13-3302.

Legislative findings and declarations.

The Legislature finds and declares as follows:

(1) Nebraska is ideally situated as a potential industrial, innovation, and logistical hub for multiple industries across the rest of the country. The state is home to major railroads and trucking firms, and is within a two-day drive to major cities on the east coast, west coast, Mexico, and Canada;

(2) Increasingly, major companies looking to locate their headquarters or expand operations seek large shovel-ready commercial and industrial sites, commonly referred to as mega sites;

(3) Nebraska lacks sufficient economic development tools necessary to acquire and develop large shovel-ready commercial and industrial sites and innovation districts, and the creation of one or more inland port authorities in Nebraska will serve as a mechanism to develop such sites;

(4) In addition to the development of large shovel-ready commercial and industrial sites and innovation districts, the creation of inland port authorities will serve as a regional merging point for multi-modal transportation and distribution of goods to and from ports and other locations in other regions; and

(5) Inland port authorities will serve as a vital resource for stimulating and supporting tourism, entrepreneurship, and technology-based small businesses in this state.