The Competitiveness Agenda
Translating Data into Policy Leadership
Nebraska’s success depends on getting the fundamentals right—a growing, educated workforce;
competitive tax structure; modernized and resilient infrastructure; and sensible regulation. The
Chamber’s role is to use data to chart a vision for a growing Nebraska, driven by a healthy and
dynamic business environment.
In 2025, the Chamber took positions on and monitored nearly 200 bills, testifying on nearly 100 either
directly or with coalition partners. Those efforts produced meaningful results: a modernized workforce
investment fund, predictable labor costs for small businesses seeking to grow in an inflationary
economy, protection of critical housing and site-readiness programs and the defense of tax policies that
make Nebraska competitive. Here’s a snapshot of last year’s successes:
1. Workforce & Talent
• Support for dual-credit enrollment investments that get more Nebraska high schoolers on the
pathway to better education and better careers. (LB173). Modernizing the state’s approach to
workforce development programs, balancing industry input with administrative nimbleness and efficiency
(LB265).
• Strategic investments in automation and upskilling to strengthen manufacturing capacity
(LB536).
• Advocacy for childcare infrastructure (LB304) and housing availability (LB458) to keep families
and talent in Nebraska.
• Continued advocacy on second-chance hiring and re-entry initiatives (LB215).
2. Tax & Fiscal Policy
• Defense of recent income-tax reductions that keep Nebraska competitive with peer states and help
retain and attract business investment; and opposition to “tax-shift” proposals that trade
one tax burden for another (LB170, LB171).
• Promotion of predictable, pro-growth budget policy and cash reserve management (LB494).
• Advocacy for modern, market-aligned incentives like ImagiNE Nebraska and performance-based wage
credits in growing industries (LB649).
3. Infrastructure & Energy
• Long-term infrastructure planning through the new Infrastructure Review Task Force (LB558).
• Protection of the Site and Building Development Fund to ensure site readiness for large
industrial projects (LB468).
• Opposition to proposals that would undermine investment in energy generation (LB468).
4. Regulatory Clarity & Cost of Business
• Passage of reforms that clarified paid leave compliance and eased benefit mandates for small
employers, in particular (LB415 & LB258).
• Support for streamlined regulatory review and transparency in rulemaking (LB29, LB565).
NE CHAMBER COUNCILS
Where Nebraska’s Business Voice Takes Shape
Each council brings together business leaders, subject-matter experts and local chamber partners to
identify solutions, test ideas and inform legislative action. Interested in helping advise our Board of
Directors on a vision for a growing Nebraska?
Membership in these councils is open to any Chamber member with expertise or interest in shaping
policy. Council discussions directly inform testimony, coalition strategy and interim study
participation.
Join a policy council. Share your experience. Your input drives our legislative agenda and
ensures Nebraska’s policies work in practice—not just on paper.
LOOKING FORWARD: NEBRASKA’S NEXT ECONOMY
Demographics, Innovation and Energy as Growth Drivers
The next decade will test Nebraska’s ability to adapt. Our success will depend on whether we can
address fundamental demographic and structural challenges nearly every state in the country is
facing:
1. Grow our working-age population,
2. Build public-private partnerships that increase educational attainment and retain talent,
3. Expand housing and childcare capacity to support our workforce,
4. Build a diversity of energy resources to power the future economy, and
5. Invest in automation and upskilling to relieve labor market pressures.
Meanwhile, we’ll continue to advocate for a host of other issues relevant to operating businesses
in Nebraska, including but not limited to: reasonable, market-aligned regulations; competitive tax
policy and responsible fiscal controls at the state and local levels; and flexibility for employers in
crafting employee benefits.
1. The Demographic Imperative
Nebraska’s population growth rate has lagged behind the national average for a decade, driven by
domestic outmigration among young professionals, in particular. Retention efforts must focus on
affordability, quality of life and career advancement in communities of all sizes. Child care continues
to be of importance because of its outsized impact on workforce health. Our Foundation’s research
has elevated the imperative that workforce issues remain top-of-mind for state policymakers.
2. Investing in Community Infrastructure
Housing affordability and site readiness remain essential to sustaining growth. Protecting the Rural
Workforce Housing Fund and the Middle-Income Housing Fund, and maintaining dedicated funding for Site &
Building Development are central to our long-term competitiveness strategy.
3. The Energy Transition
Load growth across Nebraska is growing at rates not seen in decades, driven by the electrification of
manufacturing, bioeconomy projects and data infrastructure. Nebraska’s public power model
positions us uniquely to manage this transition—balancing reliability and cost. But Nebraska must
develop deep community support for energy projects that provide tangible economic benefits both when
they are built and with the energy-intensive projects they unlock. The Chamber supports an
“all-of-the-above” energy approach — not just because it’s good policy, but
because it’s the only realistic way to connect the dots between Nebraska’s growth ambitions
and the infrastructure needed to support them.
4. Technology, Modernization & Education
Automation, AI integration and advanced manufacturing are redefining competitiveness for some of
Nebraska’s leading industries. And it’s not just manufacturing that recognizes automation as
a productivity driver in light of workforce pressures. The Chamber will continue to champion smart
regulatory modernization, capital incentives and educational investments that empower businesses to
invest confidently in new technology, and train their employees to use it for greater productivity.
Support the Chamber Foundation’s ongoing research and share your community’s
success story. Nebraska’s next economy will be built by the partnerships we form
today.
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CLOSING THOUGHT
The policies we advance today will determine whether our state continues to compete for investment,
talent and opportunity in the decades ahead. The Chamber’s work is not partisan—it’s
practical, grounded in data and focused on what strengthens Nebraska’s economy for the long term.
A Message from the Executive Vice President for Legislation & Policy
When I reflect on Nebraska’s business climate, I see both promise and urgency. Promise
because we’re building from a foundation of reliability, productivity and community values that
still matter in a complicated economy. Urgency because demographic and structural shifts are real: our
current workforce needs upskilling for the jobs of the future, our population growth is slowing as
retirements accelerate and the competition for investment is fiercer than ever.
In this policy environment, Chamber work is extremely important. Every day, our team translates
data and member feedback into action—testifying on legislation, surfacing issues, building
coalitions and growing grassroots engagement, and keeping Nebraska’s long-game front and center.
Our role isn’t just to react, it’s to anticipate.
Our advocacy is only as effective as our collective action. If you’re a Nebraska employer,
I want to hear from you. Join a policy council, reach out to our team or share how policy affects your
operations. Contribute to our Political Action Committee so we can prioritize leadership in the
Unicameral. Your insight is what gives our testimony credibility, and your support builds our capacity
to make things happen in Lincoln, so that your business and community
prosper.
Contact:
Hunter Traynor
EVP of Legislation & Policy
[email protected]
