Nebraska
Our entrepreneurship opportunity • Nebraska Examiner
Older Nebraskans remember radio commentator Paul Harvey. Popular for his “The Rest of the Story.” Mr. Harvey told stories about someone or something, teasing his audience to guess who or what he was talking about. After a commercial break he shared the “rest of the story.”
Entrepreneurship, or the creating and growing of businesses, is core to America’s success. As recently as the decade before the pandemic, growing research indicating America’s entrepreneurship culture was in decay. Calls for revitalizing America’s entrepreneurial spirit sounded. Truth be told, we Americans have an active tradition of cycling between “all is going to the dogs” and “good times are here again.”
The rest of the story is rooted in the dark days of the pandemic. We, like much of the world, were gripped by a once-in-a-lifetime health crisis. Over a 100 million Americans came down with COVID-19 and over 1.2 million died. Economic shutdowns, isolation, jobs lost, and failed businesses occurred. During COVID, working from home became more commonplace, and millions of us reconsidered how we made our living and lived. In the pandemic the roots of an entrepreneurship renewal were planted. Hundreds of thousands of our neighbors decided they did not want to go back to the shop floor or office. They were tired of working for someone else and desired something different than a long commute and having a boss.
In the New York Times dated Oct. 4, 2024, authors Ben Casselman and Sydney Ember penned a story titled “Pandemic Start-Ups Are Thriving, and Helping Fuel the Economy.” In this story the authors cite statistical evidence that something has changed with dramatically higher new business formation rates. Their story also captures insights into why this is happening. For America this is a point-in-time opportunity that warrants our encouragement and support. Entrepreneurship is driving creativity and innovation, and revitalizing and energizing our economy, society and communities.
These cycles of entrepreneurship are not new to America. My pop grew up in the 1920s and 1930s working on the family’s farms, and then as a laborer. That is how most Americans made their living in those times. Upon returning from World War II, serving in the U.S. Army, my father went back to work as a meat cutter and grocery clerk. With a little cash in his pocket, he dreamed of a different life. He got married, started a family, began buying homes, cars and appliances, enabled by becoming a small business owner.
After World War II, with a booming economy, there was a surge in entrepreneurship. Of my dad’s six brothers, all but one became entrepreneurs. None of them became rich, but they raised and educated families, paid taxes, hired folks, ensured their retirements and gave back to their communities.
This pattern is repeating itself across America and Nebraska in 2024. In 2022, the Unicameral Legislature enacted the Nebraska Small Business Assistance Act. The act provides funding for Nebraska-based startup and existing small businesses. The response to the act has been overwhelming, with nearly 3,000 inquiries.
This level of interest far exceeds what we would expect from the normal startup data. Recent analysis by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Bureau of Business Research found over 63% of these small business owners pursued entrepreneurship because they wanted to be their own boss — just like my pop.
The rest of the story is still to be written. Nebraska has a critical choice. Each year state and local governments spend hundreds of millions of dollars on traditional economic development focusing on business attraction and real estate development.
If just 10% of this spending was invested in supporting entrepreneurship, we could grow a more diverse, equitable, rooted and resilient economy, one entrepreneur’s dream at a time. Entrepreneurship builds families, communities and stronger state economies.
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Nebraska
Nebraska Dept. of Agriculture proposes ban on food and beverages containing any amount of THC
LINCOLN, Neb. — A public hearing Thursday drew strong opposition to proposed rules that would label food adulterated and illegal if it contains any amount of THC and its derivatives, potentially decimating Nebraska’s hemp and CBD industry.
The regulations would affect products like gummies, beverages and oral tinctures. Over 490 people wrote in opposition to the new regulations, while only three supported them.
The rule changes stem from an executive order issued by Gov. Jim Pillen in January requiring state agencies to review laws regarding the use of synthetic THC in food and beverages. The order was made to align with federal law coming in November 2026, which bans synthetic THC products and limits total THC concentrations in hemp products to not exceed 0.4 milligrams per container.
The proposed Nebraska rule goes beyond that federal standard.
“I would say it’d be similar other than it does say no THC. It is zero THC,” said Andrew Bish, chief operating officer of Bish Enterprises. “It’s not we are deferring to the federal government standard and aligning with the federal government standard. It is, in fact, a different standard.”
Fifteen speakers testified during the hearing, with many calling for the Department of Agriculture to regulate the industry rather than enforce outright bans.
“I respectfully urge the department to pursue a balanced science-based approach that protects public safety, targets specific problems, strengths and standards where necessary and holds bad actors accountable without unnecessarily eliminating access to products that may Nebraskans find valuable and beneficial,” said Dr. Andrea Holmes, a professor of chemistry at Doane University.
Many who testified were shop owners who said the regulations would result in major business losses and reduced state revenue.
“In 2025, we pay over $1 million in sales tax. We expect to be over $1.3 million in 2026,” one speaker from The Cannabis Factory said. “We’re not opposed to regulation, or oversight, or even additional taxation.”
The Department of Agriculture will review comments and decide if any changes need to be made. If not, the regulations go to the attorney general and the governor for approval.
The regulations include a carve out for the medical cannabis acts, meaning people with medical cannabis cards could get prescriptions that would not be affected by this proposed regulation change.
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Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said Thursday that he has asked President Donald Trump to issue a major disaster declaration for damage caused by storms that hit the state May 15-18.
The storms spawned tornadoes and flash flooding across Buffalo, Fillmore, Gage, Howard, Jefferson, Nemaha, Thayer and Thurston counties. There were numerous downed power poles and lines as well as extensive damage to schools, building and roadways. Damage just to public infrastructure is estimated at nearly $5 million.
In addition to the disaster declaration request, Pillen said he also has requested access to the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which provides funding to governments to allow them to rebuild in ways that will reduce or mitigate future disaster losses. Approval would allow the state to apply for such grants.
Thursday’s disaster declaration request is the second in two months. Back in May, Pillen requested one for historic wildfires in March that impacted Arthur, Garden, Grant, Lincoln and Morill counties. At the time of the request, it was estimated there was at least $9.7 million in damage from the fires, which were the worst in Nebraska’s history.
Nebraska
Bandits back in the win column with tournament-opening victory in Nebraska – East Idaho News
OMAHA, Neb. – The Bandits opened the Omaha, Nebraska tournament with a 7-4 win over Fremont.
The Bandits, coming off two losses to Billings at last week’s Bandits Invitational, trailed 4-3 in the fifth, but tied it up on a sac fly by Cole Croft.
They scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth for the win.
Carter Bowen finished 3 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Conner Cannon and Taye Lords each knocked in two runs for Idaho Falls (10-2).
Tyson Christenson picked up the win with four innings of relief.
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