Blueprint Nebraska Releases Report

Nebraska business and education leaders have unveiled a new plan designed to create 25,000 jobs while adding $15,000 to the annual income of every resident by 2030.

Blueprint Nebraska consisted of volunteers coordinated by the State Chamber of Commerce have been working on the report for 18 months.

Co-chair Owen Palm said the 15 initiatives suggested in the report are all important. “We believe we have taken a bold path forward by defining these initiatives that support growth and promise to transform the state by 2030,” said Palm.

The plan suggests general measures, such as making Nebraska more welcoming, but also contains specific goals, such as building 30-50 thousand new housing units, affordable for young families, over the next 10 years.

Among the 15 suggestions, Kayla Meyer, Coordinator of Lincoln’s Young Professionals group, said the one recommending that Nebraska become a more welcoming state should be very effective with people in her age group. “I look forward to the State of Nebraska stepping up and becoming a truly welcoming neighbor, no matter  what race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or handicap,” Meyer stated.

Meyer also stated that housing affordability for young families is a priority. “Housing affordability is so important to my age group as well as the economic opportunity for these communities.”

Governor Pete Ricketts said it contains a lot of general suggestions, which will have to be implemented in the coming years. “Part of what Blueprint will do going forward is figuring out how do we take this from the conceptual level on to more concrete steps,” announced Ricketts.

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