The State Chamber

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The Heart of Nebraska Business

For more than 97 years, the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry has been at the heart of Nebraska’s economic and political history. The State Chamber is today at its strongest level, with record membership, major legislative accomplishments, and an outstanding level of service to the business community.

Governor Dave Heineman and Chairman Marc LeBaron have already mentioned that the future of Nebraska will depend largely on the actions of today. A key to bringing more jobs to Nebraska and expanding our economy will be to seriously examine the state’s taxation policy. Fortunately, the Legislature has made very positive steps on this front during the past couple of sessions. But Nebraska is still considered a high-tax state.

Nebraska’s individual tax burden is high, especially for those residents beyond entry-level positions. According to the non-partisan Tax Foundation, Nebraska’s state and local tax burden is estimated at 9.8 percent of income, the 17th highest in the nation and above the national average of 9.7 percent. The Cornhusker State ranks 43rd in the Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index, which compares the states in five areas of taxation that impact business – corporate taxes; individual income taxes; sales taxes; unemployment insurance taxes; and taxes on property, including residential and commercial property. Nebraska’s neighboring states fare much better, with the exception of Iowa.

The State Chamber is working hard to improve Nebraska’s business and tax climate. In 2008, the State Chamber successfully lobbied for business tax relief through the first adjustment to the state’s corporate income tax brackets in 26 years (LB888). At the same time, the Chamber helped usher the passage of LB895, which created new incentives for businesses that provide high-paying jobs in Nebraska. Just as important, the State Chamber worked to defeat legislation that would have negatively impacted Nebraska’s business climate. We will continue working to reduce the burdens placed on the business community in the 2009 session.

The State Chamber has stood for you and your business for nearly a century! We’re in a global economy in which changing technology and ever-improving communication make it imperative for business to move quickly. Business cannot afford to be bogged down with intrusive regulation and taxation. The State Chamber stands strong against such burdens, positioning the organization as the only statewide group that truly represents the business point of view. Accomplishments in the Legislature and at the ballot boxes have shown that your State Chamber is a major force in Nebraska to ensure that a strong economy continues. With legislative term limits in place, your State Chamber-PAC will be involved in the key legislative races, supporting pro-business legislators and helping pro-business candidates!

The State Chamber will continue to build on past success in preparation for the future – a future that will depend on Nebraska business to be competitive on a global basis. To that end, the State Chamber remains committed as the leading voice of the Nebraska business community in promoting, encouraging, and protecting free enterprise in the state.

As the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry looks to the future, we will be seeking new ways to promote investment by Nebraska companies in all parts of our state. In addition, legislation that promotes larger investments in Nebraska and addresses our tax issues is needed. The state must also seek businesses that further diversify our economy and support the efforts of existing businesses to expand. Finally, it is also extremely important that we create incentives that promote job training and retraining as we move from an industrial 20th-century into a more high-tech 21st-century economy.