Gov. Jim Pillen speaks at a news conference at the Durham Museum in Omaha, with Union Pacific vintage railroad cars as a backdrop. Those attending included State Sen. Brad von Gillern, chair of the Legislature’s Revenue Committee, who introduced an incentives-focused bill on Pillen’s behalf. Shown on far right is Heath Mello, CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, and left of von Gillern is Todd Bingham, CEO of Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Also speaking was Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)
OMAHA — Nebraska officials seek to sweeten corporate tax incentives that spur job growth in the state, targeting Union Pacific Railroad in particular as it merges with another railroad giant that just five years ago opened a new headquarters in Atlanta.
Gov. Jim Pillen, Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr., and the heads of the Omaha and Nebraska business chambers of commerce held a news conference in Omaha Friday touting Legislative Bill 1165, newly introduced by State Sen. Brad von Gillern on behalf of the Pillen administration.
Dubbed the “Grow the Good Life Act,” the proposal modifies three existing business incentive laws. Key changes ensure that a large employer undergoing a merger or acquisition gains benefits that might encourage them to stay and grow in Nebraska, said von Gillern, chair of the Legislature’s Revenue Committee…