Kansas courts budget deal in works

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January 28, 2015 - 12:00 AM

A $3.6 million shortfall in the Judiciary Branch’s budget could shut courtrooms across the state before June 6 if additional monies aren’t found, although a potential solution is near.
Allen County District Judge Daniel Creitz told the Register Tuesday he was “cautiously optimistic” the state has found a solution, in the form of a proviso in the State Legislature’s rescission bill. The Senate and House leaders and state budget director are working with the judicial branch on the proviso, Creitz said.
Creitz is a member of the Kansas District Judges Association, which has asked the state to allow the Judicial Branch to use funds previously set aside for the state’s E-Court system.
A large portion of the E-Court funds, already in the bank, will not be spent this year.
The E-Court system is a planned statewide electronic and filing centralized case management system, and is expected to bring increased efficiencies when it’s up and running.
But it’s not up and running yet.
Fiscal Year 2015 ends June 30, Creitz noted, and the quicker a solution is found, the better.
“If we wait until (June 30), it’s too late.”
With the Legislature’s blessing, the E-Court funds would make up most of the shortfall, Creitz said.
“The remaining balance of the current shortfall, the Judicial Branch can cover with efficiencies,” Creitz said.
 “That’s the plan for FY 15,” Creitz said, with a caveat: “We can’t take any more budget cuts.  Spending has to stay at the current levels.”
The Judicial Branch is funded through a combination of state and county monies.
While county funds pay for overhead costs — equipment and utilities, for example — 96 percent of the state funding goes toward salaries.

THERE ARE other, potentially larger budget issues, that may be coming down the pike.
Gov. Brownback’s budget proposal sent earlier this month to the Legislature, which the legislature has not yet acted upon, for Fiscal Years 2016 and 17 are more than $56 million less than what the Judicial Branch has requested over the two years in general fund monies.
“The Governor’s proposed cuts for FY 16 and 17 are very deep,” Creitz said.
The Judicial Branch’s budget proposals for 2016 and 2017 include pay raises for non-judicial employees, who had gone without a salary increase since 2008 until the state approved a 2 percent pay hike in 2014. That raise was nearly offset by an additional 1 percent retirement plan cost increase.
In addition, the Judicial District has operated with an average shortage of at least 80 employees over the past five years.
The Judicial Branch’s base budget has not been fully funded since 2009, according to KDJA.

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