LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Criticism is mounting against a Nebraska bill that would change the state body that resolves labor impasses between public worker unions and employers.

The Platte Institute for Economic Research, a conservative Omaha-based think tank, argued Tuesday that proposed changes to the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations would not substantially reduce government spending. The executive director said the legislative proposal also could intrude on private businesses, because the commission might have to subpoena them to compare public and private sector wages.

Omaha Sen. Steve Lathrop has said his bill — created after months of talks with government and labor groups — represents the "comprehensive, significant and meaningful" changes Gov. Dave Heineman and commission critics have sought. Hastings Sen. Dennis Utter, a critic of the commission, called the bill a vast improvement over the current setup.