A Growth Vision for Rural Prosperity

Modernizing Nebraska’s Systems to Secure the Good Life

By Jon Capps, Candidate for Nebraska Legislature — District 38

Executive Summary

Nebraska has everything it needs to thrive: hardworking people, productive land, strong communities, and a central location that connects us to the nation’s economy. What’s holding us back isn’t a lack of effort or values — it’s outdated systems.

Our tax structure, regulatory framework, workforce pipelines, and infrastructure were designed for a different era. They still function, but they no longer deliver the results rural communities need to compete, grow, and retain the next generation.

This paper outlines a practical, disciplined path forward — one that modernizes Nebraska’s systems without breaking what works, spreads opportunity broadly, and restores long-term prosperity for rural Nebraska.

Nebraska’s Strengths

Nebraska starts from a position of strength:

• A reliable, engaged workforce with strong participation rates

• High graduation rates and a tradition of local education leadership

• 91% of land is dedicated to agriculture and ranching, making Nebraska a national food and energy leader

• A central geographic location that supports logistics, manufacturing, and trade

Rural Nebraska is not lacking in potential. The challenge is converting these strengths into sustained economic growth.

The Challenges We Must Address

Despite our assets, Nebraska faces real and growing headwinds:

An Innovation Gap

Nebraska lags peer states in STEM graduates, entrepreneurship, startup formation, venture capital investment, and research activity.

Outmigration

Young adults and skilled workers increasingly leave for states with simpler systems, lower friction, and clearer economic pathways.

An Overreliance on Property Taxes

Local governments depend heavily on property taxes because the broader system offers them few alternatives, placing increasing pressure on landowners and homeowners.

Regulatory and Infrastructure Constraints

Outdated regulations, inconsistent broadband access, power limitations, and housing shortages restrict rural growth even where demand exists.

A Vision for Nebraska’s Future

Nebraska should aim to be the most welcoming and workable state in the Midwest — especially for families, entrepreneurs, and employers willing to invest in the long term.

That means building systems that are:

• Wide and shallow, not narrow and heavy

• Growth-oriented, not incentive-dependent

• Accountable, transparent, and measured by outcomes

We can’t return to the past, but we can reclaim the principles that once made Nebraska competitive: simplicity, fairness, and opportunity.

Five Priorities for Rural-Led Growth

1. Modern Workforce & Education Pathways

• Align education with real-world careers in agriculture, trades, technology, and manufacturing

• Expand apprenticeships, internships, and employer partnerships

• Support skill-based training that keeps young people rooted in their communities

2. Infrastructure That Enables Growth

• Reliable, affordable power to support modern agriculture and industry

• High-speed broadband as essential economic infrastructure

• Workforce and family housing to allow communities to grow sustainably

Economic growth cannot occur without infrastructure.

3. A Fair, Growth-Oriented Tax System

• Reduce overreliance on property taxes by expanding and diversifying the overall tax base

• Flatten and simplify tax structures so growth pays the bills

• Eliminate taxes that penalize investment, modernization, and reinvestment

A healthier system spreads responsibility broadly instead of concentrating pressure on the same taxpayers year after year.

4. Smarter Regulation with Clear Standards

• Regularly review regulations using objective tests:

  • Is it necessary?

  • Is it effective?

  • Is it still relevant?

• Sunset outdated or duplicative rules

• Streamline occupational licensing and recognize out-of-state credentials

Regulation should protect the public, not quietly tax productivity.

5. Broad-Based Economic Growth

• Prioritize policies that lift Main Street, small businesses, and rural entrepreneurs

• Use targeted incentives only when they are transparent, performance-based, and deliver measurable local returns

• Focus on agriculture, ag-tech, manufacturing, logistics, and locally rooted industry

Growth should benefit communities, not just spreadsheets.

Accountability That Delivers Results

Modern systems require modern accountability.

• Track outcomes with clear performance metrics

• Use transparency and digital tools to show what’s working

• Fix what doesn’t work and stop doing what doesn’t

Conclusion

Nebraska’s future doesn’t depend on ideology or slogans. It depends on whether we are willing to modernize systems that no longer serve us well.

Nebraska was built by people who valued practicality, fairness, and hard work. By updating our systems to reflect those same values, we can secure the Good Life for the next generation — especially in our rural communities like District 38.

— Jon Capps