TOPEKA—The Court Budget Advisory Council delivered to the Kansas Supreme Court this morning its report identifying strategies to consider for addressing an $8.25 million shortfall in the Judicial Branch base budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2014.
Although 11 strategies were considered, only seven were recommended and prioritized for their ability to provide immediate, short-term savings with the least amount of disruption to Kansans and their statewide court system.
The strategies include maintaining and possibly increasing job vacancies (which strains already understaffed courts), eliminating court services officer positions that perform necessary but not statutorily required duties, and furloughing nonjudicial employees.
Also included was a recommendation to delay filling judicial openings, which would require changes to Kansas statute, and to reduce a grant that historically has been awarded to Kansas Legal Services to promote access to justice by those with few financial resources.
The report was received by Chief Justice Lawton R. Nuss on behalf of the Supreme Court, who shared it with Judicial Branch employees and judges statewide, noting that the Supreme Court would continue to advocate for more funding for fiscal year 2015.
“I appreciate the Court Budget Advisory Council’s hard work on this difficult subject. Their objective look at all potential outcomes reflects their thoroughness, as well as the central factor that 96 percent of the Judicial Branch’s budget is for salaries and wages,” Nuss said. “Their report makes it abundantly clear that if the Legislature does not appropriate more money, tough decisions – including closing Kansas courts – will need to be made.”
The report was presented to Nuss by Court of Appeals Judge Karen Arnold-Burger, chair of the 10-member Council that met over six weeks to study the consequences the budget shortfall will have on Kansans and their courts.
“The recommendations in this report reflect the gravity of the Council’s task given the potential for court closures, staffing cuts and resulting delays if additional appropriations are not added to the court system,” Arnold-Burger said. “To the extent that we could, we tried to minimize the effect the proposed strategies would have on the people and businesses of Kansas.”
Members of the Court Budget Advisory Council include leaders from business, legislative, executive and judicial sectors: Chief Judge Meryl Wilson of the 21st Judicial District (Clay and Riley Counties), who was named Council vice chair; Sheriff Don Ash, Wyandotte County; Bruce Buchanan, President, Harris Enterprises, Inc., Reno County; State Representative Pete DeGraaf, District 82, Sedgwick and Sumner Counties; District Magistrate Judge Ann Dixson, 16th Judicial District, Kiowa County; Marc Elkins, Vice-President and Associate General Counsel, Cerner Corporation, Wyandotte County; Jim Minnix, Scott County Commissioner; John Vanier, Chief Executive Officer, Western Star Agriculture, Inc., Saline County; and John Wheeler, retired Finney County Attorney.