Details of committee proposals released

The Senate and House Judiciary committees have released their initial recommendations. The Senate proposal includes a 1% increase for the courts (to fund pension and health care obligations), and a 2.4% increase for public defense. But it recommends a 6.4% cut for civil legal services. The House proposal would also give  the courts about a 1% increase, and fund public defense at current levels. But the House proposal would cut funding for civil legal services by almost 17% – a loss of $4 million for the biennium.

The House proposal would also impose a number of restrictions on the types of cases legal services programs could undertake with state funding.  The proposal states:

No portion of the funds appropriated may be used to represent or serve clients: (1) in federal civil or criminal matters outside the jurisdiction of the state courts or agencies; (2) in suing or filing a claim with or against a state or federal entity; and (3) in advocating at the legislature for or against current or proposed policy and law.

Details of the Senate and House proposals, as well the House language restricting legal aid cases, are attached.

The combination of reduced funding and limitations on the types of cases legal services programs could handle would combine to significantly increase the burdens on the justice system. Legal services saves the court an estimated $5 million per year by helping screen out non-meritorious cases, settle cases before they get to court, and reduce the number of pro se parties when claims do need to be litigated. Court functions would be significantly impacted by a surge in unrepresented parties.

This is a critical time for the justice system – the committees are finalizing their bills this week. Please make sure that your representatives understand the importance of adequate funding for all the justice systems’ components. Please contact the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. Thank them for their efforts in support of an adequately funded justice system, and remind them of the need to adequately fund all its components, including civil legal aid. (And to help us make 1000Supporters as effective as possible, please drop us a note letting us know whom you called, and what the response was.)