Funding Cuts to Judicial Branch will have consequences across the state

Wednesday, March 23, 2016 3:20 pm

Funding Cuts to Judicial Branch will have consequences across the state | General Assembly 2016, Kentucky, judicial, budget, state employees, drug court,

Chief Justice Minton told a Senate Committee that if the House version of the budget is passed unchanged that the judicial branch will be forced to lay off 600 workers. Pretrial release workers, court designated workers and drug court will also be hit hard. Minton predicted that without drug court and monitoring services, that those now out of jail will have to be put in jail.

If that happens, the steps Kentucky has made to reduce its prison population will unravel. Over the past several sessions, the General Assembly passed laws to keep low risk offenders out of jail. Drug users went to drug court instead of a stint in jail.

The House bill did not include the 4.5% present year budget cut that Governor Bevin proposed - but that was cold comfort to Chief Justice Minton.

"I'm done with being cool, calm and collected. What little hair I have left is on fire." He told senators.

Follow "More" to Brad Bowman's story in the Frankfort State Journal.