Representatives Dudik, Ryan and Hopkins, Missoula County strongly opposes HB 773 – Modify entitlement share payments, before House Appropriations this week. While the provision to establish a public defender task force to review and offer guidance on financial responsibility for the Office of the Public Defender is warranted, Missoula County strongly opposes taking funding from the entitlement share to fund OPD before such a task force can convene. Entitlement share is a mutually agreed upon aggregation of locally collected taxes for state functions returned to local governments for the cost of delivering those services. It’s been suggested this session that when the state assumed the function of the OPD and took a portion of local government funds to pay for the costs, local governments were obligated to maintain some sort of cost ratio. This was not the case, just as it was not the case when the state assumed district court functions. Some have also suggested that local ordinance violations are increasing OPD caseloads and driving up costs. The legislature’s own audit division review shows that is not the case, as violations of local government ordinances is rarely the reason a client is provided a public defender. Please oppose HB 773.
Missoula County supports HB 773, Modify entitlement share payments, as amended, up for hearing this afternoon in Joint Appropriations on Judicial Branch, Law Enforcement and Justice. HB 773 establishes a public defender task force to review and offer guidance on financial responsibility for the Office of the Public Defender. Missoula County appreciates the amendments that removed taking funds from the entitlement share to fund OPD before such a task force can convene. Entitlement share is a mutually agreed upon aggregation of locally collected taxes for state functions returned to local governments for the cost of delivering those services. It’s been suggested this session that when the state assumed the function of the OPD and took a portion of local government funds to pay for the costs, local governments were obligated to maintain some sort of cost ratio. This was not the case, just as it was not the case when the state assumed district court functions. Some have also suggested that local ordinance violations are increasing OPD caseloads and driving up costs. The Legislature’s own audit division review shows that is not the case, as violations of local government ordinances is rarely the reason a client is provided a public defender.
Missoula County supports HB 773, Modify entitlement share payments, as amended, up for hearing in Finance and Claims Monday morning. HB 773 establishes a public defender task force to review and offer guidance on financial responsibility for the Office of the Public Defender. Missoula County appreciates the amendments that removed taking funds from the entitlement share to fund OPD before such a task force can convene. Entitlement share is a mutually agreed upon aggregation of locally collected taxes for state functions returned to local governments for the cost of delivering those services. It’s been suggested this session that when the state assumed the function of the OPD and took a portion of local government funds to pay for the costs, local governments were obligated to maintain some sort of cost ratio. This was not the case, just as it was not the case when the state assumed district court functions. Some have also suggested that local ordinance violations are increasing OPD caseloads and driving up costs. The Legislature’s own audit division review shows that is not the case, as violations of local government ordinances is rarely the reason a client is provided a public defender.
Sent this afternoon:
ReplyDeleteRepresentatives Dudik, Ryan and Hopkins,
Missoula County strongly opposes HB 773 – Modify entitlement share payments, before House Appropriations this week. While the provision to establish a public defender task force to review and offer guidance on financial responsibility for the Office of the Public Defender is warranted, Missoula County strongly opposes taking funding from the entitlement share to fund OPD before such a task force can convene. Entitlement share is a mutually agreed upon aggregation of locally collected taxes for state functions returned to local governments for the cost of delivering those services. It’s been suggested this session that when the state assumed the function of the OPD and took a portion of local government funds to pay for the costs, local governments were obligated to maintain some sort of cost ratio. This was not the case, just as it was not the case when the state assumed district court functions. Some have also suggested that local ordinance violations are increasing OPD caseloads and driving up costs. The legislature’s own audit division review shows that is not the case, as violations of local government ordinances is rarely the reason a client is provided a public defender.
Please oppose HB 773.
Sent April 5:
ReplyDeleteSenator McConnell and Representative Dudik,
Missoula County supports HB 773, Modify entitlement share payments, as amended, up for hearing this afternoon in Joint Appropriations on Judicial Branch, Law Enforcement and Justice. HB 773 establishes a public defender task force to review and offer guidance on financial responsibility for the Office of the Public Defender. Missoula County appreciates the amendments that removed taking funds from the entitlement share to fund OPD before such a task force can convene. Entitlement share is a mutually agreed upon aggregation of locally collected taxes for state functions returned to local governments for the cost of delivering those services. It’s been suggested this session that when the state assumed the function of the OPD and took a portion of local government funds to pay for the costs, local governments were obligated to maintain some sort of cost ratio. This was not the case, just as it was not the case when the state assumed district court functions. Some have also suggested that local ordinance violations are increasing OPD caseloads and driving up costs. The Legislature’s own audit division review shows that is not the case, as violations of local government ordinances is rarely the reason a client is provided a public defender.
Please support HB 773, as amended.
Sent April 5:
ReplyDeleteSenators McConnell and Salomon,
Missoula County supports HB 773, Modify entitlement share payments, as amended, up for hearing in Finance and Claims Monday morning. HB 773 establishes a public defender task force to review and offer guidance on financial responsibility for the Office of the Public Defender. Missoula County appreciates the amendments that removed taking funds from the entitlement share to fund OPD before such a task force can convene. Entitlement share is a mutually agreed upon aggregation of locally collected taxes for state functions returned to local governments for the cost of delivering those services. It’s been suggested this session that when the state assumed the function of the OPD and took a portion of local government funds to pay for the costs, local governments were obligated to maintain some sort of cost ratio. This was not the case, just as it was not the case when the state assumed district court functions. Some have also suggested that local ordinance violations are increasing OPD caseloads and driving up costs. The Legislature’s own audit division review shows that is not the case, as violations of local government ordinances is rarely the reason a client is provided a public defender.
Please support HB 773, as amended.