A study by the Platte Institute questions the effectiveness of Nebraska’s fireworks regulations.

June 25 marks the beginning of fireworks sales in Nebraska. Mike Claycamp is taking time off at the Papillion American Legion tent to do a little shopping with his kids and their grandfather.

Claycamp is looking for small fireworks, he doesn’t need anything too big but not everyone feels as he does. Claycamp says , “every year you talk to people and they’ve either been to South Dakota or they’ve been to Missouri so yeah I think they lose business to both states”.

It’s an aspect under study at the Platte Institute. It compared the rate of fireworks injury in both Nebraska and Missouri.

According to their study Nebraska had a higher firwork injury rate than Missouri even with more restrictive regulations.

Berk Brown, editor of the study says, “what we need to look at are our regulations keeping Nebraskans safer. Are we missing out on economic potential in this state and whether or not this restricted liberty that we have that citizens in Missouri don’t is worth it or not and statistically it doesn’t look like it is”.

Just how much money is leaving the state is difficult to determine. The manager of the LaVista Monarch Wrestling tent isn’t too worried about competition from Missouri.

Tiffany Schrotberger says, “we have people that spend a good amount of money here you know hundreds of dollars up to about a thousand dollars and I mean no matter what business you’re in you’re going to lose money to somebody but I think we’re doing pretty well where we’re at”.

Mike Claycamp is comfortable with things as they are. Claycamp says , “with all the shows that they have it’s kind of hard to say that they need to allow the bigger stuff I think it presents more of a hazard to the younger kids where they have access to some of that bigger stuff but when I was a kid we had access to cherry bombs and M80’s and that type of stuff so it’s hard for me to say that kids shouldn’t be allowed to enjoy some of that stuff but by the same token being a parent I don’t think I would let my kids set anything off that big”.

The Platte Institute isn’t calling for the scrapping of Nebraska’s fireworks regulations, just a closer look at how they are working.
To learn more visit the institute’s web site at www.platteinstitute.org