Ricketts proposes easing some Nebraska job-licensing rules

The proposals would ease requirements for aspiring cosmetologists, massage therapists, audiologists, car salesmen, potato shippers and school bus drivers, among others.

The measures take aim at "the barriers that we put up in front of job creators or people who are willing to make changes in their careers, who are seeking upward mobility," Ricketts said at a news conference Tuesday.

Sen. Merv Riepe, of Ralston, said the effort could help Nebraska compete more effectively with neighboring states, such as Kansas and Missouri, which have less restrictive rules for professions such as cosmetology.