LINCOLN- With the Nebraska Legislature's next session a little over two months away, the OpenSky Policy Institute held panel discussions with lawmakers and stakeholders that could shape future legislative proposals. The impact of court fines and fees on defendants, problems with property taxes, and the role of immigrants in the state's workforce were among the top issues discussed.

After lawmakers recently approved $350 million to build a new state prison, OpenSky focused discussions at a Tuesday panel around ways to reduce fines and fees for those going through Nebraska's criminal justice system. Sen. George Dungan, who moderated the panel and serves as a public defender, said such costs can act as a barrier to a fair trial if a defendant can't afford them.

The Legislature also passed a pair of tax bills last session that will cut or offset more than $6 billion worth of property and income taxes over the next six years. OpenSky discussed ways to clean up this new tax system, with John Anderson, a Univerity of Nebraska-Lincoln professor, saying that the current process is too impractical for certain property owners. Anderson also pointed out that the proposed changes don't make a change. Finally, discussing immigration, OpenSky recommended that the state look into tapping into its immigration population as a way to reduce its sizable workforce shortage.

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