Supreme Court Kicks Off Agency Budget Briefings
Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson kicked off the day's agency budget briefings by saying the judicial branch is committed to cut costs wherever and whenever possible.
Abrahamson said there are three pressing issues that affect the operation of the state court system - the continuing fiscal crisis, growth of the immigrant community, and safeguarding the justice system. Abrahamson said the court has made belt-tightening moves, like significantly reducing in-state travel and eliminating out-of-state travel.
Abrahamson said the state needs to commit to providing access to the justice system by funding interpreter positions. She said Gov. Jim Doyle's budget addresses that need, and she urged the committee to retain it.
The governor's budget also begins to address the problem of providing legal assistance to the indigent, as does the court's new $50 assessment on State Bar members, which could raise $800,000 for legal services for the poor. But even coupled with $500,000 from the guv's budget, the total "just skims the surface" of the problem, she said.
