The Senate Ways & Means Committee released its budget this week. Read our budget breakdown here. Here’s what we are watching in the Senate budget:
- MLAC was level funded at $13 million; this is $4 million below their request of $17 million. Senator William Brownsberger and Senator Cynthia Creem are filing an amendment requesting an increase of this budget line to $17 million.
- The Trial Court received approximately $617 million, which is about $9 million more than the House budget. This difference will have to be worked out in a budget conference committee.
- CPCS received approximately $180 million. While this funding amount is substantially higher than the funding it received in 2013, the final FY 2014 General Appropriations Act, and this year’s FY2015 House budget recommendation, it falls short of CPCS’s budget request. This amount does not provide any additional funding for increased attorney compensation. Several legislators are considering filing amendments to increase this line item.
