.org – to view this information.
The committee has worked diligently this interim and it continues to examine recommendations to improve Nebraska’s tax code. Moving forward, we will keep working closely with the committee to make sure our state has a tax system that strengthens the building blocks of our economy and helps all Nebraskans have better opportunities today and long into the future.