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Minnesota House of Representatives

State Representative Sheldon Johnson

549 State Office BuildingState Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4201

For more information contact: Charlie Vander Aarde 651-297-8406

Posted: 2011-03-22 00:00:00
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CUTS TO MINNESOTA’S STRAINED JUDICIARY EQUAL JUSTICE DELAYED

(ST. PAUL) – House Republicans released their budget for Minnesota’s Judiciary today. The bill cuts funds for the Guardian Ad Litem Board and Civil Legal Services.

“Minnesota’s judicial system has been damaged by budget cuts," said DFL committee lead State Representative Sheldon Johnson (DFL – St. Paul). “I commend Chairman Smith for recognizing the dire straits of Minnesota’s courts and keeping additional cuts to a minimum.”

Governor Dayton recommended stable funding for most of the judiciary along with increases in key areas to ensure access to the courts by all Minnesotans. “The Governor recognizes that we are in danger of irreparably harming an entire branch of government with additional cuts,” said Johnson. “Minnesotans expect due process and access to their courts. We have been on a path which has led to long delays and poor access to our judiciary.”

The House proposal makes additional cuts to the budget proposed by Governor Dayton, including advocates for children. The Guardian ad Litem Board would receive an 11% cut, while the Governor recommended a slight increase. “Guardian ad Litems are advocates for children,” said Johnson. “Cuts to this program are inconceivable and I encourage the Republicans to rethink their priorities.”

The bill keeps an already strained public defender system stretched to the breaking point. The Office of the Legislative Auditor reported that public defender workloads are too high, creating significant challenges for Minnesota’s criminal justice system. “The assistance of counsel is protected under federal law,” said Johnson. “Heavy workloads have hurt the ability of public defenders to advocate for their clients. Governor Dayton prioritized this area in his budget by proposing a 5% increase. The Republicans should do the same.”

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