House and Senate to vote on proposals for Justice System funding – Make your voice heard

The Minnesota House and Senate will act on supplemental budget bills on Monday, March 22.  This is first of several bills the legislature will consider as it attempts to close a budget gap of approximately $1 billion for the current 2010-11 budget cycle.  While each body is proposing a reduction in funding for the justice system – the courts, public defense, and civil legal services – overall reductions in the House bill come to about 2% for the biennium compared to about 2.5% in the Senate and  over 3% (with a 6% cut for legal services) in the supplemental budget proposal offered by the Governor.

Votes on the House and Senate bills are expected to take place Monday evening.  Please call and e-mail your legislators to thank them for recognizing the importance of the justice system, minimizing cuts, and avoiding disproportional treatment of any part of the system.

The bills will then advance to a conference committee to reconcile differences. At that time it will be important to communicate with committee members that the House supplemental budget proposal will do more to protect access to Minnesota’s justice system.

Thanks for your support for an adequately funded justice system.