LINCOLN- Sen. Justin Wayne, who represents part of North Omaha, says a trio of his legislative proposals would significantly shake up the state's criminal justice system and save hundreds of million in local tax dollars. "The only way we can really achieve fairness in our judicial system and, honestly, provide property tax relief, is to change the way our system works," said Wayne, who chairs the Legislature's Judiciary Committee.

Two of these proposals, LB996 and LB963, were introduced to the Legislature last Friday. LB996 would require the Department of Correctional Services to take over the operation of all county jails across the state, while LB963 would eliminate the elected position of county attorneys and deputy county attorneys. Instead, those duties would be performed by district attorneys, who would be assigned by the Nebraska Attorney General.

According to Wayne, such a move would save taxpayers millions of dollars and create a more robust and efficient criminal justice system. Sen. Wayne's other proposal, LB994, calls for the control and management of the state corrections system to be placed in the hands of the Nebraska Legislature, rather than the Governor's Office, but details have yet to be ironed out according to Wayne.

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