50-419.03.

Long-term fiscal trends; legislative findings and declarations.

The Legislature finds and declares that:

(1) Research conducted since 2009 by the University of Nebraska at the request of the Legislature's Planning Committee shows (a) the population of Nebraska is becoming more concentrated in the most populous counties, with two-thirds of the counties showing dramatic and sustained population loss, (b) the population of Nebraska is aging, and (c) the population of Nebraska is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse;

(2) It is in the best interest of the economy of Nebraska to anticipate long-term fiscal trends;

(3) The Legislative Fiscal Analyst, in partnership with the Legislature's Planning Committee and the University of Nebraska, has a tool to project the long-term fiscal impact of revenue and expenditure measures and changes in federal policy; and

(4) The state is constitutionally prohibited from incurring debt, which, due to downturns in revenue, has caused the Legislature to deplete the cash reserves by more than one-half during the last two biennial budgets. The restoration of cash reserves over the next two biennial budgets is essential if the state is to meet its obligations and adapt to the challenges projected by data accumulated by the Legislature's Planning Committee.