JFC approves budget increases for courts, DAs, public defenders

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The Wisconsin Joint Committee on Finance has approved budget increases for state courts, district attorneys and public defenders.

The committee met on Thursday to discuss a series of budget motions. Lawmakers were unanimous in their vote to give circuit courts an additional $1.3 million to cover the costs of new branches opening in the 2021-23 biennium and more than $650,000 to make seven CCAP project positions permanent.

Budget changes for the district attorneys, public defenders and Department of Justice were grouped together in one motion that passed 12-3. The motion allows for pay-progression increases for DAs and public defenders, the creation of two new assistant district attorney positions, funding and staff to help public defenders review video footage from law enforcement body cameras, and an additional $2.5 million in 2022-23 for Treatment Alternatives and Diversion Program grants. A detailed list of changes affecting each agency is below.

The JFC will meet again on Tuesday and Thursday to discuss other areas of the budget.

Supreme Court and circuit courts

• Provide $438,700 in 2021-22 and $877,400 in 2022-23 in the circuit court costs appropriation to cover the costs of the new branches set to begin in the 2021-23 biennium.
• Eliminate 3.4 vacant medical-mediation panel positions and provide adjustments of -$139,900 for the associated salary and fringe benefits.
• Make seven CCAP project positions into permanent positions, and provide $50,100 in 2021-22 and $600,600 in 2022-23 to do so.

The JFC passed the motion 15-0.

District attorneys

• Provide DA pay-progression funding totaling $471,500 in 2021-22 and $949,300 in 2022-23. Funding for pay progression would be provided on a one-time basis. Adopt a non-statutory provision for the 2021-23 biennium to exempt the affected agencies from the requirement that pay progression be provided beginning with the first pay period after July 1. Funding is intended to provide for a half-step increase starting Jan. 1, 2022 and 2023.
• Provide $343,800 in 2021-22, $448,300 in 2022-23, and 5.9 positions annually to provide additional ADAs requested by seven offices.
• Create an additional ADA position in Sauk County and provide $76,000 annually for the position.
• Create an additional half-time ADA position for Lafayette County and provide $38,000 annually for the position.

The JFC passed the motion encompassing the district attorneys, public defenders and justice department 12-3.

Public defenders

• Provide SPD pay-progression funding totaling $434,200 in 2021-22 and $886,800 in 2022-23. Funding for pay progression would be provided on a one-time basis. Adopt a non-statutory provision for the 2021-23 biennium to exempt the affected agencies from the requirement that pay progression be provided beginning with the first pay period after July 1. Funding is intended to provide for a half-step increase starting Jan. 1, 2022 and 2023.
• Provide $94,100 in 2021-22 and $92,000 in 2022-23 and five staff positions for the resources to receive and review video evidence such as police body-worn cameras.
• Provide $683,500 annually to account for the increased data-storage costs of video evidence such as police body-worn cameras.
• Provide $507,200 in 2021-22 to pay off the amortized costs on improvements to office spaced leased for the State Public Defender in Madison. In addition, reduce funding for the State Public Defenders Office by $210,000 in 2021-22 and $215,800 in 2022-23 associated with current lease payments for remodeling costs.
• Provide $21,800 annually to support payments for interpreters.
• Extend the sunset date on the pilot program to provide counsel for parents of a child subject to a Child in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS) proceeding in five counties from June 30, 2021, through the end of 2022-23.

The JFC passed the motion encompassing the district attorneys, public defenders and justice department 12-3.

Department of Justice

• Provide an additional $2.5 million in 2022-23 for Treatment Alternatives and Diversion Program grants.
• Provide $709,000 in 2021-22 and $839,000 in 2022-23 in a new annual appropriation to reimburse counties for services provided to victims and witnesses of crime.
• Provide $500,000 annually for criminal investigation operations.
• Provide $500,000 annually for criminal investigation operations.
• Provide $2 million in Joint Finance’s supplemental appropriation for law enforcement body-worn camera grants to be authorized under pending legislation. Create a new continuing GPR appropriation for the purposes of the grants in the Department of Justice.
• Provide $2 million annually in a new GPR appropriation for law enforcement training fund reimbursements.
• Provide $1 million in Joint Finance’s supplemental appropriation for community-oriented police houses to be authorized under pending legislation.
• Reduce DOJ’s Legal Services General Program Operations appropriation by $60,000 in 2021-22 on a one-time basis. Re-estimate funding for the Assembly and the Senate by $30,000 each in 2021-22.

The JFC passed the motion encompassing the district attorneys, public defenders and justice department 12-3.

Department of Corrections budget items

The JFC also passed a motion 11-4 encompassing changes to the budget that affect the Department of Corrections and the Department of children and families. Motion 96 increases funding to the DOC by nearly $25 million while also reducing one position. Some of the motion items are listed below.

Corrections

• Provide $21 million annually as an overtime supplement.
• Provide $118,400 GPR and $55,000 PR annually for a night and weekend differential pay supplement.
• Provide $2,779,800 GPR and $265,000 PR annually for increased premium costs associated with liability, property, and workers compensation insurance coverage.

Adult institutions

• Re-estimate the average daily populations in adult correctional facilities to be 20,300 in 2021-22 and 22,431 in 2022-23.
• Provide $500,000 GPR in each year of the 2021-23 biennium on a one-time basis for career and technical education equipment maintenance and replacement.
• Provide $400,000 GPR annually for supplies and services to expand access to medication-assisted treatment, which uses medication in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies to treat individuals with
  substance-use disorders.
• Provide more than $2 million in 2021-22, more than $2.2 million in 2022-23, and 18.6 positions annually to staff the Oakhill Correctional Institution Assisted Needs Facility to purchase and maintain a
  handicapped van. The modified staffing structure would provide security positions for 10 months and non-security positions for 11 months in 2021-22 (instead of nine months), and eliminate the need for
  temporary pool code positions. Require Corrections to reallocate an additional 39.75 vacant positions (for a total of 58.35 positions) and associated funding to staff the facility.
• Provide $200,000 for the Windows to Work program.
• Provide $198,600 in 2021-22 and $405,200 in 2022-23 for repair and maintenance costs associated with services and materials for adult institutions, based on an estimated construction cost index of
  approximately 4% annually.

Community corrections

• Provide nearly $1.4 million in 2021-22 and $3.3 million to fund an additional 28 positions for office operations, field supervision, sex offender registry monitoring and tracking of Division of Community Corrections populations.
• Provide $231,100 GPR and $7,900 PR annually to fund non-salary costs funded for a partial year in 2020-21 associated with GPS tracking.

Juvenile Corrections

• Adopt the re-estimate of 86 for the average daily population of the juvenile correctional facility and adopt decreased funding amounts as a result of the re-estimate.
• Re-estimate the juvenile statutory daily rate to be $1,154 in 2021-22 and $1,178 in 2022-23 and increase funding amounts as a result.